His Last Bow - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Published : 1917
UK Price : Paperback Format £3.69 Here
US Price : Paperback Format $6.42 Here
Ebook available for free at Project Gutenberg Here

"His Last Bow" is a collection of eight Sherlock Holmes short stories and is Conan Doyle's penultimate Holmes book.  As always, the stories center around Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective who uses his intellect and wits to solve various crimes and mysteries.

One thing I did note about "His Last Bow" is that all the stories seemed a little bit longer than those in previous short story collections.  I was glad of this as I felt it let Conan Doyle write more thorough stories. The stories themselves were typical of previous Holmes adventures with enjoyable adventures a and the superb Watson/Holmes pairing visible throughout. The various topics of the stories ranged between scaremongering, kidknapping, theft & treachery which again, is similar to previous collections.

I would have to say that my favourite story was "His Last Bow" itself, not for the actual story itself but the portrayal of Holmes and Watson. The story is set just prior to World War One and involves Holmes  capturing a German Spy. The whole thing did come across as being some rather obvious propoganda (It was written when WWI was underway) and I think this was why it felt quite basic compared to what we have read previously. However, in regards to Holmes & Watson, you can feel a real sense of loss when Holmes admits to Watson that this may be the last time they are together. It feels like an ending, as both of these men retire to a quiet life apart from each other.

Overall, this is pretty standard stuff from Conan Doyle and if you have enjoyed the previous Holmes stories then you will surely enjoy this collection.