The Baker Street Translation

Baker Street Letters #3

by Michael Robertson

In Michael Robertson's The Baker Street Translation, Reggie and Nigel Heath—brothers who lease law offices at 221B Baker Street in London, England and answer mail addressed to the location's most famous resident, Sherlock Holmes—find themselves pulled once again into a case straight out of Arthur Conan Doyle. An elderly American heiress wants to leave her entire fortune to Sherlock Holmes. A translator wants Sherlock Holmes to explain a nursery rhyme. And Robert Buxton—Reggie's rival for the love of actress Laura Rankin—has gone missing. Reggie must suss all these things out before an upcoming British royal event. If he doesn't, something very bad will happen to everyone at that event—and to Laura. Fast-paced, exciting, and clever, this is the perfect mystery for aficionados of the current craze for all things Sherlockian.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, London, Cozy

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 2, 2013

About the author

MICHAEL ROBERTSON works for a large company with branches in the United States and England. His first novel in the series, The Baker Street Letters, has been optioned by Warner Bros. for television. He lives in San Clemente, California.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this back in 2018, but I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.

The Baker Street Translation is apparently the third in a series about brothers who lease law offices at 221 B Baker Street in London with the caveat that they must answer correspondence to Sherlock Holmes.

Being a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I was intrigued with this premise and decided to check out this book at our local Library.

The Sherlock Holmes letters in this particular story gets him involved in a terrorism plot, kidnapping event, and the shenanigans of a couple of merciless Texans.

This was a fun, not great, but fun read.

However, I don't know that I enjoyed the book enough to go back and read the previous two.

Have you read this series?

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barrister Reggie Heath's chambers are in a building where 221B Baker Street would be, if such an address existed. And part of his lease requires him to answer, politely, letters to Sherlock Holmes, the late tenant. The letters get him involved, willy-nilly, in terrorism, kidnapping, and the machinations of a couple of ruthless Texans. Unfortunately, the woman of his dreams, actress Laura Rankin, also gets entangled in the various plots. I would have given this a four-star rating, except that when I was finished I still couldn't figure out why the conspirators had gone to the trouble they had to get the code to the right people.

[robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried it. Couldn't bring myself to read more than a few chapters. It's a lackluster mystery that used the Baker Street reference as a framework to hang the story on.

Pass! A waste of a good idea, I think.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the Baker Street Letters series finds Reggie Heath's law practice experiencing an uptick in business while his relationship with his on-again, off again girlfriend Laura Rankin is also experiencing a revival.

So much so that Reggie is planning to propose. But as ever, the ever present arrival of letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes are his responsibility. While most letters could be easily dismissed, invariably one of the letters sets up the plot for the book and such is the case here.

In fact, two letters play a role in the two main plots that unfold. The first is a letter from a woman that leaves her billion dollar estate to Sherlock Holmes. Normally this would be easily dealt with but thanks to Lord Robert Buxton, Reggie's rival for Laura's affections, it becomes more than a thorn in Heath's side. Buxton sends a reply to the letter in Reggie's name which causes a ruckus when a lawyer for the estate shows up claiming malfeasance on Reggie's part.

Of course, Buxton isn't around to answer for what he's done. He's disappeared! Or rather been kidnapped. With Laura dragged into the kidnapper's ransom plan, Reggie is somewhat beside himself with worry for her safety.

As if that isn't enough, a Chinese man shows up at the Baker Street Chambers asking for the assistance of Holmes regarding lack of payment for some translation work he did for a London company. The matter is treated somewhat dismissively by Heath (understandably so at first), but when the man turns up murdered in an alley, Reggie can't help wonder what happened.

This leads him on a trail that will invariably lead to a major confrontation as Reggie races to stop an event he uncovers that could have tragic consequences for the country.

The story itself was pretty entertaining overall. But given the rather small part Reggie's brother Nigel plays in this book, you almost feel like he's being shoehorned into the plot just to keep him around. Since Nigel is living in America now, it strikes me that, unfortunately, he might not really be necessary to the plots other than being the one who sends out the form letters for the letters to Sherlock Holmes that Reggie receives.

In the end, the thrills are right there for everyone to see and you can see how it all ties together. Michael Robertson is putting together a really entertaining series so far.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining mystery which answers the question what do letters to Sherlock Holmes,a romantic rivalry, a murdered Chinese translator and a talking plastic duct have in common?

[Sunsettowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, not great, but fun read. It's centered around a law office that is housed at 221B Baker Street, with a clause in their lease that states they have to respond to the letters people write to Sherlock Holmes. The book started out slow, but picked up, and it was a really quick, easy read.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reggie Heath, a barrister who now occupies the building where 221B Baker Street would have been located had it ever existed, finds himself the caretaker of all the letters that get written each year to the famous (fictional) detective Sherlock Holmes as part of his lease agreement. There are plenty of people who believe that Holmes is real, and it's up to Heath and his brother, Nigel, to try to help them if they can. Reggie doesn't really take the task seriously; however, when one of his correspondents comes from Taiwan just to see him and then turns up dead, Reggie has to adjust his attitude. It turns out that there is much more going on than just a bad translation--there are kidnappings, attempted bombings, and just a little romance. This is the third volume in the series, which I only discovered when I started reading it. I was a little worried about missing some vital information, but although previous occurrences are referred to, I think they were adequately explained so that I didn't feel that I was missing anything. I don't know that I enjoyed the book enough to go back and read the previous two.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read so I need to go back and read the first two installments. I enjoyed the book but felt that I was missing some of the picture. The story involves Reggie and Nigel Heath, two barristers who run the Baker Street Chambers. They are responsible for answering the many letters sent to Sherlock Holmes from readers all over the world.

Reggie is in love with Laura Rankin and wants to propose to her. His rival for Laura's affection, Robert Buxton, is kidnapped and, as ransom, the kidnappers demand the letters that have been mailed to Sherlock Holmes.

An elderly woman in Texas leaves her fortune to Reggie for the benefit of Sherlock Holmes. An elderly Asian man visits Reggie and requests Sherlock Holmes' help in recovering money due to him for his work as a translator. When the man is found murdered the next day, Reggie is bound to find out what is happening.

This is a very good book. I will definitely read the others so that I can get the characters and plots in order.

[Gordy Seeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this series, but the continuity errors are starting to pile up and become distracting. The characters are great, the mysteries are intriguing, and there are some great twists, but each of the three books so far have contained errors that, while trivial in the grand scheme of things, are obvious enough they cause you to have to go back a page or paragraph to make sure you hadn't read incorrectly or missed something. Example: A character catches a cab and, while in the cab, receives a phone call from a criminal. At the end of the conversation, the criminal tells the character to catch a cab and meet him at a particular place. In the next sentence, the author states that the character hails a cab and gets into it. She hailed a cab from inside a cab? This all took place within the span of three paragraphs.

Again, trivial issues, but they distract from what are otherwise great mysteries. I'll keep reading the series for sure, but be prepared to question your own reading or the author's attention to detail on more than one occasion.

[Sue Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book for the third of a 'series'. I like the characters, but you wouldn't want to start with this book as you won't understand a lot of the tensions and goings on between them unless you start off with the series from book one. The other books were admirably mentioned, but you just can't appreciate the undercurrents without the knowledge of the entire story - or stories - contained in the other two books.

Despite that, it was a good romp of a murder mystery that would have made Arthur Conan Doyle proud. It is in keeping with Sherlock Holmes resourcefulness and prowess of solving what looks to be unsolvable, while the police bumble behind and eventually catch up. For such a short book, it packs quite a punch and solves the mysteries in time for tea .... jolly good!!!.... and it has a great tongue-in-cheek repartee sassiness between the characters that I enjoy.

Hopefully there will be more adventures to follow!

[Lois Baron · Rating 2 out of 5]

The third outing with the cast introduced in The Baker Street Letters starts off well enough: a Chinese gentleman comes to London to find out why his long-distance employer finds his work unsatisfactory.

Beyond Reggie's concern about how to ask Laura to marry him we find a scheme to bomb an distant member of the British royal family.

In Baker Street Translation, the story is set spinning--and then unwinds to a phht.

Was this the last in a trilogy and the author ran out of time? A disappointment.

[Sandra Lenahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute series, very creative and fun to read. Book 3, The Baker Street Translation, has the brothers Heath back together again solving the crimes others commit. Love interest Laura is working a mystery all on her own, determined to go it alone (making Reggie crazy) while Buxton manages to get himself kidnapped, scalped and knighted all in the same week!

Any fan of Sherlock Holmes would enjoy Robertson's Baker Street Mystery. If you like reading cozies then this is series for you. Anglophiles should add this series to their TBR list too.

