What do you think?
Rate this book
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes - Volume II
In Conan Doyle's final six stories featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the duo face some of their most challenging cases yet.
In "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client," Holmes puts his own life in danger as he tries to cut short a young girl's infatuation with the notorious wife-murderer Baron Gruner.
Why is Mrs. Maberley offered a handsome price for the "Three Gables," provided she leaves at once and takes nothing with her?
Even in his retirement, Holmes' skills are called upon as he follows a trail of death on the Sussex coast in "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane."
In "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client," Holmes puts his own life in danger as he tries to cut short a young girl's infatuation with the notorious wife-murderer Baron Gruner.
Why is Mrs. Maberley offered a handsome price for the "Three Gables," provided she leaves at once and takes nothing with her?
Even in his retirement, Holmes' skills are called upon as he follows a trail of death on the Sussex coast in "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane."
1 pages, Audio CD
Published September 17, 2019
14 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.4k books24.1k followersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 1, 2017
"The Illustrious Client" is easily the standout in this final collection of six stories. It has an extremely evil villain, named Baron Gruner, who's nearly on par with Charles Augustus Milverton. The most fun part of this audiobook is a bonus story, "The Wonderful Toy," written by the narrator, David Timson, which I think is superior to most of Conan Doyle's own stories in the "Casebook."
September 24, 2012
The Veiled Lodger: Yet another story about a murder victim whose death is much less regrettable because he was abusive to his wife. I should start keeping a list of how many Holmes mysteries follow this pattern -- I am beginning to wonder whether spousal abuse was to Doyle what debtor's prison was to Dickens. I must admit it makes me like him more.
This story does not make me like Watson, though -- where does a medical doctor get off with having (and being unable to hide) such a vile gut reaction to a woman's facial disfigurement? Holmes comes off scarcely better. He's the only one to oppose her suicide wish, which is good (at least compared to the behavior of others present), but to tell her that she should live in order to be an example of patient suffering is sickening.
The Illustrious Client: This turned out to be one of my favorite stories so far! In addition to being yet another one where the villain's primary characteristic is horrible mistreatment of women (as opposed, by the way, to a number of more recent criminals who are shown to be rapists just as a sort of last flourish), the "mystery" is that of finding a way to save the villain's next victim, and his previous victim plays an extremely important role.
I loved Kitty Winter. Holmes couldn't have solved this case without her, but when invited to participate in the final stage of Holmes's plan, she did and then used the opportunity to seize her own revenge. Holmes and Watson do portray her as somewhat hysterical with anger, but they cannot deny that her anger is totally justified.
What clinched the story for me was how it handles the danger of the villain to Kitty Winter. The villain makes it clear to Holmes that if Holmes continues to meddle in the case, his life will be worth little. Since both Holmes and Kitty Winter are openly involved in the attempt to make the next victim perceive the reality of her situation, I was afraid that Holmes and Watson would be sadly shocked to open the paper the next day and read about the "Murderous Attack on Young Woman," and I pre-emptively cursed their lack of thoughtfulness for their assistant.
I also thought that the portrayal of the potential next victim was rather, intriguingly, good. She's engaged to marry the villain despite the wishes of everyone who knows her, and he's been able to convince her that all the stories of his past evil deeds are distorted, and either that he was really the victim, or that he's repented because of her and will now live a better life with her to inspire him. Her love for him is described as a kind of obsession or madness. Most intriguingly, the villain offhandedly mentions to Holmes that he has been able to increase his fiancee's loyal behavior through "post-hypnotic suggestion." It's hard for me not to read in this story the bewildered frustration of someone who has failed (perhaps until too late) to convince a female friend to sever herself from a man she won't admit is bad for her.
(Lastly, especially coming directly after "The Veiled Lodger", I found Watson's reaction to the villain's fate rather instructive. Screw you, Watson.)
The Three Gables: Here audiobooks fail me. I couldn't listen to David Timson attempting to replicate the voice of the "negro bruiser" and to repeat Watson's horrible description of him for more than a few seconds without jamming down the stop button.
For completism's sake I skimmed the story in print later; rather a disappointing use of the premise, which I thought was intriguing, and I think the wicked villain could be much more sympathetic from her own point of view.
The Retired Colourman: I didn't make the connection until just now between the client's former profession and the title of this story -- apparently, a colourman is actually someone who sells art supplies. (I had always assumed it was something military, like a member of the Color Guards, and then believed that I'd missed something about the story.)
