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This final volume of detective stories was Doyle’s effort to put his most famous creation behind him at long last. It includes a variety of tales, from widely separated periods in the protagonist’s life, including his retirement, stories told from various points of view: Watson’s, Holmes’s, and an omniscient narrator’s. Most, of course, illustrate the detective’s famous “deduction,” but not all; some of his successes call upon resources of character which we rarely associate with him. He demonstrates compassion and empathy, and more than once he laughs. His attitude toward Dr. Watson, although occasionally brusque, includes kindness, affection, and professional respect, revealing a deep and complex friendship that endears both men to the reader. (Summary by T. A. Copeland).