Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a detective created by author Arthur Conan Doyle who was one of the pioneers for crime fiction. 

I recently read a stage adaptation of one of Doyle's 56 short stories, called "The Speckled Band".  He adapted the story to a play that premiered in Adelphi Theatre, London on 4 June 1910.

Many of Doyle's readers have felt that his character of Holmes is so detailed and real that people can imagine that they've actually met him, conversed with him, got to know him.

The stage play adaptation of "The Speckled Band" was about a man who murdered his step daughters for their inheritance, presumably after he'd murdered their mother years earlier.  What I find most fascinating about this story is that it falls into what is called a locked room mystery, a sub-genre of crime fiction where a murder occurs under a seemingly impossible situation.

Doyle has written four short stories that fall int this category of a locked room mystery.  The Sherlock Holmes movie that came out in 2009 featured a similar concept to this, creating what appeared as supernatural occurrences.  But, we all know Sherlock is brilliant, and despite what looks like an unsolvable case, he solves it. 

I grew up watching Scooby-Doo and reading the classic Nancy Drew books.  When I read this script I felt tossed backwards into my childhood, reliving the rush and excitement of mystery adventures.  It often makes me want to return to this genre of writing, which I dabbled in for much of my early childhood.

If you're into mystery, crime, or adventure, check out a short story in Doyle's collection, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.