I would like it to be said that I was a good writer of detective and thriller stories.
There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands.
Unless you are good at guessing, it is not much use being a detective.
You have a tendency, Hastings, to prefer the least likely. That, no doubt, is from reading too many detective stories.
the detective's highest talent lay in the gentle art of seeking favours under the guise of conferring them!