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Who is the wealthy Miss Mary Sutherland? More importantly, does she share a connection to the disappearance of her missing fiancé? Join Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they unravel the mystery of "A Case of Identity".

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1891

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2,263 people want to read

About the author

Arthur Conan Doyle

14.4kbooks23.7kfollowers
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.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
Profile Image for Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽.
1,880 reviews23.2k followers
March 6, 2019
We open "A Case of Identity" with Sherlock Holmes' and Dr. Watson's typical banter, and then they look out the window to see Sherlock's next client. I love this description and Sherlock's comments:
Looking over his shoulder, I saw that on the pavement opposite there stood a large woman with a heavy fur boa round her neck, and a large curling red feather in a broad-brimmed hat which was tilted in a coquettish Duchess of Devonshire fashion over her ear. From under this great panoply she peeped up in a nervous, hesitating fashion at our windows, while her body oscillated backward and forward, and her fingers fidgeted with her glove buttons. Suddenly, with a plunge, as of the swimmer who leaves the bank, she hurried across the road, and we heard the sharp clang of the bell.

“I have seen those symptoms before,� said Holmes, throwing his cigarette into the fire. “Oscillation upon the pavement always means an affaire de coeur. She would like advice, but is not sure that the matter is not too delicate for communication. And yet even here we may discriminate. When a woman has been seriously wronged by a man she no longer oscillates, and the usual symptom is a broken bell wire. Here we may take it that there is a love matter, but that the maiden is not so much angry as perplexed, or grieved.�
description

Miss Mary Sutherland's problem is a fiancé who mysteriously disappeared from his carriage on the way to the church, after asking her, that very morning, to remember that she was pledged to him, even if something unforeseen happened to separate them. Suspicious, much?

So this Sherlock Holmes short story didn't work for me. The slightness and predictability of the tale, mixed with an unfortunate Victorian view of women -- that they are noble and of delicate sensibilities and are not to have their illusions shattered, even when it would be in their best interest, gah! SO MUCH -- combined to leave a bad taste in my mouth. But it was nice to see a brief glimpse of the softer side of Sherlock Holmes.
Profile Image for Francesc.
465 reviews323 followers
January 2, 2021
Un caso más del detective Sherlock Holmes. Desentraña el misterio sin levantarse del sofá.

One more case of detective Sherlock Holmes. Unravel the mystery without getting off the sofa.
Profile Image for Rahaf Potrosh.
177 reviews266 followers
November 25, 2018
يبدو ان اموري في يخص التحيقي في الجرائم في تحسن , وها قد بدأنا من هنا , ولذلك احتفظ ببقية النجوم لنفسي كمكافأة لي على دقة ملاحظتي وتشخيصي الصحيحين والخاليين من اي أخطاء , اجل .. كان كل شيء في مكانه الصحيح
جميل جداً وبالذات اذا فكرت بتغيير مهنتي في المستقبل
نفس الاسلوب والبساطة , لا جديد بل ربما كانت ابسط مما اعتدت عليه , أعتقد بسبب قرائتي لما هو اكثر تعقيداً من هدذه بكثير
لكنها بالمجمل لطيفة و ممتعة وتصلح كاستراحة قصيرة
Profile Image for Ali Mahfoodh.
208 reviews228 followers
February 13, 2024
القراءة الثانية:
كوني أعتدت على جرائم قتل أغاثا كريستي، كنت أظن أنه ما لم يكن هناك قتيل، فالقضية لا تستحق عناء الانتباه وإيقاظ مخيلتي. جمال قصص هولمز يكمن بملاحظاته واستنتاجاته لا بجدية القضايا نفسها. سواء كانت قضية ابتزاز، أو إعلان عمل غريب، أو اختفاء خطيب امرأة كما في هذه القصة، فقضاياه لا تعدو عن كونها مسرح لتطبيق مهاراته التحليلية. ومتابعته وأحيانا مسابقته تجربة ممتعة.


من أقصر القضايا وأسهلها. لا شيء مميز، عريس يُفقد في يوم زواجه فقط. يبدو أن نقطة قوة السلسلة هي حضور هولمز فيها وليس الأحداث. فمجرد وجوده وملاحظته لتلك التفاصيل الصغيرة وتفسيرها ممتع... رغم روعة الشخصية التي جسّدها بيندكيت كامبرباتش في مسلسل البي بي سي إلا أني أجد شخصيته في القصص والروايات تعجبني أكثر. جيدة لتمضية الوقت.
Profile Image for Jason Koivu.
Author7 books1,380 followers
July 4, 2014
I've been watching and loving the new Brit series Sherlock, so I wanted to go back and revisit the originals. Ya know, do a little compare and contrast.

