Oct 27, 2021
“hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind” [FINA]
Family matters a great deal in the Sherlock Holmes stories,
although we don't discover anything about Holmes and his family
background until halfway through the stories that make up The
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, where we meet Mycroft.
And yet, there...
Oct 20, 2021
“a pin, a cork, and a card” [HOUN]
When it came to exotic insects, butterflies were all the rage
in Victorian England. They were sought after by naturalists and
collectors, to become part of collections in studies as well as
institutions.
We have a few collectors in the Canon who made it their
business to pin...
Oct 13, 2021
“extraordinary stories about your financial ability” [STOC]
Money was occasionally a concern for Sherlock Holmes. But
when, and more importantly, why? All of those police engagements
were likely pro bono work, after all.
His relationship with Watson began over the need to economize,
and over the course of his...
Oct 6, 2021
“Have you noticed anything amiss with them of late?” [SILV]
"The Three Gables" isn't likely to be found on anyone's "best
of" list of Sherlock Holmes stories. It arrives late in the Canon,
and rather weakly at that.
But it is worth pointing out a few items within that are
rather curious. One might even call...