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June 2020
So this is a Group read for "English Mysteries", where we shall be reading all of the Conan Doyle Holmes short stories and Novels over the next 18 months finishing on Dartmoor for Christmas 2021.

Interestingly, I have to say the version I am now reading has 12 short stories compared to the 10 in 2018. I can only guess that different editions (and I have many) for different countries have different sets of stories.
For this re-read there will be 12, 12 is the number of stories, there shall be !!
So in order read:-
The Redheaded League 5⭐️
A wonderful example of Holmes capabilities. What is The Red Headed League and why does it want pawnbroker Mr Wilson to join their ranks.
A Case of Identity 4⭐️
Where has the intended of Miss Mary Sutherland disappeared to ? In fact why did he vanish on the way to their wedding ?
The Boscombe Valley Mystery 5⭐️
Who else but his son could have killed Mr Charles McCarthy, but if so, why did James not say what their argument had been about or why make up the story about his father saying "a rat" with his last breath
The Five Orange Pips 4⭐️
Who keeps sending members of the Openshaw family 5 Orange Pips. And what papers should be put on the sundial in the garden ?
The Man with the Twisted Lip 5⭐️
A wonderful story in which Holmes is for a while stumped, how could the beggar have killed the fit London businessman and disposed of his body out of the window into the Thames so quickly. And then a night of pipe smoking contemplation allows him to solve the crime.
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle 5⭐️
A fabulous story, demonstrating Holmes ability to delve into a problem and follow it to a conclusion. So who was the man who was attacked late one night as he staggered home with a goose. Peterson the commissioner, saw the man attacked and rescued his hat and goose. Holmes manages to discern a large amount of information about the gooses owner just from his hat much to Watson's amazement.
The Speckled Band 5⭐️
Probably one of the most famous short stories, and very atmospheric. Why did her twin die, and what is the whistling ?
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb 4.5⭐️
A story that focusses on an injury done to a hydraulic engineer who had been called out late at night to repair a hydraulic press. Offered an extortionate fee for his assistance it ends in him being taken to Dr Watson's surgery for treatment.
The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor 4.5⭐️
The upper crust Lord Robert St Simon calls on Holmes when his American (very rich) wife of just a few hours mysteriously disappears
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet 5⭐️
Alexander Holder, co-owner of a private bank, arrives in a terrible state at 221B. His honour could be in shreds as he has taken a well known fabulously expensive bejewelled coronet in exchange for a monstrous loan of £50, 000. And then that night he catches his son with the coronet in his hands and jewels missing, ruination beckons.
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
Why as a governess would you be offered 3 times your asked for salary, be asked to occasionally wear certain dresses, and asked to cut your hair short. Violet Hunter visits Sherlock to ask if she accept a job with those conditions. Sherlock says she should keep in touch if she accepts the position, but he would not let his sister accept that position if he had one.
A Scandal in Bohemia
So this is story 1 in the book but as part of the group read, I am reading it last in this anthology simply because although interesting, it is also reliant on people already knowing about Holmes. Needless to say it is all about That Woman . enough said.

February 2018 5 Stars
This was a personal re-read , (I'm guessing for the 4th or 5th time ) and it was as fabulous as ever.
It comprises 10 short stories :-
A scandal in Bohemia --
A case of identity --
The Boscombe Valley mystery --
The five orange pips --
The adventure of the blue carbuncle --
The adventure of the speckled band
The adventure of the engineer's thumb
The adventure of the noble bachelor
The adventure of the beryl coronet
The adventure of the copper beeches

These stories are all well written, with wonderful characterisations and great settings. As with Miss Marple or Poirot, I see a certain actor whenever I read a Sherlock Holmes book and that is Jeremy Brett. To me he is the epitome of Sherlock-ness.
In this collection we see Sherlock and Watson involved with royalty to beggars, from geese to snakes, from central London to the suburbs (when they were suburbs) to the South Wset, from bank robbers to murders to "The Woman".

If you've never read any Holmes, this is a great place to start and will give you an insight into his amazing abilities, his relationship with Watson and fantastic descriptions of Victorian London.