"As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify."

Since the start of the year, I've been slowly working my way through the various Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and enjoying them a fair amount. This third edition, a collection of shorter mysteries, looked like it would be just as enjoyable. In any case, there were several investigations to sink my teeth into, so I was certain that I'd find at least a few I'd like.

"The future was with Fate. The present was our own."

These various stories set about building up the lore and legend of the famed investigator pretty effectively. The mysteries themselves didn't grab me as much as, say, 'A Study In Scarlet', but then they were a lot shorter, and therefore simpler, than the larger mysteries. I also found them a little more predictable, again though, I'd put that down, in part, to the relative brevity of each mystery.

"Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting."

There was only one mystery I wasn't so fond of, and found altogether dull. The rest kept me at least moderately hooked for their varied durations. It was nice to work through this a mystery at a time, it meant I could read at a leisurely pace. The last couple of mysteries were especially good - Arthur Conan Doyle seemed to save the best for last, inadvertently or not.

"Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details."

Overall, this was an enjoyable little collection, which not only provided the familiar tastes of Holmes and Watson based entertainment, but also managed to develop the legend and personality of its titular private investigator with a quiet ease. I preferred this to 'The Sign Of The Four', in any case. It was a fun series of short stories, and kept me entertained nearly the entire time.