Inside the story
Meet John Clay
John Clay appears as Vincent Spaulding, the capable assistant in a pawnbroker’s shop. Behind this respectable role is a cold, skilled criminal of royal descent, known for theft, forgery, and murder, whose identity draws Sherlock Holmes into a dangerous case.
On the page
A small, wiry, quick-moving young man in his thirties with a smooth beardless face, sharp shrewd features, sleek dark hair and pale aristocratic skin. A white splash of acid scar marks his forehead and his ears are pierced for earrings. Neatly but plainly dressed as a shop assistant, alert and cat-like in his agility.
