Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Podcast By Scott Monty & Burt Wolder cover art

Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

By: Scott Monty & Burt Wolder
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You know the plots, but what about the minutiae? We delve into the Sherlock Holmes stories and provide answers to questions that arise, clarify muddy details, and look into some of the period terminology in this weekly podcast. Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Playing Tricks with the Law of England
    Jul 23 2025

    “play tricks with me and I’ll crush you” [ABBE]

    Was Sherlock Holmes too lenient with how he handled some of the criminals he defeated? There are a number whom he caught and set free, flouting the law in the process.

    Inspired by a recent article in The Baker Street Journal, we look at examples in a handful of stories and compare the fates of the accused in each. Did they get what they deserved? It's much more than just a Trifle.

    If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift.

    Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (Patreon | Substack). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to this episode here or wherever you get podcasts
    Links
    • Related episodes:
      • Episode 183 - Justice, Part 1: Unresolved
      • Episode 184 - Justice, Part 2: Disproportionate
      • Episode 187 - Justice, Part 3: Comeuppance
    • All of our social links: https://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock
    • Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
    Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
    Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
    Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
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    33 mins
  • Untangling the Skein
    Jul 16 2025

    “another thread which I have extricated out of the tangled skein” [HOUN]

    It has long been accepted that the original title of A Study in Scarlet was meant to be A Tangled Skein. While there is no surviving manuscript of the first Sherlock Holmes story, a single page of notes has long served as Sherlock Holmes's "birth certificate."

    However, Matt Hall discovered a letter in Sydney, Australia that proves otherwise. His research is presented in Vol. 37 No. 2 of The Sherlock Holmes Journal. And it's much more than just a Trifle.

    If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift.

    Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (Patreon | Substack). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to this episode here or wherever you get podcasts
    Links
    • The Sherlock Holmes Journal
    • All of our social links: https://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock
    • Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
    Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
    Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
    Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
    Show more Show less
    29 mins
  • £100
    Jul 9 2025

    “put £100 down in front of him” [BLUE]

    Humans are suckers for round numbers. And 100 seems like a perfectly reasonable one to settle on. It's the first three-digit number (in Arabic numbers, that is; Romans were happy to hit a C note).

    When it comes to £100 in the Sherlock Holmes stories, it's a figure often associated with some sort of scam — enough to get attention and secure the trust of the mark. Which stories feature £100 and what were the circumstances? It's just a Trifle.

    If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift.

    Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (Patreon | Substack). Leave Trifles a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to this episode here or wherever you get podcasts
    Links
    • Related: Episode 121 - Old Money
    • All of our social links: https://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock
    • Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
    Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
    Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
    Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
    Show more Show less
    21 mins
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My favorite Sherlockian podcast. The world is a better place with Scott and Bert extolling the trifles of 1895 in Victorian England. A must listen podcast.

Excellent my dear Watson

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This podcast is spectacular. Scott and Burt have great camaraderie, and their appreciation for the Sherlockian world is evident. If you're looking for a spectacular podcast, this, along with their "I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere," podcast is a fantastic show.

Enlightening, Entertaining, and Educational

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