Ten-year-old Samuel Tan Cher Lock has an alias. In most respects, he's a normal kid. He goes to school, fights with his sister, and loves to eat. But when there is a puzzle to solve, his skill in figuring out the right questions to ask to get to the answer have earned him the nickname Sherlock Sam. And when a classmate in his new international school starts receiving sinister letters, it's time for Sherlock Sam, his best-robot-buddy Watson, and his team of fellow junior crime-fighters (aka The Supper Club) to step in and find out what's going on.
Set in Singapore, Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah is a middle-grade Sherlck Holmes story with a modern update and an international flavor. Author A.J. Low (actually, a husband and wife writing team) takes readers on a tour of Singapore--introducing the culture, popular locations, and cuisine--without hitting them over the head with obvious lessons. Sherlock Sam and his crew are smart without being pretentious, clever without being encyclopedic, and interesting without being forceful. This story is just a charming middle grade mystery to delight young and old.
Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters is the third in the series (after Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong and Sherlock Sam and the Ghostly Moans in Fort Canning). I've enjoyed this one so much, now I have to go back and start over from the beginning. If you have middle grade readers, I suggest you encourage them to give Sherlock Sam a try.
Galleys for Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.