Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Best of Sherlock Holmes recounts some of the most iconic cases solved by Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is a noted recluse, married to the art of deduction. Holmes is obsessed with ascertaining the truth, and while his personality does not lend to partnership, he realizes that reliable alliances are crucial to his ability to uncover clues which he otherwise would not be able to obtain on his own.

In “A Scandal in Bohemia,” Holmes employs his most consistent partner, Dr. Watson. After entering Irene Adler’s house, he signals to Watson to drop in a smoke rocket through the window which allows him to determine Adler’s most prized possession which she reaches for when she believes a fire has started. The reader is also introduced to the Baker Street Boys, who are street urchins who work with Holmes to start a fight which allows him entry to her house to begin with.

In “The Man with the Twisted Lip,” Watson finds Holmes disguised in an opium den. Holmes understands that he cannot always form alliances with his detective identity and he must utilize disguises in order to gain the trust of others.

These alliances are not always in human form. In “The Adventure of Silver Blaze,” the case is broken open when Holmes realizes that the only reason the dog would not bark in the night is if the dog recognized the perpetrator, which immediately drastically narrows the suspect pool. In other cases, Holmes uses a hound in order to track scents.