Sherlock Holmes is hired by the King of Bohemia to retrieve a compromising photograph from a certain lady. The King has tried to purchase the photo and even hired burglars to retrieve it, but without success. The woman in question is the very beautiful Irene Adler, an opera singer. She has made no demands of the King so it does not seem that blackmail is her intent. Using various disguises, Holmes learns as much about the woman as he can and is surprised when, after following her to a church, finds that she has married a barrister. Holmes stages a bit of theatre to get her to divulge the location of the photo but he finds he has met his match in both daring and intellect.