The Baker Street Letters is the first book in a series of six, by Michael Robertson. The cover and premise intrigued me. I just wish I received what was intimated. I ordered a Full English and got an American Grand Slam.
From the cover (showing a woman holding a British flag coloured parcel and umbrella, passing a British Post office) you might think this took place in England.
From the intriguing premise that two lawyer brothers lease an office on the second floor of the building where the masterful (fictional) detective Sherlock Holmes once resided, (221b Baker Street, London) and they must as part of their lease respond to the odd letters of inquiry posted to the (fictional) detective which trickle in over the years from people who believe Sherlock can help with their mysterious cases - you might think this is a mystery taking place in England, or at least, London. Computer says no.
We are introduced to Reggie Heath, and his brother Nigel who has found a filed letter from twenty years ago which someone desperately wants back. Enough to ransack the office and kill someone. By only page 19, Nigel has disappeared and Reggie is on a plane to Los Angeles, following his trail. So much for England, Goodbye Mr. Holmes.
This mystery takes place in L.A. and concerns the geological surveys for building a tunnel of the city subway. There is also a connection to a studio called Paradigm Pictures, which Reggie may have an interest in.
Not only was this very standard and a quite dull, it was a let down to be shunted off to L.A. The characters were slight, which can be overlooked in a tighter mystery. A high powered British lawyer who doesn't know that his cell phone won't work in America? A fickle girlfriend who not only leaves Reggie for another man in the first chapter, but then walks out on her New York play rehearsals, appearing unannounced to help Reggie look for Nigel for a few days? And both of them have no problems climbing several stories down into a tunnel construction in the pitch dark to meet a killer? Sure. why not. Sometimes you can overlook stupid characters, but this was sometimes glaring. All the momentum was telegraphed ahead of time, so there were no real surprises.
Not impressed.
2009 / Tradeback / 277 pages
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