GOOGTOON: mystery novels

I was given the distinct pleasure of photographing Michael Robertson (non de plume of which his real name I cannot reveal) for his second and just released novel, The Brothers of Baker Street. If you enjoy mystery novels, you'll love Robertson and be as mesmerized as I - my fingers were signed from turning pages...

Rather than reinventing the wheel, spending my time on beautiful Sunday afternoon to write an exhaustive review, I instead poured though the many 5 Stars postings and found one that I think best encapsulates the nitty-gritty of Michael's latest offering. The following was written by E. Bukowsky from Amazon.

"The Brothers of Baker Street," by Michael Robertson, opens in London in 1997. Reggie Heath is a thirty-five year old barrister who has lost almost everything he has worked so hard to achieve. His law practice is practically non-existent, he has little cash, and the woman he loves, beautiful actress Laura Rankin, has been dating media mogul Robert Buxton. Lord Buxton owns a rag called "The Daily Sun," which keeps its circulation up by running stories filled with hyperbole, sex, and violence. Reggie despises Buxton and is not thrilled when he is described as the "Balmy Barrister of Baker Street" in the pages of the billionaire's trashy tabloid.

Heath's lease states that any letters he receives that are addressed to Sherlock Holmes must be answered promptly, following proper procedure. Since he holds people who write missives to fictional characters in contempt, the cranky Reggie has not been keeping up with what has grown into a large pile of correspondence.

The only bright spot on the horizon is that he has a new client. A driver named Neil Walters stands accused of carrying out a brutal attack on a pair of American tourists riding in his Black Cab. Darla Rennie, a solicitor with gorgeous green eyes and shapely legs (not that Reggie ever notices such things), asks Reggie to defend Walters. What follows is an engaging and riotous romp filled with dryly witty banter. Reggie and, later, his newly arrived brother Nigel, fight back against an unidentified perpetrator who is determined to frame Reggie for murder.

Robertson keeps us entertained with this lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek tale in which ingenious villains concoct a scheme so devious that it will take considerable investigative prowess and quite a bit of luck to foil. Since the author does not take his material too seriously, we feel free to enjoy the frivolous and clever proceedings without worrying too much about logic and realism.

"The Brothers of Baker Street" features understated romance; some entertaining courtroom shenanigans; an underhanded and ambitious reporter named Emma Swoop; and exciting confrontations between our intrepid heroes and the vile miscreants whom they seek to bring down. Make yourself a cup of tea and spend a pleasant afternoon with Nigel and Reggie as they try to solve a mystery that is deliciously amusing and genuinely puzzling.

I also recommend his first novel, The Baker Street Letters, which offers a exciting twist involving letters written to Sherlock Holmes and the web of murder than ensues.

As always, should you have any questions or like to share your view, I would love to hear from you.

Mark

©Photosical - the photographic, philosophical observations of Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan

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