Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

A look at some of the villains in the Sherlock Holmes stories, beginning with the first real heavy that we encounter.

Sherlock Holmes said "When a doctor …

Italians seem to surround us in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Restaurants, music, artisans, and of course criminals. 

But Sherlock Holmes himself had some …

Sherlock Holmes, boxer? We don't often consider Sherlock Holmes for his boxing abilities, yet Watson very clearly noted his talent in that field i…

They pop up here and there around the Canon quite infrequently. However, you can be sure that when a governess is featured in a Sherlock Holmes story, she's part…

For well over 100 years, Sherlock Holmes has been seen in advertisements around the world. The fact is: Sherlock Holmes sells. He's good for brands.

There are…

Sherlock Holmes had a number of encounters with German people. Who were they, and how did these interactions reflect on international relations at the time? 

Th…

If you ask anyone familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories to name a Scotland Yard inspector, they'll invariably answer, "Inspector Lestrade."

But …

This marks the first in a semi-regular series on Trifles in which we spend time talking about sports and games in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

In this episode…

We begin our third season with a discussion of facial hair in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Specifically, beards. That's right, hipsters: you've got company.…

The holidays typically bring a bounty of food, followed by solemn pledges to exercise and take better care of ourselves in the new…

We often fixate on the famous cases like the Giant Rat of Sumatra, James Phillimore and his umbrella, or Wilson, the notorious canary trainer. But t…

It's not often that we have our eyes cast downward at 221B Baker Street. There are so many interesting things to see at eye-level: the Persian slipper, the ch…

The Sherlock Holmes canon is a wonderful snapshot of the times. In particular, we get a good sense of the kinds of transportation that conveyed cit…

From the Gramophone to the telephone, November seems to be quite the month of technology here on Trifles.

Yes, even though Holmes did most o…

The arrival of Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable on the doorstep (and hearth rug!) of 221B Baker Street was dramatic. He collapsed like a beach…

When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of children. Some of the tales …

When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of children. Some of the tales are just not suitable for lit…

Sherlock Holmes was a master of disguises. They allowed him to infiltrate areas that would have otherwise been off-limits or situations in which he wo…

There are a handful of dogs sprinkled throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. And while a few of them are used in a tr…

The famous year of 1895 holds many wonders. Many of the cases in The Return of Sherlock Holmes took place in this year, and as you would im…