Background
The stories were written across several years and reflect changes in Holmes’s public role as well as Doyle’s changing interests. Read as a collection, they show how a recurring detective can move between intimate mysteries and questions of national security.
Reading notes
- Read each story as a self-contained case, then compare its tone with the next.
- Notice how Holmes’s age and reputation affect the way others approach him.
- In the title story, separate the mechanics of the investigation from its wartime purpose.
Version note
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