The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes · Character
Baron Gruner
A silver-tongued Austrian nobleman whose polished charm and taste for danger make him the most captivating—and most dangerous—man in any room he enters.
supporting
Also known as Baron Adelbert Gruner, Baron, Adelbert Gruner, dear Adelbert, Adelbert, the Baron Adelbert Gruner
First appearance: The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
As a supporting figure in The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Baron Gruner is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The antagonist, a charming but deadly Austrian murderer, determined to marry Violet de Merville despite his criminal past.
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The Baron moves through society as a collector of beautiful things, and his interest in a certain lady draws Holmes into a case where admiration and menace are impossible to separate. His wealth, his title, and his easy…
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See Baron Gruner in The Adventure of the Illustrious ClientCharacter Web
20 connectionsA slice of how Baron Gruner sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Gruner's web of victims
- Protagonist
- Holmes's inner circle
- Blanched Soldier mystery
- Minor characters across cases
- Shoscombe Old Place suspects
+15 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the story’s central emotional and psychological peak…
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Baron Gruner appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Baron Gruner in The Adventure of the Illustrious Client