Sherlock Holmes is hired by the King of Bohemia to retrieve a compromising photograph from a certain lady. The King has tried to purchase the photo and even hired burglars to retrieve it, but without success. The woman in question is the very beautiful Irene Adler, an opera singer. She has made no demands of the King so it does not seem that blackmail is her intent. Using various disguises, Holmes learns as much about the woman as he can and is surprised when, after following her to a church, finds that she has married a barrister. Holmes stages a bit of theatre to get her to divulge the location of the photo but he finds he has met his match in both daring and intellect.

A young woman's corpse is dumped in the library of Gossington Hall, home of Jane Marple's friend Dolly Bantry and her husband Arthur. Pompous Chief Constable Melchett suspects a connection with Basil Blake, an arty young man who lives locally but Blake is dismissive when Melchett visits him. Then Superintendent Harper rings from the coastal town of Danemouth. Ruby Keane, a young girl employed as a dancer at the Majestic Hotel there, has gone missing, and her cousin Josie Turner identifies the corpse as Ruby's. Ruby is in favour with millionaire Conway Jefferson, whose own son and daughter were killed in a wartime air raid, and he wants to adopt her. His son-in-law Mark Gaskell, and daughter-in-law Adelaide react variously to the news. Miss Marple is convinced that the solution to Ruby's murder may be found at the hotel and she and Dolly book into a suite to investigate.

Sherlock Holmes in investigates the strange case of Jabez Wilson. The man was recently offered employment by an organization known as the Red Headed League. For the grand sum of 4 pounds per week, he was to sit in an office and copy out entries fro an encyclopedia, starting with the letter A. He had responded to an advertisement and while there were many applicants, he has no idea why he was selected as the League's beneficiary. When after several weeks his employment is suddenly terminated, Mr. Wilson doesn't know what think. Holmes quickly deduces however that it was the location of his office as much as his red hair that resulted in him getting the employment in the first place. Written by garykmcd