A Case of Identity is one of Doyle's most innocuous of stories. It's simple. It's easy to solve. The stakes aren't very high: a case of petty theft and hurt feelings being the approximate sum. Overall it's not particularly exciting, so it was easy to spend the reading time examining more than the story.

Benedict Cummerbund's version of Sherlock is very cold, very analytical, lacking in almost all social graces to the point of being a clear sufferer of Asperger's.

In comparison, Doyle's original creation is also quite analytical, quite the know-it-all and some times snarky about it, but he is also kindly, occasional gracious and seems more interested in his work and engaged with his clients.

I like Cumberbitch, but he just isn't likable compared to the real Sherlock. Sure, you admire his abilities and his deep-seated and suppressed love for John Watson, all that's on the show, but the book pulls the character back from the antisocial precipice that could only land a person eventually in jail or the grave for his maniacal behavior....Well then again, it's hella fun to watch bat-shit crazy.
Profile Image for Piyush Bhatia.
122 reviews204 followers
February 25, 2024
Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could possibly invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplace of existence.

3.4/5 rounded to 3
Profile Image for Peiman.
599 reviews181 followers
June 12, 2023
یک داستان کوتاه اما بامزه از سری داستانهای شرلوک هلمز بود. ماجرا با مراجعه‌� زن جوانی به شرلوک هلمز شروع میشه با درخواست کمک برای پیدا کردن همسرش که فردای روز عروسی ناپدید شده.ه
Profile Image for Jim Ef.
402 reviews99 followers
February 17, 2023
6.1/10
Not the hardest or most intriguing case and one that the great detective solves without even leaving his premises.
This is actually one that the reader also can solve before the reveal.
Still it's always great to spend some time in the room on 221Baker street.
Profile Image for Marisol.
901 reviews79 followers
April 29, 2021
Relato corto llamado Un caso de identidad, una joven mujer llega con Sherlock 🕵� para solicitarle busque a su prometido desaparecido.

Es un caso lleno de jocosidad, ligereza, y que es de los pocos que se pueden resolver, debido a que todas las pistas están ahí, y se hace uso de herramientas literarias que después fueron y han sido muy usadas en los libros de detectives.

Aquí Sherlock vuelve a considerar que las mujeres son de una sola especie, sentimentales, susceptibles, inocentes y sobre todo rencorosas si les haces ver lo cándidas que pueden ser en el amor, sobre todo en el falso.

Me divertí bastante con esta historia.
Profile Image for Mohammed  Ali.
475 reviews1,375 followers
July 17, 2016
مغامرات شارلوك هولمز , تأليف السيد آرثر كونان دويل

" قضية هوية " هي القضية الثانية من مغامرات شارلوك هولمز , تدور أحداث هذه المغامرة حول أحد الفتيات التي حاول زوج أمها و الذي يكبرها بخمس سنوات فقط أن يتحايل عليها طمعا في ما تملك من مال و دخل سنوي جيد جدا , فلجأت هذه الفتات إلى شارلوك و صديقه الدكتور واطسون .

الملاحظة هي سلاح شارلوك في معرفة الأشياء المختلفة حول الأشخاص كما أن التفاصيل الصغيرة المهملة تعتبر القاعدة الرئيسية التي يبني عليها تحاليله و تفسيراته .
Profile Image for Menna Ali.
174 reviews550 followers
November 22, 2022
� إن الحياه يا صديقى أغرب من أى خيال يمكن للعقل البشرى الوصول إليه ، حتى لو استطعنا الطيران خارج تلك النافذة لنحوم فوق هذه المدينة العظيمة ثم أزلنا أسقف المنازل واختلسنا النظر إلى تلك الأمور الغريبة التى تحدث تحتها والمصادفات المثيرة وسلاسل الأحداث وهى تتطور لتؤدى إلى أكثر النتائج غرابة.. لو صنعنا ذلك لرأينا الروايات الخيالية مملة وذات نهايات ساذجة مألوفة �.

