About The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

The guilty man pleads with Sherlock Holmes, watched by Dr Watson. This illustration by Sidney Paget originally appeared in The Strand Magazine where ‘The Blue Carbuncle’ was first published.

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle takes place at Christmas time, when Sherlock Holmes’ festive relaxation is disturbed by the discovery of a hugely valuable gemstone in the throat of a cooked goose.

Honest police commissionaire Peterson rushes to consult Holmes when the gem is found, days after it was stolen from a rich aristocrat’s hotel room.

With hardly a clue to go on, Holmes must hurriedly combine his incredible investigative powers with a dramatic performance on the streets of London’s Covent Garden market to solve the crime and prevent an innocent man being convicted.

“I can see nothing,” said I, handing it back to my friend. “On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.”
– From The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle