The Musgrave Ritual by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Publication: 1893
Series: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
I read this Sherlock Holmes short story as a part of the Chronological Sherlock Holmes Reading Challenge that's being hosted by Noonlight Reads. This is the second short story we were designated to read for the readalong and is also considered to be a part of the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.
This, like it's predecessor, is more of a reflection of a past case of Sherlock Holmes then an actual case that the reader is involved in. The story tells the tale of a case of an acquaintance from Holmes' university. After further inquiry it is discovered that this acquaintance, Reginald Musgrave, has lost track of a butler and a maid. By utilizing an old ritual and riddle, Holmes is able to effectively solve the case.
What I think I enjoyed most about this story is that the ending wasn't perfect. Sure the mystery is solved, but some ends of it are not completely tied up. I won't go into detail simply because I don't want to give away any spoilers; however, I think this made the story more realistic. As always I enjoyed the writing style which is fluid and reads easily. Nevertheless, I'm still looking forward to the stories in which I can be fully immersed in a Holmes mystery and follow the case step by step. These memories are great because they allow the reader to see the younger side of Holmes, but I think they are going to turn out to be my least favorites. Overall, it was another decent story; however, I'm looking forward to getting into the more complex stories especially since we're reading A Study is Scarlet next.
I wondered about the ending, too. That could almost be another story in itself.
ReplyDeleteThese stories from his past are definitely simpler, more like mysterious happenings to solve than full-out cases. In fact, I felt like he was kind of helping Musgrave solve it himself (by jogging his memory). :)