Secret Letters

After losing both parents, 16-year-old Dora finds a letter that reveals her real father was Sherlock Holmes. Dora determines to become a detective like him, but when a chance mystery involving her cousin takes her to London, she discovers that Holmes is dead. Though saddened, Dora is emboldened to prove the apple does not fall far from the tree. Soon, her cousin's rather benign mystery lands Dora in the middle of a much bigger one%E2%80%94the daughter of an earl has been kidnapped%E2%80%94and into the path of the handsome young detective Peter Cartwright, once apprenticed to her late father. Together, the two investigate the kidnapping, with Dora posing as a maid in the earl's house to gather clues. In a mystery with twists, the threat of danger, and a dramatic resolution, debut author Scheier offers a tenacious heroine determined to rise above the restrictions of her gender to claim her legacy. Upbeat, witty prose results in a fun beginning to what looks like the first of more adventures for this young pair of investigators. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Irene Kraas, Kraas Literary Agency. (June)