The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

I wondered why a man would travel on vacation to enjoy himself, but instead focus on an eccentric woman he barely knows? But, Watson enjoys the art of observation. It makes sense once Watson explained his interest. He was interested even before any sign of her danger. I thought it was a well laid out story. Watson breaking the case was an interesting angle.

Solving the puzzle many times is very simple. It's staring right at me. But I think human nature leads us to a more complex possibility. Then, comes Holmes with a brilliant, but sometimes simple solution.

The story is rather weak, but the original was actually one of the weakest stories. As far as a mystery, it's not much of one. More of a drama than anything. The adaptation done here is pretty well rewritten to at least make it more interesting, but it's still not very good from a mystery standpoint. If you skip this one, you aren't missing much.

John Madden again brings a cinematic quality to The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax.

Dr Watson is in the Lake District and recounts the tales of the eccentric Lady Carfax to Holmes in London. She had a near miss when she fell of a boat that she used to attend church. A disabled war veteran swam out to rescue her.

However Holmes then joins Dr Watson as he senses this independent minded lady might be in danger from a missionary who is in Britain to raise funds.

By the time Holmes arrives, Lady Carfax has gone missing after she encountered a face from her past.

A solid story with a hint of a dark ending with Holmes finding himself temporarily flummoxed with his analytical skills. However you cannot keep a lid on a good detective.

The way the story is presented, it could initially go several ways, the villain here is devious and quick to improvise.

When it comes to The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, the best adaptation and episode of this series is still for me The Master Black Mailer. The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax though is still very good and solid with only one or two scenes being a little stodgily paced being its only flaw. The ending is different, but also quite refreshing I feel. The deviations didn't bother me, the storytelling was solid and compelling enough on its own terms. As always, the production values are as wonderfully meticulous as always with lovely location shooting in the Lake District, the music is still hauntingly beautiful, the script is thoughtful and John Madden's direction is skillful. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are superb, while Cheryl Campbell and Julian Curry also impress. In conclusion, a solid adaptation and very good episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Dr Watson is holidaying in the Lake District. A notable personality at the hotel is Lady Frances Carfax, an independent-minded, bohemian single woman. She appears to be being harassed by a mysterious bearded man. After one of his appearances she disappears. Holmes now joins his friend to investigate.

The first episode of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, the third series of the Jeremy Brett-starring Sherlock Holmes mysteries (the others being The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes). It makes for an excellent start as the episode is filled with drama, tension and romance.

The solid, intrigue-filled plot is the backbone of this but as always it's Jeremy Brett's performance as Holmes that lifts it to another level. Another positive in this episode is some of the settings: quite picturesque.