Bleak autumnal evenings.

"Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for the only problem we have still to solve is  how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings."

Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson in The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor.

It's been rather dark and dreary here lately and I've found that curling up with a Sherlock Holmes mystery, my tartan wool blanket, and a nice cup of tea do just the trick in fighting this autumnal chill.
It's been years since I've read the Holmes mysteries and I'm find them a great deal of fun to read.  What with all the BBC Sherlock mania (and discussions about the controversial Elementary) I decided I needed to brush up on the source of it all; the original stories! I love when treasured books and stories are brought to life on stage and on film, but I always prefer being familiar with the original literature.
Some of the Holmes stories are rather dark, some rather humorous, and some even have a shade of romance!   It's no wonder that these tales have remained so popular well over a century and continue to thrill and inspire people around the globe.

Which is your favourite Holmesian tale?