"once a clergyman, always a clergyman" [SOLI]    We see influences of religion here and there in the Sherlock Holmes stories. From Biblical references in "The Crooked Man" to the then-mysterious religion of Mormonism, we see the world of...

"in the capacity of governess" [SIGN]  Sherlock Holmes had a number of clients who were women, and in certain cases, they were gainfully employed. In her article in The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, Patsy Dalton takes us through...

"My old friend Charlie Peace was a violin virtuoso" [ILLU]    No, Charlie Peace was not a colleague of Norman Neruda or . He was a notorious criminal, convicted of killing a policeman and the husband of a neighbor with whom he became...

“I have made a small study of tattoo marks” [REDH]  Tattoos. A rare topic in the Sherlock Holmes story, yet they're key in helping Sherlock Holmes to discern a little more about a few individuals.   How common were tattoos in Victorian...

“there never was a man who deserved punishment more” [IDEN]  There are certain instances in the Sherlock Holmes stories where the villain is so foul, so deserving of punishment, that it's a relief to see them get theirs. It's justice served....

“This is unworthy of you, Holmes” [SIGN]  Sherlock Holmes wasn't an easy man to live with. Still, it's impressive that Watson didn't unload on him more frequently. Or perhaps he did and just didn't report it... What is it about Holmes's...

“accomplished, a wonder woman in every way” [ILLU]   Each month, we look at a piece of Sherlockian or Holmesian scholarship that might be outside of your ken, and discuss its merits or faults. This month, we look at Mollie Hardwick's...

“I do not feel justified in doing it” [HOUN]    In the last episode, we talked about the uncertainty of justice at the conclusion of some stories. Did the perpetrators find justice raining down on them? In some cases, it was left up to...

“It’s every man’s business to see justice done” [CROO]    Everyone likes a neat ending. The case is solved, the criminal is caught, and justice is served.   But what about those Sherlock Holmes stories where the criminals...

“the writer was on board of a ship.” [FIVE]  We were inspired by two articles in the Baker Street Journal, some forty years apart. Each made a study of ships' names in the Sherlock Holmes stories.   Of the named sailing vessels, what can...