The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of seven short stories titled ‘The Crooked Man’, ‘The Gloria Scott’, ‘The Musgrave Ritual’, ‘The Reigate Puzzle’, ‘The Stockbroker’s Clerk’, ‘The Yellow Face’ and ‘Silver Blaze’.
The Musgrave Ritual revolves around a strange old observance of an aristocratic family from Sussex, England. It begins with one of Holmes’ friends Reginald Musgrave from university visiting him regarding strange happenings at his house. One night Reginald finds his butler Brunten in the library secretly reading his family documents. The document that Brunten was found reading was on the Musgrave ritual. Reginald dismisses Brunten and he suddenly goes missing with the housemaid Rachel Howells to whom he was engaged to be married but leaves her for another woman.
‘The Stockbroker’s Clerk’ is about a young man named Hall Pycroft who has fallen on hard times and takes up a dubious offer for a lucrative job. Holmes is consulted by Pycroft when he becomes suspicious of his boss.
The short stories highlight Sherlock Holmes’ brilliant investigative skills which include observation, deduction and forensics to solve intriguing mysteries.
Reviewed by Hannah George