قضية أقل من العادى بل شعرت إنها ساذجة واستخفاف بعقل القارئ.
Profile Image for Jaksen.
1,564 reviews85 followers
January 31, 2016
Another great tale by an incomparable writer, and yet...

I didn't figure it out! Damnation! It's all so obvious. It's all there. What is wrong with me! :D

A young woman comes to Holmes to find out what happened to her betrothed. Seems that the fellow left her at the altar, and I knew HOW he did it. (That little fact was glaringly obvious.) But why? As the story unfolds - one of the main clues being a typewriter - it becomes more and more evident what happened. But me, no, I missed it.

Enjoying reading these stories in an annotated edition.
Profile Image for Razvan Banciu.
1,680 reviews138 followers
December 20, 2023
Nothing worthy to be withheld.
The characters are dull or unpleasant, there is no action at all, even Holmes must not strive too hard.

Or perhaps you have to read this Holmes one by one, with long breaks in between...
Profile Image for Areej.
24 reviews12 followers
October 17, 2020
“life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence........
Profile Image for Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora).
1,009 reviews43.2k followers
June 25, 2023
Hasta ahora, creo que este ha sido el caso menos espectacular de Sherlock Holmes a pesar de sus deducciones espectacular. Sin embargo, el caso en sí mismo no fue nada del otro mundo. Es decir, iba sobre una mujer que estaba comprometida con un tipo, pero realmente era su padrastro disfrazado, pues quería quitarle todo el dinero. Y si bien es un caso bastante rocambolesco, no me pareció ni de lejos tan llamativo como los demás, así que meh.
Profile Image for Katja Labonté.
Author30 books293 followers
April 8, 2024
5 stars. I love how easily Sherlock worked this one out. All his deducing and train of thought—detailed so well and so fascinatingly EASY! Although the ending is dissatisfactory, the characters and the whole situation are interesting, and I love Homes� firing up for poor Miss Mary� shows the man behind the brain. <3 And of course, Watson + Sherlock have the best conversations. ;)

“But here”—I picked up the morning paper from the ground—“let us put it to a practical test. Here is the first heading upon which I come. ‘A husband’s cruelty to his wife.� There is half a column of print, but I know without reading it that it is all perfectly familiar to me. There is, of course, � the drink, the push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister or landlady. The crudest of writers could invent nothing more crude.�
“Indeed, your example is an unfortunate one for your argument,� said Holmes, taking the paper and glancing his eye down it. “This is the Dundas separation case, and, as it happens, I was engaged in clearing up some small points in connection with it. The husband was a teetotaler, � and the conduct complained of was that he had drifted into the habit of winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at his wife, which, you will allow, is not an action likely to occur to the imagination of the average story-teller.�
Profile Image for ناصر سليم.
546 reviews25 followers
December 7, 2019
محبوب‌تری� شخصیت ادبی من« شرلوک هلمز»
یک داستان ۳۹ صفحه‌ایی� کاملاً پخته و جذاب با استنتاج‌ها� فوق‌العاد�.
پرونده دختری که ماهیانه صد سکه مستمری از ارثی که از پدرش بهش رسیده، دریافت می‌کن� و این مبلغ تماماً در اختیار مادر و پدر‌خوانده‌ا� که تنها پنج سال از او بزرگتره، قرار می‌گیر�.
زمانی این دختر جوان به شرلوک هلمز مراجعه می‌کن� که چندین روز از ناپدید شدن نامزدش گذشته و این گم شدن در روزی اتفاق می‌افت� که قرار بود با هم ازدواج کنند...
Profile Image for Fabian  {Councillor}.
251 reviews506 followers
November 23, 2015
As part of my intention to read the Sherlock Holmes novels in their entirety, I'm currently tripping over the short stories published in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" - as well-written as each of them is, I need a while to get accustomed to the differing storylines and to bring up some motivation for reading the next story out of this short story collection.

"A Case of Identity" was probably just as predictable as the previous one, with the title already spoiling the outcome of the mystery, but this didn't degrade my delight about reading about another case of Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson. Some subtle terms have been included in the story to develop the characteristics of their cooperation, as Sherlock noted that "you [Watson] are coming along wonderfully. You have really done very well indeed. It is true that you have missed everything of importance, but you have hit upon the method, and you have a quick eye for colour." Oh, Sherlock. You cannot compare the different versions of Sherlock Holmes which Arthur Conan Doyle in his literary works respectively Benedict Cumberbatch in his performance have created, but I love both of them.

