One of Doyle’s personal favorites, “The Adventure of the Silver Blaze” combines a dramatic murder, the moody setting, and Victorian sporting drama. This famous little story was published in the collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It’s also responsible for one of the most famous quotes that people attribute to Holmes, which has found its way into book titles, common vernacular, and even physics! Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ...
Aug 18, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 21
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident,' remarked Sherlock Holmes.” From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Kristen O'Neal. Kristen O'Neal is a writer, director, and voice actor. You can hear more of her voice in her podcast, Thin Places Radio. You can follow her on Instagram at @discountgoblin, or learn more on her website: kristenonealwrites....
Jul 18, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 20
From disappearing households and mysterious foreign nationals to international crime bosses and a little breaking and entering, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" has all the makings of a classic Holmes tale with none of the panache that sets some of them apart. Sarah and Marisa discuss this bizarre little story, which comes from "His Last Bow." We appreciate your patience with some echo in our audio this week - we did some recording on the go! Find recommended reading, more stories, info about t...
Jun 20, 2025•48 min•Season 3Ep. 19
"If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal." From His Last Bow, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Rebekah Love. Content warning: This story contains some Victorian-era racism, including some derogatory Victorian terms for non-white people. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website...
May 30, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 18
"If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal." From His Last Bow, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Rebekah Love. Content warning: This story contains some Victorian-era racism, including some derogatory Victorian terms for non-white people. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website...
May 16, 2025•23 min•Season 3Ep. 17
NEW: Read Marisa's Crime Reads article about Elementary as a pre-eminent Holmes adaptation! https://crimereads.com/elementary-is-a-masterclass-in-sherlock-holmes-adaptation/ What do Trainspotting, Charlie’s Angels, a rooftop covered in bees, and a pet turtle named Clyde have in common? Welcome to our case file on season 1 of Elementary, which ran on CBS starting in September 2012. Sarah and Marisa walk us back to 2012 and reminisce about watching the show when it aired, dissect its first season ...
Apr 19, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 16
A violent crime, a terrible betrayal, a shocking death… and mongeese. From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Crooked Man” is a complicated and compelling puzzle of a story that circles around betrayal, disability, empire, real-world events and Victorian geopolitics. Content warning: CROO is chock full of Victorian racism, ableism, and imperialism. It comes baked into the plot of this one. More info, that illustration we reference, and our reading list: https://www.howeverimpr...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 15
"It's every man's business to see justice done." From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Dan Heidt. More info: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-crooked-man This narration was read by Dan Heidt. Dan is a songwriter and podcaster from Columbus, Ohio. His podcast, "Flies in the Kitchen" features conversations with creative folx from all genres, in all settings. Dan previously recorded several stor...
Feb 17, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Missing engineers, missing gangs, and missing thumbs - “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” is a delicious macare story about near-death experiences, the perils of working in engineering, and Sherlock Holmes’ lack of tact. This week’s discussion delves into the inherently Gothic nature of this somewhat understated tale, how much we love when Watson’s doctor skills get to shine, and the interesting tension of detective stories without any real conclusions. Content warning: Not to spoil the plo...
Jan 27, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 13
"The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements which they had found within, and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb ." From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Remy. Remy (he/him) is a plushie maker, character illustrator, TTRPG and video game designer, and a multimedia artist. He has a side project where he reviews detective fiction and mystery media called "A Study in Spectrum" due ...
Dec 06, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Want to narrate a story? Read more here: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/read Upcoming stories include: Silver Blaze, Beryl Coronet, The Empty House! "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" raises a lot of visceral feelings about the voyeristic nature true crime, centering women in their own stories, dysfunctional families and why exactly Holmes and Watson have a little drunk lunch date during a crime investigation. Listen to our discussion of the story now! Sarah & Marisa previously a...
Oct 07, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 11
“'There were three sisters altogether. The old one was just a good woman, the second was a devil, and the third was an angel.” From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna Hanchey is a critical/cultural communication professor by day, and a speculative fiction author and audiobook narrator by...uh...earlier in the day. All of her work, whether research or creative, aims to imagine and enact better futures. Her f...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 10
The goodness of roses, stormy petrels and a shockingly good breakfast all come to play in "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" - a perfect short story that has it all. Political intrigue! Brotherly betrayal! Practical jokes! Weird monologues! We cover everything from Watson's old school friends to Holmes's theatricality in today's discussion. Thanks for listening! Dear listeners - We need narrators for upcoming stories! More details here: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/read Find recomme...
Jul 02, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 9
"The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by William Wandless. “It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.” William H. Wandless (he/him) is a professor of English at Central Michigan University, where he gets to visit with Arthur Conan Doyle and his Victorian peers from time to time. He is also a poet and an author of speculative fiction, and he can be found on Twitter at @ArsGoetica. Find recommended reading, ...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Holmes is hired by a young clerk to investigate a suspiciously good job offer - and ends up in a case of identity theft and robbery. "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk" is an odd little story with a dramatic twist in the middle that stands it apart from other similar tales. We discuss Dr. Watson, M.D., how much we long for a better robbery story than this one, and Watson's enduring crushes on men who look like rugby players in this week's discussion. Content warning (and SPOILER ALERT!): ...
May 03, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 7
"The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jack Carmichael. “Human nature is a strange mixture, Watson. You see that even a villain and murderer can inspire such affection that his brother turns to suicide when he learns that his neck is forfeited." Content warning (and SPOILER ALERT!): This story contains a fairy graphic depiction of a suicide attempt by hanging. It occurs about halfway through the story. This episode is narrated by Jack Carmichael. Jack is a ...
Apr 20, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Holmes complains about the weather, insults a Scotland Yard detective and untangles some old family drama in this strange little story. Plus, Watson is married now! Did anything else meaningful happen? From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" is an oddly-paced, weirdly plotted short story about murderous Australians and the sins of our fathers. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast....
Mar 25, 2024•37 min•Season 3Ep. 5
"The Boscombe Valley Mystery" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Sarah Kolb. “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact,” he answered, laughing. “Besides, we may chance to hit upon some other obvious facts which may have been by no means obvious to Mr. Lestrade.” "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" is narrated by Sarah Kolb. Sarah is Colorado-based writer, podcaster, and arts marketer, with a passion for unconventional storytelling, detective stories, and rude women. You probably kn...
Mar 09, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Welcome back to our discussion episodes! From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" is one of the nastiest tales in the canon - complete with a skin-crawling villain named Jephro Rucastle. It also stars one of our favorite women - the intrepid Violet Hunter. Sarah and Marisa check in with Holmes and Watson after our break from the stories, the creepy horror of this tale, some other iconic stories with horrible things hidden in the attic, and more. Content warni...
Dec 08, 2023•48 min•Season 3Ep. 4
"The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Sarah Kolb. “Crime is common. Logic is rare." "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" is narrated by Sarah Kolb. Sarah is Colorado-based writer, podcaster, and arts marketer, with a passion for unconventional storytelling, detective stories, and rude women. You probably know her as the co-host of However Improbable! During the day, she’s a professional advocate for regional theatre, art education and gender parity in the arts...
Nov 22, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Marisa and Sarah weren't the only ones who were busy in the last year away from the show. So was Holmes - busy drinking that respect women juice. Legally. In January of this year, the US copyright on The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes expired. This means that, for the first time, all the Holmes stories are no longer protected by copyright. What does this mean for Holmes? What do we hope comes out of it? Do we want to read your trashy Holmes romance novels? All those answers in today's case file! Fi...
Oct 08, 2023•15 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Our dear listeners, we owe you a thousand apologies!
Sep 23, 2023•7 min•Season 3Ep. 1
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the closest that Arthur Conan Doyle comes to writing a real supernatural horror story (in his Holmes tales anyway) and one adaptation stands above the rest by truly committing to that idea. Happy Halloween and welcome to our case file on Hammer Film’s Hound of the Baskervilles! Released in 1959 by Hammer Film Ltd., this horror-ified take on Doyle's classic story wasn't a commercial success at the time, but has gained cult status for its star-studded cast, moody s...
Oct 31, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 33
A family curse. A desolate moor. An unexplained death. A monstrous dog. Arguably one of the most famous short stories of all time, The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four novellas about the great detective, and the first story Doyle wrote after Holmes’s (spoilers!) apparent demise in “The Final Problem.” It all comes together into a spine-tingling mystery that Watson's writing turns into a horror tale. We discuss Watson's turn as a Gothic heroine, the genre-hopping joy of Hound, Dracu...
Sep 22, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 32
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Chapter 13: Fixing the Nets Chapter 14: The Hound of the Baskervilles Chapter 15: A Retrospection “ And now I come rapidly to the conclusion of this singular narrative, in which I have tried to make the reader share those dark fears and vague surmises which clouded our lives so long and ended in so tragic a manner." The Hound of the Baskervilles is narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna is a critical/cultural communication...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 2Ep. 31
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Chapter 10: Extract from the Diary of Dr. Watson Chapter 11: The Man on the Tor Chapter 12: Death on the Moor “That cold, incisive, ironical voice could belong to but one man in all the world." The Hound of the Baskervilles is narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna is a critical/cultural communication professor by day, and a speculative fiction author and audiobook narrator by...uh...earlier in the day. All of her work, wh...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 30
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Chapter 7: The Stapletons of Merripit House Chapter 8: First Report of Dr. Watson Chapter 9: The Light upon the Moor [Second Report of Dr. Watson] “But the moor with its mysteries and its strange inhabitants remains as inscrutable as ever. Perhaps in my next I may be able to throw some light upon this also.” The Hound of the Baskervilles is narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna is a critical/cultural communication profess...
Aug 15, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Season 2Ep. 29
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Chapter 4: Sir Henry Baskerville Chapter 5: Three Broken Threads Chapter 6: Baskerville Hall “It’s an ugly business, Watson, an ugly dangerous business, and the more I see of it the less I like it. Yes, my dear fellow, you may laugh, but I give you my word that I shall be very glad to have you back safe and sound in Baker Street once more.” The Hound of the Baskervilles is narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna is a critic...
Aug 13, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 28
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Chapter 1: Mr. Sherlock Holmes Chapter 2: The Curse of the Baskervilles Chapter 3: The Problem “Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!” The Hound of the Baskervilles is narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna is a critical/cultural communication professor by day, and a speculative fiction author and audiobook narrator by...uh...earlier in the day. All of her work, whether research or creative, aims to ima...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In the second of 2 discussions on the novella The Sign of Four, we dive into the story's messy and rather sad interpersonal drama by shining a light on the most understated of narrators - Dr. Watson himself, and the tension that is dividing his heart. Join us for a 221B vibe check (spoilers: bad vibes) as we take a look at the state of Holmes and Watson's friendship, and why Watson makes a choice that threatens it... as well as our narrative structure. Do we die defending Miss Mary Morstan? Is D...
Jul 07, 2022•59 min•Season 2Ep. 26
