The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: Sets 1 & 2 Savings Set

Set 1
These short, suspense-soaked mysteries prove Sherlock Holmes wasn't the only detective in town! See the "best of the rest" in this 13-episode set that presents a great case for the other detectives of late Victorian England-a setting that was a boon for crooks-and a bane for Scotland Yard. The finely crafted tales feature Britain's top actors, including Peter Vaughan (The Remains of the Day), John Neville (The X-Files), Donald Sinden (Two's Company), Donald Pleasence (Halloween), and Jeremy Irons (Brideshead Revisited) in his first screen appearance.
About 10 ¾ Hours on 4 discs.

Set 2
Victorian London was a boon for crooks-and a bane for Scotland Yard, which had the monumental job of thwarting crime. But Sherlock Holmes was not the only detective in town. Based on best-selling anthologies of Victorian and Edwardian fiction, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes showcases the world-famous consulting detective's crime-solving competition in the fog-shrouded capital. This top-flight, BAFTA®-winning series of 13 finely crafted mysteries, as seen on ITV and PBS, features an incredible array of talent, including John Thaw, Sir Derek Jacobi, Joss Ackland, Jean Marsh, Michael Sheard and Richard Beckinsale.

Set 1
The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway - Polly Burton, a young woman who wants to be a journalist, investigates when a girl is murdered on a London Underground train.

Five Hundred Carats - Inspector Lipinzki investigates when a huge diamond is stolen from a safe. He finds his enquiries take him into the heart of South African society.

Cell 13 - Professor Van Dusen wagers his friends he can escape from prison. Starting from Cell 13, the challenge he faces is to cross seven barriers of steel bars, then a seventeen-foot wall and finally some open ground swept by searchlights...

The Secret of the Magnifique - Detective Laxworthy hires two men who have just been released from prison. With their help he plans to carry out a major swindle in the south of France. Or does he?

The Absent-Minded Coterie - Eugene Valmont investigates two cases at the same time, a baffling swindle and some counterfeit coins. Along the way, he meets an adventuress.

The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Holst - Lieutenant Holst of the Copenhagen police is working on a big international case. Then a man commits suicide, and Holst finds himself in hot water.

The Superfluous Finger - Professor Van Dusen is called in by Sir Hector Drummond, a well-known surgeon, when a young woman asks to have one of her fingers surgically removed.

Anonymous Letters - Dagobert Trostler is called in by Countess Nadja when she finds herself on the receiving end of a string of anonymous letters.
The Moabite Cypher: Dr John Thorndyke finds himself dealing with an anarchist plot to assassinate a Russian Grand Duke.

The Secret of the Fox Hunter - William Drew meets his most dangerous case to date when the head of German intelligence pays a visit to England.
The Looting of the Specie Room: While the steam-ship Oceanic tries to beat the world speed record for an Atlantic crossing, thieves steal gold ingots from the ship's strong-room. And then the life of Horrocks, the ship's purser, is threatened. As luck would have it, Inspector Trent is on hand to investigate.

The Mystery of the Amber Beads - A gypsy woman called Hagar has a very clear idea about the murderer of Mrs Arryford. However, Hagar's view of the case is not shared by Detective Sergeant Grubber, the policeman on the job.

The Missing QCs - Detective Charles Dallas finds himself mixed up in a sensational trial when two leading London barristers, the prosecution and the defence counsel in the case, disappear suddenly and without trace.

Set 2
A Message from the Deep Sea - Dr Thorndyke is an eminent forensic scientist and university lecturer. One day, he gets a visit from the young Dr Hart, one of his former students who is now also a forensic scientist - and Hart needs help with a baffling case.

The Missing Witness Sensation - A blind detective is abducted by Irish terrorists. The missing man was expected to give evidence against one of the Irishmen who had killed a postman.

The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle and Tyre Co. Ltd. - Horace Dorrington investigates an attack on a champion cyclist, amid bitter rivalry between two groups dedicated to the sport.

The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds - The famous Wiltshire diamonds are widely coveted. When the present Duchess wears them to a ball, a thief is after them, but luckily Simon Carne is on hand.

The Horse of the Invisible - The world famous ghost hunter Carnicki investigates the supernatural at Hisgins Hall, the ancestral home of Captain Hisgins.

The Case of the Mirror of Portugal - Jacques Bouvier hires Horace Dorrington to steal a famous diamond called the Mirror of Portugal from his cousin's house. Dorrington takes the job, but as he goes along he decides Bouvier's original plan of action is capable of some improvement.

Madame Sara - Beatrice Selby, Edith Dallas and their male cousin Silva are the three heirs of a rich uncle. Edith comes under the influence of the mysterious Madame Sara and dies unexpectedly. Beatrice's husband Jack Selby, worried about the state the family is in, calls in Dixon Bruce of Werner's Inquiry Agency to investigate, and Druce has to work out where Madame Sara, Dr Sanchez and an Arab servant fit into the story.

The Case of the Dixon Torpedo - Jonathan Pride is called upon by eccentric inventor F. Graham Dixon when the plans for an accurate long-distance torpedo are stolen.

The Woman in the Big Hat - When her husband is framed for murder and sent to prison, Lady Molly goes to work for Scotland Yard and proves to be their best detective.

The Affair of the Tortoise - A girl reports seing a murder victim, but the body has disappeared. A note suggests that the victim was punished for his treatment of a tortoise. Martin Hewitt helps Inspector Nettings solve the mystery.

The Assyrian Rejuvenator - Romney Pringle is intrigued by the claims of a patent medicine distribution company. In his guise as a London literary agent, he uncovers a swindle.

The Ripening Rubies - Jeweller Bernard Sutton investigates a high society robbery.
The Case of Laker, Absconded - In another case for Martin Hewitt, a young debt collector is accused of theft, and it looks like an open and shut case. But Hewitt is soon on the trail of the real thief.