by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A priceless Crown diamond has disappeared, dangerous men are determined to keep it, and Sherlock Holmes knows that this time his opponents may be willing to kill him.
In The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone, Watson returns to familiar old 221B Baker Street and discovers Holmes deeply involved in the recovery of the stolen yellow diamond known as the Mazarin Stone. Waiting in the room is something particularly unsettling: a remarkably lifelike wax figure of Holmes positioned near the window, intended to deceive anyone watching from outside. [en.wikipedia.org], [libraryofs...tories.com]
Holmes has already identified his principal adversary, the dangerous Count Negretto Sylvius, but knowing who possesses the jewel and actually recovering it are two very different things. What follows becomes a wonderful battle of nerves and deception, with Holmes relying on disguise, misdirection and a particularly clever trap to turn the tables on his enemies.
First published in The Strand Magazine in October 1921, the story was later collected in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. Interestingly, it is one of the rare Holmes adventures told in the third person rather than by Watson, and its theatrical quality has good reason behind it: the story developed from Conan Doyle's stage play The Crown Diamond. [en.wikipedia.org], [arthur-con...-doyle.com]
It's vintage late-period Holmes: a dangerous opponent, an apparently impossible problem, and Sherlock Holmes demonstrating once again that it's extremely unwise to believe you've outsmarted him.
Enjoy The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone on 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
And while we're spending time with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the great adventures of Victorian and Edwardian Britain, we've got another legendary adventure waiting for you at 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries:
Join us for the remarkable story behind one of history's most famous encounters, as Henry Morton Stanley sets out to find the long-missing African explorer Dr. David Livingstone.
If you enjoy the adventure, history and larger-than-life personalities surrounding the world of Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle, we think you'll really enjoy this one.
Look for "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?" this week at 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries!