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B 24 by Arthur Conan Doyle

B 24 by Arthur Conan Doyle

Spoiler alert: I will not say who did it, I am a bit puzzled actually, and I will try and not spoil it for you, if you
decide to read this…

Are we told from the beginning what the end is? I am wondering. The short story starts with the accused
sending a letter and accusing someone else. If we believe him, then we know “whodunit”…the same thing if
we think the accused did it.

This is interesting, because as we read we will form an opinion and determine the real culprit. But I doubt, at
least in my case, that it is an objective assessment and not the expression of sympathy for one or the other.

In a court, the accused would be disadvantaged by his criminal record and previous crimes. On the other
hand, the other party had a motive and circumstances that make her a likely suspect.

The hero, who is the narrator at the same time, breaks into this big house, in order to steal. He seems to tell
us how it happened, but the fact that his enemy (the very devil, as he calls her) proves to be so devious and
intelligent in manipulating and creating all the necessary evidence seems a bit difficult to believe.

Used with all kinds of twists and plots in our detective films, I am inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to
the woman, as well as to the burglar who faces a stiff sentence in jail.
The fact is I am not sure if Conan Doyle gives us a definite answer. If you are sure he or she did it, please let
me know. For me, the jury is still out on the verdict, but I am sure I loved the story and I have decided to read
more of Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories.