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The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

25 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1911

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About the author

Arthur Conan Doyle

11.2k books23.1k followers
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

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5 stars
378 (21%)
4 stars
611 (35%)
3 stars
606 (35%)
2 stars
122 (7%)
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13 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
Profile Image for Dem.
1,227 reviews1,332 followers
September 6, 2016
3.5 Stars

What an interesting and entertaining Short Story

I listened to this very short story on audible for free and at 56 minutes it made an interesting tale.

The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of the eight stories in the cycle collected as His Last Bow, and one of the few stories in which for much of the plot Watson must act alone and try his best with Holmes left in the background.

I came across this while browsing Audible's Mystery collection on their Free Channels section and the narrator was excellent and anyone who enjoys Arthur Conan Doyle and short mystery stories should have a look through this free collection. I am always looking for 1 hour audio podcasts to pass my running time and this worked perfectly
Profile Image for Exina.
1,252 reviews405 followers
July 30, 2019
Lady Frances Carfax disappears, and Sherlock Holmes almost fails to solve this case.

Great and exciting plot, a bit creepy. I really enjoyed this story.

Profile Image for Charles  van Buren.
1,868 reviews264 followers
August 13, 2019
A mystery, a chase and a search

Review of free Kindle edition
A Public Domain Book
Publication date: May 12, 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B0082XIC02
25 pages

A life or death chase and search ends with a plot device similar to one used in real life by the mob in the 1970's when some of us were engaged in watching their activities.
Profile Image for Sara .
1,517 reviews242 followers
December 19, 2018
قصة قصيرة ؛ اختفاء سيدة في منتصف العمر .
قصص الأختفاء مثيرة بالنسبة ليا ، يمكن لأنها تدور حول الشخصيات و الأماكن والاستجوابات ، سماع التعليقات و التنبأ بالشخصية .. فرع عبقري و مُهمل للأسف من الأد�� البوليسي .

القصة جيدة
Profile Image for Katja Labonté.
Author 27 books261 followers
June 28, 2022
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Now this is a delightfully different story! For starters, it has no date and starts off with Sherlock once more demonstrating his abilities to read what Watson has been doing by looking at his clothes… something he doesn’t do much after the first two collections!

Also, Watson going off as Sherlock’s intermediary and being scolded for failing never gets old. ;) Lady Frances was a sweet woman, Green was a very interesting fellow, and Peters + Fraser are terrible but super cool (as usual, I would love to see them up against Sherlock again…) Also, Sherlock’s mode of action, the way he almost messes up, and the final ending are all so unusual and enjoyable!

Content: For G*d’s sake; a woman living with a man; may include some trickery/lying.

A Favourite Quote: “Are you armed? … Well, well, we shall be strong enough. ‘Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “I have no doubt, however, that your researches will soon clear the matter up.”
“MY researches!”
“Hence the health-giving expedition to Lausanne. You know that I cannot possibly leave London while old Abrahams is in such mortal terror of his life. Besides, on general principles it is best that I should not leave the country. Scotland Yard feels lonely without me, and it causes an unhealthy excitement among the criminal classes. Go, then, my dear Watson, and if my humble counsel can ever be valued at so extravagant a rate as two pence a word, it waits your disposal night and day at the end of the Continental wire.”
Profile Image for Zhraa.
431 reviews290 followers
March 4, 2022
والان سوف نتبع خطا استدلاليا آخر. فحين نتبع سلسلتين منفصلتين من الافكار يا واطسون، سنعثر على نقطة بينهما أقرب ما يكون من الحقيقة
Profile Image for نادية أحمد.
Author 1 book480 followers
June 25, 2022
"علينا أن نكون أقوياء بما يكفي
مَن كانت قضيته عادلة، يكن سلاحه أقوى ثلاثة أضعاف"

"حين يكون ضمير المرء مرتاحاً
لا يمكنك أن تفقده أعصابه"

