Sherlock Holmes: Trifles
You know the plots, but what about the minutiae? We delve into the Sherlock Holmes stories and provide answers to questions that arise, clarify muddy details, and look into some of the period terminology in this weekly podcast.
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The Chronology of the Apocrypha
12/31/2025
The Chronology of the Apocrypha
“that is the biggest mystification of all” [CREE] You thought we were done with the Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes? Silly you. As Inspector Baynes said, “I thought I had squeezed all the juice out of it, but I see there was a little over.” [WIST] Now we turn to a fascinating study: dating the Apocryphya. Or at least part of it. An entry by Brett Graham Fawcett in Timelines, the newsletter of the Chronologist Guild, looks at how we might assign dates to some of the stories. And it's just a Trifle. Find all of the Apocrypha series in one place ( | ). If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. The latest episode wonders about J pens. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Our is now open: Trifles mugs, notepads, and oval stickers can be yours (or someone else's, if you'd like to make it a gift). . Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links Episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere mentioned in this episode: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Man Who Was Wanted
12/24/2025
The Man Who Was Wanted
“evidence was wanted” [GOLD] The final installment in our series on the Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes brings us to "The Case of the Man Who was Wanted." Its discovery and provenance seems to have been both wanted and not wanted by the Conan Doyle brothers, who discovered it thanks to a biographer of their father in the 1940s. How it came into their possession and the story behind what was once assumed to be the 61st Sherlock Holmes story — and its eventual debunking — is anything but a Trifle. Find all of the Apocrypha series in one place ( | ). If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. The latest episode wonders about J pens. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Our is now open: Trifles mugs, notepads, and oval stickers can be yours (or someone else's, if you'd like to make it a gift). . Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) (Black Gate) (Abebooks) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Sherlock Holmes and Edwin Drood
12/18/2025
Sherlock Holmes and Edwin Drood
“Oh! a mystery is it?” [STUD] When Charles Dickens died in 1870, The Mystery of Edwin Drood was only six chapters into its 12-chapter run. There were no sketches or outlines of what would come next, so for a century and a half, scholars have puzzled over the solution. In 1968, Colin Prestige, BSI ("Captain Jack Croker") made a bold claim: that Sherlock Holmes could have handily solved the case, in "Sherlock Holmes and Edwin Drood," which appeared in Vol. 18, No. 3 of The Baker Street Journal. It's this month's "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the theorist" episode and it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. The latest episode wonders about J pens. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Our is now open: Trifles mugs, notepads, and oval stickers can be yours (or someone else's, if you'd like to make it a gift). . Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (Charles Dickens Page) (Wikipedia) (BSI) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Calling Cards
12/10/2025
Calling Cards
“He sent in his card with a message” [CROO] In our own digital age, business cards are nearly artifacts of the past. And calling cards? They're so outdated we had to create this episode. Numerous individuals in the Sherlock Holmes stories present their cards to Sherlock Holmes and Holmes presents his card to a few people as well. What's the history behind calling cards and visiting cards and how did they play into the stories? It's just a Trifle. We have bonus content for our supporters: images of Victorian calling cards that might surprise you. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. The latest episode wonders about J pens. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Our is now open: Trifles mugs, notepads, and oval stickers can be yours (or someone else's, if you'd like to make it a gift). . Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (Hoban Cards) (Paullett Golden) (Art of Manliness) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Who Wrote the American Chapters of A Study in Scarlet?
12/03/2025
Who Wrote the American Chapters of A Study in Scarlet?
