The Disappearing Diplomat
by Terrance Dicks (Blackie & Son, 1986)
A return to form. Dicks makes use of Cold War tropes to cram in a proper, high-stakes action adventure where all the Irregulars have a chance to contribute (Mickey, thankfully, is reined in a little). Dan’s Sherlock-inspired brainwork is spot-on for middle-grade.
The Ghost Grabbers
by Terrance Dicks (Blackie, 1980)
After much build-up as to how realistic the so-called hauntings are, the ease of their fabrication is then glossed over. The multifaceted misdirection is clever enough so far as MG goes, but the scheme is at once painfully transparent and laughably overcomplicated.
The Baker Street Four, Vol. 1
by J. B. Djian & Olivier Legrand; ill. David Etien; trans. Mark Bence (Insight, 2017
first published as “Les Quatre de Baker Street vol. 1” (Editions Glénat, 2009)
A thick volume containing two adventures of Sherlockian street kids Billy, Charlie, Tom (and cat). The stories are nothing special but the art is rather splendid, foregrounding the characters and rendering London’s East End with a grimy palette and considerable background detail.
The Cinema Swindle
by Terrance Dicks (Blackie, 1980)
Again, a somewhat underwhelming mystery. Mickey, the most rambunctious but least interesting of the Irregulars, sees some action, but the others do very little. The book is most noteworthy for its frank, even nostalgic depiction of the seedier side of 1970s London.
The Fagin File
by Terrance Dicks (Blackie & Son, 1978)
A slight, rather hurried volume, even by Dicks’s standards. The narrative chops about more than it did in the first Baker Street Irregulars mystery, and the investigation is something of a doddle. For a middle-grade adventure, though, the stakes are surprisingly adult.
The Case of the Missing Masterpiece
by Terrance Dicks (Blackie & Son, 1978)
This first book of the Baker Street Irregulars series shows Terrance Dicks to be right at home in a London setting. Unlike his Doctor Who novelisations, the Holmes-inspired mystery is rich in background detail and characterisation, its investigation offering plenty of suspense!