The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, the only Holmes mystery set during the Christmas season, is the seventh story of twelve in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. During the festive season, newspapers report the theft of the near priceless jewel, The Blue Carbuncle, from the hotel suite of the Countess of Morcar. John Horner, a plumber and a previously convicted felon, is soon arrested for the theft. When the Blue Carbuncle appears in a goose's crop to an acquaintance of Sherlock Holmes, the hunt is on for the real thief. In the process, Holmes pretends to be an expert in geese husbandry to gain the information needed to vindicate John Horner.