Podcast Summary

Sherlock Holmes Short Stories by NOISER

Episode: The Adventure of Black Peter: Part One
Host/Narrator: Hugh Bonneville
Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, narrated by Hugh Bonneville, plunges listeners into a classic Holmesian mystery: the brutal murder of Captain Peter Carey—known as “Black Peter”—a feared and violent retired sea captain, found harpooned in his isolated cabin. Holmes and Dr. Watson are joined by rising police inspector Stanley Hopkins, who seeks Holmes's assistance with one of his first important cases. With a locked-room mystery, chilling family dynamics, and cryptic clues, Part One sets the stage for Holmes to untangle a web of revenge, terror, and long-buried secrets.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene—a Terrorized Family and Community

• Peter Carey ("Black Peter")'s Reputation:
  • A successful, daring sealer and whale fisher, later infamous as a violent drunk and strict puritan.
  • Known for terrorizing his wife, daughter, servants, and neighbors.
  • So universally loathed that “not one single word of sorrow” was heard after his brutal death.
• The Crime:
  • Found dead, pinned to his cabin wall by a harpoon—a scene described as a “slaughterhouse.”
  • The locked room (“the cabin”), kept meticulously by Carey and forbidden to others, presents a classic locked-door mystery.
  • Notable that Carey was found fully dressed at 2am, suggesting he had an appointment with his murderer.

2. The Arrival of Inspector Stanley Hopkins [08:13]

• Young, eager, and deeply respectful of Holmes; feels pressure as this is his “first big chance” and admits to failure.
• Solicits Holmes's expertise after failing to make headway on his own.

"It's my first big chance, and I am at my wits’ end. For goodness’ sake, come down and lend me a hand."
—Stanley Hopkins [06:35]

3. Holmes's Unique Investigative Approach [03:44]

• Explores the harpooning’s physical feasibility by practicing with a pig carcass, emphasizing Holmes's relentless method and willingness to conduct unorthodox experiments.
• Points out seemingly minor clues (e.g., the location and ownership of a tobacco pouch) that the official investigation overlooked.
• Emphasizes the importance of minute physical evidence:

  “As long as the criminal remains upon two legs, so long must there be some indentation, some abrasion, some trifling displacement which can be detected by the scientific searcher.”
  —Sherlock Holmes [13:25]

4. The Victim’s Domestic Situation and the Witness Accounts [08:13, 22:40]

• Carey’s wife and daughter are depicted as traumatized, with the daughter expressing relief at her father’s death:

  "She told us she was glad that her father was dead, and that she blessed the hand which had struck him down."
  —Narration/Bonneville [22:42]

• Only a week before the murder, a local stonemason observes a mysterious bearded man’s shadow in the cabin window two days prior to the crime (but reliability questioned due to the witness’s drinking and distance).

5. Clues and Physical Evidence [13:00–18:00]

• Inside the Cabin:
  • The murder weapon: a harpoon from Carey's own rack, labeled with the ship "Sea Unicorn."
  • A bottle of rum and two glasses on the table, indicating a visitor.
  • A tobacco pouch marked "PC" (Carey's initials), but no pipe.
  • An intriguing, blood-stained notebook: initials “J.H.N.” and records of South American securities; another clue suggesting robbery or an ulterior motive.

    “Sherlock Holmes’s face showed that he was thoroughly taken aback by this new development.”
    —Narration [18:15]

  • A sheath knife at the dead man’s feet, identified as Carey’s own.
• Holmes pays close attention to the location of each item, the blood stains, and infers timing/order of events.

6. The Scene Investigation and Stakeout [22:40–31:00]

• Holmes, Watson, and Hopkins inspect the crime scene in Sussex:
  • Noticing fresh tampering on the cabin lock and window—someone is trying to break in, suggesting not all parties of interest have been uncovered.
  • Holmes finds evidence that a book or box was recently removed from a shelf (by the lack of dust).
• The trio lay in ambush through the night, intending to catch whoever returns for whatever was left behind.

"It is very probable that he came expecting to find the door open. He tried to get in with the blade of a very small penknife. He could not manage it. What would he do? Come again next night with a more useful tool? So I should say it will be our fault if we are not there to receive him."
—Sherlock Holmes [25:55]

7. Cliffhanger and Preview of Part Two

• As dawn approaches, someone breaks into the cabin. The episode ends with the investigators in hiding, watching intently.
• Next episode promises revelations about “vanished ships and stolen fortunes” and Holmes’s demonstration that appearances can be deceiving.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Holmes’s Motivation:

  “Holmes, however, like all great artists, lived for his art’s sake… he frequently refused his help to the powerful and wealthy, where the problem made no appeal to his sympathies, while he would devote weeks…to the affairs of some humble client whose case presented those strange and dramatic qualities which appealed to his imagination and challenged his ingenuity.”
  —Dr. Watson [02:50]

• On Carey’s Character:

  "You would go far before you found a more dangerous man than Peter Carey… he was loathed and avoided by every one of his neighbours and I have not heard one single word of sorrow about his terrible end."
  —Stanley Hopkins [09:40]

• Holmes’s Critique of Police Work:

  “My good Hopkins, I have investigated many crimes, but I have never yet seen one which was committed by a flying creature. As long as the criminal remains upon two legs…”
  —Sherlock Holmes [13:25]

• On the Tension in the Household:

  “It was a terrible household that Black Peter Carey had made for himself and it was with a sense of relief that we found ourselves in the sunlight again…”
  —Narration/Bonneville [22:55]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:18 | Hugh Bonneville introduces the case and frames Black Peter's fearsome reputation | | 03:44 | Holmes's morning harpoon experiment and Watson's bafflement | | 06:45 | Inspector Hopkins arrives, seeking Holmes's help in his first big case | | 08:15 | First detailed recounting of Peter Carey's grim character and domestic havoc | | 13:00–19:00 | Review of evidence at the crime scene, discovery of the notebook, discussion of clues | | 22:40 | Arrival at Woodman’s Lea, meeting the Carey family, inspecting the cabin | | 25:55 | Discovery of recent tampering—Holmes sets his trap for the would-be intruder | | 29:20 | Ambush begins; Holmes, Watson, and Hopkins wait through the night | | 30:45 | Someone finally tries to break into the cabin; stakeout climax | | 31:10 | Episode cliffhanger, preview of Part Two |

Tone and Style

The episode maintains Arthur Conan Doyle’s measured, atmospheric tone, with Hugh Bonneville narrating with gravitas and nuance, capturing both the somber mood of the terrorized Carey household and the analytical brilliance of Holmes.

Summary

Part One of "The Adventure of Black Peter" expertly sets up the locked-room murder mystery, immersing the listener in the psychology of the characters, especially the victim’s violent legacy and the fear he instilled. Through methodical clue analysis, sharp deduction, and a dose of suspense, Holmes and his companions lay the groundwork for what promises to be a riveting conclusion in Part Two.

Next Episode: Promises unraveling secrets, red herrings, and Holmes’s trademark twists.