Re-reading the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Just like the previous story, The Gloria Scott, this one, The Musgrave Ritual, is a flashback to Holmes’ younger days.

Facts of the case: Holmes tells Watson about one of his first cases, from just after he graduated college. An old associate, Reginald Musgrave, is having problems with his butler. The butler’s been going through old family papers in the middle of the night, and he’s been romancing then dumping the female house staff. Holmes investigates, to find himself in the middle of a treasure hunt.

Great detective: This story is a treasure trove of Holmes trivia, as it begins with a lengthy description of the interior of 221B Baker Street. Most (all?) depictions of Holmes’ apartment in movies and TV is based on these couple of paragraphs.

Good doctor: This one seems to take place back when Holmes and Watson are roommates. Watson is trying to convince Holmes to clean up the apartment, but Holmes distracts him by telling a story about an old case.

Action hero: Treasure map! The kind with riddles on it! This is some real “pirate movie” stuff going on right here.

Yes this is canon: After leaving college, Holmes lived in an apartment just around the corner from the British Museum (that’s got to be some expensive real estate), where he continued to study science that he felt was most efficient.

Indubitably: This one was a lot of fun, and a more Holmes-centric of a flashback story than The Gloria Scott. Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned search for buried treasure?

Next: Fire that squire.

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