The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Book 39

The Return of Sherlock Holmes was one of the out-of-copyright freebie books on the Amazon Kindle.  I started reading it for two reasons.  First, I was on the road for two weeks in September and second, I remembered that reading Holmes cases was cool last year while I was in school because I could put it down for a whole week and not have a problem picking it back up.

The first interesting thing was that I hadn't realized that "The Return" actually meant Returned from the Dead.  Poor Watson.  And you know what that jackass Holmes said - in explaining just why he hadn't told his best friend that he was really alive?  That Watson wouldn't have been convincing enough in his grief or whatever if he had known the truth.

So the first case was how Holmes drew out the remaining members of Moriarty's gang.  Whatever. 

There were a couple of cases where Holmes let the culprit go free - in a which is the greater evil sort of way.   And it is always funny when there is a chick involved.  He calls Watson the expert in that area.  And that also reminded me of House MD.  I have read more than once that House was partially based on Holmes.  Genius jerk with a past drug habit and a most loyal sidekick.  Watson seems like a much less damaged guy than Wilson, though.

I like that the cases are less about big crime or big players - although they sometimes are - and more about whatever weird thing strikes the detective's fancy.  Also true of House.  Maybe I should just go watch House now.  I have that James Earl Jones one sitting in the Tivo.