The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #6)

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The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #6)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 12,574 ratings · 374 reviews

The companion to the PBS series of the same name, which will be broadcast in seven episodes starting February 5, 1987, and continuing through March 19 on "Mystery!"

Hardcover, 474 pages

Published October 28th 1993 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published 1905)

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Jun 14, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to K.D. by: jzhunagev

Shelves: british, adventure, classics, crime, detective, fiction, series

I know now why this collection of 13 short stories is called “The Return..” In the last story of “Memoirs” entitled The Final Problem, Watson says that Holmes has retired and will no longer publish new stories. Now in real life, between that story which was published in 1893 and 1903, the period called by Sherlock fans as “The Great Hiatus,” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle only wrote his third novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles (said to be his greatest novel). So, while writing the first story of the c...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Gio rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jul 24, 2012 Malysha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I guess the tranformation of Holmes depicted in this anthology was quite fascinating, letting the avid reader of sherlock holmes to cast loose their yearning over the expectedly-dead character, meanwhile at the same time giving them a refreshingly unexpected sides of the surviving Sherlock. He didn't appear as a cold blooded fully functioning psychopath that we used to know (well, maybe he never was, more likely a sociopath, I guess), but this was what really makes this whole anthology even more...more

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Dec 20, 2011 R.J. Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Technically, I am reading "The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes," an omnibus collection of which "Return" is a part. I began on the volume two years ago, which consists of 37 short stories and one serialized novel (all but the first two novels of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories on the character). I am on the final 13 stories, the contents of which make up The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

During the holidays I just can't tackle a large novel, but these little 15 page short stories are perfect for w...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 1. "The Adventure Of the Empty House." In which Sherlock Holmes, supposedly having gone over Reichenbach Falls, reveals in melodramatic fashion that he is alive and sets a trap that catches one of Moriarty’s most ruthless henchmen, solving a puzzling recent murder at the same time. A ripping yarn, though the conceit of the noiseless air gun is really a deus ex machina.

2. "The Adventure Of the Norwood Builder." In which Holmes solves an apparent murder, saving an innocent man, who stood to inheri...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Sherlock Holmes Fans

Shelves: classics, crime, fiction, mystery, short-stories

This is the third collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, consisting of a baker's dozen of puzzle pieces with the Great Detective. I wouldn't recommend them as an introduction to Holmes. In the last story of the second collection, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Final Problem," Doyle famously sent Holmes over Reichenbach Falls. The introduction in the edition I read relates how a boatman told Doyle that even if Holmes survived the fall over the cliff, "he was never quite the same man a...more This is the third collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, consisting of a baker's dozen of puzzle pieces with the Great Detective. I wouldn't recommend them as an introduction to Holmes. In the last story of the second collection, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Final Problem," Doyle famously sent Holmes over Reichenbach Falls. The introduction in the edition I read relates how a boatman told Doyle that even if Holmes survived the fall over the cliff, "he was never quite the same man afterwards."

I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's true that if I had to list my favorite Holmes stories ("A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Speckled Band," "The Red-Headed League", "The Blue Carbuncle," "Silver Blaze," "The Musgrave Ritual") they all come from the first two collections. The introduction also points out that many of the stories in this collection have elements recycled from earlier stories: "The Six Napoleans" recapping aspects of "The Blue Carbuncle," "The Norwood Builder" using a trick from "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Second Stain" is reminiscent of "The Naval Treaty" and "The Solitary Cyclist" of "The Greek Interpreter."

Still, reading this was a pleasure--if not so much as brilliant puzzle pieces, than just for the company of the wry Holmes and how he plays off Watson. I had to grin when Holmes whips off his disguise in "The Empty House" and Watson faints--and then at Holmes' account at how he faked his own death--observing how all of them who came with Watson came to "totally erroneous conclusions." I was intrigued by the puzzle of the stick-figure cipher in "The Dancing Men." I'm not about to forget the death by harpoon in "The Black Peter." I had to smile at Holmes ironic humor in his comments to Inspector Lestrade at the end of "Charles Augustus Milverton." And it's a great moment in "The Six Napoleons" when Lestrade says Scotland Yard is proud of Holmes. And it was touching to see the concern of the seemingly cold, logical Holmes for Watson in "The Abbey Grange."

So yes, even though I'd recommend the earlier short story collections or the first three novels (especially The Hound of the Baskervilles) over The Return of Sherlock Holmes, that's not to say there isn't still a lot to enjoy here.(less)

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Aug 13, 2011 Guadalupe rated it 4 of 5 stars

(I must warn you first that this isn't the edition I read. I downloaded this book from the Gütenberg Project, but I figured the contents of each edition would be more or less the same, so I'll review this one.)

At some point of the late 18th Century, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle decided to kill his famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Apparently, he didn't like this character very much, as he considered these stories of less literary achievement in comparison to his other work. Tired of writing about Hol...more

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May 31, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story-collection, mystery

I really didn't expect to like this book as much I did. I'm not a particular fan of mysteries or short story collections, but my husband kind of likes Sherlock Holmes stories, so I'd originally put this audiobook on my iPod for us to listen to together on long car trips. Luckily, I didn't wait until we ran out of things to talk about on a car trip to listen to it, because we're both pretty talkative, and when you put us alone in a car, let's just say we don't get bored together easily.

As for the...more I really didn't expect to like this book as much I did. I'm not a particular fan of mysteries or short story collections, but my husband kind of likes Sherlock Holmes stories, so I'd originally put this audiobook on my iPod for us to listen to together on long car trips. Luckily, I didn't wait until we ran out of things to talk about on a car trip to listen to it, because we're both pretty talkative, and when you put us alone in a car, let's just say we don't get bored together easily.

As for the book, it was published in 1905, after Doyle had killed off Sherlock Holmes in an 1893 collection. He'd grown tired of writing about the superb detective, and thought doing away with him, would conclusively end the matter. However, the character was so popular with fans, that Doyle was forced to resurrect him, with an explanation from our narrator, Dr. Watson, that it merely appeared that Holmes had died. Instead, he had survived his final encounter with Professor Moriarty and spent the next few years traveling and trying to avoid the attention of any of his enemies who, like Watson, believed him to be dead.

One of the things I appreciated about this collection is that there are a few threads that run through the stories to tie them all together, creating at least a thread-bare overarching narrative for the collection. The stories could all be enjoyed by themselves, but little details pop up in several that harken back to previous tales in this volume. I also can't help but be impressed my the stories themselves, which are quite clever and aptly narrated my Holmes's associate Dr. Watson. If you've blown off Sherlock Holmes in the past because it's one of those over-hyped things they push on schoolchildren, you should really give it a chance. I'd pick these over a lot of contemporary detective stories.

In an attempt to fight off his fans, however, Doyle has Watson end the book by informing his readers that Holmes has expressly forbidden him to share anymore of his cases with the public. Luckily for Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts, Doyle was not able to keep that promise and wrote a few more collections about the intrepid British investigator.(less)

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Oct 23, 2010 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

Ok, so he didn't really die. Sure, he fell of a cliff, but hey! This is Sherlock Homes! You knew better than that, right? It may have taken Conan Doyle a full decade of being pestered by fans before he'd write any more Holmes and Watson short stories, but this collection is strong and tight and it's a credit to Conan Doyle's skills and imagination that this collection doesn't feel merely like an author's final pandering to a clamouring audience.

There's less of the misogyny that features so prom...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Ok, I will admit this. I am reading the Sherlock Holmes books because they are.....bad.

They really are.

There is really nothing likable about Sherlock Holmes as a character - he is an arrogant twit who treats the people around him terribly and on a good day, thinks of only mild insults to throw at them. On most days, he is just downright demeaning and treats them as if they are small children there for his amusement, or to be his servants.

As a writer, Doyle couldn't actually spin together a de...more Ok, I will admit this. I am reading the Sherlock Holmes books because they are.....bad.

They really are.

There is really nothing likable about Sherlock Holmes as a character - he is an arrogant twit who treats the people around him terribly and on a good day, thinks of only mild insults to throw at them. On most days, he is just downright demeaning and treats them as if they are small children there for his amusement, or to be his servants.

As a writer, Doyle couldn't actually spin together a decent mystery in a short story. Most of his short stories are really more in the realm of bodice-rippers then mysteries. Instead of taking the time to craft a mystery (which involves a plot), he instead strove to hide important developments and details from the reader -- putting them in the realm "information that only Holmes knows" - thus making it seem like Holmes is a genius for putting everything together. In reality, he is the only character that often had access to all the information - but to "solve" the story based on not even sharing it with the reader is just bad storytelling.

Occasionally - yes he was the only person willing to go get all the pertinent information. And in these cases, it is made very clearly that it is because the other characters - often Lestrade - is too lazy and wants to take the easy way out. Ah, the way the police detective is portrayed! Do I detect some classicism there, Sir Doyle? Even Watson - Watson is given his own brand of classicism - where Lestrade is clearly uneducated and of the masses, and thus prone to laziness, Watson is too hampered by his own education and thus, fails to overlook vital evidence because he cannot see beyond his own medical training! Apparently, Doyle had little liking for some of his own colleagues....

I don't think I can stomach anymore of these short stories. I will give one of the novels a try and see if they stand up any better - I read one or two when I was a little kid and liked them then. Somehow, though, I don't Holmes himself gets any better with age....

(less)

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Mar 21, 2010 Gail Cooke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A previous collection of Doyle's stories, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, brought so much pleasure that I couldn't wait for more. Here they are in THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES stunningly presented by Simon Prebble.. If you've not yet heard a reading by Prebble, sit down and prepare to be well entertained.

The British born Prebble, an experienced stage, television, and film, actor came to our country in 1990. Since then he has narrated some 350 audio books and has garnered every possible award...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, classics

In 1893, tired of writing his Sherlock Holmes stories and eager to focus on historical novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sent his famous detective to his death down the Reichenbach Fall in "The Final Problem". For years, the public clamored for the next installment in Holmes's tale and finally, nine years and several generous offers from his publishers later, Doyle was back to writing his Holmes stories.

Now, I'm a big fan of mysteries and an even bigger fan of Holmes - having finished this collecti...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably the best collection of Sherlock Holmes; short stories that I have read so far. Tgere wasn't one story out of the lot that I found boring, and all but one, the one being 'The Adventure of Abbey Grange', kept me guessing to what the outcome would be right up until it is explained by Holmes.

I feel this book was a lot more fast paced then previous collections with Holmes' deduction skills seemingly having intensified; a quick one second glance at a patch of grass was all that was needed to...more

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May 14, 2010 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 02, 2010 Sidney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know in Sherlockian circles Holmes is said not to be the man he once was in in tales after "The Final Problem," but I've always had a fondness for "The Return of Sherlock Holmes." I've been re-reading a few stories each week since watching the new movie, and it's great to experience "Return" stories in quick succession. I've always loved "The Dancing Men" and Holmes' deciphering of a mysterious code. "Return" also includes "Black Peter" with its harpoon killing, the Brilliant "Six Napoleons" a...more

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Jan 19, 2012 sabisteb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buch, classics

1. The Adventure of the Empty House (1903)
Frühling 1894: Drei Jahre sind vergangen, seit Holmes Tod und Watson ist mittlerweile Wittwer. Er geht weiterhin seinem alten Hobby nach, der privaten Enträtselung von Verbrechen, als geistige Gymnastik, als er eine überraschende Bekanntschaft mit einem alten Buchhändler macht.
2. The Adventure of the Norwood Builder (1903)
August 1894: Jonas Oldacre, ein Baununternehmer und Junggeselle wird ermordet und seine Leiche gleich auf dem Bauhof verbrannt. Seltsa...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, bought-new, crime, paperback, short-stories, 2012, own-book

This was my first Sherlock in nearly a year, and a pleasure to dip back into. Not every story was a gem, but the majority made for a very good read. Among my favourites were "The Norwood Builder" (a young man unexpectedly becomes the heir of a benefactor previously unknown to him, only to be implicated in the man's death that night), "The Dancing Men" (a fellow and his wife are menaced by messages in the coded form of dancing men - with an ending a little darker and more chilling than most of th...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Chad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-fiction

Another great collection of Sherlock Holmes short mysteries. These shorts are where Sherlock really gets to shine because the story is neat and compact and because Sherlock is a master observer he is able to notice the details and put together what happened without the need of hiding what it is he's discovered from the reader for long.

This volume comes after Sherlock Holmes had died battling Moriarty in the last collection. Thankfully for us, the fans of the day were too attached to Holmes to le...more

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May 28, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The trouble with short stories is, well, they're short: you just get into the mystery and the characters, and poof! it's solved, and on to the next. I suppose the plethora of mystery books, films and television shows in the modern world means that modern readers may sometimes, even frequently, see where the story is going as soon as Sherlock does; there are certainly modern conventions which probably came about because of authors like Conan Doyle and Christie, like it's always the least likely c...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Moeko Yamaguchi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

PENGUIN READERS, level 3
-time: 120 minutes
-7 words summary: Return, Sherlock Holmes, England, Dr Watson, Three, Interesting, detective:
1. In the story of Norwood Builder, Oldacre waited many years to make Mrs McFarlane unhappy because her mother refused to marry him. Do you think it is good to hurt other people who are close to person who you really want to hurt?
-No, I don't think so. It is definitely bad! And in addition, in this case, the reason he wanted to hurt Mrs McFarlane was her mother...more

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Jan 10, 2012 an rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: punya, petualangan-detektif

vox pupoli, vox dei

suara juri memang menentukan. anda dinyatakan tidak bersalah

siapa sih yang ga tau sherlock holmes. minimal pernah nonton filim na. dan itulah rhe :D

sudah sering disebut di komik conan, sudah nonton film na, tapi belon pernah baca sendiri buku na. buku ini yang pertama rhe baca. buluk memang dengan bahasa masa buku ini diterbitkan. hehe.. sempat pelan-pelan. dan bagi pembaca awal, jangann takut ga mudeng karena watson menjelaskan dengan rinci rasa penasaaran pembaca yang seakan...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Melaszka rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm hovering between a 2 and a 3 on this, because, much as I admire Conan Doyle's chutzpah in bringing back from the dead a character he had previously definitively killed off (a kind of proto Bobby Ewing in the shower)and shamelessly writing out Watson's wife with absolutely no explanation whatsoever, strictly speaking that kind of narrative inconsistency isn't really on.

I'm also in two minds about where he's going with his characterisation and relationships. Improbability aside, the reunion of...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Sammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

A very enjoyable collection of Holmes and Watson mysteries, although there is a decided return to the romantic/melodramatic stylings of the early novels.

After the opening story, which goes to lunatic levels to bring Holmes back (but fair enough), there are some great stories throughout. Watson's narrative voice is pitch-perfect, as is his relationship with Holmes. Beyond this, the various Scotland Yard characters are given more depth, and are able to work WITH Holmes, as opposed to just followi...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sherlock Holmes returns from the dead in this collection of short stories. Following his watery demise at the hands of Moriarty (though the truly passionate murderer was Arthur Conan Doyle, who was sick of writing about Holmes), the great detective returns quickly to 221b Baker Street and his life of solving crime.

There are a couple of really good stories/mysetries in this collection, including The Adventure of the Three Students (where Holmes must solve the "crime" of a cheating college student...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Tim Cole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reason for reading:
Book six on my tour of the world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson – the book that really picks up where ‘Memoirs’ left off.

About the book:
Three years on from Sherlock Holmes’ battle above the Reichenbach Falls with Moriarty, the detective hero reappears in London much to Watson’s shock and delight. Having spent the time traveling the world taking in Italy, Tibet, Persia, Sudan and France among his stops, Holmes is back to trap the man who was previously Moriarty’s number two....more

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Jul 28, 2011 Sjonni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"[...] I must admit, Watson, that you have some power of selection which atones for much which I deplore in your narratives. Your fatal habit of looking at everything from the point of view of a story instead of as a scientific exercise has ruined what might have been an instructive and even classical series of demonstrations. You slur over work of the utmost finesse and delicacy in order to dwell upon sensational details which may excite but cannot possibly instruct the reader." Holmes to Watso...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Amie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, crime, dad, mystery

Although there were several in this set that I guessed who the baddie was early on, I still quite enjoyed them. I find that I can't help but try to figure out the whodunnit before all is revealed by Holmes in the end, but they just do not give you enough of the information to do that. That is part of what I like about them-- that you just have to read and enjoy it, and take the part of Watson rather than being detective yourself-- but it's also at times frustrating to me, who is so used to knowi...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Writerlibrarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, readbefore2005, re-read, april-pile, read2011

This is the anthology of short stories that followed the 'killing' of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle got tired of his creation and its fame that he thought he could get rid of him and write other stories. Alas... it was not to be. The first story wraps up neatly in a bow the dangling threads of the Moriaty business. 13 stories. Some are easy to solve, others are more a sit back and enjoy the ride.

The way the stories are told with hints and mentions of untold cases it created the holes that other writer...more

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Sep 24, 2010 sage rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, fiction, disability, mystery, re-read, reviewed, short-stories

Another collection of variable quality, although the female characters in these stories are largely wonderful, and a handful are kickass, self-sufficient women.

Also, the canon support for a Holmes/Watson marriage is all over the place and nothing like subtle, but all in all there's relatively little of Watson in the book. He's narrating every page and he's present in all those scenes, but it seems like earlier books had more of him expressing his own self. The bits and pieces of them sniping at...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Melody rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer13, addicting, detectives, favorites, historical-fiction

Not every book I read can bring a smile to my face. This one did, several times, in several places. It opens with the startling return of Sherlock Holmes, (view spoiler), in what was probably my favorite story of the book. I personally enjoyed this book more than Memoirs for two reasons; the stories were different than those in Memoirs {a style of which I had been tiring}, and Sherlock himself seemed just a bit mo...more

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About Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was born the third of ten siblings on 22 May 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was born in England of Irish descent, and his mother, born Mary Foley, was Irish. They were married in 1855.

Although he is now referred to as "Conan Doyle", the origin of this compound surname (if that is how he meant it to be understood) is uncertain. His baptism record...more

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Books by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)

A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5)

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“Work is the best antidote to sorrow, my dear Watson.” — 44 people liked it

“You would not call me a marrying man, Watson?"
"No, indeed!"
"You'll be interested to hear that I'm engaged."
"My dear fellow! I congrat-"
"To Milverton's housemaid."
"My dear Holmes!"
"I wanted information, Watson.” — 37 people liked it

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The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #6)

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