The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book by Kathleen Kaska

Pub. Date: October 2000

Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing

Format: Paperback, 224pp

ISBN-13: 9780878331963

ISBN: 0878331964

The Sherlock Holmes Triviography And Quiz Book features hundreds of trivia about the world's most famous detective, answering such questions as whether or not Sherlock Holmes ever uttered the phrase "Elementary, my dear Watson". Kathleen Kaska draws upon the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, plus the hundreds of films and thousands of radio and television programs that featured the detective and his inimitable partner, Dr. Watson. A "must" for all fans of the literature's greatest detective, The Sherlock Holmes Triviography And Quiz Book is enhanced with 75 separate quizzes, asking probing, intriguing, fun questions related to all of Conan Doyle's 56 stories and four novel.

Reviews

"...something new for Holmes buffs to test their knowledge or prodigals looking for an excuse to reread childhood classics."

—Dallas Morning News

"The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book is a darn clever book. Anything you want to know about the master sleuth is here, divvied up by category and cross referenced."

—Whittier, California News

"Kathleen Kaska has put together a wonderful mind teaser for all Sherlock Holmes aficionados. She covers it all—stories, books, the media—with lots of questions, puzzles, and trivia facts. No true Sherlockian will want to miss this grand Triviography and Quiz Book."

—Michael R. Pitts, author of Famous Detectives I, II, and III, and co-author of The Great Detective Pictures

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.

—Bob Byrne, July 2003

The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book by Kathleen Kaska

Pub. Date: June 1999

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Paperback, 180pp

ISBN-13: 9781580630702

ISBN: 1580630707

Edition Description: REV

On his 100th birthday and almost two decades after his death, Alfred Hitchcock remains the master of screen suspense. The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book is a tribute to his esteemed career and his continuous eminence among critics and fans alike. The book contains a chronology of Hitchcock's achievements, little-know facts about his films and their stars, and a wide array of quizzes to test any fan's knowledge of Hitchcock's masterpieces.

This book is worth it for the list of his cameos alone, but there are sixty-five other quizzes that are just as entertaining and illuminating. I can totally see someone going out and renting "Lifeboat" or any of his other movies just to answer the always challenging and sometimes thought-provoking trivia questions. Round up your movie nerd friends and have a ball. This may be more fun than the Kevin Bacon game.

What's Your Agatha Christie I.Q.?: 1,001 Puzzling Questions About the Worlds Most Beloved Mystery Writer by Kathleen Kaska

Pub. Date: August 1996

Publisher: Carol Publishing Group

Format: Paperback, 213pp

ISBN-13: 9780806518190

ISBN: 0806518197

Now readers can test their knowledge of the most popular mystery writer ever. Includes quizzes on all her published works, the movies and TV shows based on them, and Christie's own life story.