(Classic)"Honour is a medieval concept"
This story starts off rather strangely for a Sherlock Holmes tale. Usually we enter the scene at Holmes's study, 221 B Baker Street. Holmes usually already has his nose on the scent of a crime and we are pulled along for the adventure.
This story starts with a study, but it is very clearly not Holmes who is the center of attention. In this very short story, Holmes has come out of retirment as a bee-keeper and has gone undercover to pose as a traitor to the British government, willing to sell secrets during WWII. In a classic double-cross, Holmes reveals his hand at the last minute to trap a German spy.
Since we only get to see Homes at the very end of the crime, we don't get to see any deductive powers in action, which is what makes Holmes so great. This story is a very typical WWII British tale with a lot of anti-German sentiment. If you've never read Holmes, don't start with this one. If you're a Holmes-phile, you might enjoy knowing he retired briefly to keep bees. Who knew?
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