“Nine to seven.” “Seven to five.” [STUD] For anyone who has first experienced Sherlock Holmes through A Study in Scarlet, Chapter VIII is a shock to the system, placing us squarely in the Great Akalai Plain with John and Lucy Ferrier, and narrated by... who? Ben Vizoskie had that same question in the 2000 BSJ article "Who Wrote the American Chapters of A Study in Scarlet?" which was awarded the Morley-Montgomery Award that year. Many scholars have pondered this over the years, but Ben seems to have cracked the code. And it's no Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. The latest episode wonders about J pens. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Our is now open: Trifles mugs, notepads, and oval stickers can be yours (or someone else's, if you'd like to make it a gift). . Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Angels of Darkness
11/27/2025
Angels of Darkness
“upon the track of the avenging angels” [STUD] The Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes series continues with a three-act play that wasn't published until over a century after it was written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The story of its discovery and dating is even more interesting than the play itself, which is reminiscent of the American chapters of A Study in Scarlet and is... Well, you'll hear. It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library) The Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes episode collection ( | ) Other episodes mentioned: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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A Most Valuable Institution
11/19/2025
A Most Valuable Institution
“all the main ones in the press reports” [THOR] Sherlock Holmes knew how to use newspapers to his advantage. Time and again, we see him scanning the agony column and making clippings. He told Watson "The press is a most valuable institution if only one knows how to use it." Just how did he use it and in which cases? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links Other episodes mentioned: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Lucky Thirteen
11/12/2025
Lucky Thirteen
“thirteen in number” [HOUN] Ask the average citizen about the number thirteen, and it is likely to inspire terror, or at least some slight trepidation. Right up there with black cats and overturned saltshakers, the number thirteen has a long history associated with bad luck. But what about in the Sherlock Holmes stories? Where does the number thirteen pop up and what can we infer from it? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Sherlock Holmes We Never Knew
11/05/2025
The Sherlock Holmes We Never Knew
“and actor and a rare one” [SIGN] The monthly feature of Morley-Montgomery Award-winning articles continues apace, when we share these top-notch pieces of Sherlockian scholarship from the pages of The Baker Street Journal. This episode is from S.E. Dahlinger's truly remarkable 1999 article "The Sherlock Holmes We Never Knew," which gives us a better understanding of William Gillette and the play that made him a household name (and a fortune). It's a large article and a very significant Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode, released at the beginning of every month. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Links The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) Other episodes mentioned: (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Tall Man
10/29/2025
The Tall Man
“I have never seen so tall a man” [SIGN] Our series on the Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes continues on, with a slightly different entry this time. Previous examples have been fully developed stories; this is simply a story outline. How it surfaced is just as interesting as the outline itself, perhaps more. The reader/listener will be left to decide if this could have made a full-blown story. Ultimately, it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Paddington vs. Waterloo
10/22/2025
Paddington vs. Waterloo
“proceed to Waterloo” [HOUN] For those looking to travel from London west to Dartmoor (particularly those interested in stopping at Coombe Tracey), you might do well to do as Dr. Watson did and meet Sir Henry Baskerville at Paddington Station. One small thing, though: there's another station that will get you our west. And if you're another character, you might fancy that. Why? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (Facebook) Facebook Group by Philip Weller (Amazon) Previous episodes mentioned: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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T.S. Eliot and the Great Grimpen Mire
10/15/2025
T.S. Eliot and the Great Grimpen Mire
“so subtly influenced by it” [STUD] It is well known that T.S. Eliot lifted lines from "The Musgrave Ritual" and appropriated them for Murder in the Cathedral, as well as found inspiration for Macavity in the Napoleon of crime. In this "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" episode, Don Hardenbrook, BSI ("Huret, the Boulevard Assassin") found a deeper meaning in Four Quartets, a collection of four interlinked poems by Eliot. One that echoes of The Hound of the Baskervilles. And it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (Wikipedia) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Moor as a Character
10/09/2025
The Moor as a Character
“a huge expanse” [HOUN] Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 There are four main characters in The Hound of the Baskervilles: Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, the hound, and the moor. [Record scratch SFX] Yes, the moor. Inspired by a clip from an old IHOSE episode, we explore why this ever-present setting looms large in the story, both when it's explicitly mentioned and when it's not. It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere (Wikipedia) Previous episodes mentioned: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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On the Chaldean Influences in Cornish
