It's been a while since I did a whodunnit or a treasure hunt; this story has both! I'm hoping it's playable with/ without the lit. refs :)

A couple of those connections, I don't understand even after reading the answers.

The connections are: "father" can go before or after the word ie Founding father/ father in law; they contain a hidden jewel eg myocarDIA MONDay; they are all anagrams of each other (source words are mister Jonathan Small but that is not necessary for the link or the points); and they are all signs symbolising the number four. The aptograms/ hidden word phrases etc. are references to the book "The SIgn of Four": a Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle. The theme is an extra clue to the grid but the links are get-able without them. :)

Predictably, I got the 'founding' line. 2 more were doable but I never quite know what you're going to throw at us so there's a lot to consider and I'm not that quick. Never going to get the 'A man' line anyway as hopeless at those and that line was a humdinger! I understood the explanations, although I understood why Clark didn't. Sounds like you were intellectually buzzing! A fine grid.

Phew, this one killed me! Very very nice, I love how a line can have two connections at one.