When
Sherlock Holmes receives a mysterious letter from a former
client who has moved to America, he instantly books a passage
there for him and Watson. The letter has informed him that
there is an impostor in New York pretending to be him and
Sherlock is keen to investigate. Once there, they meet the
false Holmes’ landlady, but of the man himself there
is no trace. When the landlady is found murdered, the pair
have to find out what is really going on, and what sort of
“cases” are being solved.
This is an imaginative page-turner set in 1899 that has much
to recommend it. Firstly, it is always good to have a change
of location in a series and the author’s descriptions
of New York have the ring of authenticity. Secondly, it is
certainly not obvious what is going on for some time and,
as the pair interview suspects and witnesses, the mystery
is gradually revealed. There is always something going on
in this book although not a lot that could be described as
“action,” but I found that this did not detract
from my enjoyment. In its place is plenty of actual detecting
with a denouement that I didn’t guess, and to balance
out the plot there are some involving descriptions of New
York and its people. I felt as I put the book down that I
had read something that ticked all my own boxes for characters,
plot, ambience, period detail and general enjoyment. If you
enjoy reading about Holmes and Watson, this is one author
to watch out for.
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