“it's the king of diamonds” [MAZA] It took Laurie R. King six years to find a publisher for her first book, but it was worth the wait. She won the Edgar in 1994 for Best First Novel with A Grave Talent, which launched her Kate Martinelli series, set in San Francisco. That same year, The Bee-Keeper’s Apprentice introduced the impressive, young Mary Russell, who would meet and eventually marry the retired Sherlock Holmes — “the least marriageable man I knew,” according to Mary, in 1921. Since then, Russell and Holmes have traveled the world in eighteen novels, finding mystery and adventure everywhere from the English countryside to Palestine to California. Along the way, Mary’s partnership with Holmes has evolved, usually in plots that mix real events with suspenseful intrigue.  Now Knave of Diamonds, the nineteenth book in the series, brings Mary a case not even Sherlock Holmes could solve: the very real theft of the Irish Crown Jewels from Dublin Castle years before. It comes with the sudden return of Mary’s unprincipled Uncle Jake, traveling on a cloud of fabrications and falsehoods. Laurie R. King was named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master in 2022. Join us for a conversation about the Irish Crown Jewels, Laurie’s approach to storytelling, Mary’s background and her conflicting loyalties, and much more. So you can see what’s coming, we share the first half of August in “The Learned Societies” segment. Madeline Quiñones is back with “A Chance of Listening,” and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a signed copy of Knave of Diamonds for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock.com by July 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.   Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ).          Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors  has a number of new Sherlock Holmes books out by various authors. You'll want to check out the breadth of their offerings by  to learn more.   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!       Links   Other episodes mentioned:   The Learned Societies:  A Chance of Listening: Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“from Portsmouth at midday” [LAST]    The Portsmouth Library is home to the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, largely made possible by the bequest of Richard Lancelyn Green. This world-renowned collection, the work of one of the foremost Doylean scholars, is a treasure trove for researchers, enthusiasts, and the public. The Collection preserves books, manuscripts, artifacts, and ephemera that illuminate Conan Doyle's life, his beloved Sherlock Holmes, and the cultural impact of his work. Laura Weston is the Education and Learning Officer for the Collection at the Portsmouth City Council, making the collection accessible and engaging to a global audience. Laura joins us to discuss the annual Worldwide Doyle conference, a series of virtual talks by writers, fans, and academics who are passionate about Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. The program is taking place in June and July; all events take place at 7:00 pm BST and are free of charge, and will be available online. How does a city like Portsmouth turn a literary archive into a global attraction — and why does it matter? What behind-the-scenes choices shape the talks and exhibits that bring Sherlock Holmes to life for new audiences? Laura discusses all of this, including the unexpected item in the Collection that made even its curator stop and say, “I didn’t see that coming.” So you can see what’s coming, we share the full calendar of July in “The Learned Societies” segment. Madeline Quinones is back with “A Chance of Listening,” and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with something from the vaults for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock.com by June 29, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.   Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ).      Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors  has a number of new Sherlock Holmes books out by various authors. You'll want to check out the breadth of their offerings by to learn more.   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!     Links Lectures (YouTube) Other episodes mentioned:   The Learned Societies:  A Chance of Listening:  Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“You can file it in our archives, Watson” [RETI]    North America is home to a number of public collections, libraries, museums, and archives that hold treasures related to Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Not least among them is the Toronto Public Library. Home to the famed Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, the TPL is a great friend to Sherlockians and Doyleans everywhere and regularly welcomes visitors to view and research its more than 25,000 items related to Conan Doyle. And curator Jessie Amaolo joined us to talk about the digital offerings of the collection. What can an online researcher find in the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection? What's been digitized already and what's coming up? Jessie talks about all of this, plus some of unique and wonderful surroundings of the Toronto Public Library. Speaking of Sherlockian gatherings, we share June events in "The Learned Societies" segment, Madeline Quinones is back with A Chance of Listening, and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with something from the vaults for the winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by June 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ). We have extra material from this show available only to supporters.   Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors  celebrates 10 years of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories with its final collection. Get your volumes today!   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!   