According to the Big Finish blurb, The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes, the third “volume” in their Sherlock Holmes range, is described as “Four decades. Four cases. One solution.”.  On beginning my journey into this box-set, I cannot as yet either confirm or deny that summary.  What I can confirm is that Nicholas Briggs is back as Sherlock Holmes, Richard Earl is present and correct as Dr Watson, and they’re accompanied by John Banks as the unswerving Inspector Lestrade.

THE ORDEALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

The first adventure in this set of four is entitled The Guttering Candle and, yes, there has been a candle.

However, before I get ahead of myself, I should perhaps note my opinions as they occurred to me on listening to the first half-hour of this opening story.

Inspector Lestrade is called upon when a body of an unclothed man is discovered.  The man has clearly been stabbed several times but, beyond that, there is little evidence to determine who he was or who perpetrated the dastardly deed.

Lestrade is interrupted in his initial investigation by the intrusion of London’s first “consulting detective”, an amateur sleuth by the name of Sherlock Holmes who claims to have solved many previously presumed unsolvables – none of which Lestrade has ever heard of.

This Holmes fellow demonstrates his craft by correctly deducing several intimate details about Lestrade himself, whereupon he’s allowed to view the body.  Holmes deduces much that had escaped Lestrade’s observations, which doesn’t endear him to the good Inspector.  Their different styles of investigative reasoning brews a challenge between them, each determined to pursue their own avenue of evidence in their efforts to track down and capture the killer.

Elsewhere in the world, Doctor Watson is serving in Afghanistan and, whilst taking a breather from his arduous medical tasks, he espies an unknown figure approaching the camp from across the dunes.  Quickly returning to his comrades, Watson is shocked to discover, on pushing aside the tent flaps, that his comrades have all had their throats slit.

Watson is quickly capture by a knife-wielding assailant, and then the figure from outside the camp.  It’s made clear that he is to accompany these unsavoury fellows and begins a long journey that leads him to a cave.  Inside the cave, he finds an English-speaking man suffering from wounds and a fever.  The reason for his kidnap becomes clear.

That’s where my first foray into The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes temporarily pauses.

THE GUTTERING CANDLE

At first, the two separate storylines don’t seem to have anything in common but, given that they’re set in the early days of both Holmes and Watson, I think we can be assured that all will become clear in time.  Going back to the original Big Finish blurb, The Guttering Candle is most certainly the first of the “four decades” description – backed up rather cleverly by the delightfully amusing photoshop on Nick Briggs’ face on the CD cover.

Watson’s story is perhaps the most easy to follow given that he’s already journalising his war-time accounts.  His narration covers for anything we can’t see, and Watson’s translation of his kidnappers actions, if not their words.  For all of that, he’s not involved in the action that goes on around him so this part of the story does feel a little slow (travelling across a bleak desert is never going to make for the most exciting narrative).

Holmes’ first introduction to Lestrade is nicely done and in keeping with Holmes’ character.  We’re given the opportunity to see Lestrade’s character, which is both comparable with other interpretations we’ve seen over the years whilst also presenting us with a competent detective who just doesn’t see the advantage in untrained amateurs making what appear to be guesses and vague deductions.  The lack of a Watson chronicling Holmes’ cases in this early period explains why Lestrade has neither heard of Holmes nor does he hold much store by his deductions.

Once Holmes leaves to pursue his investigation, we quickly notice the absence of that chronicler for, without a Watson to narrate what’s happening, we’re left to wonder if we’re going to be able to follow Holmes’ at all.  I’ve no doubt that this will be addressed as the story continues.

I purchased sets 3, 4, and 5 of Sherlock Holmes during a recent Big Finish sale – meaning that each set was £12 (plus postage contribution) instead of the more usual £30.  I would normally not invest so heavily in a range of adventures but I’ve been so impressed with previous adventures from this range that I had no hesitation in believing that Big Finish would continue to deliver.  Thus far, and I appreciate that I’ve barely taken little steps into this first of three sets, I already feel reassured that my faith has not been misplaced.