This was a free audiobook from Audible for the holiday season, and the fact that Alan Cumming was the narrator is the only reason I downloaded it. I am not a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes canon, but I adore Alan Cumming and thought he would be an excellent test to see how deep my dislike of Holmes runs. Even with Mr. Cumming’s wonderful performance - always energetic and delightful - Sherlock Holmes is not for me. Everything others love about him – his curiosity, his bombast, his superiority complex - do nothing to make him a fascinating character for me, and I felt all three negative character attributes were on full display in this particular adventure. The mystery of the Blue Carbuncle is interesting if only because the strange events that oblige Holmes to get involved are so unusual and widely circumstantial. Because it takes less than an hour to listen to the entire mystery, it was not a complete waste of time, and Holmes’ fans will enjoy Mr. Cummings’ enthusiastic performance. For me, it was a good test that the Sherlock Holmes stories are ones I would do well to avoid.
