Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia

“To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex...there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.”

In A Scandal in Bohemia Watson describes a woman who fooled Sherlock Holmes. It all kicks off when Sherlock receives a guest who makes Sherlock and Watson swear secrecy. He's Count Von Kramm, the future King of Bohemia who has had an affair with a woman called Irene Adler. Irene has a picture of them together and is going to use it to ruin his upcoming marriage. He asks Sherlock to retrieve the photo. Sherlock Holmes theorises that in a crisis women run to save their most precious They then proceed to convince Irene there is a fire. She runs to a nearby box and takes the picture, knowing where the picture is Watson and Sherlock leave. The next day Sherlock and Watson return when Irene is out of the house but instead of the photo they find a letter. It says Irene had been watching Sherlock and that she burned the photo. She asks to be left alone forever. Holmes refuses a heavy emerald encrusted ring but accepts Irene's photograph as payment for his services.

A Scandal in Bohemia might only be a short story but it's entertaining enough. It has a memorable opening line and is definitely worth picking up.