The Misplaced Physician

Westerson’s dreary third mystery featuring the young protégés of Sherlock Holmes (after The Mummy of Mayfair) is hampered by an easy-to-solve puzzle and underdeveloped characters. Tim Badger, a former member of Holmes’s young Baker Street Irregulars crew, runs a detective agency with his partner, Ben Watson, in Victorian London. The junior gumshoes get their most personal case yet when they learn that Dr. Watson has been kidnapped. With Holmes unavailable, they set off to rescue him, soon finding evidence that the doctor knew his abductor. Badger also interviews Watson’s neighbors, who may have witnessed the crime, but they’re strangely evasive. Then a ransom note arrives at Watson’s home, seeking £500 for his safe return. Westerson strikes a light, goofy tone, but the lack of suspense—there’s never much doubt that Watson will be returned safe and sound—and flat characterizations do little to make this stand out in the crowded field of Holmes pastiches. Readers intrigued by the premise would be better served by Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes series. (July)