The Case of Lady Sannox

by Arthur Conan Doyle

The famed surgeon Douglas Stone flaunts his notorious affair with Lady Sannox, although his professional reputation begins to suffer. One night a mysterious Turk asks him to attend his wife, who has cut her lip on a poisoned dagger. The Turk insists that amputation offers the only hope of recovery. Anxious to pocket the proffered gold, and impatient to get to his mistress, Stone dismisses his professional misgivings. He excises the lower lip of the veiled, drugged woman--only to find that he was tricked into disfiguring Lady Sannox herself. Lord Sannox (disguised as the "Turk") thus gains his revenge, with his wife morally chastised (and forever after in seclusion), and Stone's "great brain [thenceforth] about as valuable as a cap full of porridge."

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Gothic, Audiobook

24 pages, Paperback

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

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douglas Stone has an extramarital affair with Lady Sannox. What does her husband do to prevent her meeting the other man? Before we solve this question, let's follow Dr Stone to a spectacular case. A foreign wife was poisened by cutting her lip on an ancient dagger. Can he cure her? Will his surgical skills rescue her from death? A very mysterious story full of revenge and strange characters. It's a bit bizarre but really recommended!

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I wasn't expect this end! Startling! But it was terrifying, violent and gloomy too.

Summary: "Plot. The story features an arrogant surgeon, Douglas Stone, who is in love with the married Lady Sannox, one of the most beautiful women in London. On his way to a rendezvous with her, the surgeon is asked by a Turkish man to operate on the latter's wife, who has cut her lip with a poison envenomed scimitar."

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good, quick story. Rather horrific and extremely precise - wouldn’t really describe as a mystery since it was quite predictable but still very good.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Sannox, the toast of London society, carries on an obvious affair with Douglas Stone, an arrogant, young surgeon. Lord Sannox is thought to be a clueless older man unaware of the liaison. One evening just before he is to rendezvous with Lady Sannox Dr. Stone is approached by a desperate Turkish merchant to perform a questionable operation on his wife who has injured her lower lip on a poisoned dagger. . . and hence the plot thickens.

[Lualea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 A-stars 🌟 MA read for sensation/modernity literature

[Marc D. ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 estrellas.

Qué horror.

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

(1893) Not a Sherlock Holmes story - nor would I say it's one of ACD's best. It is, indeed, truly horrific - but it's also quite predictable. Perhaps that's intentional. At the very outset of the story, we're told that a society lady has 'taken the veil' and that a celebrated surgeon, who had 'relations' with her, has gone insane.
Naturally, we expect to find out what caused this - and indeed we do, in a disturbing tale of jealousy and vengeance.

[Marwan Hamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, not a mystery Novel, rather w horror one. Would’ve wished for it to be longer, with The Surgeon taking his revenge rather than losing his mind.
It is exquisetly described, very precise like the incisions of a Surgeon. So yeah I enjoyed it.

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

He he he...nice and twisty and dark, cold wit and oh so dreadfully English. Love it.

[Akrabar · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_WKp...

[Eda AYDIN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Case of Lady Sannox is a gripping short story that delves into themes of betrayal, revenge, and the complexities of human emotions. Set in Victorian London, the narrative follows the renowned surgeon Dr. Douglas Stone, who is entangled in a passionate affair with the beautiful Lady Sannox. Their illicit relationship is known to society, and the story takes a dark turn when Dr. Stone is approached by a Turkish man seeking urgent medical assistance for his wife, who has been poisoned.

The plot unfolds with a shocking twist, revealing the true identities and motivations of the characters involved. Doyle masterfully constructs a tale that challenges the reader's perceptions and evokes a range of emotions. The story's exploration of moral dilemmas and the consequences of one's actions adds depth to the narrative, making it a compelling read for those interested in psychological dramas and classic literature.

[Joanna Tice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tricky revenge short story.

[Kumari de Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh My! The twist is horrific, and this is best read cold. It's such an old story I can imagine a person reading it and saying "Ho Hum, I guessed the ending a mile off" to which I would say you probably didn't guess it so much as you heard too much about it." If you just read it cold the plotting is superb, the phrasing original, the cadence just right. I had to read it twice to catch what I missed and also because I was like "Oh! This is delicious, wicked bad."

[msleighm · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Part of the short story collection Penny Dreadfuls. This gothic story is a non-Holmes and Watson by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

[I am really a mermaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this short story but still I think that Lord Sannox has been too severe in his punishment, and who did he thinks he is to play the judge and the fact that Arthur Conan Doyle did not tell what happen next to Lord Sannox might be disappointed at some point but understandable
I really like the fact that Lord Sannox was not acting even thought it was one of his passion before and come with thetwist that he played and very well because Douglas Stone believed him
The character The Turk is absolutely racist but at that time most of the author like Dickens for exemple were a bit racist and have racist characters in their books.

