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Title: The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from The Return of Sherlock Holmes II collection.

No case is too slight for the mental powers of the Great Detective in this second selection from The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

A young girl is stalked by a "Solitary Cyclist"; whilst the "Dancing Men" hieroglyphics found in Norfolk lead to a sinister connection with America. Holmes enters the murky world of high society blackmail in "Charles Augustus Milverton"; and finds an abducted student from the "Priory School". As always, his friend Dr. Watson is with him to assist and chronicle these cases.

Editorial Reviews:

Charles Augustus Milverton makes his career as a blackmailer, and one of his victims is Lady Eva Blackwell, a socialite whose life is about to ruined if she doesn't pay him 7,000 pounds. Lady Eva hires Sherlock Holmes to recover letters in Milverton's possession, and he and Dr. Watson break into the Milverton home to steal them. What they witness there, however, will be shocking. Arthur Conan Doyle creates a juicy scenario for Holmes and Watson, whom David Timson portrays with careful precision. Through the story's twists and turns, Timson's performance has a methodical quality that builds thrilling drama.

Members Reviews:

Masterpiece!

I consider this one of the best short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes. In this story, Holmes is hired by the débutante Lady Eva Blackwell to retrieve compromising letters from a blackmailer: Milverton, who causes Holmes more revulsion than any of the 50-odd murderers in his career. Milverton is "the king of blackmailers" and he makes his living out of blackmail. He demands Â7,000 (about Â700,000 in 2010) for the letters, which would cause a scandal that would end Lady Eva's marriage engagement. Holmes offers Â2,000, all Lady Eva can pay, but Milverton insists on Â7,000. It is worth Â2,000 to him to make an example of Lady Eva. Holmes resolves to recover the letters by whatever means necessary, as Milverton has placed himself outside the bounds of morality.

Holmes visits Milverton's Hampstead house, disguised as a plumber, in order to learn the plan of the house and Milverton's daily routine. He cultivates the acquaintance of Milverton's housemaid and even becomes engaged to marry her. This rather shocks Watson, but Holmes assures him that he has a hated rival who will step in when the plumber disappears. Holmes has learned where Milverton keeps his blackmail papers (a safe in his study), and plans to burgle Milverton's house that night. Watson comes along.

They break into the study, and Holmes opens the safe. But just then Milverton, who should be in bed asleep, enters the study. Holmes and Watson hide behind a curtain, while Milverton has a midnight meeting with a supposed maidservant offering to sell letters that would compromise her mistress.

The woman is actually one of Milverton's former victims, whose broken-hearted husband died when she wouldn't pay Milverton and he revealed her secret. Now she avenges her husband by shooting Milverton to death, then stamps on his face.

Watson instinctively begins to rush out and stop the shooting, but Holmes restrains him.