# Josiah Amberley — The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes character guide

> Josiah Amberley in The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Amberley, Mr. Josiah Amberley, Mr. Amberley, old Amberley

**First appearance:** 0013-the-adventure-of-the-retired-colourman

## Snapshot

A retired colourman whose young wife has vanished with his savings, and whose grief may be more calculated than it appears.

## Who they are

Amberley is a wealthy, solitary man who married a woman twenty years his junior and now finds himself alone, robbed, and humiliated. He comes to Holmes with a tale of adultery and theft, but his manner is so strange — by turns self-pitying and evasive — that even Watson senses something off. His obsession with chess, his neglected house, and his too-convenient story make him less a victim than a puzzle Holmes cannot resist.

## Relationships

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

_rivalry_

Josiah Amberley is a cunning criminal who attempts to deceive Holmes but is ultimately exposed.

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

_rivalry_

Josiah Amberley is a cunning criminal who attempts to deceive Holmes but is ultimately exposed.

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

_rivalry_

Josiah Amberley is a cunning criminal who attempts to deceive Holmes but is ultimately exposed.

## In the story

### [The Adventure of the Retired Colourman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_casebook_of_sherlock_holmes_se/chapters/the-adventure-of-the-retired-colourman)

The retired colourman who claims his wife and her lover stole his savings; later revealed to be the murderer.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_casebook_of_sherlock_holmes_se/characters/josiah_amberley
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_casebook_of_sherlock_holmes_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_casebook_of_sherlock_holmes_se/characters