The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book

by Kathleen Kaska

  10. Holmes is able to solve the crime with the help of a lead from a member of the Mafia.

  QUIZ 48 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE THREE STUDENTS”

  Published in the Strand in June 1904 and in Collier’s in September 1904

  Life at the College of St. Luke’s in “The Adventure of the Three Students” was reminiscent of Conan Doyle’s life at Edinburgh University. But the theme of this story probably stemmed from an incident at Hodder prep school, when the son of an Italian count ran away about the time a test was discovered missing. This quiz contains ten multiple choice questions about Holmes going head-to-head with the brilliant minds of young academics.

  Story Date: 1895

  1. On what subject is the scholarship examination that was to be administered at the College of St. Luke?

  A. Binomial equations

  B. Greek translations

  C. Human anatomy

  D. History of theology

  2. How did the student gain access to Mr. Soames’s study in order to see the exam?

  A. Mr. Soames’s servant, Bannister, left the key in the door when he carried out the tea service.

  B. The student broke a lock on the window and entered the study.

  C. The student sneaked into the study and hid behind the drapery when Mr. Bannister went in to open the windows.

  D. The student picked the lock and entered from the connecting room.

  3. How did Mr. Soames know that someone had entered his study and copied the test?

  A. Mr. Soames noticed an ink smudge on the paper.

  B. He noticed the imprint of the person’s writing on the blotting paper.

  C. His inkwell was empty, and his chair and lamp had been rearranged.

  D. The papers on his desk were rearranged.

  4. Why does Holmes suspect that Bannister knows something about the crime?

  A. While Holmes is interviewing Bannister, the butler does not look him in the eye; instead, his eyes dart around the room.

  B. When Bannister describes how he almost fainted, Holmes discovers that the butler crossed the room and sat down in a chair positioned in an inconvenient location.

  C. Bannister responds to Holmes’s questions too quickly; his answers are too short and definite.

  D. His story about forgetting the key seems too farfetched for Holmes to believe.

  5. What evidence does Holmes find in Soames’s bedroom and sitting room?

  A. Clumps of black clay

  B. Blades of dry grass

  C. Several burrs embedded in the rug

  D. Tiny, brownish pebbles

  6. How long has Bannister been an employee of Mr. Soames?

  A. Six months

  B. Two years

  C. Ten years

  D. Twenty-five years

  7. What information does Holmes request that eventually leads him to discover the identity of the cheating student?

  A. Holmes requests the height of each suspect.

  B. Holmes asks to view the suspects’ dorm rooms.

  C. Holmes asks for the names of the suspects’ girlfriends.

  D. Holmes wants to find out if the suspects are engaged in sports.

  8. How did Bannister know who had entered into Mr. Soames’s study to copy the test?

  A. Bannister recognized the student’s gloves left in the chair.

  B. Bannister recognized the sweet scent of the student’s tobacco.

  C. Bannister recognized the muffler that the student had dropped.

  D. Bannister caught a glimpse of the student’s threadbare coat as he dashed from the room.

  9. Why does Bannister attempt to cover for the guilty student?

  A. The guilty student knows about a scandalous incident in Bannister’s past.

  B. Bannister knew that the student was forced into the dishonest task in order to cover for a classmate.

  C. Bannister had been the loyal butler of the student’s father and felt obliged to look after the son while at school.

  D. Bannister plans to blackmail the student.

  10. What happens to the student after he confesses to the crime?

  A. He is expelled and asked to take leave of the college immediately.

  B. He breaks down sobbing and explains that without the scholarship he could not afford to continue his education.

  C. He laughs and proclaims his action a noble deed, as he believes the school’s policy of awarding scholarships is unethical.

  D. He joins the Rhodesian Police and leaves for Africa.

  QUIZ 49 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE GOLDEN PINCE-NEZ”

  Published in the Strand in July 1904 and in Collier’s in October 1904

  While Conan Doyle and his first wife, Louise, were traveling in Egypt in 1896, he eagerly wanted to visit a famous Coptic monastery located in the desert outside of Cairo. He and his friend, Colonel Henry Lewis, rented a coach and hired a driver who managed to lose his way a few hours into the trip. As evening fell, the travelers found themselves lost in the desert. Relying on skills learned at sea, Conan Doyle used the stars to determine their location and set his baffled driver in the right direction. They arrived at the monastery the next day around noon. However, Conan Doyle had to again step out of his role as tourist and attend to the sick abbot who was too ill to show them around. When the author returned to Cairo, he sent medication for the ailing abbot. Facts about the monastery found their way into “The Adventure of Golden Pince-Nez.” This quiz contains ten short-answer questions about the story in which Holmes chain-smokes his way to the solution.

  Story Date: November 1894

  1. Why is Inspector Stanley Hopkins perplexed over the apparent murder of Willoughby Smith?

  2. What position did Mr. Smith hold in Professor Coram’s household?

  3. Who heard Mr. Smith’s scream and then subsequently discovered him dying in the professor’s study?

  4. How did Mr. Smith die?

  5. What were Mr. Smith’s last words?

  6. What evidence is found in the dead man’s hand?

  TRIVIA FACTS : DID YOU KNOW THAT . . .

