The Summary of 12 Chapters of The Boscombe Valley Mystery

Chapter 1

When Dr. Watson in his house, he received a telegram from Sherlock Holmes. Holmes asked Dr Watson to accompany him to the west of England for a few days. For the case a murder at boscombe valley. He said to leave paddington at 11.15 a.m by train. Dr Watson was confused whether he could come or not because he had a lot of patient to see. But then, his wife told him that there was a doctor who could do his work, so Dr Watson could come with Sherlock Holmes to boscombe valley. Then, Dr watson met Holmes at Paddington Station. In the Train, Holmes told Dr Watson about the murder of Charles McCarthy. He said that the son of the murdered man was in prison as the main suspect. But, Holmes thought that the son of the murdered man was not guilty. Holmes told Watson that McCarthy family lived in the estate of Mr. John Turner.He said that Mr Turner’s money was rather a mystery and he come from Australia about twenty years ago, and no one knows anything about him. McCarthy and John Turner was a friend. McCarthy was also from Australia for many years. Mr.Turner had a daughter named Alice Turner. She was eighteen like James McCarthy and Mrs. Turner was died.  Mr Turner was rather introverted and had not got many friends and he was not sociable, he liked to stay at home. Moreover, Mr. McCarthy liked horce racing, and there was a rumour that he liked gambling a lot.

Chapter 2 Two Witnesses

The Times said that on Monday Charles McCarthy left his house at 3 o’clock. And went to boscombe pool. The police arrested his son for the murderer the next day. James McCarthy arrived home from Bristolon Monday morning.

Mr. Charles McCarthy went out, but James didn’t see him. Then James took his gun and walked to boscombe pool to shoot rabbits. There were two witnesses, one was the gamekeeper. He said that he saw Charles McCarty on his boots, then he saw James McCarthy a few minute later with the gun. The second witnesses was a young girl, fourteen. The gamekeeper’s daughter, Patience Moran. She said that he saw Charles McCarthy and his son were having an argument on the pool, she saw James raise his hand perhaps to hit his father. She was afraid and ran home to tell her mother.

Chapter 3 A Suspect

James said that he did not know anything about the murder and the gun was just for shooting the rabbits. He said that the argument with his father was a private. He could not talk about it. Then Holmes told Watson about Patience Moran that ran home. A few minutes later Mr James asking for help because his father was seriusly hurt. Patience’s mother asked Patience to get a doctor and her father quickly. Then Mr. Moran and the policeman found Charles McCarthy’s body. Unfortunately, he was dead. His head had been hit violently four or five times. They thought that the murderer use a gun to hit Mr. Charles. But, they didn’t find that weapon, so they decided to look for it.

Chapter 4 Innocent or Guilty

Mr. Moran found the weapon and showed it to the policeman. That is James’s gun. Then the policeman arrested James for the murderer of Charles McCarthy. In Ross on Wye, people were talking about the murder. They didn’t imagine that James could do that, but the gun prove that he was guilty. Watson thought that the case was closed, but Holmes didn’t. He received a telegram from Alice Turner. She told Holmes that James was totally innocent.

Chapter 5 James McCarthy story

Holmes told Watson that they were there because Alice Turner asked for help. The police thought that James was guilty, but she was not. The evidence showed that james was guilty. Holmes told Watson to think again. The arrest was not immediate, there was a time for the murderer to escape. At his trial, james told the court about that fateful day. he was looking for his father, but his father was on an important appoinment first, so he would meet James later. Then james met Mr. Moran and told that he was going to shoot rabbits.

Chapter 6 An argument at boscombe pool.

At boscombe pool, james heard a familiar sounds. He met his father there. James wondered why his father was surprised. Then his father said that he wanted to speak to James, but James refused that. He said that he knew what his father want, but he could not do it, that was impossible. Suddenly, Mr Charles cried loudly and James asked his father what’s the matter. Then, in the court room, James said that the argument was a private. Someone asked him about the place, and James remembered that he saw something on the ground. He thought that it was a grey coat.

Chapter 7 Alice Turner’s Story

At the local hotel, Lestrade, the inspector met Holmes and he said that James was guilty. But holmes asked him to see what Alice Turner thought. She said that James was innocent, he was too kind to hurt anyone. Then she talked about the argument. The argument was about Mr Charles McCarthy that wanted James to marry Alice. But, James didn’t want to marry because he was too young. Dr Watson asked if her father was in favour of the marriage, she answered that her father didn’t want them to marry. Then Holmes asked whether he could talk to her father or not, but Alice said that he was too ill to see anyone. The doctor said that his heart was very weak. He became ill after the murder. Now, he had to stay in bed all the time. Then she had to leave because her father was very bad that day and needed her.

Chapter 8 Holmes visits the prisoner

Holmes wanted to visit James McCarthy in Prison, so he asked Lestrade to arrange it. At Ross on Wye Prison, James said that he didn’t know anything about the murder. He admitted that he had an argument with his father, but he didn’t murder him. He said that he was innocent. Then Holmes said that he was going to help him.

When Holmes was back, Watson asked about the young McCarthy. Holmes told him that James didn’t know who murderer his father, James was young and handsome with good hearted, but he was not really clever. Then they talked about James and Alice Turner. Holmes said that James loved Alice very much but he had already married. He said that maybe something good could come out of this mess. Watson wondered how it could.

