The Baker Street Phantom

The Baker Street Phantom by Fabrice Bourland

A light and quick read set in 1930s London where a sudden rash of murders seem to replicate famous murders from literary works. What I loved about it was the idea that our passion for literary characters like Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, and Dorian Gray can bring them to life - with their own lusts and evils intact. The two heros were inspired to become private detectives by their love of Holmes and Watson's adventures and their own relationship echoes that of Holmes' duo at times.

Biographical and bibliographical detail about Doyle and his creation, Holmes, are woven into the plot in a mostly satisfying way. The descriptions of the murders and bodies are quite taut and graphic at times, and seem to be viewed by the characters with detachment rather than emphathy. This felt out of place, especially through the eyes of Singleton, who is the more cautious and sensitive of the two protagonists.

The first in an ongoing series featuring Singleton and Trelawney.