Fil Garrison’s Reviews > The Complete Sherlock Holmes > Status Update
Fil Garrison
is 89% done
The Adventure of the Illustrious Client: I was rather taken with this story. Less of a mystery, and more of an insolvable problem presented to Holmes in one of his less astute areas of study: women. I enjoyed the further references to Moran and Moriarty, which make the universe feel even more real than before. There's a real history to these stories, and it's a pleasure to waltz through them as we come to the end. 4*
— Nov 25, 2025 05:44PM
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Fil Garrison
is 96% done
The Adventure of the Creeping Man - I think this is the first Holmes story that has a fully non-scientific explanation behind it. Indeed, I can almost see this as a crossover between Jekyll and Hyde and Sherlock Holmes, possibly the inspiration behind league of extraordinary gentlemen? Either way, it's a really interesting tale, if only because of its unique quality among the Holmes stories. 4 stars
— 16 hours, 48 min ago
Fil Garrison
is 95% done
The Problem of Thor Bridge - I think this may be the first (or second?) Holmes story that I saw coming from a mile away. And, in true Columbo, howdunit fashion, the story isn't lessened by knowing who did what at the beginning, but rather is enriched since you can focus on the characters, motivations rather than being distracted by the mystery. I highlighted two instances of character descriptions, special those. 3*
— Jul 27, 2026 02:45PM
Fil Garrison
is 94% done
The Adventure of the Three Garridebs - I admit that this story had me fooled for a minute, it's a bit of a reminder of the red headed league, where a story so strange and out of the ordinary obfuscates the actual crime. There's a particular passage that I just adore in here where Holmes shows how much he loves Watson, cementing their friendship as the absolute beating heart of the series of stories. 4 stars.
— Jul 20, 2026 10:42PM
Fil Garrison
is 93% done
The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire: Exactly how you would expect a proposed supernatural Holmes tale to go: along the lines of a Carnacki tale, with Holmes finding that there is a rational, reasonable explanation here. Oddly enough, a bit of Omen mixed in, the story itself is fine, but nothing majorly special. I like seeing Holmes' view of the vampire mythos, and wonder at how we would confront the real thing. 3*
— May 04, 2026 03:07PM
Fil Garrison
is 92% done
The Adventure of the Three Gables: The adventure itself is pretty straightforward, but there are a couple of passages that caught my eye with regards to building out the world that Holmes inhabits. The gossip that he consults for one, and the final confrontation of the criminal is absolutely enjoyable, as is Holmes' reaction to her story. Always interested in Justice, Holmes has a fascinating sense of fairplay. 3*
— Apr 29, 2026 04:24PM
Fil Garrison
is 91% done
The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone - Absolutely fascinated to read this Holmes story which was written in third person (!) and was apparently adapted from a stage play. It makes sense as the structure of this one is very different, and Watson is almost irrelevant to the story. Honestly, this last detail tanks the story for me. What is batman without his robin? I'd love to see a play version of this, with Moran. 3*
— Mar 15, 2026 10:58PM
Fil Garrison
is 90% done
The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier: Looking it up, this is one of three stories narrated by Holmes himself, rather than Holmes, which is an interesting and welcome change of pace. My favorite parts of the mystery, which is just OK, are actually the small comments Holmes makes about his friend - during the time that Watson is married, Holmes has clearly felt alone, missing his friend and biographer. That alone - 4*
— Jan 06, 2026 05:41PM
Fil Garrison
is 88% done
His Last Bow: An Epilogue of Sherlock Holmes - Supposedly the final chronological appearance of Sherlock Holmes, this short story isn't a favorite of mine by any stretch - it's a spy story instead of a detective story, and it ill suits Holmes. Things I enjoy, though - references to Moran and Moriarty and Adler (cementing them as important), and the meetings of Holmes and Watson, their warm friendship, last talk. 3*
— Oct 29, 2025 04:37PM
Fil Garrison
is 87% done
The Adventure of the Devil's Foot: For some reason, this one strikes me as one of my favorite Holmes stories so far. It crosses almost into a Lovecraftian nightmare - visions of some wild thing loose on the moors, frightening people to death and to insanity. It has a big game hunter, larger than life. And more so, Holmes solves the case, and exercises his judgement in a more unusual and compassionate way. 5 stars.
— Oct 17, 2025 11:06AM
Fil Garrison
is 85% done
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax: Honestly, an excellent little story. There's not much of a mystery, and every story beat is actually predictable, in its own way once Holmes arrives on the scene. What it DOES have is an excellent look at how Holmes deals with lapses in judgement, and his zest for doing the right thing. His verve for saving a life and his interactions with the culprits is top notch. 5 Stars.
— Oct 01, 2025 05:41PM