Scan barcode
A review by missprint_
Death Cloud by Andy Lane
3.0
Summer 1868: After an interminable year away at boarding school, fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is eager to return to the family home where he can explore to his heart's content and see his father and mother. Sherlock is crushed when his older brother Mycroft instead tells Sherlock he will be staying with distant relatives in Hampshire.
Dismayed at this horrible turn of events, Sherlock is prepared for a terrible summer. Then he meets a drifter about his own age named Matty Arnett as well as an unconventional tutor named Amyus Crowe. Together the trio are soon drawn into a mystery involving a dead body, noxious gasses and--strangest of all--a cloud that seems to move with purpose.
Death Cloud is the first book in Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes series.
Mystery fans and fans of the worlds greatest detective will all find something to enjoy in this action-packed adventure. Lane gains momentum throughout the narrative seemingly becoming more comfortable with writing about this famous character as the story progresses. Much in the grand tradition of Arthur Conan Doyle's original novels, Lane offers a madcap mystery with imaginative devices and a villain that will likely follow young Sherlock throughout the series.
Lane also offers nods to what seasoned readers know lies in store for Sherlock as well as new insights into how Crowe, Shelock's tutor, helped shape his deductive reasoning. In fact, the biggest problem with Death Cloud is reconciling this young boy who is observant but often also less-than-learned with the brilliant detective that has become part of the public consciousness. While some teachable moments between Sherlock and Crowe feel forced (as Lane tries to use what Sherlock doesn't know to anticipate that which younger readers may not know) the story and characters come together nicely here.
Death Cloud is an approachable, engaging mystery that will appeal to readers (and Sherlock fans) of all ages.
Dismayed at this horrible turn of events, Sherlock is prepared for a terrible summer. Then he meets a drifter about his own age named Matty Arnett as well as an unconventional tutor named Amyus Crowe. Together the trio are soon drawn into a mystery involving a dead body, noxious gasses and--strangest of all--a cloud that seems to move with purpose.
Death Cloud is the first book in Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes series.
Mystery fans and fans of the worlds greatest detective will all find something to enjoy in this action-packed adventure. Lane gains momentum throughout the narrative seemingly becoming more comfortable with writing about this famous character as the story progresses. Much in the grand tradition of Arthur Conan Doyle's original novels, Lane offers a madcap mystery with imaginative devices and a villain that will likely follow young Sherlock throughout the series.
Lane also offers nods to what seasoned readers know lies in store for Sherlock as well as new insights into how Crowe, Shelock's tutor, helped shape his deductive reasoning. In fact, the biggest problem with Death Cloud is reconciling this young boy who is observant but often also less-than-learned with the brilliant detective that has become part of the public consciousness. While some teachable moments between Sherlock and Crowe feel forced (as Lane tries to use what Sherlock doesn't know to anticipate that which younger readers may not know) the story and characters come together nicely here.
Death Cloud is an approachable, engaging mystery that will appeal to readers (and Sherlock fans) of all ages.