The Sherlock Holmes stories continue to be among the most widely read fiction of our time. Fans of the Holmes stories are among the most devoted followers ever for a literary figure.

Their clubs seem to be everywhere, they publish newsletters, and they even hold conventions. It may be asking too much of one story to reveal the fundamental reasons for creating legions of fanatical followers, but "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is highly suggestive. It presents a threatening, mysterious world that is brought to rights by a determined, logical investigator. One of the enduring myths of the modern age is that science can answer all questions; "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and the other Holmes stories offer readers vicarious satisfaction of that myth. Our world really is dark and mysterious for most of us; injustice seems to run loose without fear; yet, Holmes...