The Baker Street Letter Series
Not being a Sherlock Holmes fan, and mostly uninterested in pastiches, I approached this series with some trepidation. But the premise is charming and I’m always looking for a light read as a palate cleanser between more grim mystery fiction.
The series centers around two brothers, Nigel and Reggie Heath, whose law offices are located in London at 221b Baker Street. Although the address is real, obviously there is no Sherlock Holmes here. Nevertheless, “Holmes” receives regular letters from fans and individuals with mysteries to solve.
As part of the lease, the brothers are obligated to send a form letter in response to each letter. The caveat–don’t deviate from the form letter! In the first two novels, the brothers each, in turn, violate that stricture and are soon deeply embroiled in mystery and intrigue.
If you do love Sherlock Holmes you will probably be disappointed by this series. Neither the style nor the characters imitate Conon Doyle’s works. Holmes doesn’t appear; this is no modern retelling or re-imagining. The address is simply a jumping off point for a very simple, easy to read series.
The relationship between the brothers Heath is complicated, and their back stories given in bits and pieces in the beginning. I’ve read the first two installments and although after the second we have a little more information there is still room for discovery. The love interest is not given much depth in the beginning but by the second book we get to learn more about her and see that her inner life is deeper than was initially demonstrated.
The settings in the first two novels are different. Located mostly in L.A., it seems as though the author is purposefully reminding us that this is not about Sherlock Holmes. However, we are in London for #2 in series, and with a very London theme–we learn quite a bit about the famous Black Cabs of London.
As for the mysteries, they are light, easy, not graphic and pretty standard stuff. There are no unexpected twists, just a fun romp with some minor deductions.
The books are well written and there is humor throughout. If you are looking for a break from gruesome Scandinavian murder mysteries, give the brothers of Baker Street a try.
