Looking ahead to June...

[Max Magee]

Since the time of publication of our last story (His Last Bow) in the Strand in 1917,

we advance four years—in the intervening time, Sir Arthur has been cavorting with fairies and promoting his views on spiritualism, divorce, and the Great War, but Eille Norwood has been portraying Sherlock Holmes on screens, and even Doyle himself weighed in on Holmes (in 1917 after His Last Bow appeared). The Strand has covered all of it in its pages.

Then, in early 1921, it started putting notices like this one into its pages:

As you all will recall, Holmes was pretty definitively retired and out of service at the end of His Last Bow.

And in September, on its inside cover page:

Then in October of 1921, the cover proclaimed 

A NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES STORY

After all that buildup, hype, and advertisement...we got Mazarin Stone, one of the most hated* Sherlock Holmes stories of all. I can only think of one or two others that would contend for the title. What do you think are the most hated/least loved Holmes stories in (or out of) the Canon?

I'd also point out that the brilliant trick in the story was a rehash of Doyle's of Doyle's first story published (March, 1891) issue of The Strand, "The Voice of Science," which is a lot more fun!

Click here to read it in its entirety.

Perhaps part of the reason it was perceived as such a dud is that, unlike Hound, which satisfied that itch we had for more great Holmes work, this one left us both waiting and wanting.

Max "Magic Jezail Bullet" Magee (he/him)

Notorious Canary-Trainer of Madison Wisconsin

Torist International S.S. of Chicago Illinois

Norwegian Explorer of Minnesota
Yeoman Purser of the Barque of the Lone Star & Cap'n Basil's Mignonettes

Praed Street Irregulars, Agent Tobias Athelney

*objectively least best, at least, as it has tied for last or second-to-last in nearly every poll
https://www.bestofsherlock.com/story/pt1ta2.htm