# Dr. Leon Sterndale — His Last Bow character guide

> Dr. Leon Sterndale in His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lee, Dr. Sterndale, Sterndale

**First appearance:** 0009-the-adventure-of-the-devil-s-foot

## Snapshot

A celebrated African explorer whose long absences from England conceal a private grief that pulls him back to a Cornish village at the worst possible moment.

## Who they are

Sterndale is a man of two worlds: the celebrated lion-hunter and explorer whose name commands respect, and the shadowy figure who returns to England with a purpose he will not name. His connection to the Cornish coast and to a woman there gives him both motive and opportunity when a murder disrupts the quiet village. Holmes must weigh the explorer's formidable reputation against evidence that points uncomfortably toward him.

## Relationships

### [Sir James Walter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters/sir_james_walter)

_friendship_

Dr. Leon Sterndale is a close friend and ally of Sir James Walter, sharing a bond of trust.

### [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters/sherlock_holmes)

_professional_

Dr. Leon Sterndale interacts with Holmes as a suspect and later as a client in a murder case.

### [Sir James Walter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters/sir_james_walter)

_friendship_

Dr. Leon Sterndale is a close friend and ally of Sir James Walter, sharing a bond of trust.

### [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters/sherlock_holmes)

_professional_

Dr. Leon Sterndale interacts with Holmes as a suspect and later as a client in a murder case.

### [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters/sherlock_holmes)

_professional_

Dr. Leon Sterndale interacts with Holmes as a suspect and later as a client in a murder case.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters/dr_leon_sterndale
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/his_last_bow_se/characters