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The Best of Sherlock Holmes
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The Best Untold Tales of Sherlock Holmes
By Randall Stock
Sherlock Holmes investigated many mysteries. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described sixty cases in detail, but more than
one hundred others are only known by brief references. These are the "untold tales" – unrecorded cases (or at least, the unpublished cases) mentioned by Holmes and Watson.
Many people have wanted to know the rest of the story behind these untold tales.
Some writers, in fact, have been inspired to write pastiches based on these references. One of the more
famous collections of such pastiches is The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson
Carr. It includes twelve stories based on references to the untold tales.
While we may never know the true details of these cases, it is possible to determine
which cases sound the most interesting. The Hounds of the Internet, an e-mail discussion group devoted to
Sherlock Holmes, evaluated the untold tales and selected the top ten.
This ranking is based on a 10-point weighted scoring system. First-place
votes are noted in parentheses after the title. A rating scale provides simple
comparisons. It standardizes the weighted point totals by indexing the highest
score to 100. The text of each complete case reference is provided
below. More details about the poll are described in the survey methodology
for ranking the untold tales. The ballot included a list of 61 unreported
cases based on a number of sources.
Other
Sources
Many Sherlockians have compiled lists of unpublished cases. Some useful sources include:
Clarkson, Stephen. The Canonical Compendium. Ashcroft,
British Columbia: Calabash Press, 1999. This invaluable reference has
a Topical index that notes more than 100 unpublished cases on page 18.
It also has a Story Index for each of the 60 published cases that includes
a detailed citation and page reference for the five most common versions
of the Holmes stories. I highly recommend it, and it's available from
Calabash Press.
Goodrich, William D. The New Good Old Index. Dubuque,
Iowa: Gasogene Press, Ltd., 1994. This useful index to many Canonical
topics is keyed to the Doubleday Complete Sherlock Holmes and provides an
extensive list of unreported cases on pp. 548-551, including some that don't
involve Holmes.
Hardwick, Michael. The Complete Guide to Sherlock Holmes.
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1986. This book provides an overview
of the Holmes Canon but often lacks the details needed by a serious investigator.
However, it is widely available. It has a partial list of unchronicled
cases on pp. 239-241.
Redmond, Chris. The Tin Dispatch-Box: A Compendium of the Unpublished Cases of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
2nd ed. Lawrence, Kansas: [Privately Produced], 1965. This 20-page
booklet identifies 111 untold tales and provides dates and commentary on
many of the cases. It's probably the most detailed source for information
on the untold tales.
Stock, Randall. "Rating the Untold Tales." The Hounds' Collection volume 8 (2003): 38-41. This article provides some additional
analysis and discussion of the top untold tales noted on this web page. See also this list of 61 unreported cases.
Top 10
Complete
Case References
The following passages provide the complete case reference to the top ten
untold tales as described in the 1,122-page single-volume Doubleday edition
of
The Complete Sherlock Holmes. These descriptions were used
in the survey for ranking the tales. You'll note that many of the passages
also mention other untold tales. Some of these were also top-rated,
but most of them did not make the top ten.
I deprecate, however, in the strongest way the attempts which have been
made lately to get at and to destroy these papers. The source of these outrages
is known, and if they are repeated I have Mr. Holmes's authority for saying
that
the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse, and the
trained cormorant will be given to the public. There is at least one reader who
will understand.
From "The Veiled Lodger" (Doubleday p. 1095)
Top 10
As our firm specializes entirely upon the assessment of machinery the
matter hardly comes within our purview, and we have therefore recommended Mr.
Ferguson to call upon you and lay the matter before you.
We have not
forgotten your successful action in the case of Matilda Briggs.
"We are, sir,
Faithfully yours,
MORRISON, MORRISON, AND DODD.
per E. J. C.
"
Matilda Briggs was not the name of a young
woman, Watson," said Holmes in a reminiscent voice. "
It was a
ship which is associated with the giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the
world is not yet prepared."
From "The Sussex Vampire" (Doubleday p. 1034)
Top 10
Some, and not the least interesting, were complete failures, and as
such will hardly bear narrating, since no final explanation is forthcoming. A
problem without a solution may interest the student, but can hardly fail to
annoy the casual reader. Among these unfinished tales is that of
Mr. James
Phillimore, who, stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella, was
never more seen in this world. No less remarkable is that of the cutter
Alicia, which sailed one spring morning
into a small patch of mist from where she never again emerged, nor was anything
further ever heard of herself and her crew. A third case worthy of note is that
of Isadora Persano, the well-known journalist and duellist, who was found
stark staring mad with a match box in front of him which contained a remarkable
worm said to be unknown to science.
From "The Problem of Thor Bridge" (Doubleday p. 1055)
Top 10
Some, and not the least interesting, were complete failures, and as
such will hardly bear narrating, since no final explanation is forthcoming. A
problem without a solution may interest the student, but can hardly fail to
annoy the casual reader. Among these unfinished tales is that of Mr. James
Phillimore, who, stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella, was
never more seen in this world. No less remarkable is that of the cutter
Alicia, which sailed one spring morning
into a small patch of mist from where she never again emerged, nor was anything
further ever heard of herself and her crew. A third case worthy of note is that
of
Isadora Persano, the well-known journalist and duellist, who was found
stark staring mad with a match box in front of him which contained a remarkable
worm said to be unknown to science.
From "The Problem of Thor Bridge" (Doubleday p. 1055)
Top 10
"The affair seems absurdly trifling, and
yet I dare call nothing trivial when I reflect that some of my most classic
cases have had the least promising commencement. You will remember, Watson, how
the dreadful business of the
Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley
had sunk into the butter upon a hot day."
From "The Six Napoleons" (Doubleday p. 584)
Top 10
The year '87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater
or less interest, of which I retain the records. Among my headings under this
one twelve months I find an account of the adventure of the Paradol Chamber, of
the Amateur Mendicant Society, who held a luxurious club in the lower vault
of a furniture warehouse, of the facts connected with the loss of the
British bark
Sophy Anderson, of
the singular adventures of the Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa, and
finally of the Camberwell poisoning case.
From "The Five Orange Pips" (Doubleday p. 218)
Top 10
"They are not all successes,
Watson," said he, "but there are some pretty little problems among
them. Here's the record of the Tarleton
murders, and the case of Vamberry, the wine merchant, and the adventure of the
old Russian woman, and
the singular affair of the aluminum crutch, as
well as a full account of Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife.
From "The Musgrave Ritual" (Doubleday p. 387)
Top 10
In this memorable year '95 a
curious and incongruous succession of cases had engaged his attention, ranging from his
famous investigation of the sudden death of Cardinal Tosca--an inquiry which was
carried out by him at the express desire of His Holiness the Pope--down to
his
arrest of Wilson, the notorious canary-trainer, which removed a plague-spot
from the East-end of London.
From "Black Peter" (Doubleday p. 559)
Top 10
"They are not all successes,
Watson," said he, "but there are some pretty little problems among
them. Here's the record of the Tarleton
murders, and the case of Vamberry, the wine merchant, and the adventure of the
old Russian woman, and the singular affair of the aluminum crutch, as
well as
a full account of Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife.
From "The Musgrave Ritual" (Doubleday p. 387)
Top 10
Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend, Mr.
Sherlock Holmes, for solution during the years of our intimacy, there were only
two which I was the means of introducing to his notice -- that of Mr.
Hatherley's thumb, and that of
Colonel Warburton's madness.
From "The Engineer's Thumb" (Doubleday p. 274)
Top 10
As I turn over the pages I see my notes upon
the
repulsive story of the red leech and the terrible death of Crosby the banker. Here also I find an account of the Addleton
tragedy and the singular contents of the ancient British barrow. The famous Smith-Mortimer succession case
comes also within this period, and so does the tracking and arrest of Huret,
the Boulevard assassin-an exploit which won for Holmes an autograph letter of
thanks from the French President and the Order of the Legion of Honour.
From "The Golden Pince-Nez" (Doubleday p. 607)
Top 10
Related Web Pages and Information
A list of 61 untold tales used for this survey
A description of the survey details on ranking the untold tales
The Hounds' Collection volume 8 (2003) includes "Rating the Untold Tales" with additional analysis and discussion of these results, and is available from Bill Barnes at bbarnes@ozemail.com.au
Now that you know the best untold tales, be sure to read about Conan Doyle's published tales and find out which ones are The Best Sherlock Holmes Stories and The Top 10 Quotations from the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Top 10
Thanks
Thanks to Bill Barnes, Sarah Cheek, Don Dillistone and Laura Kuhn for their help with the survey, and thanks also to all the Hounds who voted.