For many of us, iconic characters like Sherlock Holmes are a kind of comfort food.

You go to a show like “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” now being staged by Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, knowing precisely what you’re going to get: the brusque, brilliant detective Holmes; his everyman sidekick, Dr. Watson; and a seemingly baffling mystery that will be solved by show’s end.

Specifically, the case in “Hound” involves a longstanding family curse. Sir Henry Baskerville (Nick Boyer), whose uncle recently died under strange circumstances, worries that he’ll fall prey to a giant, ferocious, supernatural hound that haunts the moor. But with Holmes (Tom Underwood) and Watson (Jon Elliott) on the case, secrets (of servants and neighbors) and answers soon come to light.

Tim Kelly’s adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel can be a little clunky regarding exposition at times, early in the show; yet the nearly-2-hour production is generally streamlined, well-paced, and accessible.

Chuck Griffin’s set design, paired with Brenda Casher’s prop and set work, place us inside Baskerville Hall, where faded red furnishings suggest a kind of worn, old-money opulence, while also visually defining the production’s 1930s era setting.

This era isn’t dictated by Kelly’s script, but is rather the choice of director David Andrews, and the play works perfectly well in that context. In terms of acting, there were occasional hiccups on opening night — a wrong name uttered here, a character’s awkwardly sudden fit of agitation there — but overall, the performers are well-cast and do solid work.

The servants were among my favorites, actually, because they injected a slightly different energy to the proceedings. Charles Sutherland and Breeda Kelly Miller, for instance — playing married, longtime Baskerville servants Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore — have increasingly significant roles as the story unspools; and Brittany Batell, as Perkins, provides her character with youthful, fun vitality.

Underwood and Elliott, meanwhile, have the highly difficult task of filling iconic shoes, and they do so in a way that’s wholly faithful to the audience’s expectations. Neither ventures far beyond our ingrained ideas about these characters, but then again, it’s easy to understand why they, and Andrews, make this legitimate choice. Genre formulas rely on the implicit contract between artist and patron, and you violate that contract at your peril (particularly when the formula's masterfully executed by the likes of Doyle).

So all of this is not to say that “Hound” doesn’t offer surprises — even those familiar with the book may be caught off guard by the ending — or doesn’t satisfy. It does; for although I found some moments lagging in the first half, I was leaning forward in my chair through much of the second half, sucked in, as I often am, when a mystery story's suspense ramps up.

Which brings me back to my comfort food comparison. On a slightly chilly, rainy night, “Hound” was like eating a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. It may not stand out as one of the best meals I’ve had in my life, but in many ways, it really hit the spot.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.