Trouble Brewing: A Jack Haldean Mystery

At the outset of Gordon-Smith’s absorbing sixth Jack Haldean mystery (after 2010’s Off the Record), Jack visits the London home of Harold Rushton Hunt, the elderly owner of Hunt Coffee, who asks the unofficial detective’s help in finding his great-nephew, Mark Helston. On the evening of January 9, 1925, Helston, an employee of the family firm, left his flat, and no one has seen him since. The local police who investigated were baffled, so Jack tells Hunt he has little hope of succeeding, but he agrees to take the case. As Jack starts to interview other members of the Hunt family, more than one of whom turns up dead, he uncovers a trail that leads to the coffee plantations of Brazil. While some readers may bog down in the abundant details, Sherlock Holmes fans will enjoy how the intricate plot builds to a particularly satisfying solution. (Aug.)