Modern films always portray Holmes as a master of disguise with flawless, chameleonic accents. However, the original books hint that he was actually kind of terrible at them. In The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, Holmes tries to use a fake, booming sea-captain voice to trick a witness. Dr. Watson dryly notes in his journal that Holmes’s attempt at a sailor accent was so loud, exaggerated, and unnatural that it was a miracle they weren't immediately thrown out of the house.
