The Adventure of the Norwood Builder

by Arthur Conan Doyle

In "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder," a young lawyer, John Hector McFarlane, desperately seeks Sherlock Holmes' help after being accused of murdering Jonas Oldacre, a builder from Norwood. Oldacre had recently changed his will in McFarlane's favor before mysteriously disappearing, and damning evidence emerges against the lawyer. While the police, led by the skeptical Inspector Lestrade, believe they have their man, Holmes notices inconsistencies in the case and uncovers a clever scheme behind Oldacre's disappearance. Using his keen intellect, he exposes a shocking twist and proves McFarlane's innocence.

44 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

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

[Greta Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressively written. Shocking ending.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha! Fantastic tension and reveal!