However Improbable

However Improbable is a podcast book club about Sherlock Holmes, by and for the people who love him.

Every other week, detective lit enthusiasts Marisa and Sarah present a fresh new recording of Holmes and Watson’s adventures, and then delve into the story, its history and politics, adaptations, and why we’re still so captivated by the detective and his good doctor. Holmes himself famously said that there’s nothing new under the sun—but we’re willing to give him a run for his money.

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20 episodes
Avg 53 min
English

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S4 · E4
May 19 · 56 min
The thrill of adventure: Empty House discussion
For the first time in a decade, Doyle returns to the Holmes canon with a locked-door murder, a sharp-shooter, and a reunion—or three. Sarah & Marisa discuss “The Adventure of the Empty House,” Holmes’ triumphant return that introduces the age-old question - can a white boy do a little martial arts? We discuss Shakespeare, evil Watson, eugenics in the turn of the century, tiger metaphors, the lost years, and one journey’s ending in an iconic meeting. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com⁠⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S4 · E2
May 4 · 1 hr 7 min
The Adventure of the Empty House
“It was indeed like the old times when, at that hour, I found myself seated beside him in a hansom, my revolver in my pocket and the thrill of adventure in my heart.” From "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," this is "The Adventure of the Empty House" - read by Dan Heidt. The eponymous return of Sherlock Holmes, indeed. A locked-door murder, a sharp-shooter, and a reunion—or three. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com⁠⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S4 · E1
February 20 · 1 hr 7 min
Case file: The Napoleon of Crime (Moriarity)
This episode is a deep-dive case file into Holmes’s great nemesis - the Napoleon of Crime. As a follow-up to our discussion about “The Final Problem,” we’re taking a closer look at Doyle’s great criminal mastermind - Moriarity. The all-knowing villain is introduced and brings about Holmes’s supposed downfall in that story. He’s been adapted many, many times - from his own pastiches and Holmes stories to comic books and musicals. He’s almost as famous as Holmes himself. Sarah & Marisa discuss the many, many version of Moriarty out there, from their personal favorites to perplexing appearances. Do you have a favorite Moriarity? Something we missed? We'd love to hear it! Find recommended reading, the comp, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com⁠ Contact us at howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com.
S3 · E25
Dec 30, 2025 · 1 hr 24 min
Very sincerely yours: Final Problem discussion
The end of an era. This extraordinary story introduces Holmes’s two greatest nemeses - criminal mastermind Moriarity, and his own creator. Doyle was eager to move on from Holmes - but in pitting his detective against a surprise supervillain and bringing him to a sudden end, he created the perfect environment for Holmes to live forever. In this episode, Marisa & Sarah discuss the highs and lows in the plot of this dramatic tale, the deeply touching connection between Holmes and Watson, and Doyle’s feelings towards his creation and the unprecendented response from fans of his stories. We’re saving a deep dive into adaptations of Moriarity for a special case file, coming up next! https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-final-problem
S3 · E24
Dec 11, 2025 · 45 min
The Final Problem
“It has been a duel between you and me, Mr. Holmes... You hope to beat me. I tell you that you will never beat me. If you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you.’” From "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes," this is "The Final Problem" - read by Greg McClure. This story was published in 1893 - and it was the last Holmes story Doyle published for 10 years. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com⁠⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E23
Oct 2, 2025 · 49 min
An old maxim of mine: Beryl Coronet discussion
A distressed banker, a messed-up family, and some royal jewels all tangle together in this eclectic little mystery. This is our discussion about "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Sarah and Marisa unpack the weird family vibes and deeply colonial implications of this somewhat understated little tale. Plus - maybe our favorite Holmes quote ever! And some serious requests about "The Final Problem." Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-beryl-coronet Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E22
Sep 14, 2025 · 55 min
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
“I have lost my honour, my gems, and my son in one night.” From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Kira Apple. Kira Apple is a part-time voice actor and full-time bookseller. Other voice work includes the roles of The Narrator and Mary Bangs (The Way We Haunt Now), Katya Harper (Electromancy), Cybilene (Inn Between), Commander Natalya Kastanova (The Dead: Ephemeris), Hale (The Dead: Strings of Fate), Marla (Ostium), and Jack St. James (Superstition). Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E21
Aug 18, 2025 · 40 min
The dog in the night-time: Silver Blaze Discussion
One of Doyle’s personal favorites, “The Adventure of the Silver Blaze” combines a dramatic murder, the moody setting, and Victorian sporting drama. This famous little story was published in the collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It’s also responsible for one of the most famous quotes that people attribute to Holmes, which has found its way into book titles, common vernacular, and even physics! Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-silver-blaze⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E20
Jul 18, 2025 · 49 min
The Adventure of Silver Blaze
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident,' remarked Sherlock Holmes.” From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Kristen O'Neal. Kristen O'Neal is a writer, director, and voice actor. You can hear more of her voice in her podcast, Thin Places Radio. You can follow her on Instagram at @discountgoblin, or learn more on her website: ⁠⁠kristenonealwrites.com⁠⁠. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-silver-blaze Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E19
Jun 20, 2025 · 48 min
The grotesque has deepend: Wisteria Lodge discussion
From disappearing households and mysterious foreign nationals to international crime bosses and a little breaking and entering, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" has all the makings of a classic Holmes tale with none of the panache that sets some of them apart. Sarah and Marisa discuss this bizarre little story, which comes from "His Last Bow." We appreciate your patience with some echo in our audio this week - we did some recording on the go! Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E18
May 30, 2025 · 32 min
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge: Part 2, The Tiger of San Pedro
"If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal." From His Last Bow, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Rebekah Love. Content warning: This story contains some Victorian-era racism, including some derogatory Victorian terms for non-white people. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E17
