His Last Bow · Character

Sherlock Holmes

A restless detective who treats crime as a cure for boredom, Sherlock Holmes reads the grotesque in a telegram and takes the case before the client even climbs the stairs.

major

Also known as Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Holmes, Mr. Holmes, poor Holmes, Mycroft

First appearance: His Last Bow

As a major figure in His Last Bow, Sherlock Holmes is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Operating under the alias Altamont, Holmes has spent years infiltrating German spy networks and ultimately captures Von Bork.

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Holmes is the consulting detective whose mind, idle, tears itself apart like an engine disconnected from its work; he greets each new problem with a mischievous twinkle and a definition of the grotesque as something tragically, terribly criminal. He spars gently with Watson over the meaning of words and the manners of clients, but his real tension is with a world grown too commonplace for his talents. His hunger for audacity and romance drives the early cases forward, and his habit of seeing the sinister beneath the respectable makes him the story's engine.

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Character Web

39 connections

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Relationship types

Friendship
Professional
Rivalry

Character groups

Protagonist
Bruce-Partington Plans Case
German Espionage Network

+34 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt is not the story's dramatic climax; it is the opening of "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfa…

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Relationships

Dr. Watson
friendship · positive
Sir James Walter
professional · positive
Inspector Baynes
professional · positive
Constable Walters
professional · positive
Von Bork
rivalry · negative
Mortimer Tregennis
rivalry · negative
Dr. Leon Sterndale
professional · ambivalent
Mycroft Holmes
family · positive
Inspector Lestrade
professional · positive
Mrs. Warren
professional · positive
Lady Frances Carfax
professional · positive
Henry Peters
rivalry · negative

Dr. Watson
Dr. Watson is Holmes's loyal friend, biographer, and companion in investigations.
Sir James Walter
Holmes works with Sir James Walter as a client and ally in a counter-espionage operation.
Inspector Baynes
Inspector Baynes collaborates with Holmes on a case, showing mutual respect and cooperation.
Constable Walters
Constable Walters assists Holmes in police matters, acting as a subordinate and informant.
Von Bork
Holmes is the antagonist and captor of Von Bork, a German spy, in a high-stakes espionage confrontation.
Mortimer Tregennis
Mortimer Tregennis is a suspect and antagonist whom Holmes confronts in a murder investigation.
Dr. Leon Sterndale
Dr. Leon Sterndale interacts with Holmes as a suspect and later as a client in a murder case.
Mycroft Holmes
Mycroft is Sherlock's older brother, with a close but formal familial bond and occasional professional collaboration.
Inspector Lestrade
Inspector Lestrade is a Scotland Yard detective who frequently works with Holmes, often deferring to his superior skills.
Mrs. Warren
Mrs. Warren is a landlady who hires Holmes to investigate a mysterious lodger.
Lady Frances Carfax
Lady Frances Carfax is a missing person whom Holmes is hired to locate and protect.
Henry Peters
Henry Peters is a criminal suspect whom Holmes investigates and ultimately exposes.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Sherlock Holmes appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

His Last Bow
Operating under the alias Altamont, Holmes has spent years infiltrating German spy networks and ultimately captures Von Bork.
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
Investigates the murder of Mr. Garcia and the strange circumstances at Wisteria Lodge.
The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles
Receives a telegram from Scott Eccles and becomes intrigued by the word 'grotesque,' linking it to criminality. He guides the investigation and theorizes about Eccles's role as an alibi.
The Tiger of San Pedro
Leads the investigation, deduces the criminal enterprise and the role of High Gable, warns Baynes about his arrest.
The Adventure of the Red Circle
Initially reluctant to take Mrs. Warren's case, but becomes deeply involved after observing the coded signals from the lodger's window.
The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
Restless due to fog, he investigates the theft of submarine plans and captures Colonel Valentine Walter.
The Adventure of the Dying Detective
Feigns a deadly tropical disease to trap Culverton Smith; uses fasting, makeup, and theatrical deception to appear dying.
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
Leads the investigation, deduces the identity of the criminals, and orchestrates the rescue.
The Adventure of the Devil's Foot
Investigates the death of Mortimer Tregennis, conducts experiments with a lamp and poison, and deduces the cause of the tragedy.
His Last Bow
Disguised as Altamont, Holmes has spent two years infiltrating Von Bork's spy network and finally captures him.

Chapter companion notes

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