[Thomas Houghton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story tells of an arrogant doctor who, on his way to see a married woman late at night (whom he is courting), is stopped by a Turkish man in the street. This man implores the doctor to come back to his apartment and help him save his ow wife who has just been poisoned accidentally by a ceremonial knife. Whilst the twist at the end is fairly rudimentary, it serves as a valuable insight into Victorian British society regarding wealth vs deprivation, love vs honour and indeed patriarchal control. The mental breakdown that the doctor suffers at the end is also an interesting addition, especially given the lack of scientific exploration into this field for the next hundred years.

[rainbow_colored_lenses · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu to chocada???? Primeiro q o Stone tava tão preocupado em ver a Sannox q nem se ligou q tipo ela ACIDENTALMENTE deu cm o LÁBIO SUPERIOR bem numa FACA ENVENENADA??? tipo sério? quem vai ver uma faca e coloca ela na boca como ele n achou isso >>>no mínimo<<<< mt estranho? E só aceitou que era isso q tinha q fazer sendo q ELE era o médico e não o turco. Nem preciso comentar o quão absurdo é esse cara querer punir ela desse jeito ne

[Susan Leppala]

The ending was predictable, however, I think it made this story all the more grotesque. I could feel myself cringe as the procedure was occuring, knowing that in moments both the surgeon and the lady would be horrified with the reality of what happened. This is a subtle story, quick, and filled with mystery and that dark aesthetic that Doyle captures so elegantly in both his short stories and novels.

[Didem Can (itspreaklypear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doyle ‘un Holmes dışımdaki eserleri hakikaten takdire şayan. Konu itibariyle, sonuç itibariyle. Bu defaki kısa öyküsünde eşini her fırsatta aldatan, elalemin dilinden asla düşmeyen Lady yeni bir aşk macerasına atılır. Maceranın erkek tarafı bir cerrahtır. Bu adamla yine sözleşip buluşacakları bir gece cerrahın evine İzmirli bir Türk gelip karısının dudağındaki zehirli yarayı kesip almasını ister. Ve olaylar gelişir.

[Debyi Kucera (Book&BuJo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of Lady Sannox by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a gothic horror that is as chilling as it is entertaining. Lady Sannox has an affair with a Doctor. What lengths will her husband go to get his revenge?

Highly engaging, and a little bit bizarre. I was definitely not expecting the ending and I loved it!

I now have a YouTube channel called 'BookandBuJo'. Check it out - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmWi...

[Romulus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ingenious and shocking. Enjoyed it enormously when I first read it — tho, on second thoughts, would the renowned Doctor Stone have so readily accepted the Turk’s story of an untraceable poison and a cursed dagger — just like that? — and performed a disfiguring operation on the spot? Without advising a test to ascertain the nature of the poison first? Doyle should have known better, really, being a qualified doctor himself. Still, I haven’t got the heart to take off more than one star.

[Athirah Idrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always amazed by authors who can write really good short stories because you're expected to make an impact within a very limited space! This was certainly one of them. While predictable, this tale of revenge cuts deep and makes for the perfect horror story and of course a worthy entry of Penny Dreadfuls.

[Teemu Öhman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew the story in advance thanks to the excellent Doings of Doyle podcast. Thus, no surprises for me there, but I also think the plot was so predictable that there wouldn't have been a surprise in any case. Nevertheless, the writing was excellent and the plot was a really nasty one. I really liked this one a lot, although it could have been a bit longer.

4.25/5

[mymy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I didn’t know what to expect because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was, to my mind, completely and undeniably, a writer of detective novel.

Oh boy, was I in for a surprise. One of the most horrifying horror stories I’ve ever read.

Crazy Victorians didn’t come up trigger warnings after this one.

[Vedat Guven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Çok başarılı ve tanınmış bir doktor toplumdan gelecek tepkilere aldırış etmeden yine aynı toplumdaki tanınmış bir kadınla uluorta sevgili olarak takılmaktadırlar. Bir gece büyük bir ücret karşılığı bir acil cerrahi müdahale talebi geliyor. Bir Türk, zehirli hançerinin üstüne düşen karısının dudağının kesilmesini istemektedir. Sadece kısa bir öyküden oluşan bir kitap.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Doyle short story I never heard of until I listened to it on Magpie Audio on YouTube. Well narrated. Interesting short story with intrigue, a dark twist (I saw it coming, but still good) and a hard lesson learned. And free!

[Sol Belenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

No logré que este mini relato me cautivara. Los pocos sucesos ocurren tan rápido que no se puede apreciar tanto.

Un médico prestigioso. Una mujer infiel. Un marido dispuesto a vengarse.

Eso es todo lo que puedo decir sin hacer spoiler.

[Izzati · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I could expect something good because it was written by none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While it was predictable, the dark and evil was deliciously described. And I just loved the very last sentence.

[LZF · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia de un affair protagonizada por Lady Sannox desde la perspectiva más oscura y drámatica del marido. Conan Doyle escribió en esta historia corta el precursor de innumerables thrillers con una temática similar. Larga vida al creador de tramas tan imaginativas.

[Lesa Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grisly and cruel little story. Funny, I read two back-to-back stories from Doyle's Tales of Terror and Mystery for spooky season and both were tales of revenge. Holding a grudge is bad juju but it does make for intriguing reading.