Links Other episodes mentioned:   The Learned Societies:  A Chance of Listening: Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“we can bring it to a successful conclusion” [EMPT]    When we discussed the Midwest Canonical Conclave in Episode 308, we weren't exactly sure what to expect. Organizer Steve Doyle, BSI ("The Western Morning News") gave us a general idea of what the aim was and what we might see there, but our expectations were blown away. Unlike any other Sherlockian event we've attended, the inaugural BSI Canonical Conclave (this of the Midwest variety) was a true delight. Burt and Scott reflect on the event and their experiences, consider the benefits of having attended, and muse on the future of Sherlockian gatherings. Speaking of Sherlockian gatherings, we share June events in "The Learned Societies" segment, Madeline Quinones is back with A Chance of Listening, and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with something from the vaults for the winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by May 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ). Supporters can see photos from the event and .       Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors  is hosting a special event at Undershaw on May 17, with a livestream component. Sign up and celebrate 10 years of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories.   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!       Links Other episodes mentioned: Trifles   The Learned Societies:  Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“good enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences” [SCAN]  Don't care for Sherlockian chronologies? Well, you're not alone! Neither did our guest today, and he's written a number of books on the subject. Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") is a member of the Sherlockian Chronologist Guild and author of Holmes In an Hour or Two: A Sherlock Holmes Fan's First Sherlockian Chronology, or Create Your Own Timeline of Sherlock Holmes's Life in the Shortest Time Possible. It's not a matter of simply picking dates or looking for discrepancies; creating a chronology can take into account all sorts of data, and trying to put it all together is truely a thinker's puzzle. We have some Sherlockian society events we share in "The Learned Societies" segment, and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of Brad's book for one lucky winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by April 29, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ).       Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors  is hosting a special event at Undershaw on May 17, with a livestream component. Sign up and celebrate 10 years of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories.   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!     Links (Amazon) (Historical Sherlock) Other episodes mentioned:   The Learned Societies:  Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“grazed the subclavian artery” [STUD]    While the Baker Street Irregulars is the most well-known of Sherlockian societies, it is by no means the only one — nor even the most important. There are gatherings happening every week, in person and virtually, of Sherlockian societies. And just like the Sherlockian societies that sprouted up in those early years of the hobby, Steve Doyle, BSI ("The Western Morning News") thought it might be helpful to bring some of them together in a spirit of building Sherlockian community and creating connections. And that's taking the form of the inaugural BSI Canonical Conclave, taking place in Indianapolis on April 26, 2025. We talk with Steve about what we might expect there and what he expects to come from this unique gathering. Whether you're attending or not, he shares vital information for your own activities. We have some Sherlockian society events we share in "The Learned Societies" segment, Madeline Quiñones tells us about another Sherlock Holmes podcast in "A Chance of Listening," and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge with something from the IHOSE vaults for one lucky winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by April 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ).     Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from : codes for .   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!     Links The Learned Societies:  Featured podcast from "A Chance of Listening": Steve Doyle has been on six previous episodes of IHOSE. Find them all in our . Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“able to evolve from their own inner consciousness” [STUD]    Now in its 12th year, 221B Con has become a mainstay of annual Sherlockian events, drawing people from all over the world to Atlanta every April. It was founded as a response to Sherlock on BBC, but has expanded beyond that to include the original stories as well as all forms of media. Last year, the founders announced that this year would be the final 221B Con. As we narrow in on that date, regular attendee and volunteer Johanna Draper Carlson isn't convinced that has to be the case. But the future isn't quite clear at this point. We talk with Johanna about what's changed over the years, how it compares to other major "Cons," what to expect in April 2025, and what she hopes the future will bring.  We have some Sherlockian society events we share in "The Learned Societies" segment, Madeline Quiñones tells us about another Sherlock Holmes podcast in "A Chance of Listening," and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge with something from the IHOSE vaults for one lucky winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by March 29, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. Don't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ). Just for our supporters, we'll be releasing a video version of this episode.     Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from : codes for .   