هولمز و واطسون يحلّان قضية عصيّة في اختفاء
السيدة فرانسيس

والمتهمان مبعوثان تبشيريّان سابقان

لكن اصرار هولمز ودقة ملاحظته
هما ما فكّا رموز الاختفاء

السيدة فرانسيس هي امرأة وحيدةٌ جميلة حُرِمتْ مِنَ الميراثِ لأنها امرأة،
لكنَّها تمتلكُ مجوهراتٍ ثمينة. انقطعَتْ رسائلُ السيدةِ كارفاكس التي كانَتْ
ترسِلُها بانتظامٍ إلى مربيتِها القديمة، السيدة دوبني العجوز، منذُ خمسةِ
أسابيع. يَتتبَّعُ واطسون تحرُّكاتِ السيدةِ كارفاكس في الفترةِ السابقةِ على
اختفائِها مُباشَرة، ويصلُ إلى مكانِ خادمتِها السابقة؛ فهل ستؤدِّي تحرِّياتُ
الدكتورِ واطسون إلى معرفةِ مكانِ السيدةِ كارفاكس، أمْ سيكونُ تدخُّلُ
هولمز حتميًّا من أجلِ حلِّ اللغزِ وإنقاذِ السيدةِ المسكينةِ من مصيرٍ يبدو مشؤومًا؟

