The great Sherlock Holmes may have solved many cases in his lifetime but none of it has involved the search of someone as close and trusted as his associate Dr Watson. Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin come up with a mystery in which Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars do just that as they go In Search of Watson.

In their third casebook of the Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregular series, the band of street urchins help ‘the master’ detective find Dr Watson, who suddenly went missing during a murder investigation. If you don’t know who the Baker Street Irregulars are, then you must get to know them as they are an important part of the cases of Sherlock Holmes. They may be a band of young homeless kids who do the legwork for their master but they are ‘his eyes and ears on the street’.

The trusted assistants comprise the supremely gifted Ozzie, the street-smart Wiggins, the talented Pilar and the rest of the gang who are always on the move.

But this case is closer to Sherlock Holmes than any other since it is his friend Dr Watson whose life is at stake. Also at stake is the past of Ozzie who returns to London after gathering clues about the identity of his long-absent father. Can he finally unite with his lost father? Can Dr Watson be saved in time? Is his disappearance related to the murder of renowned archaeologist Calico Finch who dies at the beginning of the story? Why is the rival street gang one step ahead of the Irregulars in this case? To find out the answers to these questions, you must devote some of your time to this book which will keep you engrossed till the very end.

In Search of Watson is also written on the lines of the Three Investigators and Famous Five stories which are considered children classics due to their simple language and fascinating plots. The husband and wife duo of Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin continue to make Sherlock Holmes known to the young readers through their work. If you read the fascinating facts, deciphering technique, slang glossary and history at the end, you can become part of the gang in no time. So join the Baker Street Irregulars who are searching for Watson, before it’s too late! — Seema Faruqi