A Streatham banker consults Holmes when jewels disappear from a nearly priceless beryl coronet he was keeping as collateral for a loan. The banker didn’t want to leave such a valuable item in the bank, so he took it to his home for safe keeping. He made the mistake of telling his family at dinner that the coronet was in the house. To his horror, he woke up during the night to find his son in his room, with the damaged coronet in his hands. He’s convinced his son is guilty of theft, but since his son won’t disclose the whereabouts of the missing gems, he asks Sherlock Holmes to find them. Naturally, Holmes questions the inferences the banker has made from the facts at hand. Either I’ve read this story before, or I’m starting to think like Holmes, because I knew instantly which household member must have been involved in the theft of the jewels. ( )

Nice short story. If you are used to Mr. Doyle style, you can almost infer the solution to this one, with some imagination... The plot is interesting: A banker, Mr. Alexander Holder of Streatham, makes a loan of £50,000 to a socially prominent client, who leaves the Beryl Coronet — one of the most valuable public possessions in existence — as collateral. Holder feels that he must not leave this rare and precious piece of jewellery in his personal safe at the bank, and so he takes it home with him to lock it up there. He is awakened in the night by a noise, enters his dressing room, and is horrified to see his son Arthur with the coronet in his hands, apparently trying to bend it. Holder's niece Mary comes at the sound of all the shouting and, seeing the damaged coronet, faints dead away. Three beryls are missing from it. In a panic, Mr. Holder travels to see Holmes, who agrees to take the case.
The case against Arthur seems rather damning, yet Holmes is not convinced of his guilt. Why has Arthur clammed up? Why is he refusing to give a statement of any kind? How could Arthur have broken the coronet (even Holmes, who has exceptionally strong hands, can't do it) and without making any noise? Could any other people in the household be involved, such as the servants, or Mary? Could some visitor, such as the maid's wooden-legged boyfriend, or Arthur's rakish friend Sir George Burnwell, have something to do with what happened to the coronet? The failure to resolve the case will result in Mr. Holder's dishonour, and a national scandal.
Holmes sets about not only reviewing the details that he learns from Holder, but also by examining the footprints in the snow outside. Eventually, Holmes solves the mystery, and Holder is flabbergasted to find that his niece was in league with a notorious criminal (Sir George Burnwell), although apparently she is unaware of his character. The two of them escape justice; however, Holmes is convinced that they will receive their punishment in due time. Arthur's motive in allowing his father to think he was the thief was because he was in love with his cousin Mary and saw her passing the coronet to a confederate outside the window. (The Coronet was broken when Arthur was struggling to wrench it from Burnwell's grasp).
I recommend this short story to all readers that appreciate a well written mystery story, mainly when it involves Sherlock Holmes clever solutions! ( )

Une jeune femme affolée réveille à l’aube Sherlock Holmes et son ami Watson : sa soeur a péri brutalement dans des circonstances inexpliquées, tandis que son beau-père, homme violent et irascible, l’effraie de plus en plus?. De Baker Street aux brumes de la campagne anglaise, une aventure du célèbre détective à l’atmosphère ultra-britannique, illustrée de superbes peintures grand format.

10 ans ( )

From BBC Radio 4 Extra:

Who has stolen jewels from one of the treasures of the Empire? The detective investigates snowy Streatham. With Clive Merrison. ( )

From BBC Radio 4 Extra:

Who has stolen jewels from one of the treasures of the Empire? The detective investigates snowy Streatham. With Clive Merrison. ( )