Having given a gracious nod to the silver tongued wordsmith Poe, let us turn our gazes ever forward to another literary genius in history, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The man is almost as fascinating as his most famous fictional character, our beloved favorite, Detective Sherlock Holmes.

Doyle was a Scottish physician and writer who popularized more than just his most famous fictional detective character. His interactions with university professor Joseph Bell, and the influences of Poe’s character Dupin, were a large contribution to the personality of Sherlock. While everyone knows the major facets of what made Sherlock who he is, such as his propensity for smoking a pipe, ability to play the violin, and penchant for certain illegal narcotics, there are a great many interesting tidbits not known to the modern day Sherlock lover.

Holmes is certainly an oddity, one that the world has embraced with open arms through the original works of Doyle, other authors, movies, and most recently, t.v. shows. While everyone has their own spin on how he looks, sounds, and acts; the one thing they all have in common is how exceptionally clever he is. A man of mystery dissected by the masses, he never fails to thrill and mystify, keeping readers and watchers captivated by his intellect, passion, and sometimes ridiculous methods of solving cases.

Sherlock was a very disorganized man despite having impeccable personal hygiene. He would often get upset if anyone tried to move or sort any of the multitude of papers he kept in his study. He hated to throw anything away, as it might be useful to him at a later time. Despite the extreme chaos of his belongings he had a knack for knowing exactly where anything he happened to be looking for was, to the continued disbelief of his roommate, Watson.

The genius didn’t just confound Watson with his disorganization but with his lack of social ability as well. Sherlock had no interest in the fairer sex as he was completely engaged in his work. He had a bad habit of not eating during times when he was solving crimes, to the point where he would sometimes go unconscious. He liked to impress and flabbergast anyone working on a case he was consulting on with very grandiose and cunning deductions he seemed to fabricate out of thin air. Flattery was one of the quickest ways to his socially inept heart. He was a master of disguise and also well versed in chemistry and literature.

Out of the numerous cases undertaken and solved by Sherlock, the most famous writings of Doyle were undoubtedly his four novels, A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of Baskervilles, and The Final Problem, which allowed his avid readers to truly delve into the life and personality of Sherlock. He was so loved by the people of England that when Doyle killed him off, there was a public outcry so great that he brought him back to life ten years later to appease the disgruntled masses.

If you love case cracking, and you want to solve a mystery of your own, check out one of our public shows, or set up a night of mystery at your own private event, and don’t forget your detective hat!