The Affair of the Incognito Tenant

Review: This book is subtitled A Mystery with Sherlock Holmes. It is narrated by one Mrs. Charlotte Dodson, housekeeper at Larchbanks, a modest property near the Sussex Downs. After the death of the former owner in 1903, the property is let on a short (6 month) lease to a Mr. Sigerson, bee-keeper and scholar. According to the will, upon either the location of the heiress, daughter of the former owner, or the end of six months, the property will be disposed of and the staff discharged.

When the new tenant arrives, strange events begin to occur. These include murder, theft, vampire sightings and, as is usual in villages, lots and lots of gossip. The characters are lively and interesting, the settings are compelling and the mysteries are complicated and imaginative. Most interesting of all is the narrator, Mrs. Dodson. She is observant, intelligent, thoughtful and accustomed to solving mysteries. She is also determined to solve the mystery of her new tenant, despite pursuit by several of the eligible (and not so eligible) males in the area.

In addition to Holmes (Sigerson, of course!) there are appearences by Dr. Watson and Colonel Moran and references to Lestrade and other characters in the Canon. Holmes is his familiar, mysoginistic self, alternately charming and arrogant, sensitive and detached. He is, perhaps, a bit less acute than before his retirement, but his unexercised talents are merely dormant, not lost. The tangle of mysteries gets solved, with a lot of help from Mrs.Dodson, and Holmes rushes back to his own cottage to escape a woman who has impressed him as had only one before.

This is a delightful read, with interesting and appealling characters. Strict Canonists will find little to object to. Ms. Roberts' Holmes is our Holmes, nothing contradicts the Canon and Holmes solves the mysteries, as expected. In addition, a marvelous new character is introduced and Holmes has to face his own limitations in dealing with determined women. I must admit that the mysteries are not of world-shaking importance and the villains are a bit pedestrian, but then, most villains are just that.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, September, 2004