As to the plot itself, the mystery's solution was quite interesting and exposed one of the most shocking schemes I have read of so far in the Sherlock Holmes novels, but, unfortunately, Arthur Conan Doyle gave a lot of the mystery away before the initial reveal, and while he spent plenty of time on establishing the mystery's main construct, the outcome felt rushed and didn't allow the characters to experience any kind of consequences. As a result, I was left disappointed by this story, and while there was some good writing and a strong plot idea, the execution might have been done in another, more satisfactoring way.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars because I don't want to rate a Sherlock Holmes story that low.
Profile Image for itsdanixx.
647 reviews61 followers
April 17, 2018
"A Case of Identity" is the third story in the story collection, the third publication in the Sherlock Holmes series (after the first two novels, so the first story collection).

Holmes is consulted by a young woman who's fiancé has disappeared just before their wedding.

I started before any of the novels and for some reason I did not start it at the beginning. So this was actually the first Sherlock Holmes piece I ever read. Whilst I had nothing to compare it to, I was very impressed and relieved to discover I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Lou.
238 reviews137 followers
January 29, 2019
All the Sherlock cases are moulding into one, so I'm just going to give myself a little reminder of each case I read.

- the one with the disappearing bride groom.
Profile Image for Huda Aweys.
Author5 books1,438 followers
March 28, 2015
(ان من يسلب الأسد شبله يكون فى خطر و كذلك من يخيب أمل انسان)
!
انها احدى القضايا التى لم ينجح شيرلوك فى حلها من وجهة نظرى ، فحل القضية ليس فقط بالكشف عن لغزها مع صديق على فنجان قهوة و غليون ! ، و انما هو القدرة على كشفها امام الجميع .. كشف يحول مسارها عن ذلك الطريق الغامض المنحرف امامهم و يساعد او يفيد على الأقل من لجأ الى المحقق طالبا حلها
لذا لم تغنى امنيات السيد شيرلوك بالشر و الشنق لزوج الأم الشرير عن اخفاقه الواضح فى حل القضية و توضيحها لتلك الفتاة المسكينة بالنسبة لى !
Profile Image for SHOMPA.
537 reviews301 followers
October 31, 2020
I was always hesitant to try short stories because I like character development and story depth. But who could not want to read stories about the Master Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?! 😉

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒖𝒃, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏."
Profile Image for Marcela Lozano.
59 reviews3 followers
February 17, 2021
Nuevamente la astucia de Sherlock Holmes y su amigo el dr. Watson se encuentran con un caso de investigación para ayudar a una mujer que solicita sus servicios; algo predecible pero al igual rodeados de la genialidad y como se van enlazando los cabos sueltos de la novela.
Es un caso evidente que me lo sospechaba pero lo dudé. Como siempre Sherlock y Watson una pareja sorprendente.
Profile Image for Wissal H.
1,076 reviews427 followers
November 8, 2024
تعتبر قصة "قضية هوية"
من القصص الكلاسيكية في أدب الجريمة،
تُعتبر هذه القصة من أوائل قصص سلسلة مغامرات هولمز، وقد نُشرت لأول مرة في مجلة ستراند عام 1891.

تدور أحداث القصة حول فتاة تدعى ماري سوثرلاند، والتي تطلب مساعدة شيرلوك هولمز لحل لغز غريب. فخطيبها، هوسمر أنجل، يختفي فجأة قبل الزفاف، ولا يوجد أي أثر له.

يظهر في هذه القصة ذكاء هولمز الحاد وقدرته على ملاحظة التفاصيل الدقيقة وحل الألغاز المعقدة. القصة مليئة بالألغاز والتشويق، مما يجعل القارئ يتابع الأحداث بشغف
Profile Image for Amanda Artist Cat.
450 reviews70 followers
August 3, 2022
Sherlock: "Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man can invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are mere commonplaces of existence. If we were to fly out of the window hand in hand, hover over the great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on... Blah blah blah..."

Typical Victorians! They always manage to bore me to distraction before getting to the point!
Profile Image for Cora Tea Party Princess.
1,323 reviews860 followers
December 31, 2014
5 Words: Perfect length for a cuppa.

All I could think at the end of this one was "that's so cruel" and it made me a little sad. Could anyone actually do that to someone, break their heart in such a way?

:(
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