The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book

Review: This book is fun! Each chapter includes a brief introduction, several quizzes of ten questions each (some are multiple choice; some true/false and some simply direct questions), and then a bit of trivia about every four or five quizzes. The last section contains some crossword puzzles. There are also several appendices with useful information.

The topics are laid out in a sensible order. Chapter one is a general overview of the world of Sherlock Holmes. The next covers the four novels and then the following chapters are dedicated to each of the short story collections. Having covered the Canon, there are quizzes about Holmes on tv, stage, radio and the big screen. What’s left, you ask? Why, quizzes about Sir Arthur himself!

As you would expect, some questions are much harder than others. But author Kathleen Kaska clearly did not intend to try and stump the reader with every quiz. She succeeds at this. The average Holmes fan will know some of the answers, but is unlikely to miss ten in a row. The trivia interspersed throughout adds to the sense of learning and leaves the reader with the feeling of having picked up a little something.

You can find some Holmes quizzes on the internet with a little searching, but this book is definitely worth purchasing. You will find yourself periodically pulling it off the shelf to test your Holmes knowledge.

Reviewed by: Bob Byrne, July 2003