The Two Successful Cases of Alec McDonald
From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Fictional cases.
In the Sherlock Holmes stories
Untold Story
- Dr. Watson mentioned that, twice, Sherlock Holmes helped inspector Alec MacDonald to attain success. (VALL, 218)
- « Those were the early days at the end of the 'eighties, when Alec MacDonald was far from having attained the national fame which he has now achieved. He was a young but trusted member of the detective force, who had distinguished himself in several cases which had been entrusted to him. His tall, bony figure gave promise of exceptional physical strength, while his great cranium and deep-set, lustrous eyes spoke no less clearly of the keen intelligence which twinkled out from behind his bushy eyebrows. He was a silent, precise man, with a dour nature and a hard Aberdonian accent. Twice already in his career had Holmes helped him to attain success, his own sole reward being the intellectual joy of the problem. For this reason the affection and respect of the Scotchman for his amateur colleague were profound, and he showed them by the frankness with which he consulted Holmes in every difficulty. » — Dr. Watson.