Episode 81: Mycroft Holmes

"Some of my most interesting cases have come to me in this way through Mycroft." [GREE]If asked, who would you say is the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan? Prior to January 2015, we would not have said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But when he made a surprise appearance at the 2015 BSI Dinner and we had a chance to speak with him we discovered it was in fact he.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse have written a new book called Mycroft Holmes, due out next week. We won't give too much away, but it chronicles the early career of Sherlock Holmes's older brother, at the age of 23. You'll find the classic Oxford-Cambridge boat race, the grimy streets of London, cigars, a sea voyage and much more. It's a very interesting, insightful and surprising look into what went into the beginnings of this mystical figure from the original Sherlock Holmes stories.We've got a couple of listener comments to share before getting to "Mental Exaltation," in which we welcome a listener to the show to play.We close out with an original Editor's Gas-Lamp, "The Softer Holmes" from Vol. 7, No. 1 of the Baker Street Journal, which reflects on the softer Mycroft we find in Abdul-Jabbar's book.We've already been getting some photos in, but if you do purchase one of our 221B or 1895 oval stickers, please send us a picture of where you've put it.Notes:1:30 Introductory remarks and witty banter3:30 News (check out our new high-tech news theme music!)21:45 Ray Jessel performs at the 2010 BSI Dinner35:40 Interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse1:21:02 Sponsors - including one you shouldn't miss1:26:45 Announcing our Patreon effort1:29:05 Listener comments1:32:21 Our quiz show "Mental Exaltation"1:41:47 The Editor's Gas-Lamp1:46:27 Final commentsAnd as usual, you might want to be sure you pay attention for a special Easter egg somewhere in the show...