Sherlock in Love

After Holmes's death, Dr. John Watson decides to write the great man's biography, but his ad in the Times requesting letters and interviews elicits only Mycroft Holmes's ire and an anonymous note warning him to abandon the project. In looking at Holmes's Stradivarius, Watson is reminded of Victor Sigerson, the odd and flamboyantly attired fellow--an accomplished musician, juggler and magician--who had given the valuable violin to the famous sleuth. The good doctor recalls being baffled by the way Holmes had taken to Sigerson, pursuing his violin practice with an uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Watson had never learned the surprising nature of what Sigerson and Holmes shared besides their love of music. Up to this point, about halfway through the novel, Naslund ( Ice Skating at the North Pole ) keeps her readers enthralled. But the narrative loses its grip as Sigerson becomes embroiled in the silly affairs of mad King Leopold, from which Holmes must extricate him. Returning to the present, Watson uncovers some secrets about Holmes's family known previously only to a few. Initially lively and fun, Naslund's imaginative work is based on an intriguing premise that is ill-served by its resolution. (Oct.)