Anyway, here we have another abusive spouse. And also a very strange method of
I'm amused by the introduction of Barker, an important rival of Holmes. Does Barker have the same importance to Holmes fans as Irene Adler and Professor Moriarty -- two other characters who are also said to have immense significance to Holmes despite the appearance that Doyle only just invented them in time for the story in which they play an important role?
The Lion's Mane: For some reason this story made a big impression on me when I was a kid; I remember its solution very clearly. () Unfortunately that memory was a detriment to the story, as there are so many red herrings scattered about for dramatic effect.
Shoscome Old Place: Notable for being a murder mystery whose solution is that , and for the vile use of "the Jews" as a metonym for the suspect's creditors -- especially vile when the chief creditor is apparently not a professional lender at all, but a social peer and sporting rival of the suspect.
The Wonderful Toy: This is not a canonical Holmes story, but David Timson's concluding contribution. After narrating every single canonical story over a period of ten years, Timson very understandably wished to relieve his feelings in fanfiction. Having greatly enjoyed most of his narration in the three sets of stories I've heard so far (this set and two parts of The Return of Sherlock Holmes), I was prepared to be charmed by what Timson describes in his notes as "a pastiche -- with perhaps just a hint of a parody."
It begins with all the typical notes played hard: Holmes's boredom, Watson's concern lest he turn to his seven-percent solution, and an exaggerated scene of deducing facts about a new client from the client's appearance.
This client is an American Southerner, a former Civil War colonel of the Confederacy. And that is where it all goes horribly wrong. In the stories I've heard so far, Timson has not had an opportunity to drawl a Southern drawl, and perhaps in the whole canon he doesn't and he wrote this story to make up for that lack. But oh God, I wish he hadn't, because I live in a former Confederate state and I know what a Southern accent sounds like and that is most appallingly NOT IT.
Now I am questioning all the other accents I've heard Timson do -- the Scots, the Irish, the different parts of England, Australian, German, Russian -- can any of those be as painful to the accustomed ear as the Colonel's was to mine? I hope not, but I'm no longer willing to trust so. (Stevie Dixie's voice in "The Three Gables" sounded like no one I've ever heard in my life, but I was charitably putting that down to Timson's embarrassment at having to narrate such racist caricature.)
I listened long enough to learn that the Wonderful Toy is a gramophone (which the Colonel is trying to sell to Sherlock Holmes because he's turned "entrepreneur" -- let me never hear that word pronounced that way any more) and then shut off the CD, flushing with embarrassment.
I have no idea what the mystery is, but if listening to any more of the Colonel is the cost of finding out, it's too dear.
This story does not make me like Watson, though -- where does a medical doctor get off with having (and being unable to hide) such a vile gut reaction to a woman's facial disfigurement? Holmes comes off scarcely better. He's the only one to oppose her suicide wish, which is good (at least compared to the behavior of others present), but to tell her that she should live in order to be an example of patient suffering is sickening.
The Illustrious Client: This turned out to be one of my favorite stories so far! In addition to being yet another one where the villain's primary characteristic is horrible mistreatment of women (as opposed, by the way, to a number of more recent criminals who are shown to be rapists just as a sort of last flourish), the "mystery" is that of finding a way to save the villain's next victim, and his previous victim plays an extremely important role.
I loved Kitty Winter. Holmes couldn't have solved this case without her, but when invited to participate in the final stage of Holmes's plan, she did and then used the opportunity to seize her own revenge. Holmes and Watson do portray her as somewhat hysterical with anger, but they cannot deny that her anger is totally justified.
What clinched the story for me was how it handles the danger of the villain to Kitty Winter. The villain makes it clear to Holmes that if Holmes continues to meddle in the case, his life will be worth little. Since both Holmes and Kitty Winter are openly involved in the attempt to make the next victim perceive the reality of her situation, I was afraid that Holmes and Watson would be sadly shocked to open the paper the next day and read about the "Murderous Attack on Young Woman," and I pre-emptively cursed their lack of thoughtfulness for their assistant.
