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Episodes are released every other Thursday. We air Doyle’s detective stories chronologically, following each with a discussion episode. Occasionally we’ll do a Case File episode - an in-depth conversation on a particular topic, adaption, or person of interest.
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Search for stories by title below.
One Year Anniversary
We look back on a year of However Improbable, and discuss our first encounters with the Great Detective.
The Red-Headed League
“The Red-Headed League” is part heist, part comedy, and all around good time.
A Case of Identity
Mistaken identity, evil stepfathers, and the importance of a good optician all come together in this bizarre armchair detective story.
The Five Orange Pips
FIVE connects vanishing ships, the American Civil War, and what happens when Holmes’s considerable powers are not enough to save the day.
The Man with the Twisted Lip
An unusual tale of opium abuse, journalists with acting chops, wives with no first names, and the kind of sleepover only Sherlock Holmes could hold.
Book Club Case File: My Dearest Holmes
First published in 1988, My Dearest Holmes by Rohase Piercy is a very special pastiche that boasts something very rare—it’s certainly among the earliest published gay pastiches about the great detective and his good doctor.
Case File: The Many Faces of Irene Adler
Other than Holmes and Watson themselves, Irene Adler may be the most adapted character from the canon. And most of the time, modern adaptations do not do her justice.
A Scandal in Bohemia
“A Scandal in Bohemia” introduces us to the woman who casts the longest shadow over the canon - Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.
The Adventure of the Reigate Squire
Holmes and Watson go on a much-deserved vacation - and naturally, crime follows them.
The House of Silk
Our first Book Club Case File begins with The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, a dark and thrilling mystery with a very special narrative framework.
“The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual”
“The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual” is the second story that gives us a look back at Holmes’s life before he met Watson - this time in a very Gothic tale of buried treasure and cryptic rituals.
Granada Holmes - Part 1
From 1984 to 1994, British actor Jeremy Brett starred in 36 one-hour episodes and five feature-length specials in the Granada Television Studios series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of 2!
“The Adventure of the Second Stain”
So far we’ve seen Sherlock Holmes solve the mysteries behind poisonings, hangings, and missing wives—and in “The Adventure of the Second Stain” he stops a war by looking at a rug.
The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
In “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor,” Holmes finds himself assisting a Lord with a personal problem: his new bride vanishing the day after their wedding.
Case File: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Billy Wilder’s film “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes” is an unusual adaptation both beloved and hated. We talk about its merits, how it positions Holmes's sexuality, and what it means for queer detective fiction lovers to recognize that Sherlock Holmes might actually be gay.
The Adventure of the Resident Patient
After investigating a break-in, Holmes and Watson find themselves caught in a case of disguise, duped doctors, and deadly retribution.
The Adventure of the Gloria Scott
“The Adventure of the Gloria Scott” takes us back in time to the story of Sherlock Holmes’s very first case. Join us for a tale of men on boats, old college friends, and secret ciphers.
Case File: Arthur Conan Doyle, Paranormal Detective
Meet the man behind the canon: Arthur Conan Doyle. Besides creating Sherlock Holmes, what else is Conan Doyle known for? What was his life like? And what were his opinions about detective fiction and the world he lived in?
The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Serpents, sinister step-fathers, and sisters dying in the dead of night. “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is usually considered one of the best Holmes stories—and one of Doyle’s favorites.
A Study in Scarlet
Mortuary meet-cutes, the science of deduction, and murderous Mormans. A Study In Scarlet famously introduced us to Holmes and Watson. Do you really know Sherlock Holmes like you think you might? What does this tale tell us about Holmes, Watson, and what’s coming in the following fifty-nine stories? And what’s the deal with the Mormons anyway?