The Speckled Band

A woman by the name of Helen Stoner went to Sherlock Holmes because of a tragedy that had happened the night before. She said that her sister was found dead on her bed the night before her wedding, and that the police didn’t find any poison or blood on her. Holmes asked who was on the house that night, and she said that she was on the house, his step Father, and her sister. When she left, Holmes and Watson were thinking on what could it be that killed her sister, while they were thinking, there was a knock on the door, and a man that revealed himself as the stepfather of Helen came angry to Holmes, and asked if Helen Stoner had visited him. Sherlock Holmes said that no one had come, but he still wasn’t convinced and he left. To this point Helen`s stepfather could be suspicious, because he tailed her all the way to Holmes house, so I think he has something to do with the death of Helen`s sister. Watson and Holmes went to her house, which is one of the oldest Saxons in England. Helen greets them, and she told them to be careful, because there were exotic animals from India. Holmes went to investigate the yard, and found some people camping, and there was a cheetah with them. At night, without the stepfather noticing, Holmes and Watson sneak to the house into Helen`s sister room to find clues they hear a whistle not far away, and suddenly a snake appears from a hole, and Holmes sends its back with a crowbar. They went to the room behind them and saw Helen`s stepfather dead with a snake on his neck. They go tell Helen, and she said it was an Indian snake. Holmes later realized that since it was an Indian snake, European doctors could not detect its poison.

                                                                                   

I really enjoyed this short story, because it is full of mysteries. At the beginning I thought Helen`s stepfather was a suspect, because he followed Helen all the way to Holmes house, and he was very angry when he got there. But then when Holmes went to Helen`s house at night, they heard whistles, and a snake appeared through a hole. When Holmes sends it back, he saw that on the room behind there Helen`s stepfather`s room. To this point we can say that the stepfather was the one who killed Helen`s sister with an Indian snake. I like it because one never expects what is going to happen, and the author keeps the reader interested until the very end.