The Abduction of Pretty Penny: A Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mystery

It’s 1917 in Goldberg’s so-so fifth mystery featuring Joanna Blalock (after 2020’s The Art of Deception), and one morning Joanna, the daughter of the late Sherlock Holmes, receives a visit at 221B Baker Street, which she shares with her husband, Dr. Watson’s son, from Emma Adams, a playwright and the owner of a pub and a theater in Whitechapel. Mrs. Adams persuades Joanna to find Penny Martin, the star of her current play, who has gone missing. Meanwhile, the commissioner of Scotland Yard asks Joanna and both Watsons to help investigate a series of murders of prostitutes. The mutilation of their bodies is similar to that inflicted by Jack the Ripper. However, 28 years separates the Ripper’s killing spree from the current deaths. Is it the same man? Joanna believes it is and is sure that Penny will be the next to die. A simple, linear plot and a lack of surprises and humor limit the appeal of this homage. Most Sherlockians can safely take a pass. Agent: Scott Mendel, Mendel Media Group. (June)