I wonder if Arthur Conan Doyle's Wisteria Lodge was inspired by Arthur Morrison's The Affair of the Tortoise which was published earlier.
The latter was dramatised as an episode of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes featuring the detective Martin Hewitt.
Both stories feature people with a murky past from the Americas who are now hiding out in Britain.
A cartographer Scott Eccles consults Sherlock Holmes. He was invited to a country estate as a guest of an amateur Spanish cartographer, Garcia. The next morning, Eccles wakes up and find the house deserted. The police later turn up wanting to question Eccles over the death of Mr Garcia.
Freddie Jones gives a fruity performance as Inspector Barnes. He comes across as pompous and pig headed at first, telling Holmes that he can follow his path while Barnes will tread his own. Holmes is convinced that Barnes has the wrong suspect.
Holmes and Watson investigate a neighbouring house. Dr Watson thinks he has spotted a lady in distress. It is an elaborate revenge tale featuring a fugitive dictator from Latin America. To Holme's surprise Barnes was never too far off the scent.
There is a lot of plot here, it just starts off in a very subdued manner. Jones actually livens things up a little and at the end it is a rather tragic tale of revenge.