The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond

Cute, old school Sherlock Holmes type detective stories. Everyone worth a character is male, the action revolves around wordplay and storytelling. Nobody doing much jumping around.

The writing is good. For once I have to stop and actually read the words that make up the sentences. I forgot I like that, part of the reason I so enjoyed Moby Dick while in Spain, so much language to loll about in rather than chasing the action and skimming dialogue.