نادية أحمد
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mostafa.
417 reviews43 followers
March 22, 2022
2.8 stars
ناپدید شدن لیدی فرانسیس کارفکس که در ۱۹۱۱ نوشته شده ضمن برخورداری از طنز که از خصیصه های بارز شخصیتی شرلوک هلمز است به جریان ناپدید شدن یک خانم ثروتمند توسط یک مُبلغ مسیحی که در حقیقت یک جنایتکار مشهور در استرالیاست اشاره دارد که شرلوک هلمز با تیزبینی و روش همیشگی اش و بهره گیری از شواهد و استقراء منطقی موفق به حل معما میشود
271 reviews3 followers
January 26, 2015
In this story, Holmes sends Dr. Watson to Lausanne to investigate Lady Frances Carfax’s disappearance. Holmes is too busy in London. Lady Frances is a lone, unwed woman denied a rich inheritance on account of her sex. She does, however, carry valuable jewels with her. It is also her habit to write to her old governess, Miss Dobney, every other week, but for the past five weeks, there has not been a word from her. She has left the Hôtel National for parts unknown. Her last two bank transactions were checks, one to pay her hotel bill, and another for £50 to her maid, Miss Marie Devine.
In Switzerland, Watson finds out that Lady Frances stayed at the Hôtel International for several weeks, but then suddenly left in a hurry one day. Only one witness could suggest an explanation, one involving a big, bearded man who kept hounding her. It also emerges that Lady Frances’s maid has left her employ, although it is not known why.
Watson finds out where Lady Frances went, and inquires at the Englischer Hof in Baden, Germany. She stayed there for a fortnight and met a couple named Schlessinger, a missionary from South America, and an invalid. Lady Frances left with them three weeks ago for London, and nothing has been heard of her since. Watson also finds out that the big bearded man, the “savage”, came about a week ago looking for her. Watson telegraphs Holmes about his progress, and oddly, Holmes wires back asking for a description of Dr. Schlessinger’s left ear. Watson believes this to be Holmes’s attempt at humor. Holmes is actually in earnest.
Watson visits Marie Devine, the former maid, in Montpellier, France, and it turns out that her upcoming wedding was why she left Lady Frances’s employ. The £50 was a wedding present. She, too, believes that the bearded man was the reason that her former mistress left Lausanne. He was quite a rough man. During this interview, Marie sees the very man in question in the street. Watson rushes out and demands to know who he is and what he has done with Lady Frances. A fight ensues and Watson is nearly strangled. A French workman breaks the fight up with his cudgel and the bearded man withdraws. It then turns out that the workman is a disguised Holmes, who suggests that Watson accompany him back to London, and wryly observes that there is no blunder which Watson has failed to commit in this investigation.
Before leaving, however, Holmes interviews someone. It is the bearded man, Philip Green, an old suitor of Lady Frances’s. Yes, he is seeking Lady Frances, but he still wants to win her heart. As a younger man, he was not rich. Now that he has made his fortune in South Africa, he hopes she will see him differently, but he is still rather churlish and clearly Lady Frances is unwilling. Holmes recommends that he go back to London.
Once Holmes and Watson are back at 221B Baker Street, Holmes reads a telegram from Baden about Dr. Schlessinger’s left ear — “jagged or torn”. This confirms Holmes’s suspicion that Dr. Schlessinger is in fact Henry Peters, a vicious rascal from Australia (his earlobe was chewed away in a bar brawl). His wife’s real name is Fraser. He beguiles young women by playing to their religious beliefs, as Schlessinger did with Lady Frances. This suggested his true identity to Holmes. Holmes believes that Lady Frances is in London, and quite possibly dead, or if not, confined in some way.
The search seems hopeless. The police follow known associates, Holmes places advertisements hoping to learn something, but nothing happens. Then, a pawnshop reports that someone matching Schlessinger’s description has pawned a pendant very much like one owned by Lady Frances. He gave a false address, but this gives Holmes what he needs. He has Philip Green wait in the pawnshop, knowing that Henry Peters will want to pawn more jewellery. It takes a few days, but he is not disappointed. His wife shows up this time to pawn a matching pendant, and Green follows her, first to an undertaker’s, where he finds Peters’s wife discussing an “out of the ordinary” order, and later to an address in Brixton. He watches the house and sees some men deliver a coffin.
Holmes writes Green a note and sends him to the police to fetch a warrant. Meanwhile, Holmes and Watson go first to the undertaker’s to ask about the funeral — it is at eight o’clock the next morning — and then to Brixton where they demand to see Dr. Schlessinger, or whatever he may call himself. Once inside, in the absence of a warrant, Holmes is obliged to resort to force to search Peters’s house. He finds the coffin, and deep inside it is a small, emaciated, very old, dead woman. It is certainly not Lady Frances. Peters explains that it is his wife’s old nurse. The police come and tell Holmes and Watson that they must leave. Peters gloats over Holmes’s obvious humiliation.
The day ends in apparent failure. Nothing suspicious can be found about the household, no warrant arrives, and Holmes and Watson go back to Baker Street. Holmes does not sleep that night, preferring to go over the case in his mind.
Finally, early the next morning, Holmes realises what is going on. He and Watson rush to Brixton and make sure that the coffin is not removed from the house to go for burial. They unscrew the coffin lid and find Lady Frances inside, chloroformed. The Peterses, while dishonest enough to kidnap someone to steal her jewels, were too squeamish to commit murder. Watson manages to revive her, and the Peterses are found to have fled. It was the remark heard by Green at the undertaker’s that helped Holmes deduce the truth. The woman there had been talking about an unusual coffin, and Holmes then also remembered that it was a big coffin for a very small woman, the idea being to obtain the necessary legal documents for the old woman, and then “legitimise” the burial of a coffin containing two bodies.
Another excellent plot, I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciates a well written mystery story, mainly featuring Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
Profile Image for Rao Javed.
Author 10 books42 followers
April 5, 2016
It was perhaps the first time I saw Sherlock, doing action like taking our a gun...it was really cool. Nice story also.
Profile Image for Rosh.
1,951 reviews3,328 followers
December 10, 2020
Meh! Would have been a 1 star were it not for the twist at the end.
September 11, 2024
5\5 تقيمي لها.
اخيرا في حبكة ذكية شوي .
حبيت ان واتسون قام بجزء كبير من التحريات ❤️
والصراحه السيدة فرانسيس تستاهل ما جاها ، يعني ما علموها وهي طفلة انه يجب عليها الحذر من الغرباء؟
بس انزعجت ان النهاية ما وضحت لما افاقت ماذا حدث لها و هل ارتبطت بذاك الرجل ام لا🥲
3 reviews
January 15, 2023
La storia della scomparsa di Lady Frances Carfax è molto interessante e ti coinvolge a pieno nel racconto la storia in se è una delle migliori che abbia letto di Sherlock Holmes
Questa scomparsa ha un lieto fine anche se inaspettato, mi è piaciuto molto
Profile Image for Meri Pindado .
304 reviews33 followers
January 30, 2020
Conan Doyle no me decepciona en ningún momento. Me gusta seguir los pasas de Holmes y Watson. Este caso me entretuvo mucho y me gustó su resolución.
Profile Image for Bert.
730 reviews30 followers
February 16, 2021
Wonderful tale that stand the test of time. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

Listened to this on chirpbooks.com.
Profile Image for Bert.
730 reviews30 followers
February 16, 2021
Wonderful tale that stand the test of time. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

Listened to this on chirpbooks.com.
Profile Image for Federico DN.
750 reviews2,663 followers
July 28, 2024
Good.

This was good, but not going to review it.

For the moment at least.

It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.

-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1917] [30p] [Crime] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------

★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5] <--
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes

-----------------------------------------------

Bien.

Esto estuvo bien, pero no voy a reseñarlo.

Al menos por ahora.

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.

