The Baker Street Translation

Dexterous plotting lifts Robertson’s third contemporary mystery centered on barrister Reggie Heath and his unusual mandate (after 2011’s The Brothers of Baker Street). Under the terms of his office lease at 221B Baker Street, Reggie must ensure that someone responds to the many letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes, a task he’s delegated to his brother Nigel in California. Once again, those missives trigger murder and mayhem, starting with kidnappers demanding delivery of a recent packet of letters to guarantee their captive’s safe return. Meanwhile, an elderly Chinese man, Mr. Liu, seeks Holmes’s help after he’s denied payment for supposedly substandard work translating instructions for children’s toys. After a comic exchange in which Mr. Liu has trouble understanding that Holmes is a fictional character, Reggie shows him the door. The next day, Mr. Liu’s bloody body is found in a London alley. The author’s creative use of the series concept augurs well for a long run. Agent: Kirby Kim, William Morris Endeavor. (Apr.)