I also thought that the portrayal of the potential next victim was rather, intriguingly, good. She's engaged to marry the villain despite the wishes of everyone who knows her, and he's been able to convince her that all the stories of his past evil deeds are distorted, and either that he was really the victim, or that he's repented because of her and will now live a better life with her to inspire him. Her love for him is described as a kind of obsession or madness. Most intriguingly, the villain offhandedly mentions to Holmes that he has been able to increase his fiancee's loyal behavior through "post-hypnotic suggestion." It's hard for me not to read in this story the bewildered frustration of someone who has failed (perhaps until too late) to convince a female friend to sever herself from a man she won't admit is bad for her.
(Lastly, especially coming directly after "The Veiled Lodger", I found Watson's reaction to the villain's fate rather instructive. Screw you, Watson.)
The Three Gables: Here audiobooks fail me. I couldn't listen to David Timson attempting to replicate the voice of the "negro bruiser" and to repeat Watson's horrible description of him for more than a few seconds without jamming down the stop button.
For completism's sake I skimmed the story in print later; rather a disappointing use of the premise, which I thought was intriguing, and I think the wicked villain could be much more sympathetic from her own point of view.
The Retired Colourman: I didn't make the connection until just now between the client's former profession and the title of this story -- apparently, a colourman is actually someone who sells art supplies. (I had always assumed it was something military, like a member of the Color Guards, and then believed that I'd missed something about the story.)
Anyway, here we have another abusive spouse. And also a very strange method of
I'm amused by the introduction of Barker, an important rival of Holmes. Does Barker have the same importance to Holmes fans as Irene Adler and Professor Moriarty -- two other characters who are also said to have immense significance to Holmes despite the appearance that Doyle only just invented them in time for the story in which they play an important role?
The Lion's Mane: For some reason this story made a big impression on me when I was a kid; I remember its solution very clearly. () Unfortunately that memory was a detriment to the story, as there are so many red herrings scattered about for dramatic effect.
Shoscome Old Place: Notable for being a murder mystery whose solution is that , and for the vile use of "the Jews" as a metonym for the suspect's creditors -- especially vile when the chief creditor is apparently not a professional lender at all, but a social peer and sporting rival of the suspect.
The Wonderful Toy: This is not a canonical Holmes story, but David Timson's concluding contribution. After narrating every single canonical story over a period of ten years, Timson very understandably wished to relieve his feelings in fanfiction. Having greatly enjoyed most of his narration in the three sets of stories I've heard so far (this set and two parts of The Return of Sherlock Holmes), I was prepared to be charmed by what Timson describes in his notes as "a pastiche -- with perhaps just a hint of a parody."
It begins with all the typical notes played hard: Holmes's boredom, Watson's concern lest he turn to his seven-percent solution, and an exaggerated scene of deducing facts about a new client from the client's appearance.
This client is an American Southerner, a former Civil War colonel of the Confederacy. And that is where it all goes horribly wrong. In the stories I've heard so far, Timson has not had an opportunity to drawl a Southern drawl, and perhaps in the whole canon he doesn't and he wrote this story to make up for that lack. But oh God, I wish he hadn't, because I live in a former Confederate state and I know what a Southern accent sounds like and that is most appallingly NOT IT.
Now I am questioning all the other accents I've heard Timson do -- the Scots, the Irish, the different parts of England, Australian, German, Russian -- can any of those be as painful to the accustomed ear as the Colonel's was to mine? I hope not, but I'm no longer willing to trust so. (Stevie Dixie's voice in "The Three Gables" sounded like no one I've ever heard in my life, but I was charitably putting that down to Timson's embarrassment at having to narrate such racist caricature.)
I listened long enough to learn that the Wonderful Toy is a gramophone (which the Colonel is trying to sell to Sherlock Holmes because he's turned "entrepreneur" -- let me never hear that word pronounced that way any more) and then shut off the CD, flushing with embarrassment.
I have no idea what the mystery is, but if listening to any more of the Colonel is the cost of finding out, it's too dear.
June 13, 2024
A collection of six short stories about one of the greatest detectives, Sherlock Holmes. Enjoyable and easily read, Doyle shows off his hero’s skills in deduction.
One wonders, though, about the role of Dr. Watson in these adventures apart from making Holmes look good ;)
One wonders, though, about the role of Dr. Watson in these adventures apart from making Holmes look good ;)
April 12, 2015
Guys! David Timson wins as best narrator ever. HE WROTE HIS OWN PASTICHE. And it's excellent, easily the best story on this recording. The Doyle stories have their moments, but I see what people mean about the Casebook being a sort of anti-climactic addition to the canon. Anyway, I review the stories over in the complete collection. Back to Timson. I can live with his very nasal Holmes, because everything else is perfect. The small town coppers, the witnesses, the melodramatic women, the simpering villains. And did I mention that HE WROTE HIS OWN PASTICHE. I'd just really like to shake that man's hand.
