In June 1960, a storm stranded an eclectic group of travelers on a remote Greek island. When one of them is found dead in a locked boat house, an apparent suicide victim, the remaining members turn to Ormand "Hopalong" Basil, a fading actor best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, to look into the death. With a Spanish dime-novel writer, Paco Foxa, as his Watson, Basil quickly determines that the woman was murdered. After a second body is discovered, the surviving members begin pressuring Basil for answers. Basil and Foxa realize that the killer is taunting them and their amateur crime-solving abilities. Relying on the Sherlock Holmes books and their own deductive reasoning, the pair begin to unwind the murders.
Both main characters have encyclopedic knowledge of the Sherlock Holmes stories and frequently quote them to each other. This can be tedious at times, but it fits the novel's theme. I enjoyed the transition from Basil as a has-been actor to a crime solver. From his initial bumbling attempts, he becomes a formidable detective. With its fast pace and red herrings, Perez-Reverte does an excellent job of keeping the reader on their toes.
4/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and Mulholland Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is February 10, 2026.
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