His last bow: Some later reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle
His last bow: Some later reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes
FictionMysteryClassicsThrillers & EspionageShort Stories
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"His last bow : Some later reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection published in 1917. This volume gathers eight previously published Sherlock Holmes stories, spanning cases from 1893 to 1917. The collection includes a preface assuring readers that Holmes, though long retired and battling rheumatism, remains alive and well. The final story serves as an epilogue about Holmes' war service, bringing together adventures that showcase the detective's enduring brilliance across different eras of his remarkable career.
Contains spoilers for the entire book
- Themes
- Atmosphere
About the book
Collected in 1917, His Last Bow brings together later cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, among them “Wisteria Lodge”, “The Bruce-Partington Plans”, in which Holmes’s brother Mycroft enlists him to recover stolen submarine designs, “The Dying Detective” and “The Devil’s Foot”, set on the Cornish coast. The title story, told in the third person rather than by Watson, takes place in August 1914 on the eve of the First World War, with Holmes drawn out of his retirement among his bees to work against a German agent. Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective is older here, and the stories show the old partnership meeting a world on the brink of great change.
Characters
Sherlock Holmes — Detective
The consulting detective who applies close observation to the collection's cases and takes on a wartime mission.
Dr. John Watson — Companion and narrator
Holmes's friend and chronicler, recording their investigations and assisting his work.
Mycroft Holmes — Holmes's brother
A government official whose responsibilities draw Holmes into the Bruce-Partington plans case.
Inspector Lestrade — Police inspector
A Scotland Yard investigator who works with Holmes on the disappearance of secret naval plans.
Von Bork — His Last Bow
A German agent preparing to leave Britain as war approaches.
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish physician who began writing Sherlock Holmes stories while waiting for patients who did not come. He modelled the detective on Joseph Bell, an Edinburgh surgeon who could name a stranger's trade and recent travels from the state of his hands and boots. Doyle thought his historical novels the serious work, killed Holmes off at the Reichenbach Falls in 1893, and was pushed into resurrecting him by public protest and a great deal of money. He spent his last decades campaigning for spiritualism, and twice for men he believed wrongly convicted.