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Rating: 
Summary: A romp!
Review: Baker Street Irregulars who have kept a sense of humor will relish this little gem. They will raise eyebrows, place tongue firmly in cheek, and fall right in. Stuffier Holmes fans will be appalled, of course, but that's their problem.
Rating: 
Summary: Pure entertainment!
Review: Graham Greene used to divide his novels into two categories, "serious"novels and "entertainments". The Lestrade novels of J M Trow are definitely in the "entertainment" category. This one is first in what is a very welcome reprinting of the Lestrade series. The plot is fantastic (as in 'unbelievable') and wanders all over the country, but that doesn't matter because it is richly comical, full of in-jokes that make you feel good when you recognise them, witty puns (and some vile ones too), and a host of historical characters both real and fictional. It is a joy to read.And later volumes in the series just get better.
Rating:
Summary: Bizarre murders and historical personages
Review: M.J. Trow has written a series of (I think!) 16 books about Inspector Sholto Lestrade of Scotland Yard. Lestrade will be (more or less) recognisable to readers of the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.In this book, though, those stories are pure fiction. Lestrade is not as incompetent as Holmes' many fans have been led to believe, and indeed, Doyle has taken liberties with the real Sherlock Holmes, a not terribly bright consulting detective. In this book, Lestrade is investigating a series of murders which turn out, unsurprisingly, to be related. The story is richly populated with historical characters, who wander in and out of the story with great regularity. Some of them are even considered, if briefly, as suspects. Mr. Trow has an interest in the period, not the least of which is in the mysterious murderer known as Jack the Ripper (he has written 'The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper'), and the Ripper gets some mention in this book. Lestrade's immediate superior is Sir Melville McNaghten, who was a senior officer involved in the Ripper investigations. I would have preferred if the book involved more detective work - Lestrade's methods are pretty hit and miss - but the nature of the murders are bizarrely amusing. There is also a significant streak of comedy in the book, mostly of the punning kind, but quite often this is may lead you to think that the characters, rather than the author, are joking. It's an interesting book, although perhaps not everyone's cup of tea.
Rating:
Summary: Bizarre murders and historical personages
Review: M.J. Trow has written a series of (I think!) 16 books about Inspector Sholto Lestrade of Scotland Yard. Lestrade will be (more or less) recognisable to readers of the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this book, though, those stories are pure fiction. Lestrade is not as incompetent as Holmes' many fans have been led to believe, and indeed, Doyle has taken liberties with the real Sherlock Holmes, a not terribly bright consulting detective. In this book, Lestrade is investigating a series of murders which turn out, unsurprisingly, to be related. The story is richly populated with historical characters, who wander in and out of the story with great regularity. Some of them are even considered, if briefly, as suspects. Mr. Trow has an interest in the period, not the least of which is in the mysterious murderer known as Jack the Ripper (he has written 'The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper'), and the Ripper gets some mention in this book. Lestrade's immediate superior is Sir Melville McNaghten, who was a senior officer involved in the Ripper investigations. I would have preferred if the book involved more detective work - Lestrade's methods are pretty hit and miss - but the nature of the murders are bizarrely amusing. There is also a significant streak of comedy in the book, mostly of the punning kind, but quite often this is may lead you to think that the characters, rather than the author, are joking. It's an interesting book, although perhaps not everyone's cup of tea.
Rating: 
Summary: Now We Know!!
Review: Now we know why the estate of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle refused to allow too many people to play in their playground! At first, I thought they were being "dog in the manger'-ish. But now I understand they were trying to maintain as high standards as possible. Too bad they couldn't veto this one. The concept of an Inspector LeStrade who isn't a bumbling fool is NOT novel. In the original stories, he is not an idiot. That only comes from Hollywood and the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce movies. Sir Arthur makes him out to be at least competent. He is certainly not in Holmes or even Watson's class. So, this should/could have been refreshing. Instead, it was very disappointing. You knew who the baddie was practically from the first chapter, which begins with LeStrade acting completely out of character; committing an act for which he a) should have known better, b) should have forseen the consequences, and c) should have led him immediately to the perpetrator. In fact, he acts uncharacteristically for a high ranking, uncorrupted, police inspector throughout the book, and acts as stupidly in the last chapter as he does in the first. Are we really expected to suspend our disbelief here? I don't think so. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: Now We Know!!
Review: Now we know why the estate of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle refused to allow too many people to play in their playground! At first, I thought they were being "dog in the manger'-ish. But now I understand they were trying to maintain as high standards as possible. Too bad they couldn't veto this one. The concept of an Inspector LeStrade who isn't a bumbling fool is NOT novel. In the original stories, he is not an idiot. That only comes from Hollywood and the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce movies. Sir Arthur makes him out to be at least competent. He is certainly not in Holmes or even Watson's class. So, this should/could have been refreshing. Instead, it was very disappointing. You knew who the baddie was practically from the first chapter, which begins with LeStrade acting completely out of character; committing an act for which he a) should have known better, b) should have forseen the consequences, and c) should have led him immediately to the perpetrator. In fact, he acts uncharacteristically for a high ranking, uncorrupted, police inspector throughout the book, and acts as stupidly in the last chapter as he does in the first. Are we really expected to suspend our disbelief here? I don't think so. Save your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Atmospheric but Limited
Review: The idea of writing a series of books built around the not-so-bumbling Inspector Lestrade is somewhat clever, but MJ Trow never quite figures out how to built a mystery. There is almost no way we could ever guess the identity of the murderer as the book is full of red herrings. The atmosphere of Victorian England is recreated nicely but almost none of the characters come to life and ther are too many famous people romaing around to give the book any focus. There's just barely enough here to make me perhaps try another in the series on a lazy sumer day, but not for a while.
Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric but Limited
Review: The idea of writing a series of books built around the not-so-bumbling Inspector Lestrade is somewhat clever, but MJ Trow never quite figures out how to built a mystery. There is almost no way we could ever guess the identity of the murderer as the book is full of red herrings. The atmosphere of Victorian England is recreated nicely but almost none of the characters come to life and ther are too many famous people romaing around to give the book any focus. There's just barely enough here to make me perhaps try another in the series on a lazy sumer day, but not for a while.
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