May 16, 2025 · 22 min
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge: Part 1, The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles
"If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal." From His Last Bow, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Rebekah Love. Content warning: This story contains some Victorian-era racism, including some derogatory Victorian terms for non-white people. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send us mail! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E16
Apr 19, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Case File: Elementary, season 1
NEW: Read Marisa's Crime Reads article about Elementary as a pre-eminent Holmes adaptation! https://crimereads.com/elementary-is-a-masterclass-in-sherlock-holmes-adaptation/ What do Trainspotting, Charlie’s Angels, a rooftop covered in bees, and a pet turtle named Clyde have in common? Welcome to our case file on season 1 of Elementary, which ran on CBS starting in September 2012. Sarah and Marisa walk us back to 2012 and reminisce about watching the show when it aired, dissect its first season and the portrayals of its characters, and consider what Elementary is attempting to do in taking Holmes out of London in the 21st Century - and reimagining Watson as someone very different than we usually think of her. Is Watson still Watson, when his gender or his Britishness is in question? Is Vinnie Jones the best Sebastian Moran out there? Why do these bees make us want to cry? Note: Our discussion contains pretty significant spoilers for the plot of season 1 of Elementary - so if you haven't seen the show and want to remain un-spoiled, GO WATCH IT. What are you waiting for? Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
S3 · E15
Mar 31, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
See justice done: Crooked Man discussion
A violent crime, a terrible betrayal, a shocking death… and mongeese. From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Crooked Man” is a complicated and compelling puzzle of a story that circles around betrayal, disability, empire, real-world events and Victorian geopolitics. Content warning: CROO is chock full of Victorian racism, ableism, and imperialism. It comes baked into the plot of this one. More info, that illustration we reference, and our reading list: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-crooked-man Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/improbablepod⁠⁠⁠
S3 · E14
Feb 17, 2025 · 50 min
The Adventure of the Crooked Man
"It's every man's business to see justice done." From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Dan Heidt. More info: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-crooked-man This narration was read by Dan Heidt. Dan is a songwriter and podcaster from Columbus, Ohio. His podcast, "Flies in the Kitchen" features conversations with creative folx from all genres, in all settings. Dan previously recorded several stories for Librivox, an online audio archive of public domain publications, and when not blabbering into a microphone, he is building SUVs for Honda Manufacturing and enjoying life with his wife and 4 cats. His debut album, 'The View From Up Here', is available on all streaming platforms as well, for your listening pleasure. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/improbablepod⁠⁠⁠
S3 · E13
Jan 27, 2025 · 50 min
An evil dream: Engineer's Thumb discussion
Missing engineers, missing gangs, and missing thumbs - “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” is a delicious macare story about near-death experiences, the perils of working in engineering, and Sherlock Holmes’ lack of tact. This week’s discussion delves into the inherently Gothic nature of this somewhat understated tale, how much we love when Watson’s doctor skills get to shine, and the interesting tension of detective stories without any real conclusions. Content warning: Not to spoil the plot of this one, but a guy's thumb is chopped off. Gross! Kidnapping, claustrophobia and gore. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We love to get email! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E12
Dec 6, 2024 · 44 min
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
"The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements which they had found within, and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb." From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Remy. Remy (he/him) is a plushie maker, character illustrator, TTRPG and video game designer, and a multimedia artist. He has a side project where he reviews detective fiction and mystery media called "A Study in Spectrum" due to his lifelong special interest in and love of Sherlock Holmes. Bluesky: @orchidrabbit.bsky.social Tumblrs: orchidrabbit.tumblr.com, studyinspectrum.tumblr.com Websites: https://orchidrabbit.neocities.org/blog/, studyinspectrum.bearblog.dev Read more: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb We love to get email! howeverimprobablepod@gmail.com
S3 · E11
Oct 7, 2024 · 49 min
A gruesome packet: Cardboard Box discussion
Want to narrate a story? Read more here: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/read Upcoming stories include: Silver Blaze, Beryl Coronet, The Empty House! "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" raises a lot of visceral feelings about the voyeristic nature true crime, centering women in their own stories, dysfunctional families and why exactly Holmes and Watson have a little drunk lunch date during a crime investigation. Listen to our discussion of the story now! Sarah & Marisa previously appeared on "From Adler to Amberly" to discuss this story - listen to that episode here! Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-cardboard-box
S3 · E10
Sep 9, 2024 · 1 hr
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
“'There were three sisters altogether. The old one was just a good woman, the second was a devil, and the third was an angel.” From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey. Jenna Hanchey is a critical/cultural communication professor by day, and a speculative fiction author and audiobook narrator by...uh...earlier in the day. All of her work, whether research or creative, aims to imagine and enact better futures. Her fiction has been published in Daily Science Fiction, the Apex Patreon, and Stupefying Stories, and is forthcoming in Nature: Futures. For more of her audiowork, check out the Bloodlines series by Emily S. Hurricane. Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennahanchey Website: www.jennahanchey.com Read more about the show: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-cardboard-box
S3 · E9
Jul 2, 2024 · 44 min
Goodness gives extras: Naval Treaty Discussion
The goodness of roses, stormy petrels and a shockingly good breakfast all come to play in "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" - a perfect short story that has it all. Political intrigue! Brotherly betrayal! Practical jokes! Weird monologues! We cover everything from Watson's old school friends to Holmes's theatricality in today's discussion. Thanks for listening! Dear listeners - We need narrators for upcoming stories! More details here: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/read Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/improbablepod⁠⁠

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