Sherlock Holmes Blog

 

Story I: "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual"

 

Summary:

Sherlock Holmes was appealed to by a university acquaintance, Reginald Musgrave, to investigate the mystery of some ancient family rite which appears to have been responsible for causing his butler, Brunton, to go mad. The rite is subsequently found to be a description of how to find a lost treasure that had been buried many years ago. Holmes traces the fate of the butler and the location where the treasure has been hidden.

 

Main characters:

- Sherlock Holmes

- Dr. John Watson

- Reginald Musgrave

- Brunton: butler

- Rachel Howells: maid

 

Plot:

Holmes investigates a strange case presented to him by Reginald Musgrave, who claims that his butler is acting in the most bizarre manner after perusing the Musgrave ritual followed by his disappearance. Homes finally cracks the ritual, which in turn gives them the treasure. The same clue also means the fate of the butler, whose body is found trapped in some ancient chamber, from where he could not escape after finding the treasure. So, the treasure was some historical relic.

 

Setting:

It is an ancient, mysterious Musgrave estate, old mansion in the English countryside. The scene is an old mysterious mansion.

 

Point of view:

It is given in the first person, through the voice of Dr. Watson, who is narrating Holmes' narration of the case.

 

Crucial moment:

The crucial moment would come when Holmes finally unscrambled the ritual (the Musgrave Ritual) to read it like a guide for the hidden treasure.

 

Why does one read this story?

This story is a good example of Holmes at his best while at the same time leading the reader through an exciting, entertaining journey of classic puzzles and individual mysteries. This case is one of the most readable and memorable ones due to the mystic ritual, hidden treasure, and tragic end.

 

 

 

Story II: "The Adventure of the Reigate Squire"

 

Summary:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson move to the countryside to restore his fatigue. However, the Cunningham family is suspected of being engaged in a burglary that resulted in the death of a coachman, whereupon Holmes finds himself inadvertently drawn into a local mystery. Holmes discovered that the crime was actually a cover-up for a forgery scheme. Evidence was uncovered by Holmes tricking the Cunninghams into revealing the crime. The Cunninghams were taken into custody, and the innocent suspect exonerated.

 

Characters:

- Sherlock Holmes

- Dr. John Watson

- Mr. Cunningham

- Alec Cunningham (his son)

- Inspector Forrester

 

Plot:

Sherlock Holmes takes a sojourn in the country. Shortly, though, he is on the scent of a burglary and murder in a local case that will tie the Cunningham family of influence with Tribunal suspicion. This was found to be fully accurate as Holmes used a faked accident and wily trickery to dupe Alec Cunningham into revealing evidence against himself. The Cunninghams had done this in their attempt to hide forgery. Thus, the Cunninghams are taken into custody, and all goes well.

 

Setting:

The story is set in Reigate, a countryside location in Surrey in England. The quiet countryside presents a remarkable contrast to the inherent tension of the investigation.

 

Narrative point of view:

The story is narrated by Dr. Watson. He documents Holmes' methods of investigation and experiences.

 

Critical moment:

The critical moment is when Holmes pretends to faint. This provokes Alec Cunningham to reveal evidence that almost ensures their getting caught.

 

Why read this story?

This story serves as a good reminder of Holmes' great skills and the capability to unravel even the most intricate crimes on other occasions. It is a story full of relentless determination and ability in Holmes.