Lady Sherlock: Circle of the Smiling Dead

Framed as the oral narrative of the daughter of “the remarkable Lady Natasha Dorrington,” Emmy Award–winner Wachtel’s feeble first novel charts the adventures of the woman who became known as Lady Sherlock. In 1906, Tasha is just establishing her reputation as an astute investigator after clearing herself of charges that she murdered her husband. In order to recover a diamond necklace, she poses as a belly dancer and is happy to comply with Commissioner Rushworth Ramsgate’s request that she complete her sensual gyrations before explaining to him how she solved the case. When bored, Tasha resorts to crime . For example, she uses her skills as a cat burglar to break into a rich man’s home to steal his beloved teddy bear . The clichéd central plot centers on an evil priestess, who alone decides who suffers “the Smiling Death.” Illustrations, some showing Tasha in scanty costumes, do little to enhance the text. Those expecting a clever riff on Sherlock Holmes will be disappointed. (Nov.)