Sherlock Holmes’s older brother. More gifted analytically than Sherlock but constitutionally incapable of the active investigation required to apply that gift. Employed in a vague but crucial government capacity; effectively is the British government at certain moments of crisis.
Biographical details
- Older than Sherlock by seven years (per The Greek Interpreter)
- Habits: deeply sedentary; walks from his rooms in Pall Mall to the Diogenes Club and back — that is the extent of his daily movement
- The Diogenes Club: a club Mycroft co-founded for men who want the comfort of a club without the obligation of conversation; talking is forbidden in all rooms except the Strangers’ Room
- Government role: described variously as an auditor of government departments; Holmes later reveals in The Bruce-Partington Plans that Mycroft is essentially the indispensable man — he is the government in all but name
Character
- Where Sherlock acts on his deductions, Mycroft only deduces. He has no interest in confirming or testing his conclusions with legwork.
- When the two brothers collaborate (they match wits over a stranger from a Baker Street window in The Greek Interpreter), Mycroft is the equal of Sherlock in observation — arguably superior in pure analytical synthesis.
- Despite his inertia, Mycroft occasionally contacts Holmes when matters of national importance require Sherlock’s investigative energy.
Appearances in ingested texts
| Work | Story | Role |
|---|---|---|
| The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes | GREE — The Greek Interpreter | First appearance; introduced as Sherlock’s older brother; the two brothers match wits over a stranger seen from the window; the Diogenes Club established |
| His Last Bow | BRUC — The Bruce-Partington Plans | Fullest showcase; Mycroft visits Baker Street (extremely rare given his habits); Holmes reveals “Occasionally he is the British Government” — Mycroft is the indispensable clearinghouse for all state intelligence |