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Super Sleuth Sunday - Sherlock Holmes Trivia (with Answers)

I wanted to share some Sherlock Trivia from Super Sleuth Sunday (June 26, 2022) and give you a chance to test your knowledge. 

Write your answers down and then check them against the answers at the end. No peeking.

Good luck!

  1. Who is the author of the Sherlock Holmes novels?
  2. True or False? The author enjoyed outdoor sports.
  3. What profession was the author trained in?
  4. True or False? The author was knighted for his Sherlock Holmes novels.
  5. The author coined a famous phrase that later became the tagline for James Bond. What was that phrase?
  6. How many short stories is the author credited with writing?
  7. How any novels is the author credited with writing?
  8. What is Sherlock Holmes' closest friend's name?
  9. In which country did this friend serve as an army doctor before he met Sherlock Holmes?
  10. In which book was Sherlock Holmes first mentioned?
  11. Where do Holmes and Watson travel to in The Hound of the Baskervilles?
  12. What instrument does Sherlock Holmes play?
  13. How many different types of ashes could Sherlock Holmes distinguish from one another?
  14. Where does Holmes keep/store his tobacco?
  15. According to Holmes, what was his first case ever?
  16. How many times does Holmes act as narrator of his adventures?
  17. What was the first case that Sherlock Holmes sent Watson to investigate solo?
  18. In his memoir, what title did John Watson give his first case with Sherlock Holmes?
  19. How many cases does Sherlock Holmes comment that he has handled of "capital importance" in The Hound of the Baskervilles?
  20. According to Holmes, how many steps are there up to his flat?
  21. In how many stories did Sherlock Holmes say, "Elementary, my dear Watson!"
  22. In The Red-Headed League, what was the task assigned to members?
  23. Complete this phrase: "You see, but you do not __________."
  24. Most Sherlock Holmes stories/novels end with a conclusion where Holmes explains how he was able to solve the mystery. Which novel does NOT end this way?
  25. How many times does Watson describe Holmes as wearing a deerstalker cap?

Want to see how you did?

Our winner scored a 9 and has never read a Sherlock Holmes novel or short story. Let's see how well do you stack up to that level of sleuthing skill.

1. Who is the author of the Sherlock Holmes novels? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
2. True or False? The author enjoyed outdoor sports. True. Doyle played cricket with Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie; he helped popularize skiing in 1893; and he played amateur soccer (serving as the goalkeeper).
3. What profession was the author trained in? Opthamology, though he never had a patient. Supposedly this is why he had time to write.
4. True or False? The author was knighted for his Sherlock Holmes novels. False. He was knighted for a book justifying Britain's involvement in the Boer War (c. 1902).
5. The author coined a famous phrase that later became the tagline for James Bond. What was that phrase? "Licensed to Kill" was a caption he wrote on a humorous sketch he made of himself when he received his medical degree.
6. How many short stories is the author credited with writing? 56!
7. How any novels is the author credited with writing? only 4
8. What is Sherlock Holmes' closest friend's name? John Watson
9. In which country did this friend serve as an army doctor before he met Sherlock Holmes? Afghanistan
10. In which book was Sherlock Holmes first mentioned? A Study in Scarlet (1887)
11. Where do Holmes and Watson travel to in The Hound of the Baskervilles? Devonshire
12. What instrument does Sherlock Holmes play? violin
13. How many different types of ashes could Sherlock Holmes distinguish from one another? a whopping 140 different types of pipe, cigar, and cigarette ash!
14. Where does holmes keep/store his tobacco? inside a Persian slipper
15. According to Holmes, what was his first case ever? The Adventure of the Gloria Scott - a transport ship taking convicts to Australia, one of whom was a friend of his fathers.
16. How many times does Holmes act as narrator of his adventures? only two - The Blanched Soldier and The Lion's Mane
17. What was the first case that Sherlock Holmes sent Watson to investigate solo? The Hound of the Baskervilles - the very book we are featuring inside the Sherlock Holmes Book Box. We have a few left in stock and they ship this week, so check it out here.
18. In his memoir, what title did John Watson give his first case with Sherlock Holmes? A Study in Scarlet
19. How many cases does Sherlock Holmes comment that he has handled of "capital importance" in The Hound of the Baskervilles? an astounding 500!
20. According to Holmes, how many steps are there up to his flat? 17 (noted in A Scandal in Bohemia)
21. In how many stories did Sherlock Holmes say, "Elementary, my dear Watson!" None. While he did say, "Elementary!" and "my dear Watson," he never said them together.
22. In The Red-Headed League, what was the task assigned to members? copying the Encyclopedia Britannica 
23. Complete this phrase: "You see, but you do not __________." observe
24. Most Sherlock Holmes stories/novels end with a conclusion where Holmes explains how he was able to solve the mystery. Which novel does NOT end this way? The Sign of Four - the mystery unfolds as the reader progresses through the novel, so there was no need for a conclusion spelling it all out at the end as in other stories/novels.
25. How many times does Watson describe Holmes as wearing a deerstalker cap? None. (Did this surprise you, too?)

I am busy packing the Sherlock Holmes Book Box full of clever clues & novel treasures (along with a beautiful clothbound edition of a beloved Sherlock Holmes novel) to test your wit this week. And there are a few left! I invite you to check it out for yourself by clicking here.