Three Real Sisters, Two Forged Letters, And One Featured Detective Agency

The Dear Holmes “Featured Detective” Program honors one detective per mystery for their clever and well-thought-out solution to the case. To learn how to send in your own solution, visit Dearholmes.com/solve.

Esteemed Investigators,

The Dear Holmes Team greatly enjoyed your ingenious theories on The Mystery of Three Sisters, and after much deliberation, it is our pleasure to announce this case’s Featured Detective!

As you may know, our network of detectives recently helped Holmes solve this mystery for one Mr. Leopold Kimber, and his clients, Misses Beryl, Amber, and Amethyst Struckland. While Miss Amethyst’s new gentleman friend, Mr. Roger Rathmore, seemed to have his eyes on the Strucklands’ prized geological collection, we now know this was far from the case. In truth, Mr. Ward, their dear caretaker and groundskeeper, was behind the missing specimens. What’s more, he was responsible for more than the thievery...

Some Featured Detective entries, such as that of Detective Alice W., provided artful illustrations of coprolites, and meticulous floor plans of the sisters’ home. Others heeded last month’s advice by giving their letter a striking “final touch”, like a wax seal. Yet few were able to discern Mr. Ward’s scheme as quickly and incisively as our newest Featured Detectives: Detective Mary-Beth P. and the Avondell Detectives, of Bel Air, Maryland. 

A number of investigators believed that Mr. Rathmore and Mr. Ward had formed an alliance to siphon off the stones, while some suggested that the sisters had formed a secret pact to protect their inheritance. Some astute detectives even successfully identified Mr. Ward as our thief, however, the Avondell Detectives emerge victorious for their comprehensive and timely analysis of nearly every clue to be found. 

Our new Featured Detectives successfully identified Mr. James Ward as the culprit by highlighting the journals he had altered, his intense argument with Mr. Rathmore, and indeed his unwarranted characterization of the fellow as a “Casanova”. The Avondell Detectives even went so far as to present a rebuttal in defense of Mr. Rathmore, citing his affiliation with Oxford, and the lack of substantial incriminating evidence. 

The Dear Holmes Team wishes Detective Mary-Beth P. and the rest of the Avondell Detectives a sincere “Congratulations!” – a one-of-a-kind reward will soon be arriving at your doorstep!

Want to be next month’s Featured Detective? Mail your solution to 1101 14th St NW, Suite 910, Washington DC 20005, or submit online at Dearholmes.com/solve.