  1. Conan Doyle’s idea for the cryptic messages in “The Adventure of the Dancing Men” developed while he was staying at the Hill House Hotel in Norfolk. The hotel owner’s young son entertained himself by writing his name using sketches of dancing men.

  2. In writing the stories which would appear in the collection entitled The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle, satisfied with the first three stories but slightly disappointed in the fourth, wrote, “I’ve got three bullseyes and an outer.” The fourth story was “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist.”

  3. In 1914 the distraught wife of Joseph Caillaux, minister of finance of France, walked into the Figaro newspaper office and confronted editor Gaston Calmette about critical articles he had written about her husband. Rather than offer to retract them, he threatened to publish love letters that her husband had written to her while he was still married to his first wife. Mme. Caillaux pulled out a gun and shot him dead. This true story occurred almost ten years after Conan Doyle published “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” a story with a plot almost identical to the Caillaux case.

  7. What clue leads Holmes to believe that a portion of the professor’s bookcase opens to a secret room?

  8. What clue convinces Holmes that the professor is hiding someone?

  9. Why does Holmes believe that the person who committed the murder is still in the house?

  10. How does Anna Coram escape punishment for her crimes?

  QUIZ 50 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING THREE-QUARTER”

  Published in the Strand in August 1904 and in Collier’s in November 1904

  If writing was Conan Doyle’s first passion, then sports was his second. He played sports, wrote about sports, and invented new sports, and it seems apropos that he should include sports in his Sherlock Holmes stories. In fact, Holmes shares Conan Doyle’s interest in boxing. In “The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter,” Holme
s must find the missing player before the big game. The following quiz contains ten true/false statements.

  Story Date: December 1896

  1. Godfrey Staunton received a surprise visit from his uncle on the night Staunton disappeared.

  2. In order to learn who Godfrey Staunton is, Holmes looks through volume “S” of his commonplace book.

  3. Lord Mount-James is relieved and hopeful when he discovers that Holmes has been hired to locate his nephew.

  4. Holmes tries to find out who sent the message to Staunton by stealing a glance at the receipts in the telegram office while Watson distracts the clerk.

  5. Holmes connects Dr. Leslie Armstrong to Godfrey Staunton when he finds a receipt for thirteen guineas that Staunton paid to Dr. Armstrong.

  6. Holmes compares Dr. Armstrong to the notorious Professor Moriarty.

  7. Holmes uses the bloodhound, Pompey, to follow Dr. Armstrong by allowing the dog to sniff the doctor’s boots.

  8. When Holmes enters Godfrey Staunton’s room, he finds a dead woman.

  9. Godfrey Staunton kept his marriage secret because married men could not play on the Cambridge rugby team.

  10. Cambridge won the rugby match even without their star three-quarter.

  QUIZ 51 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE ABBEY GRANGE”

  Published in the Strand in September 1904 and in Collier’s in December 1904

  In “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange,” Conan Doyle again draws on his experience from seven months at sea as a surgeon on a whaling ship in 1880. Holmes, also knowledgeable about maritime practices, is able to solve the mystery. This story is best remembered, however, for the famous Holmes quote, “Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot.” The following quiz contains ten multiple choice questions.

  Story Date: January 1897

  1. How was Sir Eustace Brackenstall murdered?

  A. Sir Eustace was shot in the back at close range.

  B. He was struck on the head with a poker.

  C. He died from over a dozen stab wounds.

  D. He was pushed from his upstairs balcony onto the flagstones below.

  2. Who saw the murderers outside, near the lodge gate, about an hour before the murder took place?

  A. Lady Brackenstall’s maid, Theresa Wright

  B. Lady Brackenstall

  C. The butler

  D. Sir Eustace

  3. Which of the three facts below is not one of the reasons that Holmes doubts Lady Brackenstall’s story?

  A. The burglars did not kill Lady Brackenstall even though she could identify them.

  B. They pulled down the bell cord to bind Lady Brackenstall, unconcerned that the bell would alert the servants.

  C. An elderly man could not have struck such a violent blow.

  D. Of the three glasses of wine, only one contained traces of beeswing.

  4. Which clue leads Holmes to suspect that the wine was opened by a pocket screw rather than a household corkscrew?

  A. The wine bottle contained deep scratches along the lip of the bottle.

  B. Bits of cork floated in the bottle.

  C. The household corkscrew was brand new and had never been used.

  D. The pocket screw is short and had to be inserted three times in order to remove the cork. A household corkscrew is long and only one insertion is necessary.

  5. Whom does Inspector Hopkins believe to be responsible for the crime?

  A. The Randall gang, which is operating in the area

  B. Lady Brackenstall and her maid

  C. Petty thieves who had not planned to kill anyone

  D. A lover from Lady Brackenstall’s past

  6. What is one clue that leads Holmes to suspect that a sailor is involved in the crime?

  A. The knots on the cord that is used to tie up Lady Brackenstall are commonly used by sailors.

  B. A knife, typical of one used on a ship, is used to cut the bell cord.

  C. A button from a sailor’s coat is found near the body.

  D. Holmes discovers clumps of briny sand outside the window of the dining room.

  7. Why does Lady Brackenstall’s maid, Theresa, hate Sir Eustace?

  A. Sir Eustace would often get drunk and make a pass at her.

  B. Sir Eustace was very tight and accused the servants of pilfering.

  C. Sir Eustace was forcing Theresa to work for very meager wages, because he knew that she was dedicated to Lady Brackenstall and would not leave her service.

