The Adventure of the Devil鈥檚 Foot is a short Sherlock Holmes detective story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was published in 1910 and set in 1897 taking place in Cornwall where Sherlock Holmes is taking a holiday because he has been pushing himself too hard. But as with any great detective murder follows him through the countryside, and there is naturally a murder that he is the only one but him can solve.
The story begins with Watson and Holmes relaxing in Cornwall when they are approached by the local Vicar and the man living with him asking for help. Watson is not happy about the intrusion because he believes that his friend needs to rest but Holmes is immediately excited by the chance to use his brain and the truth is that they really do need Holmes help.
The mystery is the brother and sister of the man living with the vicar have had a strange tragedy. He had spent the night with his brothers and sister visiting and playing whist. The next morning he discovers a strange scene. Something clearly has happened just moments after he had left. His sister is still sitting at the table, but is dead, and both of his brothers have seemingly had some type of nervous break down as they are laughing and singing. The explanation everyone else has given is that this is the work of the Devil.
Holmes and Watson as skeptical that this is a case of demonic attack but they at first have no other real explanation. Holmes questions everyone and discovers that the maid who found them not only fainted when she came in but became sick.
Shortly afterward the Vicar arrives in a near panic. It seems that the third brother, who had left just before the events has died, apparently of the same thing. This is odd to Holmes because he has already deduced that it was he who had thrown something into the fire to poison his brothers and sister. This leaves a second mystery which is who killed the murderer.
The answer turns out to be a man who had loved the sister for years. He was unable to marry her because he was unable to divorce a wife who had left him years before. He had told the murdering brother of a strange poison he had found in Africa and the brother had stolen it certain that the man would leave before hearing of the three and he could take all of the inheritance for himself.
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British 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.
Sherlock Holmes and Watson on holiday in Cornwall have to solve a very special case. What caused two members of the Tregennis family to go mad and one to die after their brother Mortimer left? What did Mortimer later on die of? There seem to be no traces. Did something supernatural hit the little village? What about mysterious Dr Sterndale, an explorer? This was a very compelling murder mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes. Doyle comes up with a nice solution of the case. Really recommended, a must read for every Sherlock Holmes fan!
Sherlock Holmes & Doctor Watson investigate the mystery of what the newspapers call The Cornish Horror. Once again Arthur Conan Doyle puts together a neat mystery & the great detective uses his powers of deduction to unmask a murderer. A fine story with an excellent conclusion.
I鈥檝e read many of the Sherlock Holmes stories down the years, so many that I鈥檓 not always clear which I have and haven鈥檛 read. I had this one sitting on my Kindle for ages.
A publication date of 1910 makes this one of the later Holmes鈥� stories. It鈥檚 a short tale which will take you no more than 30 minutes to read.
In some ways this is standard Holmes and Watson fare. Conan Doyle knew exactly what his readers expected, and by 1910 he could probably type the stories in his sleep. I would say though this one has a slightly unusual ending. I quite enjoyed that - it gave the story something extra.
In the story, the plant鈥攄evil鈥檚 foot root鈥攊s little-known even in West Africa, its point of origin. Its transport to England is the work of the story鈥檚 lion-hunting physician, Dr. Leon Sternsdale.
The case involves the mysterious injuries sustained by four siblings (two are fatal). En route to the story鈥檚 solve, Holmes detects a strange brown powder on the smoke-guard of a lamp at the scene. Soon after, he proposes that he and Watson undertake a medical experiment to determine the powder鈥檚 effects on the body. The always accommodating Watson assents. Holmes then lights the lamp, burning the powder with the window and door ajar for ventilation.
The impact is immediate: Watson describes a 鈥渢urmoil in his brains鈥� and a mounting loss of control of both mind and body. At the last minute, Watson marshals his reason and tackles Holmes, pushing him out of the room, where the pair of them lie breathless on the grass outside as the fumes and the poison recede. Holmes鈥� suspicions are confirmed: the powder is toxic, and he鈥檚 able to link the deaths to the devil鈥檚 foot root, with the help of Sternsdale.
As a third-year medical student at the University of Edinburgh, Doyle embarked on his own experiment with a toxic root. Gelsemium (sometimes gelseminum), a dried rhizome of yellow jasmine, was rumored to have been discovered by a Mississippi planter who accidentally made a tea for his master using the root, and cured him of his fever (though with side effect鈥攍oss of muscle control)
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase Review of free Kindle edition A Public Domain Book Publication date: May 12, 2012 Language: English ASIN: B0082XIATK 64 pages
Not, in my opinion, one of the great Holmes mysteries. However Doyle put it at number nine on his list of twelve favorite Holmes stories. At first glance the case seems diabolically mysyerous. However as Holmes examined it, the culprit became obvious. There were yet questions as to motive, the identity of the material used and more, so the story remained interesting to the end.
