If you’ve read Sherlock Holmes (and if not spoilers for a 125 year old story), Sherlock Holmes “dies” in the Final Problem by falling off the Reichenbach Falls with Professor Moriarty, but it is revealed that he faked his death and reappears two years later.
The Doylist explanation (Meta/author reason) is that Doyle wanted to kill off the character and was persuaded to retcon it and keep writing.
From the Watsonian perspective (in universe), I wondered if anyone else had ever considered that Watson might be making up the stories after the Reichenbach Falls and that Holmes does die in universe.
What we know of the story comes from works published in universe by Watson, We know from the start of “The Adventure of the Empty House” ( the story where Holmes returns) that Watson says he’s now a widower. Is it not conceivable that a lonely and grief stricken Watson, mourning the loss of his wife and closest friend, might decide to write some stories about Holmes like he used to. Relive the glory days while coping with his pain?
TLDR: Could Holmes have actually died at the Reichenbach falls and a grief stricken Watson is writing stories as a coping mechanism?
by TruestRepairman27