Off to start book 4, Moriarty Returns a Letter ☺

[David Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've mentioned in numerous reviews, I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes - both the original Arthur Conan Doyle canon and the numerous pastiches that have been written by other authors over the years. I'm also a fan of Vicki Delany's Gemma Doyle series, which is inspired by the Great Detective - but not a true pastiche series.

This series is similar. Set in modern London and definitely inspired by Sherlock Holmes, it features brothers Reggie and Nigel Heath. Their law offices now occupy 221b Baker St., which means they receive mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Furthermore, their lease requires them to respond to those letters, albeit through a stock response.

It's an interesting premise for a series, which is why I purchased and read the first entry in it ("The Baker Street Letters") years ago - and just recently reread and reviewed it here on goodreads. Overall, I liked, not loved, that novel, giving it three stars.

I also gave the second entry in the series ("The Brothers of Baker Street") three stars, although if 3.5 stars were an option, I would have increased my rating to that. However, that wasn't an option. So, I stuck with three stars - even though I was tempted to give it four.

This third entry in the series finally made the leap to a four-star review. And the only reason it didn't get five was that parts of the plot limited my enjoyment of the novel. As you know, I don't go deeply into plots in my reviews to avoid spoilers. But here's the jacket description:

"In Michael Robertson's 'The Baker Street Translation,' Reggie and Nigel Heath - brothers who lease law offices at 221B Baker Street in London, England and answer mail addressed to the location's most famous resident, Sherlock Holmes - find themselves pulled once again into a case straight out of Arthur Conan Doyle.

An elderly American heiress wants to leave her entire fortune to Sherlock Holmes. A translator wants Sherlock Holmes to explain a nursery rhyme. And Robert Buxton - Reggie's rival for the love of actress Laura Rankin - has gone missing. Reggie must suss all these things out before an upcoming British royal event. If he doesn't, something very bad will happen to everyone at that event - and to Laura. Fast-paced, exciting, and clever, this is the perfect mystery for aficionados of the current craze for all things Sherlockian."

Overall, this was a creative plot, with lots of moving parts...perhaps TOO many. I just thought the plot was overly complicated for this cozy mystery. Yes, it kept me engaged. But I found myself questioning if something this complex was necessary. I'm not sure it was.

Still, I very much enjoyed this novel. I've grown to really like Reggie, Laura, and the rest of the supporting characters. And as mentioned above, I love the entire premise for the series, which means I'll definitely read and review the remaining entries in it.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the Baker Street Letters mysteries. A Texas heiress wants to bequeath her fortune to Sherlock Holmes, an elderly Chinese man is refused payment for a translating job and flies to London to protest, newspaper magnate Robert Buxton is kidnapped and held in ransom for the letters sent to Sherlock Holmes, and some minor British Royals plan a demonstration in support of English red squirrels. In this 2013 series entry by author Michael Robertson some ingenious plotting draws these threads together to solve an intriguing mystery.

Under the terms of his office lease at 221B Baker Street, Reggie Heath must ensure that someone responds to the many letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes, a task he's delegated to his brother Nigel in California. Once again, those missives trigger murder and mayhem, starting with kidnappers demanding delivery of a recent packet of letters to guarantee their captive's safe return. Meanwhile, an elderly Chinese man, Mr. Liu, seeks Holmes's help after he's denied payment for supposedly substandard work translating instructions for children's toys. After Mr. Liu has trouble understanding that Holmes is a fictional character, Reggie shows him the door. The next day, Mr. Liu's bloody body is found in a London alley.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barrister Reggie Heath's law office is located where 221B Baker Street would be if it existed. As part of his lease agreement, he has to respond to the letters that people send to Sherlock Holmes with a scripted answer that Sherlock has retired. Unfortunately the Barrister doesn't like receiving the letters so he sends them to his brother Nigel in the US to handle, but Nigel strays from the script at times. Because of this Reggie is thrown into a dispute between a translator and the woman that hired him while trying to help locate his rival, Lord Robert Buxton, who has suddenly gone missing. He finds that he must solve all of this before everything literally blows up during an upcoming royal event.

