Scotland Yard's main law enforcement official on the Douglas case, and a friend of Holmes's.
McGinty could be seen as an American Moriarty, though neither as intelligent nor as powerful. McGinty is the undisputed lord of Vermissa Valley, which many call the “Valley of Fear.” The Bodymaster (the title of the head of the Scowrers) rules over the valley with an iron fist, crushing anyone who gets in his way through the agents beneath him. The cruel and brutal leader of “the Scowrers," a murderous society not unlike the Mafia, McGinty is a fearsome leader, described as looking almost like a lion, with fierce eyes and a mane-like beard. Mentioned in Part I, but not fully introduced until Part II, Boss McGinty is one of the major villains of this novel. Douglas is an example of Conan Doyle’s skill as a writer, in that the reader is able to accept with little difficulty the composition of the “three-in-one” character. At the end of Part II, however, we learn that “McMurdo” is really a Pinkerton detective named “Birdy Edwards." Throughout all three of his “identities," Douglas is described as fearless, intelligent, and good-humored. During this “story within a story," we learn that Douglas once bore the name “Jack McMurdo," and that he was part of a notorious gang in the United States, which was not unlike the Mafia. Towards the end of Part I, however, Douglas is revealed to be very much alive, and he commences to share his history, which comprises nearly the entirety of Part II. Introduced at the beginning of the story as John Douglas, this man appears to be a faceless victim, simply the object of Holmes’ investigation. This crucial and multi-dimensional character (to whom we will refer as Douglas for the sake of clarity) could really be considered three different characters contained in one man. Nonetheless, Moriarty remains one of the central characters of this novel, and he is revealed to be the mastermind behind Douglas’ demise. Indeed, he does not ever actually appear in The Valley of Fear: he is only referenced, and, at the end of the book, Holmes receives a short note from him. One of the most infamous characters in literature, Moriarty ironically appears in only two Sherlock Holmes stories. Professor James MoriartyĮvery great fictional hero has an equally great nemesis. Watson is often described as stout and somewhat withdrawn, as well as being very easy-going in nature. Watson’s presence is fairly insignificant in this particular novel, appearing in only a few scenes in which Holmes was not present as well. Watson, fairly intelligent in his own right, seems to remain in a constant state of stupor over Holmes’ brilliance, and often voices the reader’s own confusions concerning the detective’s rapid deductions.
Such is the case in much of The Valley of Fear, though Conan Doyle departs from this perspective for much of Part II. Through almost the entire canon, we see everything through Watson’s eyes: the story is presented as if written firsthand by the good doctor himself. John Watson is the loyal sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, appearing in almost every Sherlock Holmes story ever written by Conan Doyle. Perhaps just as famous as his brilliant partner, Dr. Still, he remains intellectually superior without a doubt, even when surrounded by other successful detectives.
In The Valley of Fear, we do not see as much of the “bloodhound” Holmes rather, he seems to penetrate the mystery rather quickly, and the true heart of the story instead lies in the second part. This particular novel, ironically enough, probably contains less of Holmes than any of the others, with the great sleuth being contained largely to Part I. He is incredibly brilliant, moderately vain, and often impatient with those who are unable to keep up with his rapid deductions. Sherlock Holmes is described as tall, thin, and reserved, with an aquiline nose and penetrating eyes. Arguably the most famous fictional character in history, Sherlock Holmes is synonymous with “great detective.” His place as the most brilliant detective in all of literature is challenged only possibly by Agatha Christie’s Poirot.
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