10/01/2025
On the Chaldean Influences in Cornish
“traced in the Cornish branch of the great Celtic speech” [DEVI] The Morley-Montgomery Award series rolls on, and this time we've jumped from 1979 (the last award granted, covered in Episode 453) to 1995. Dr. Margaret Nydell turns her philological attention to the Canon. She specifically looks at Sherlock Holmes's intentions in researching the Cornish language, with its roots in Chaldean. Her article is both scholarly and delightfully funny. And it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) Previous episodes mentioned: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Crown Diamond
09/25/2025
The Crown Diamond
“What good are you going to get out of your diamond?” [MAZA] We're back in the theater for another Sherlock Holmes story in our series on the Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes. It seems that Conan Doyle saw great potential in other mediums (not just the seance type, either). The Crown Diamond: An Evening With Sherlock Holmes is clearly a rehash of the short story "The Mazarin Stone." Or was thought to be, anyway. That is, until James Montgomery, BSI ("The Red Circle") discovered it in an exercise book and determined the publication order. And it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia) (Toronto Public Library) (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Lhassa & Mecca
09/17/2025
Lhassa & Mecca
“amused myself by visiting Lhassa...looked in at Mecca” [FINA] The Great Hiatus, as the interval between "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House" is known, has inspired a great deal of speculation and interpretation, thanks to Sherlock Holmes's brief and tantalizing account of his time away. Edgar Smith took it on in his famous essay (as referenced in Episode 334), but Don Pollock took aim at the fawning acceptance in his own analysis in a 1975 issue of The Baker Street Journal. It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links Trifles All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Lumber Room
09/10/2025
The Lumber Room
“lumbering upon its way” [DEVI] Across the Sherlock Holmes stories, we find a few mentions of what seems to be a strange and magical place in English residences: the lumber room. In old country houses and in the city at 221B Baker Street, as well as in descriptions of the mind, the lumber room is a place that deserves a little exploration. And it's just a Trifle. Thanks to Kaj for the suggestion for this episode. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Location of Baskerville Hall
09/04/2025
The Location of Baskerville Hall
“I was able to reach Baskerville Hall” [HOUN] There are a handful of locations in the Sherlock Holmes stories that are regularly sought out by fans. Of course 221B Baker Street is at the top of the list, along with the Reichenbach Falls. For those who venture to the west, Baskerville Hall is always a source of inspiration. But where exactly was it? Scholars have been debating that subject for decades, and in 1979 Howard Brody, BSI ("Anstruther") won the Morley-Montgomery Award for his paper that attempted to settle the matter. It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Stonor Case
08/27/2025
The Stonor Case
“took to the stage” [TWIS] When faced with four months of an empty theater in a six-month lease in 1910, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did the only thing he could on a moment's notice: he turned to Sherlock Holmes. The Stonor Case (later renamed The Speckled Band) went into production and is considered part of the group of stories categorized as apocryphal. While the name was the same as the short story, there were departures from the original. This and many tales about this play are all a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia) (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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John H. Watson Never Went to China
08/20/2025
John H. Watson Never Went to China
“Well, but China?” [REDH] Our recent episode about real people who inspired characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories spills over into this episode for our monthly Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist-themed episode. Jay Finley Christ wrote a piece in 1949 that wasn't widely published until 1975 (if one can call the audience of Baker Street Miscellanea wide). Prof. Christ takes on John Dickson Carr's biography and other Sherlockians, debunking a myth about the inspiration for Dr. Watson. And it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links (IHOSE) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Fabulous Originals
08/13/2025
The Fabulous Originals
“There are the originals” [LAST] Sherlockians go to great pains to "play the game," meaning that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were real. If we can drop the mask for a moment, we all know they were creations of one Arthur Conan Doyle. We also know that every author is inspired by people, names, and places around them. So too was Conan Doyle when he created certain characters. Who were some of the characters in the Canon who were inspired by real people? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links by Irving Wallace by Earle Walbridge All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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St. Saviour's, Near King's Cross
08/06/2025
St. Saviour's, Near King's Cross
“entirely mistaken” [CHAS] The Morley-Montgomery Award-winning article we're discussing this month is by the legendary Jack Tracy, author of The Encyclopedia Sherlockiana and founder of Gaslight Publications. "St. Saviour's, Near King's Cross" appeared in Vol. 27, No. 4 of the Baker Street Journal in 1977 and looked specifically at the church where Mary Sutherland was supposed to marry Hosmer Angel. Previous Sherlockian scholars were unaware of some hidden London history that Tracy was able to uncover. And it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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The Story of the Lost Special
