Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah

By A.J. Low and Andrew Tan

Introducing the SHERLOCK SAM series by A.J. Low—a fresh, cross-cultural twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, tailored for middle-grade readers. Set in iconic Singapore locations, the series follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving 10-year-old Samuel Tan Cher Lock (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam), Watson, his reluctant robot sidekick, and the rest of the Supper Club (a “Scooby Doo gang,” of sorts) as they prove that mysteries are best solved through teamwork.

In Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah, our kid detective and his robot are all ready to begin studying at a new international school in Singapore. But when another student begins receiving sinister letters from an anonymous source, Sherlock Sam must use his super powers of deduction to help his new friend.

Praise:
“A promising adventure series with Super Sleuth Sherlock Sam! His insatiable appetite to sample Singapore’s popular foods and never-give-up attitude to solving mysteries will keep readers glued till the last page.”
—Adeline Foo, author of the bestselling series The Diary of Amos Lee

“A thrilling kid’s detective romp in the grand tradition of Famous Five, with a lovable robot and delicious Peranakan food!”
—Otto Fong, author of Sir Fong’s Adventures In Science

“Sherlock Sam and Watson are set to become one of Singapore’s favourite detective duos! Sam’s preoccupation with food struck a familiar chord with the Singaporean in me and Watson’s deadpan one-liners had me laughing out loud. What afun-filled, food-filled adventure story! This is a delicious read that will certainly warm your heart like a good serving of ayam buah keluak!”
—Emily Lim, award-winning author of Tibby, the Tiger Bunny and Prince Bear & Pauper Bear

“Watson is a delightful creation. He follows a rich line of great robot companions from Star War’s R2D2 to Star Trek’s Data; no detective should leave home without one!”
—Sonny Liew, Eisner-nominated author of Malinky Robot

“A genius kid detective would be good. A genius kid detective with a wise-acre robot sidekick is even better. Add a wicked sense of humor and you’ve one of the sharpest, funniest books you’ll read all year.”
—Hal Johnson, author of Immortal Lycanthropes

“This book will definitely draw you in with its twists and turns that will leave you guessing with each turn of the page who the culprits are. There are also many funny lines from Watson that will cause you to burst out in laughter.”
—Seow Kai Lun, ?Singapore's Child

“A clever, entertaining and funny children's novel...a promising start to a new book series [with] bold and whimsical illustrations by drewscape”
—Tina Gan, Red Dot Diva

“This debut local novel is rich (in local references) and satisfying (as a mystery story).”
—Stephani Yeo, Young Parents

“BOTH boys were clamouring to read the book first, so I was left with no choice but to read the book TOGETHER with the both of them...I found it to be utterly captivating enough to make me want to complete the book in one sitting...the localized dialogue is hilariously tongue-in-cheek and the book's subtle appeal to a child's instinct for the mysterious proved to be just what kept both Ash and Ayd deeply intrigued.”
—Kelvin Ang, Cheekiemonkies

“A.J. Low have created an intriguing tale which would keep young readers eager to find out what happens next, while subtly documenting old-school landmarks such as Chin Mee Chin Confectionery and Katong Antique House. Looks set to be a betseller.”
—Clara Chow, My Paper

“I like this book because it leaves you with questions in your mind which make you want to keep reading.”
—Greta Roberts, 9, in Expat Living Singapore

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Release date: Feb 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781449485993

Book preview

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Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah copyright © 2013, 2017 by Adan Jimenez and Felicia Low-Jimenez. Illustrations copyright © 2013, 2017 by Epigram Books. Illustrations and cover design by drewscape. Original English edition published by Epigram Books Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

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for the OCTOPUSES:

Wherever in the world you all may be

Everything-has-gone-black, Watson said.

It’ll only be for a second, I replied, squinting in concentration.

I was standing in front of my robot, putting the finishing touches on the new equipment I had just added to him. Unfortunately, a side effect of my tinkering meant that Watson would lose his vision function for a short while. Needless to say, he didn’t take to that kindly.

It-has-been-twelve-seconds-and-everything-is-still-black, Watson said.

I pushed a button.

My-vision-has-returned, Watson reported. You-have-been-eating-biscuits-in-bed-again. I-see-crumbs.

I made a mental note to install a vacuuming function in Watson. Then instead of just complaining, he could help curb the constant crumb situation that infested my bedroom.

We’ll test out your new superpower tonight, Watson! But for now, dinner! I said. I smell . . .

I paused and sniffed the air.

Bacon! I cried.

Dragging Watson by the arm, I dashed out of my bedroom.

Three, two, one . . . A-HA! Wendy exclaimed as I entered the dining room. She was holding a crisp slice of bacon and waving it in the air. My sister can be very strange at times.

Aha, what? I said, taking my seat. Wait, the dinner table was empty! Where was dinner?

I was just testing a theory. Dad and you aren’t the only ones who experiment, Wendy replied, snickering. She popped the slice of bacon in her mouth and chewed. Mom said dinner will be ready in five minutes, by the way.

A trap! I had been lured to the dinner table by a bacon-waving sister!

I-believe-this-time-it-is-Wendy-one-Sherlock-zero, Watson said.

I glared at my robot as I walked to the kitchen to see if I could help Mom.

Dad was already there, carefully putting the cooked slices of bacon on top of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and cheese. Mom had grilled the bread so that the cheese was melted to perfection, just the way I liked it! She was putting the finishing touches on her potato salad—bacon bits! I helped carry everything to the dinner table quickly.

No sneaking extra helpings of bacon, Sam! Mom called out from the kitchen. Mom is a great cook, but I am never allowed extra helpings of anything, except vegetables.

Wendy grinned at me widely as I sat down. I frowned at her in return. She pulled out a slice of bacon from her sandwich and waved it about. But before I could inform Mom about Wendy’s devious ploy, she put it on my plate, right on top of my sandwich, and smiled.

Sometimes, having a big sister is pretty nice.

I grinned back and quickly popped the bacon into my mouth before Mom caught us.

Dad, Mom, and Watson finally sat down as well.

So, Sam, what’s this letter game I hear people are playing? Dad asked. I read about it in the papers. The reporter called it a massive island-wide game of Chain Mail.

It’s not a game, Dad. It’s a sociological experiment, I replied. Dad is a genius engineer and loves science; he understands the importance of experiments.

Yes, of course, son. Could you explain this sociological experiment to your old dad? he said, smiling.

Basically, you receive letters from people all around Singapore with instructions on how to send out your own letter to another person, I said. We have to use paper and pen, and snail mail. Sometimes it’s your friends who send you letters, but they’re not supposed to let you know.

Oh! That’s like the game we used to play when we were kids, Mom said. This was long before email was invented. No one writes letters anymore. Such a pity.

We’re not playing it, Mom. We’re participating in an experiment, I said.