I found a video of Timson recording, it's cool to see him switch effortlessly between voices and get very physical with his rendering of the action. @2:13 he reads a bit from The Adventure of the Speckled Band. (Love that bit with the poker.)
I found a video of Timson recording, it's cool to see him switch effortlessly between voices and get very physical with his rendering of the action. @2:13 he reads a bit from The Adventure of the Speckled Band. (Love that bit with the poker.)
December 26, 2020
Some of the stories in this volume are great. But that doesn't excuse the amount of antisemitism and blatant racism therein. I really tried not to judge this book by my time's standards but when Holmes himself is spewing harmful racism, it becomes too much. The extra story by Timson was fun. I'm just sad the last volume of Sherlock Holmes comes with such flaws.
October 9, 2017
I love Sherlock Holms mysteries!
July 8, 2022
Some of the short mysteries were better than others.
April 28, 2024
We liked most of the stories, but the last one was very focused on horse racing and my teen/tween grandchildren had trouble investing in the story.
May 8, 2024
1/7/2023 The Veiled Lodger, not really a case, more a subject using Holmes as confessor, a look into Victorian circus life.
1/14/2023 The Retired Colourman. The subject’s former profession seemed to have nothing to do with the case, just a way to identify him. Another case of marital issues.
4/1/2023
The Illustrious Client. Another title that’s only incidental to the story. Saving an apparently perfect, innocent young woman from a potential arch nemesis.
4/9-10/2023 The Three Gables (title is the name of the featured house where some of the events take place but again not super pertinent to the story). Features a Black man, but not a positive depiction, the n-word is used of him, though by a police officer and not Watson or Holmes, and his character isn't really crucial to the story, except to feature as known hired muscle. Features exoticism regarding a non-British woman, and Holmes talking down to her.
4/15/2023 The Lion's Mane. One of the only stories narrated by Holmes, with Watson not being much in his world anymore. After Holmes's retirement where he resides in the countryside, solving a mystery, but no crime concerned. Some commentary on Holmes's feelings (or lack) towards women/romance.
1/14/2023 The Retired Colourman. The subject’s former profession seemed to have nothing to do with the case, just a way to identify him. Another case of marital issues.
4/1/2023
The Illustrious Client. Another title that’s only incidental to the story. Saving an apparently perfect, innocent young woman from a potential arch nemesis.
4/9-10/2023 The Three Gables (title is the name of the featured house where some of the events take place but again not super pertinent to the story). Features a Black man, but not a positive depiction, the n-word is used of him, though by a police officer and not Watson or Holmes, and his character isn't really crucial to the story, except to feature as known hired muscle. Features exoticism regarding a non-British woman, and Holmes talking down to her.
4/15/2023 The Lion's Mane. One of the only stories narrated by Holmes, with Watson not being much in his world anymore. After Holmes's retirement where he resides in the countryside, solving a mystery, but no crime concerned. Some commentary on Holmes's feelings (or lack) towards women/romance.
February 15, 2020
This book was very moderate, while the audio book quality was excellent.
The stories themselves weren't as good as most of the previous books. One was basically just somebody telling Holmes a story. He doesn't even have to figure anything out. I really enjoyed the Illustrious Client though. This had a number of good characters.
The stories themselves weren't as good as most of the previous books. One was basically just somebody telling Holmes a story. He doesn't even have to figure anything out. I really enjoyed the Illustrious Client though. This had a number of good characters.
May 29, 2021
There were quite a few new-to-me stories in this volume of Sherlock Holmes stories. My favorite was the Lion's Mane. I must admit a Google search was done when the story was over. The story written by the narrator, David Timson, was okay. It was funny and didn't take away from the rest of the stories. Overall, a great collection of stories.
April 7, 2013
It's been several decades since I read these stories so interesting to rediscover the originals. A mix of surprisingly modern and very Victorian.
April 11, 2014
Less actual deduction than in earlier works. Nevertheless, these stories are quite entertaining and represent some of the most memorable cases.
September 6, 2018
My least favorite of the series, which did have some decent mysteries just not as nail biting as the others.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews