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The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes #4

by Arthur Conan Doyle, سالي أحمد حمدي (ترجمة)

A young clerk, Hall Pycroft, consults Holmes with his suspicions concerning a company that has offered him a very well-paid job.

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Audiobook

63 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1893

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite a convincing one, at least if you have great expectations about, but I have to say, again and again, maybe, just maybe I am a little bit too harsh on Mr. Doyle.
Holmes is able to solve his part of the mystery (the most significant part was done by the Police) only by chance. Almost as usual, the most interesting part is at beginning, when he shows us his intellectual skills, by "guessing" a fact concerning one of the characters.

[Diamond Cowboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting adventure wherein a clerk is being used, unbeknownst to him, to commit a form of frod.

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. Be prepared. This short story has an echo of an earlier one by Doyle, 'The Red-Headed League.' With a surprising twist. Mr. Hall Pycroft's new employment was clinched with a 100 pound advance on a 500 pound annual salary - that's more than double his previous income! The young clerk at the financial firm of Coxon and Woodhouse had recently lost his position when they closed because of a South American loan failure. Pycroft was desperate; he was going through his savings rapidly when a gentleman from Franco-Midland Hardware Company showed up with an irresistible offer. Pycroft had just taken a post with Mawson's in London when this happened, and soon he was writing an acceptance letter to Franco-Midland and hopping the first train to Birmingham. Yet it didn't seem quite right. There was no sign on the office door, nor was there any of the usual office furniture. Plus he knew nothing about hardware. "Maybe I should consult Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson." Has he given up a perfectly good future at Mawson's for this foolish acceptance of a strange offer? Thankfully the world's greatest detective comes to his rescue. (Ap2022/Ap2025)

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okey, este caso fue bastante diferente y por algún momento pensé que se parecería al caso de los pelirrojos y sería una estafa. Y sí, fue una estafa, pero diferente y mucho más sangrienta. De hecho, creo que este es uno de los casos más violentos y un poco más oscuros de Sherlock Holmes. Si bien toda la palabrería de los corredores de bolsa y demás me dio igual, me gustó el proceso para resolver el caso.

[Sanjay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd be surprised if I found Sherlock Holmes substandard. He is great as always.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 Words: Perfect length for a cuppa.

This was very predictable after The Red-Headed League, pretty much the same story, different setting.

[Dhia Nouioui · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another Sherlock Holmes book that fried my brain. It made no sense at all....

[Jaksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A not-too-bad story, except for the fact I figured it out before Sherlock did. Yep, it's that obvious and I honestly hadn't read it before.

A young man comes to Sherlock with a problem. After just accepting a job at a stockbroker's, he was approached by a man with offer of a better job. However, there were a few conditions, one being that he not resign from the former job. Now what does that one fact tell you? I bet most of us could figure from that alone.

As for this new job, it involves going through directories, checking things off - and all done from a tiny, dirty 'office space.' Yep, if you didn't figure it out from what I wrote above, you'd def. get it now, right?

Anyhow, after a good deal of thinking and asking questions, and going here and there - as Sherlock and Watson often do, but how else to collect information? One can't reach into a pocket for one's trusty cell phone, now can one? - and after an attempted robbery at the original stockbroker's, the case is solved.

Anyhow, a generous three stars.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. Apparently, my younger self (younger by a year) wasn’t impressed by this story, claiming that it was “a more obvious Sherlock story—even I figured out part of it. It doesn’t really show Sherlock’s powers, and he even messes up a bit at the end—I was yelling at him to do X the whole time!” I completely forgot about this negative feeling and reread the story this year with pleasure. The slip-up only makes him more human, which I enjoyed, and it still shows Sherlock’s inferences well, once they’re in the room with the villain. The mystery is interesting (I’d forgotten what happened and was eagerly awaiting the solution), and the characters are interesting as well—especially poor Mr. P.

Content: a rather gruesome suicide + swearing.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “The public not unnaturally goes on the principle that he who would heal others must himself be whole, and looks askance at the curative powers of the man whose own case is beyond the reach of his drugs.”

[Jason Parent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit Red Headed League-ish, but without the humor, or the action, or much of much.

[Lillian Slater · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one Sherlock Holmes mystery that I actually figured out before Holmes gave his answer!

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

في الواقع هي قصة أكثر من مُملة !
القصة تقليدية سهلة بسيطة و ليست فيها أي من التفاصيل الممتعة ..
سيئة جدًا .

[Jey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and crisp short story featuring Holmes and his friend Watson. They are approached by a clerk who thinks everything about his new job sounds mysterious. The duo venture to find the sinister plans of the culprits using Holmes unique sense of observation and deduction. It was a good mystery, ideal for a quick read.

[IngeT (inge1970reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wellicht wat voorspelbaar maar zit wel weer goed in elkaar. Love Sherlock
3.5 sterren

[Dr.Abdulwahab Alnaif · Rating 2 out of 5]

لم تعجبني كثيراً رغم انها اكثر غموضاً من سابقتها الا ان احداثها تكشفت تلقائياً وهذا ما لم احبه في هذه الرواية بالتحديد

عن موظف يتم توظيفه في شركة غير موجودة على ارض الواقع ..

[Rajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very mysterious story of my most favorite fictitious character of all time, Sherlock Holmes.

Adventure of the Stockbroker’s Clerk sees Sherlock Holmes venturing out from his rooms at 221B Baker Street to visit his old friend Dr Watson. Watson had, a few months earlier, set up house with his wife Mary, and had taken over the old doctor’s practice of Dr Farqhuar. All of his time had been spent rebuilding the practice, and so Holmes and Watson had not spent any time together.

When Holmes visits Watson, the detective brings along a client, Hall Pycroft; with Holmes hoping that Watson would accompany him on another case.

Holmes is able to deduce the state of Watson’s recent health, from the sole’s of his new slippers, and also the popularity of Watson’s practice, by the amount of wear on the steps.

Watson readily agrees at the chance to investigate with Holmes once again, and goes to tell his wife, as well as arranging for his neighbour, also a doctor, to look after his patients, just as Watson has done for his neighbour’s in the past.

The case is explained to Watson by Hall Pycroft on the railway journey up to Birmingham.

Hall Pycroft has a twinkle in his eye as he explains, knowing the story makes him seem like a fool. Pycroft is a stockbroker’s clerk who for a while was out of work, but had then been taken on by the firm of Mawson and Williams in the City of London. Pycroft must have a decent reputation for the firm took him on without a face-to-face interview, with arrangements made via the postal system. The job is a good one, and the wages offered more than reasonable.

Hall Pycroft though, is a man in demand for the stockbroker’s clerk also receives another job offer, when Arthur Pinnar, of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company visits him in person. The Franco-Midland Hardware Company has nothing to do with stockbroking, and deals with hardware stores on the continent, but the terms of employment are better than those offered by Mawson and Williams. So despite the job being in Birmingham rather than London, Pycroft accepts the new job offer.

Quickly though, things don’t feel right to Pycroft; and the fact that Arthur Pinnar asks Pycroft not to resign from Mawson and Williams, stating that an argument had left ill-feeling between the two company’s.

In Birmingham, things are also not what Pycroft expected. The offices are dusty and unsuitable for the expected work, and the work given to Pycroft by Harry Pinnar, Arthur’s brother, is meaningless. Pycroft then discovers that Arthur Pinnar and Harry Pinnar are the same person, both having a gold tooth in the same place.

This last discovery sees Pycroft return to London to seek the help of Holmes.



Considering the day and age in which these stories were written this is a very good and intriguing mystery. The Serials like CSI, Bones relies heavily on forensics. Serials like monk, mentalist, castle etc relies on hunches and unexplained guess work of leads. But todays VFX graphics movie generation will not be able to appreciate the mystery.
A very satisfying read. Must read for all those who like a good mystery. What sets apart Sherlock Holmes form Poirot, Miss Marple, Feluda, Byomkesh Bakshi and many others is that he explains everything logically. Holmes doesn’t rely on intuition, hunches or so called intelligent guess work. Holmes is the best.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery involves a hoax similar to the one in the The Red Headed League. Not hard to figure out who the bad guys are but the why is the more elaborate mystery.

[Eye of Sauron · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is oddly similar to The Red Headed League, enough so that it detracts from the effect. Other than that, a solid mystery story.

[Amanda Artist Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never accept jobs that are easy but pays well: several of Holmes' adventures start with a client doing just that, The Cooper Beeches, The Red-headed League, The Engineer's Thumb, and now this. The most ill-fated of them lost a thumb.

[Jeff Yoak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid Holmes mystery. All of the points are laid out in front of you to see, though of the two major ones I missed one.

[Khaled Al-Bahnsawy · Rating 4 out of 5]

رواية أخري ذكيه جدا من شرلوك هولمز استشعرت فيها تيمه رواية سابقة وهي عصابة ذو الرؤوس الحمر في خدعة العمل لكن مع اختلاف الأحداث

[Dayo Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like short stories like this, entertaining

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man comes to Sherlock Holmes for help when he fears that his new job is a farce, but as much as the client deduced on his own, only Sherlock Holmes can unravel the true mystery.

[Anish Bhowmik · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

[رومولا الن emmajain-book · Rating 3 out of 5]

من مغامرات شارلوك هولمز الممتعه احبيتها

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this one four stars because I actually solved it before Holmes’s reveal.

[Mueed Mahtab · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Adventure of the Stockbroker’s Clerk is about Mr. Hall Pycroft, a clerk who is offered a very good job after losing his old one, but it turns out to be a trick by criminals who want to use his identity to commit fraud. Sherlock Holmes finds out their plan, but the criminals get away.

My review: It was a good short story, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as other Sherlock stories, Holmes was clever, but the criminals weren’t very exciting.

[Riley G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another intriguing Sherlock Holmes story. This one has a few parallels to The Red-Headed League, the first Holmes story I ever read. That was fun.

[Tish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. I thought there were a few plot holes, but all-in-all, a short, quick read.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one kept me on my toes. Enjoyed trying to figure out the job and the need for the handwriting. Although I couldn't understand why the guy wouldn't think that was fishy! In the end, I didn't guess it, but loved the action of the story. Sometimes I wish Watson would get it more. Holmes always asks him if he sees the clues and just once I'd like Watson to step up and say, "Of course! It's obvious!" And solve the mystery.