This is the third book in the series but it's only the first one that I've read. A previous case was mentioned a few times, but I didn't feel lost or confused by not reading the previous books. The Baker Street Translation was a quick read for me and it had a really good pace throughout. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This is the third book in the series. A series of events converge on Reggie’s law office, leading to danger. Reggie’s rival, the media mogul, Robert Buxton, sneaks into the office to cause trouble, implicating Reggie in a scheme to take the large inheritance from a woman in the U.S. who has bequeathed her funds to Sherlock Holmes. When Robert is kidnapped, Laura is asked to be the intermediary with the kidnappers, much to Reggie’s dismay. While reluctant, he offers to help Laura find him. He is also following up on a case of mistaken translation for a children’s toy that leads to a trail of dead bodies. The convergence of the cases leads to a suspenseful and clever mystery. I enjoyed this one more than the prior books and I am becoming very fond of Laura who is a woman of character.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories, so when I discovered this series about a lawyer who had chambers at Holmes' address, I couldn't resist.
One of the requirements of the lease is that all letters received addressed to Sherlock Holmes must be responded to, and there we have our challenges. Most of these letters are run of the mill, proposing marriage or asking for a solution to a problem. These can be dealt with by sending a form letter. However, occasionally, one will arrive that the Heath brothers decide needs to be addressed and this starts them on quite an adventure.
In this one, a lady in Texas bequeaths her entire fortune to Sherlock Holmes, and in another letter a Chinese translator asks for help translating English idioms.
Quite entertaining, I read the whole book in one day. I can't wait to find the next installment.

[Stven · Rating 3 out of 5]

We will apparently never run out of stories relating to Sherlock Holmes, and this series has found a fresh approach by focusing on the letters people still write, more than a century after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave up the ghost, to the world's most famous fictional detective. Starting with the people who live on Baker Street in modern London and thus find themselves in receipt of such letters, we spin out a web of light-hearted mayhem and mystery. Robertson's characters and situations are amusing and he does a good job of telling his tale.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely more of a cozy mystery series, two brothers, both lawyers, have their office at 221B Baker Street, famously known as the home of Sherlock Holmes. The lease requires a promise that the brothers will answer all letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Somehow these letters always cause a problem. This time, the kidnapping of a wealthy newspaper baron, 2 Texas lawyers, a Chinese translator, a white plastic duck and a will leaving everything to Sherlock Holmes all come together in a somewhat convoluted but enjoyable plot.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Baker Street Translation is really a 3 1/2 star read. It's a fun, action-packed mystery that's just insane enough to keep you guessing. It's reads like more of a cozy mystery in that it's often light and humorous, despite being a murder mystery. The characters are engaging and quirky and will likely make you laugh at least once.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nigel an Reggie Heath are again involved in problems surrounding their location and people writing to them thinking Reggie is Sherlock Holmes. Reggie is trying to keep his barrister business afloat and his long time girlfriend seems to be involved with someone else a man who has plenty of influence and money. This man is eventually kidnapped and held captive in London's sewer system

[Judah Kosterman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes a reader isn't after a book so much as a distraction. This qualifies. Three stars for being a quick and easy read which employs a clever hook to turn two lawyers into amateur detectives. Points off for writing characters so two-dimensional that as soon as I turned the last page, I no longer cared a bit what happened to, um.... what were their names, again?

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book without realizing it was #3 in a series. I had never heard of it. It's got a cute premise - a lawyer and his brother who rent rooms at 221B Baker Street, with the stipulation they must answer letters sent to Sherlock Holmes at that address. It's lighthearted, although there are two murders and a kidnapping.

[Bradford D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story doesn't bear much resemblance to the tales of Holmes & Watson, but if you are looking for a lighthearted mystery that uses Sherlock as an additive to kick start the story then this will satisfy. It reminds me of a Hardy Boys book aimed at the now adult readers. An easy pop-tart of a reading experience.

[Nancy Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make no mistake about it you have to accept Sherlock Holmes was a fictional character to enjoy this series of books. Great characters but the solution was partly given away in the first chapter. Great chase and conclusion

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book in the series but still a fun little read. the plot and story line weren't great and they were lacking a lot of development but the main characters were all there and it was fun to read them in action again.

[Julie Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third book in the series started off good, but then it went a little off the rails for me. These books are quick reads and I like most of the characters, but this one just became a bit too silly for me. However, I am starting Book 4 now and plan to finish the series.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh....

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lighthearted, fast-read mystery. Fluffy and a nice break from heavier reading. Would recommend to mystery fans and/or anglophiles.