Four Sherlock Holmes stories

“A Study in Scarlet” begins when John H. Watson M.D. is looking for reasonable lodgings. So too Sherlock Holmes (described as cold blooded in outlook). A letter requests help from Holmes. Drebber was found dead in an empty house, no wound on the body, but blood in the room. Holmes & Watson inspect the scene; Holmes explains his deductions. An advertisement is placed in the “Found” column of a newspaper. Detective Gregson visited Holmes to explain how he solved the murder. Lestrade arrives to tell of another murder: Stangerson, Drebber's secretary ! Gregson's suspect could not have done it. Holmes shows his brilliance by his surprise introduction of the murderer! Part 2 tells about the events that preceded these murders. Chapter 7 explains Holmes' actions in reasoning backwards. This story introduced Sherlock Holmes to an audience that never tired of these stories. Note the dialogue followed by explanatory comments. More modern stories use mostly dialogue to carry the story along and bring out the facts. The solution occurs in the last chapters. The use of an exotic American locale was a way to add interest. Background descriptions are sparse. It tells why a man can have a “florid face”, a medical fact.