As part of the lead up to the Great Sherlock Holmes Debate, Charlotte Anne Walters, author of Barefoot on Baker Streethas reviewed each of the 56 short stories.

The reviews are quite short but neatly sum up each story and Walters gives each one a score out of ten. It is interesting to compare these scores with dear Arthur’s own twelve of the best.

According to Walters, Charles Augustus Milverton and The Six Napoleons come out tops followed by Silver Blaze, The Mugrave Ritual, The Norwood Builder, The Dancing Men, The Bruce-Partington Plans, The Dying Detective, The Illustrious Client, The Three Garridebs, The Problem of Thor Bridge, Shoscombe Old Place and The Retired Colourman. That’s thirteen against Arthur’s twelve and there are quite a few differences.

Here are the links to each one of her reviews with her scores.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (average 6.7 out of 10)

• A Scandal In Bohemia 5 out of 10
• A Case of Identity 6 out of 10
• The Red-Headed League 7 out of 10
• The Boscombe Valley Mystery 7 out of 10
• The Five Orange Pips 5 out of 10
• The Man with the Twisted Lip 8 out of 10
• The Blue Carbuncle 8 out of 10
• The Speckled Band 6 out of 10
• The Engineer’s Thumb 7 out of 10
• The Noble Bachelor 8 out of 10
• The Beryl Coronet 7 out of 10
• The Copper Beeches 6 out of 10

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (average 6.8 out of 10)

• Silver Blaze 9 out of 10
• The Yellow Face 8 out of 10
• The Stockbroker’s Clerk 6 out of 10
• The Gloria Scott 5 out of 10
• The Musgave Ritual 9 out of 10
• The Reigate Squire 6 out of 10
• The Crooked Man 8 out of 10
• The Resident Patient 8 out 10
• The Greek Interpreter 8 out of 10
• The Naval Treaty 5 out of 10
• The Final Problem 8.5 out of 10

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (average 7.5 out of 10)

• The Empty House 7 out of 10
• The Norwood Builder 9 out of 10
• The Dancing Men 9 out of 10
• The Solitary Cyclist 6 out of 10
• The Priory School 7 out of 10
• Black Peter 7 out of 10
• Charles Augustus Milverton 10 out of 10
• The Six Napoleons 10 out of 10
• The Three Students 6 out of 10
• The Golden Pince-Nez 6 out of 10
• The Missing Three-Quarter 7 out of 10
• The Abbey Grange 7 out of 10
• The Second Stain 8 out of 10

His Last Bow (average 7.4 out of 10)

• Wisteria Lodge 4 out of 10
• The Cardboard Box 7 out of 10
• The Red Circle 7 out of 10
• The Bruce-Partington Plans 9 out of 10
• The Dying Detective 9 out of 10
• The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax 8 out of 10
• The Devil’s Foot 8 out of 10
• His Last Bow 7 out of 10

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (average 7.7 out of 10)

• The Illustrious Client 9 out of 10
• The Blanched Soldier 7 out of 10
• The Mazarin Stone 6 out of 10
• The Three Gables 7 out of 10
• The Sussex Vampire 6 out of 10
• The Three Garridebs 9 out of 10
• The Problem of Thor Bridge 9 out of 10
• The Creeping Man 8 out of 10
• The Lion’s Mane 8 out of 10
• The Veiled Lodger 5 out of 10
• Shoscombe Old Place 9 out of 10
• The Retired Colourman 9 out of 10

10 out of 10

• RETU: Charles Augustus Milverton, The Six Napoleons

9 out of 10

• MEMO: Silver Blaze, The Mugrave Ritual
• RETU: The Norwood Builder, The Dancing Men
• LAST: The Bruce-Partington Plans, The Dying Detective
• CASE: The Illustrious Client, The Three Garridebs, The Problem of Thor Bridge, Shoscombe Old Place, The Retired Colourman

8.5 out of 10

• MEMO: The Final Problem

8 out of 10

• ADVE: The Man with the Twisted Lip, The Blue Carbuncle, The Noble Bachelor
• MEMO: The Yellow Face, The Crooked Man, The Resident Patient, The Greek Interpreter
• RETU: The Second Stain
• LAST: The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, The Devil’s Foot
• CASE: The Creeping Man, The Lion’s Mane

7 out of 10

• ADVE: The Red-Headed League, The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Engineer’s Thumb, The Beryl Coronet
• RETU: The Empty House, The Priory School, Black Peter, The Missing Three-Quarter, The Abbey Grange
• LAST: The Cardboard Box, The Red Circle, His Last Bow
• CASE: The Blanched Soldier, The Three Gables

6 out of 10

• ADVE: A Case of Identity, The Speckled Band, The Copper Beeches
• MEMO: The Stockbroker’s Clerk, The Reigate Squire
• RETU: The Solitary Cyclist, The Three Students, The Golden Pince-Nez
• CASE: The Mazarin Stone, The Sussex Vampire

5 out of 10

• ADVE: A Scandal in Bohemia, The Five Orange Pips
• MEMO: The Gloria Scott, The Naval Treaty
• CASE: The Veiled Lodger

4 out of 10

• LAST: Wisteria Lodge