Extra-Canonical Sherlock Holmes Stories Quiz

Answer:

"The Giant Rat of Sumatra"
From "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" (1924) - This case involves a creature that Holmes explicitly states "the world is not yet prepared" to hear about. It stands as the most famous untold tale in the canon.

"The Paradol Chamber"
From "The Five Orange Pips" (1891) - Investigated during a highly prolific stretch in 1887, this case is bundled in Watson's records alongside the "Amateur Mendicant Society". Its title suggests a mystery confined to a singular, specific room or political circle.

"The Singular Affair of the Aluminium Crutch"
From "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual" (1893) - This case dates back to Holmes's early days of private practice before he met Dr. Watson. Holmes regards it as a "pretty little problem". This is the one, more than any other, that I wish we had a record of.

"The Singular Adventures of the Grice Patersons in the Island of Uffa"
From "The Five Orange Pips" (1891) - Watson kept exhaustive records of this exotic, localized case from 1887, but sadly never published them. This is perhaps an island-bound family mystery or an unusual expedition gone wrong.

"The Tarleton Murders"
From "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual" (1893) - This grim investigation was solved by Holmes long before he partnered with Watson. The records were kept filed away in his private tin dispatch box. A case he was obviously proud of and a classic example of his early deductive capabilities.

"The Camberwell Poisoning Case"
From "The Five Orange Pips" (1891) - An 1887 (we assume) investigation where Holmes used a method not mentioned elsewhere in the canon to catch the killer. Watson tells us Holmes reported solving it by winding a dead man's watch.

"The Loss of the British Bark 'Sophy Anderson'"
From "The Five Orange Pips" (1891) - Holmes and shipwrecks, eh? This 1887 maritime mystery focused on the sudden, unexplained disappearance of a deep-sea sailing vessel inside a story that is also about the sudden, unexplained disappearance of a deep-sea sailing vessel.

"The Dundas Separation Case"
From "A Case of Identity" (1891) - A lighter, highly eccentric domestic puzzle handled by Holmes in his early career. It is most famous for the husband's bizarre habit of throwing his false teeth at his wife at the conclusion of meals. The husband really gummed up the marriage....*silence from the audience*....I'll see myself out.

"The Case of Vamberry, the Wine Merchant"
From "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual" (1893) - This is a Holmes triumph from his pre-Watson era. Though the details are almost entirely lacking, it seems to have helped establish his reputation in London. More hits from the tin dispatch box.

"Ricoletti of the Club Foot and His Abominable Wife"
From "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual" (1893) - A dark case that Watson says he kept carefully indexed under the letter "R". The brief mention promises a sinister plot involving a physically distinct husband and a terrifying spouse. I have often wondered if this was a bit like "The Man with the Twisted Lip", if his wife had been in on it.

"The Adventure of the Tired Captain"
From "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" (1893) - This case took place in the busy July following Watson's marriage (first, second, third...?). Watson explicitly promised readers he would publish a full account of it in the future, a promise he never kept. Oathbreaker!

"The Vatican Cameos"
From "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1901) - A highly delicate, high-profile case that required Holmes to travel to Italy to assist the Pope. His preoccupation with this mystery kept him away from England, leaving a temporary respite for London's criminal underworld.

"The Addleton Tragedy"
From "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez" (1904) - A dark, ancient affair that led Holmes to deeply examine the singular contents of a British burial mound. This one is another I wish I could have read, and I always think about it when I read of Holmes' investigations in "Hound".

"The Sudden Death of Cardinal Tosca"
From "The Adventure of Black Peter" (1904) - An international investigation undertaken in 1895 at the express personal request of Pope Leo XIII. Holmes's discretion in solving the cardinal's mysterious demise earned him the deep gratitude of the Vatican...again? For the first time? Was Holmes a Catholic? Mysteries abound.

"The Tankerville Club Scandal"
From "The Five Orange Pips" (1891) - A high-society crisis where Holmes successfully cleared Major Prendergast from a wrongful accusation of cheating at cards. The Holmes stories are so recursive and tend to repeat themes. For those in the know, doesn't this sound like the opening to "Empty House"?


Original Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce films

"Sherlock Holmes in Washington"
(1943) - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to America to find a secret piece of microfilm. The important film is hidden inside a simple matchbook.

"The Scarlet Claw"
(1944) - The famous detectives go to a foggy village in Canada to solve a scary mystery. They must hunt down a creepy, glowing monster that is attacking people.

"The Spider Woman"
(1944) - Sherlock Holmes pretends to be dead so he can secretly track a smart villain. This evil woman uses deadly spiders to make people do terrible things.

"Pursuit to Algiers"
(1945) - This mystery happens almost entirely on a big passenger ship at sea. Holmes must protect a young prince who is hiding from dangerous bad guys.

"Dressed to Kill"
(1946) - In this final movie, Holmes must crack a secret code. The code is hidden inside cheap music boxes that were made by prisoners.