Chapter 9 A lot of clues

James McCarthy married a barmaiden two years ago in secret. That is the reason he told his father, he could not marry Alice Turner. Holmes told Watson that James’s wife read the murder in the newspaper, she thought that James was the murderer. She wanted to divorce. She wanted to marry another man. Holmes said that there were two important points. One, Charles McCarthy knew who was the murderer, and arranged to meet him at boscombe pool. The second one was that Charles McCarthy said “coeee”. Mr Charles McCarthy didn’t know that James was there, so he used the particularly cry to call someone else. But ‘who’.

The next day, Holmes and Watson met Lestrade at boscombe pool to search for clues. Lestrade had a bad news. Mr Turner was very old, the doctor thought that he was going to die. He was ill because he was shocked of the murder. Then Holmes asked Lestrade whether McCarthy paid rent or not for the house on Mr Turner’s estate. Lestrade said that they didn’t pay any rent. McCarthy and Turner were old friends. Then Holmes told Watson to look what he found. Those was James and Moran’s footprints. Then Watson found a very unusual footprints. They had square toes. Holmes said that they had a lot of important clues and they were near to the solution of the case. Then he asked to leave him alone for a few minutes, because he must concentrate.

Chapter 10 Who is the murderer

Holmes showed Lestrade the murder weapon, the instrument that was used to kill McCarthy made unusual marks on his head. Marks from something heavy and sharp. And the stone was still blooded on it. He also told Lestrade the murderer looks like. He was a tall man, left handed, and limp on his right leg. He wore heavy work boots and the grey coat, and he smoked Indian cigars. Holmes said that the police must find the right man to arrest, but Lestrade said that every body on Scotland Yard would laugh at him. Holmes said that was all he could tell him. Then he told Watson that they would return to London that night. The case was solved.

Then Holmes told Watson he knew the murderer because there were a lot of clues. One, Charles McCarthy cried “cooeee”. His last words were “RAT”. Holmes said that “cooee” was an Australia word, and only Australian that used it. So Charles called someone who recognize that. Someone that was from Australia. And “RAT” wa s the end of a place name on Victoria. Charles McCarthy tried to say ballarat to his son, before he died. McCharty had lived in Ballarat for many years. Then Holmes explained to Watson how he knew all of the details of the murderer.

Chapter 11 A confession

Three days later, Mr John turner went to Holmes’s house on Baker street. Holmes sent a letter to Mr Turner, but he did not understand what Holmes meant. Then holmes said that he knew everything about Charles McCarthy’s murder. Mr John Turner confessed what he did, he said that he didn’t want James to hang, but he didn’t want to hurt his daughter. Holmes suggested Mr John Turner to write a confession and believe it in Holmes’ hand until Mr Turner’s death when holmes could tell the police the truth. Then that confession could save James McCarthy’s life.

Mr Turner began to tell Holmes about his story with Mr Charles McCarthy. Actually they were enemies, they were not friends at all. Mr McCarthy was an evil man. Mr Turner met him in Australia. Mr Turner was very poor and no one called him John Turner. He had different name. His name there was Black Jack. At 1860s, Australia, Black Jack and his men were robbing a stagecoach that full of gold. Black Jack put the gun of the head of stagecoach driver.That man was Charles McCarthy. McCarthy said that he would give the gold, but don’t shoot him. After the rubbery, his trouble was over. He was rich and then he came to England. In England, no one knew his terrible secret.

Chapter 12  Blackmail

Mr Turner said that twenty years later he met Charles McCarthy. Then Mr McCarthy wanted Mr Turner to give him a house or money. Mr Turner was not going to give anything but he said that he would talk to Scotland Yard. So, he gave what McCarthy want because he didn’t want the police arrested him. But he didn’t want to hear about Australia again.

Mr Turner said that after Mr McCarthy came, he didn’t have any peace. He still blackmail Mr Turner. Then he talked about boscombe pool where McCarthy asked James to marry Alice because he wanted Mr Turner’s money. He said that he didn’t have any choice. Then Holmes told Mr Turner if James was guilty, he would use the letter. But if he was not, Holmes would destroy it. Mr Turner thank to Holmes and said that Holmes was a good man.

Seven months later, John Turner was dead. Then James McCarthy and Alice Turner were married. And they didn’t know anything about the secret, so he had to destroy the letter.

The Characters and Characteristic:

SHERLOCK HOLMES 

1. He was very tall and thin        

2. His hair was black and his eyes grey

3. He loved smoking with a pipe, keeping the tobacco in his shoe

4. He loved wearing his peaked cap

DR WATSON

1. He was a medical doctor with a medical practice in London

2. He was Holmes' good friend and companion

3. He usually accompanied and assisted Holmes on his cases

4. He helped Holmes to solve his cases

JOHN TURNER

1. He was a rich gentlemen-landowner who owned an estate in Boscombe Valley, near Ross-on-Wye

2. He was tall, left-handed, slight limp, likes to smoke Indian Cigar

3. He was rather introverted : He did not have many friends

4. He was not sociable : He liked staying at home

CHARLES MCCARTHY

1. He liked horse-racing and gambled a lot

2. In the 1860s, he was a stagecoach driver in Australia

3. He witnessed John Turner committing the stagecoach robbery

4. He was greedy and demanding

5. He like hunting game in Boscombe Valley

JAMES MCCARTHY

1. He was eighteen years old

2. He was the murdered victim's son

3. He was the prime suspect

4. He married a barmaid secretly in Bristol

5. The marriage was strained and they lived apart

INSPECTOR LESTRADE

1. He was a detective attached to Scotland Yard

2. He concluded that James McCarthy was the murderer

3. He had to assist Holmes in a reinvestigation of the case

4. He had to agree Holmes' conclusion of the case

ALICE TURNER

1. She was eighteen years old

2. She was John Turner's daughter

3. She was in love with James McCarthy

*CMIIW