  D. Sir Eustace physically abused Lady Brackenstall.

  8. According to Holmes, what is peculiar about the chair in the dining room?

  A. The blood stain on the chair appeared to have been there for a long time.

  B. Lady Brackenstall says that Sir Eustace was struck after she sat down in the chair. If that were true, there would not be blood stains on the chair.

  C. The dining chair does not match the other chairs in the room.

  D. There are scuff marks on the chair, as if someone had stood on it.

  9. Why did Lady Brackenstall decide not to marry Jack Croker?

  A. Lady Brackenstall was already promised to marry Sir Eustace.

  B. Even though she loved Croker, she felt that he was below her station.

  C. Lady Brackenstall enjoyed Croker’s comradeship and company, but she was not in love with him.

  D. She did not like to be alone, and she knew that Croker would be away at sea most of the time.

  10. How does Holmes justify letting the person responsible for killing Sir Eustace go free?

  A. Sir Eustace was a violent man, and he got what he deserved.

  B. The man only has six months to live.

  C. Because of Sir Eustace, the man had already spent several years in prison for a crime that he didn’t commit.

  D. Holmes and Watson set up a mock trail, in which Holmes acts as judge and Watson as jury. The man is found not guilty.

  QUIZ 52 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE SECOND STAIN”

  Published in the Strand in December 1904 and in Collier’s in January 1905

  The theme for the story of “The Adventure of the Second Stain” reflected Conan Doyle’s involvement in the Boer War less than five years earlier. The character of Lord Bellinger was based on Lord Salisbury, and the Honorable Trelawney Hope was modeled after Joseph Chamberlain. Holmes is hired to find a lost document that, if not recovered, could lead to a great war in Europe. Conan Doyle subtly suggests that the situation in the story reflected England’s atrocious involvement with South Africa around the turn of the century. The following quiz contains ten short-answer questions about how Holmes casually thwarted a world war and put a prime minister in his place.

  Story Date: Autumn in the mid-1880s

  1. At what time does Trelawney Hope, secretary for European affairs, discover the missing letter?

  2. How long was the dispatch box containing the letter left unguarded?

  3. Who visits Holmes the morning after the letter was discovered missing, pleading for information about the incident?

  4. Who accompanies Hope when he visits Holmes to request assistance?

  5. Why is Holmes certain that the missing letter has not fallen into the wrong hands?

  6. How does Holmes come to suspect Lucas above the other two agents?

  7. Upon investigating Lucas’s murder, how does Holmes know that the constable on duty let someone view the scene of the crime?

  TRIVIA FACTS : DID YOU KNOW THAT . . .

  1. When Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes in a story published in 1893, many fans mourned his apparent death by wearing crepe bands round their hats.

  2. The famous dictum spoken by Holmes in “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange,” “The game is afoot,” was first spoken in Shakespeare’s Henry V.

  8. What secret was Lucas using to blackmail Lady Hilda?

  9. How does Lady Hilda gain access to the dispatch-box?

  10. What did Lady Hilda see as she rushed from Lucas’s house?

  Jude Law, Noomi R
apace, Robert Downey, Jr. as Dr. Watson, Madam Simza Heron, and Sherlock Holmes in the Guy Ritchie film A Game of Shadows 2011

  SIX

  THE FOURTH COLLECTION: HIS LAST BOW

  “As impassive as ever to the casual observer, there were none the less a subdued eagerness and suggestion of tension in his brightened eyes and brisker manner which assured me that the game was afoot.”

  —DR. JOHN WATSON

  IN THIS PENULTIMATE COLLECTION of eight Sherlock Holmes stories, Conan Doyle presents his readers with a variety of cases. Murder, espionage, abduction, and revenge are at the heart of “The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge,” “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box,” “The Adventure of the Red Circle,” “The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans,” “The Adventure of the Dying Detective,” “The Disappearance of the Lady Frances Carfax,” “The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot,” and “His Last Bow.”

  In the last story of the collection, “His Last Bow,” Conan Doyle makes a subtle attempt once more to end his Sherlock Holmes detective series. Having learned his lesson after his first attempt twenty-four years earlier, Conan Doyle planned to have the Great Detective fade away in the ominous cloud which reflects the theme of the story. As Holmes tells Watson, “Stand with me here upon the terrace, for it may be the last quiet talk that we shall ever have. . . . There’s an east wind coming, Watson . . . and a good many of us may wither before its blast.” The story concludes with Holmes saving England from a fascist government and then quietly retiring to the country, bringing a peaceful end to his long career. But the retirement is only temporary, and seven years later, the game is again afoot as Conan Doyle gives it one last shot.