There have been a spate of murders of women across London, the fingers of each victim cut off. Meanwhile, city gent Sir George (Paul Cavanagh) entertains a lady friend (Hillary Brooke). However, he wakes up in a dingy bedsit, hearing shouts of murder outside. There has been yet another murder of a woman, and her severed finger is in Sir George's pocket...
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are soon called to the tragic scene of Sir George's suicide, they discover that he has been blackmailed. This indicates to Holmes that it isn't a madman committing these murders, rather it is a devious plot. He suspects Moriarty (Henry Daniell) is behind this and is soon proved to be right in a dangerous tale of hypnosis and extortion...
This is typical of the long-running Holmes series from Rathbone and Bruce, Bruce's Watson is a little too much of a buffoon as usual but this is perfectly enjoyable if not exceptional fare. For some reason Edgware is misspelt with an extra E several times. Maybe we can blame Moriarty for that as well?
