"Then, with your permission, we will leave it at that, Mr. Mac. The temptation to form premature theories upon insufficient data is the bane of our profession." ~ The Valley of Fear
"Is it not? Is it not? Breadth of view, my dear Mr. Mac, is one of the essentials of our profession. The interplay of ideas and the oblique uses of knowledge are often of extraordinary interest." ~ The Valley of Fear
"Surely our profession, Mr. Mac, would be a drab and sordid one if we did not sometimes set the scene so as to glorify our results. The blunt accusation, the brutal tap upon the shoulder -- what can one make of such a denouement? But the quick inference, the subtle trap, the clever forecast of coming events, the triumphant vindication of bold theories -- are these not the pride and the justification of our life's work?" ~ The Valley of Fear
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." ~ The Hound of the Baskervilles
"By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt cuffs -- by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable." ~ A Study in Scarlet
"Like all other arts, the science of deduction and analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study, nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it. Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems. Let him, on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs. Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation, and teaches one where to look and what to look for." ~ A Study in Scarlet
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment." ~ A Study in Scarlet
"It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." ~ The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
"As a rule," said Holmes, "the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify." ~ The Red-Headed League
"I must take the view, your Grace, that when a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it." ~ The Adventure of the Priory School
35 The Detective Business quotes found! Use the links below to see them all.
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