4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This is equal parts disturbing, fascinating, and heartwarming.
The murder part is pretty grim, especially the first time reading it. It鈥檚 not bloody or gruesome, but it鈥檚 just subtly disturbing (see below for spoilers). The characters are fascinating鈥攍ionlike Dr. Sterndale, weasel-like Mr. Tregennis, and poor beautiful Brenda鈥�
And the rest is heartwarming. Sherlock becomes very human in this one, with his illness, Watson saving him, and his apology to Watson. Their friendship is just amazing. And then his kindness to Dr. Sterndale鈥� although perhaps not quite right, it is understandable, and at least shows Holmes鈥� real heart.
So yes. I love this story.
Content: My G*d. Smoking. A man wants to divorce his wife.
MASSIVE SPOILER! END OF MASSIVE SPOILER!
A Favourite Quote: 鈥淟et us get a firm grip of the very little which we DO know, so that when fresh facts arise we may be ready to fit them into their places.鈥� A Favourite Beautiful Quote: 鈥淚t was a country of rolling moors, lonely and dun-colored, with an occasional church tower to mark the site of some old-world village.鈥� A Favourite Humorous Quote: 鈥淗ow do you know that?鈥� 鈥淚 followed you.鈥� 鈥淚 saw no one.鈥� 鈥淭hat is what you may expect to see when I follow you.鈥�
I loved the setting of this and the bit of twist I had not really expected. I always love it when Holmes goes off on another subject as well as the obvious
3 Stars. Another good one from Doyle but not as exciting as some. More of an intellectual challenge for the great detective. For us too. It's 1897. Holmes has been told by a specialist doctor that, without rest, he may have a serious breakdown. He and Watson retreat to a lonely cottage on the moors by the sea in Cornwall. Daily walks, reading and the like, but please no clients! Yet strange and diabolical crimes seem to follow the two detectives around. They are soon visited by the local vicar, Mr. Roundhay and his tenant, Mr. Mortimer Tregennis. Narrator Watson reports that the case the visitors bring to Holmes became known in the media as "The Cornish Horror." Earlier that morning Tregennis had found his sister Brenda dead and his brothers Owen and George in delirium in their home. Roundhay and Tregennis think some strange power entered the room the previous evening and frightened the woman to death. Holmes responds, "I fear that if the matter is beyond human it is certainly beyond me." He then proceeds to prove that the cause was not beyond human. As an aside, his health improved nicely. (Fe2025)
A fun, entertaining romp where Holmes and Watson are on vacation, but of course a case comes to find them.
I think overall, collectively Sherlock Holmes will have a higher rating than individually. They鈥檙e fun to read, but not too spectacular without their broader context as episodic mysteries following the same protagonist and lancer.
This one was unique and horrifying and fun, there isn鈥檛 enough time to delve deeply into characters which is something I look for in my books, but the plot and motives are entertaining.
Holmes and Watson are out for a vacation near Poldhu Bay at a Cornish Peninsula. The Vicar of Parish Mr.Roundhay and the Clergyman Mr.Mortimer Tregennis interrupts their peaceful vacation. Mr.Tregennis has left his brother Owen and George and sister Brenda at Tredannick Wartha. Dr.Richards sends to inform Mr.Tregennis of the tragedy that has had occurred when he left the house. His sister Brenda is dead and brothers, demented. Who killed her? Holmes and Watson have another visitor, Dr.Leon Sterndale, the famous lion-hunter and explorer. They were still linking the clues to Brenda's death when yet another shocking event follows. Mr.Tregennis is dead. Is he murdered or is it suicide? Mystery and suspense build into an intriguing plot of the story, makes it an enjoyable read.
The seventh short story in His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to southern England. While there, a mysterious tragedy strikes in the town. Holmes and Watson are on the case. Complex and entertaining.
What a wonderful little story! So very autistic, and very gay. Compare Holmes鈥檚 statement that if he loved someone and they were killed he might kill in revenge and his reaction to Watson getting shot in The Three Garridebs.
The Adventure of the devil's foot is a very interesting story by Arthur Conan Doyle. I like this book a lot because the writing is very descriptive and the interaction between the different characters in the story is very interesting. Holmes is a very wise detective and he uses logic to solve the case in the story, and he thinks in way we would not. Watson is the eyes we see the story through, and it shows a lot of emotion in what is happening.
Another fascinating unraveling by Holmes. He's with Watson on vacation at Land's End in Cornwall trying to relax and hold off a mental breakdown. The local vicar rushes to his place asking for help with a strange case of a dead woman and her two brothers gone mad. Holmes is all about justice. He shows his Dirty Harry side here.