Loveable Freak Reviews The Sign of Four

  I love this story. So far, it's one of my favorites.

  First off, we see Sherlock's drug problem for the first time. I want to go on record as saying I had no idea you could inject cocaine via needle (he has a seven percent solution of it). I always thought you only snorted it. Oh well, learn something new everyday. But I also love when Sherlock asks Watson if he was interested in trying some cocaine, as well. (Relax, kiddies, he says no, because cocaine is bad.) Slightly off-topic, but reading this made my whole "Rehab" comment in my Elementary post work even more, since the Amy Winehouse song has the line "So I always keep a bottle near" (bottle of seven-percent solution instead of alcohol!).

  But besides Sherlock's only vice, we also meet the future Mrs. Watson, Miss Mary Morstan! Anyone notice how Sir Doyle has a tendency to give characters last names starting with "Mor"? Professor James MORiarty? Sebastian MORan? Mary MORstan? Anyone?

  Anyway, probably my favorite part of the whole story (and sort of why it's one of my favorites) is Watson and Mary's relationship. It just struck me as sweet. I particularly liked the part after Mary leaves (giving the duo their case) and Watson watches her go, when he exclaims, "What a handsome woman!" And Sherlock simply says he hadn't noticed, prompting Watson to call him an automaton. The scene makes me giggle to no end.

  I also found it sweet how he was going to let her go if they found her inheritance/the treasure, just so he wouldn't seem like a gold digger. And the part where they both instinctively held hands, and.. Okay,  every sweet moment between the two of them. I'm the kind of girl who would not be caught dead reading a romance novel or Nicholas Sparks books, and I loved the love story between Watson and Mary the most. Maybe it's because it wasn't all the story was about...

  *ahem* MOVING ON, I was pleased that this time we didn't have a whole three chapters breaking up the flow of the story to give us the culprit's back story this time around, like A Study In Scarlet. It was nice.

  Overall, It gets a 5 out of 5 in my book.

  I think for the short stories, I'll just list favorites, what do you think?