-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1917] [30p] [Crimen] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Profile Image for Rajan.
627 reviews41 followers
July 18, 2015
A very mysterious story of my most favorite fictitious character of all time, Sherlock Holmes.

Lady Frances Carfax, an independent aristocratic young woman, goes missing on holiday having dismissed her maid. Watson, later joined by Holmes, investigate a burly follower of the lady but he turns out to be an old flame, Philip Green ,who is anxious to rekindle his acquaintance with Lady Frances. The trail leads back to London and 'Dr. Shlessinger' a jewel thief masquerading as a holy man, from whom Holmes manage to save Lady Frances suffering a macabre fate.

Considering the day and age in which these stories were written this is a very good and intriguing mystery. The Serials like CSI, Bones relies heavily on forensics. Serials like monk, mentalist, castle etc relies on hunches and unexplained guess work of leads. But todays VFX graphics movie generation will not be able to appreciate the mystery.
A very satisfying read. Must read for all those who like a good mystery. What sets apart Sherlock Holmes form Poirot, Miss Marple, Feluda, Byomkesh Bakshi and many others is that he explains everything logically. Holmes doesn’t rely on intuition, hunches or so called intelligent guess work. Holmes is the best.
Profile Image for AhmEd MokhtAr.
160 reviews
July 31, 2019
Lady Frances Carfax is missing. She is fondly attached to her Spanish jewellery, which she inherited. She writes every second week to her old governess, Miss Dobney but its been five weeks since she has last written, the last being from Lausanne. Miss Dobney is suspicious and thus consults Holmes on the matter.
Profile Image for John Yelverton.
4,311 reviews40 followers
March 19, 2019
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are flummoxed more than once due to the unusual nature of the crime and the villains in this mystery, but Holmes eventual deduces the answer from the only improbable thing which is left to him.
Profile Image for Jason Parent.
Author 50 books696 followers
May 25, 2016
Again, I find myself asking if Doyle invented the trope.
Profile Image for Mennah.
120 reviews44 followers
July 27, 2020
“مَن كانت قضيته عادلة، يكن سلاحه أقوى ثلاثة أضعاف.”
Profile Image for Midnight Sun.
380 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2023
If I was dr Watson I would’ve lost my mind a long time ago 🤭
Profile Image for Souzana L..
401 reviews3 followers
May 15, 2023
An obscure clue helps Sherlock Holmes find Lady France Carfax who has been abducted by an unscrupulous couple.

The abductors are Reverend Shlessinger and his "so-called" wife (Fraser) wo prey upon her, for her money: seemingly "a missionary from South America."

Also, Adelaide in 1889: "badly bitten in a saloon fight."

The reverend was writing a monograph: Kingdom of the Midianites.

At the time Lady Carfax was traveling abroad - on the continent - (Laussanne and then Baden) with her maid -

(Marie Devine - 12 Rue de Trajan, Monpellier): Hotel National at Lausanne, Englischer Hof.

Lady Carfax has time on her hands and so becomes interested in religion which a reverend can help her with.

Lady Carfax's former governess, Susan Dobney, alerts Holmes to her concern for her previous charge's safety when she stops receiving regular letters.

There is a macabra element with coffins, chloroform and confinement in dark and dusty rooms "horrible den upstairs" (Poultney Square).

Also poverty, desperation, and a pawn shop: Bovington's in Westminster Road where jewelry can be pawned off for ready money.

There is a lack of respect for women and poorer, older people. A senior citizen, a former domestic servant, from the Brixton Workhouse Infirmary, is referred to as "imbecile old woman."

The psychology of the criminals is not explored though; the focus os on Holmes's investigation and Watson's rather humorous muddlement.

As in other Holmes stories, Holmes looks at the evidence from different angles: "we will start now, not from the lady but from the coffin and argue backwards."

See: The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans:

"My instinct now is to work from the other end. If Mycroft has given us the list of addresses we may be able to pick our man and follow two tracks instead of one."

There is also a romantic element with Lady Carfax's former fiance adding a spanner in the works: "un sauvage- un veritable sauvage."

In London, he is staying at the Langham Hotel, and he is the:

"Hon. Philip Green...son of ... admiral ... who commanded the Sea of Azof fleet in the Crimean War...

See: Eric Larson: The Devil in the White City for an example of real life criminals along the lines of this story including a criminal with numerous aliases (like our "Mr. Peters" is Holmes's story).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews

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