Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

Dr. Watson acts as resident physician at Musgrave Manor, a stately home that also serves as a hospital for shell-shocked servicemen. He oversees the medical facility and tends to the wounded on the estate.

Sally Musgrave displays feelings for Captain Pat Vickery, an American fighter pilot recovering at the estate. Geoffrey and Phillip react with dismay, underscoring a fraught family dynamic. The mood of the manor grows tense as loyalties and ambitions clash.

Dr. Sexton is assaulted by an unknown assailant while out on a walk, shattering the estate’s quiet. Watson, alarmed by the incident, fetches his friend Sherlock Holmes to bring clarity to the case. Holmes arrives to begin the investigation.

Holmes discovers the dead body of Geoffrey Musgrave shortly after his arrival. Inspector Lestrade immediately takes Captain Vickery into custody as a prime suspect, though Holmes remains unconvinced by the arrest. The investigation widens as suspicions mount.

The next day, Phillip is formally installed as the new head of the estate with Sally's aid. However, after only a day in the role, Phillip is found murdered, his body in the trunk of a car. The line of succession and safety of the family are suddenly thrown into question.

Lestrade suspects the family’s long-time butler, Alfred Brunton, of involvement and moves to arrest him. In the pursuit, Lestrade becomes lost in the manor’s secret passageways, complicating the case. Holmes and Watson observe the wider conspiracy at play.

Holmes and Watson delve into the Musgrave Ritual, discovering the ritual words hidden in Sally's room. They begin to copy the ritual, which involves enacting a giant chess game on the main hall floor with the household staff and servicemen as pieces. The ritual provides a framework for solving the murders.

The chess-like maneuvering leads them to a secret burial crypt beneath the house. Inside, they find Alfred Brunton murdered, clutching a case containing an old document. Holmes uses the evidence they’ve gathered to set a trap for the killer.

Holmes waits in the crypt and is confronted by Dr. Sexton, who overpowers him and takes his revolver. Sexton confesses to masterminding the killings, but his plan remains intact only briefly as Holmes maintains the upper hand. The confrontation escalates until the authorities arrive.

Sexton’s confession confirms that he murdered Geoffrey and Phillip to seize the fortune via an old land grant. He attempted to frame Vickery and claim Sally as his bride, but his scheme collapses. Lestrade and Watson arrest him as he emerges from the crypt.

Holmes explains that the found document would have granted the Musgraves a fortune, which Sexton sought to seize through murder. Sally, choosing integrity over wealth, destroys the document so no one profits from the deaths. The threat of greed is defeated by her moral decision.

Driving away from the manor, Holmes muses about a new spirit abroad in the land and the end of greed. He and Watson reflect on how society may change for the better, suggesting hope for a future of shared responsibility and compassion.