 Kim Newman and Alan Jones suggest that the mysteries of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie were both obvious influences on Tenebrae , and there are references to both authors throughout the film , as well as Rex Stout . One example is the use of a quote from Sherlock Holmes in Conan Doyle 's novel The Sign of Four ( 1890 ) : " How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible , whatever remains , however improbable , must be the truth ? " A variation of this quote is used several times throughout Tenebrae . Another reference is the dog attack ; as something of a non sequitur , the scene is thought by Newman to be a likely nod to Conan Doyle 's The Hound of the Baskervilles ( 1901 – 1902 ) . Neal is seen to be reading this novel in an early scene . The imagery in the beach flashback references the American mystery film Suddenly , Last Summer ( 1959 ) , especially the scene of Eva Robin 's wearing white while kneeling in the sand , which is a direct reference to Elizabeth Taylor in that film . 