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!       Links   The Learned Societies:  Featured podcast from "A Chance of Listening": Previous episodes mentioned: Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“the high opinion formed of him by his contemporaries.” [VALL] When the first Sherlock Holmes short stories came on the scene, they were something of a novelty: non-serialized, self-contained tales that put the Strand Magazine on the map. As with any success story, this one inspired imitators. These contemporaries of Sherlock Holmes inhabited the pages of the Strand and many other magazines of the day. Author Michael Cohen has stepped forward to catalog and categorize them from the years 1891 to 1914. This surprising array of characters includes those who were consciously not trying to be Sherlock Holmes, ranging from the occult to females, bumbling detectives, doctors and scientists, the criminal class and more. In , Cohen gives us a handy and valuable resource; its subtitle indicates it is a Mystery Guide and Finding List. For readers interested in detectives in this golden era, this book is an essential companion to help identify and locate these sometimes famous, sometimes obscure detectives. We also take a quick look at Sherlockian societies in "The Learned Societies" segment, Madeline Quiñones tells us about her absolute favorite Sherlock Holmes podcast in "A Chance of Listening," and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your knowledge with a reward of a copy of The Golden Era of Sherlock Holmes and His Contemporaries for one lucky winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by March 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. Dont't forget to become a  of the show on the platform of your choice ( | ).   Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from : codes for .   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!       Links The Golden Era of Sherlock Holmes and His Contemporaries () The Learned Societies links: Featured podcast from A Chance of Listening: . Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .   And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“a wistful look on his wrinkled face” [BLAN]  The first Sherlock Holmes adventure authored by Sherlock Holmes was “The Blanched Soldier.” It tells the tale of a family’s attempt to protect their son, a friend’s dedication to determining the truth, and Holmes’s actions to explain everything. Ira Matetsky, BSI ("The Final Problem") edited this volume and in the process, assembled a group of Sherlockians who have unique talents to apply to the analysis of the story and the manuscript, which was generously made available from the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library. This latest volume in the BSI Manuscript Series offers delights for the eyes as well as the mind, as the digital scan of the original manuscript as well as full color illustrations by Howard Elcock bring the volume to life. Ira tells us a great deal about the book – and listeners will also be treated to stories about a key player from one of the contributors. We'll cover the latest goings-on in Sherlockian societies in "The Learned Societies" segment, Madeline Quiñones reports on a long-running Sherlock Holmes podcast in "A Chance of Listening," and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your knowledge with a reward of a copy of That Ghastly Face for one lucky winner.  Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by February 27, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. And just for  of the show, we have a collection of Howard Elcock's illustrations for your visual delight ( | ).     Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from : codes for .   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!       Links (BSI Press) Previous episodes Ira has appeared on:  Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .       And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.

“One of the most precious public possessions of the empire” [BERY]    Joel Meadows began what eventually became Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie in 2002 while working on Tripwire as a quarterly print magazine. He tells us the story of how it took two decades to bring this vision to life with illustrator Andy Bennett, and what the plans are for part two of the story. The initial Kickstarter for part one was wildly successful, and the Kickstarter for the sequel is under way.  The praise has been effusive:  “A darn good romp” – Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning director “Classic Sherlock Holmes! You can smell the chimney-smoke and feel the clatter of hooves. Here’s the character we all know and love, given a fresh polish for the 21st century!” – Ian Rankin, Rebus The fusion of history and mystery form Joel's perfect nexus, and he's extending his efforts from graphic novel to a novella next.  We've moved the Sherlockian News to an exclusive monthly bonus track for  (watch for that to drop), and added a new segment: "The Learned Societies," all about activities going on in in Sherlockian groups. In this episode, we cover some of the BSI Weekend activities. Madeline Quiñones had diligently prepared an installment of "A Chance of Listening," her review of Sherlockian podcasts, that we missed last epsiode, so we make up for it this time. And of course the Canonical Couplet quiz awaits to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by February 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. If you become a  of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.     Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from : codes for .   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!     Links (Kickstarter) Social media links: Joel Meadows on , , Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders , Tripwire Magazine on  Previous episode mentioned: Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.