07/30/2025
The Story of the Lost Special
“engage a special” [FINA] This marks the fourth episode in our series of The Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes — stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that are technically not part of the original Canon. "The Story of the Lost Special" was written by Conan Doyle in 1898 about a train that has vanished from the face of the earth, but doesn't explicitly include Sherlock Holmes. How does this then tie into the great detective? Stay tuned, because it's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links "" (Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia) (The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Playing Tricks with the Law of England
07/23/2025
Playing Tricks with the Law of England
“play tricks with me and I’ll crush you” [ABBE] Was Sherlock Holmes too lenient with how he handled some of the criminals he defeated? There are a number whom he caught and set free, flouting the law in the process. Inspired by a recent article in The Baker Street Journal, we look at examples in a handful of stories and compare the fates of the accused in each. Did they get what they deserved? It's much more than just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links Related episodes: - Justice, Part 1: Unresolved - Justice, Part 2: Disproportionate - Justice, Part 3: Comeuppance All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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Untangling the Skein
07/16/2025
Untangling the Skein
“another thread which I have extricated out of the tangled skein” [HOUN] It has long been accepted that the original title of A Study in Scarlet was meant to be A Tangled Skein. While there is no surviving manuscript of the first Sherlock Holmes story, a single page of notes has long served as Sherlock Holmes's "birth certificate." However, Matt Hall discovered a letter in Sydney, Australia that proves otherwise. His research is presented in Vol. 37 No. 2 of The Sherlock Holmes Journal. And it's much more than just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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£100
07/09/2025
£100
“put £100 down in front of him” [BLUE] Humans are suckers for round numbers. And 100 seems like a perfectly reasonable one to settle on. It's the first three-digit number (in Arabic numbers, that is; Romans were happy to hit a C note). When it comes to £100 in the Sherlock Holmes stories, it's a figure often associated with some sort of scam — enough to get attention and secure the trust of the mark. Which stories feature £100 and what were the circumstances? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links Related: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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John H. Watson―Word-Painter
07/02/2025
John H. Watson―Word-Painter
“I had painted” [TWIS] The Morley-Montgomery Award-winning article we're discussing this month is by H.C. Potter from Vol. 26, No. 2 of The Baker Street Journal. In it, Potter looks at Watson's prosaic way of setting the scene for us. He selects excerpts from a number of stories to prove his case. Was he successful in backing up his claims? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) (The New York Times) (IMDb) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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How Watson Learned the Trick
06/26/2025
How Watson Learned the Trick
“why should anyone play me such a trick?” [CARD] After a brief hiatus, we're back to the third in our series of The Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes — stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that are technically not part of the original Canon. This is the shortest of all of the Apocrypha and it was created for the British Royal Family in a special edition. "How Watson Learned the Trick" is a lovely addition to the non-Canonical apocrypha. It's literally a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links "" (Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia) (Royal Collection Trust) (The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library) All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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A Second Case of Identity: The Second Mrs. Watson
06/19/2025
A Second Case of Identity: The Second Mrs. Watson
“Is Mrs. Watson in?” [FINA] We all know Watson had more than one wife; the number has been debated over the years. But it's his second wife that seems to be the most intriguing. In this "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" episode, we look at David Hammer's article from Baker Street Miscellanea, No. 43. Who was the second Mrs. Watson? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links Other episodes referenced: All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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About the Moor
06/11/2025
About the Moor
“traces of the ancient people” [HOUN] When Watson noted a "difficult and dangerous quest" on "the forbidden moor" in The Hound of the Baskervilles. The moor played an outsized role in that story, providing the perfect setting for this gothic tale of terror, greed, and mystery. What is the moor really like? How does the Canonical version differ from reality? Listener Nelson Pigeon wrote in to ask, and we answer. It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out ( | ). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on and ; listen to this episode here or Links by Philip Weller All of our social links: Email us at trifles @ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: . Copyright:
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