Death Cloud

January 3, 2011
Lane (The Bond Files, for adults) doesn't quite hit the mark in this British novel (authorized by the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle) that launches the Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series, about the detective's life as a teenager. Staying with his aunt and uncle while on his school's break, Sherlock has little to entertain or enlighten himself besides his American tutor, Amyus Crowe. When a runaway named Matthew witnesses a bizarre murder and Sherlock discovers another dead body in the woods, the teens seek out the truth. On their adventures, they encounter a mysteriously evil housekeeper, beekeepers, and a ludicrously crippled criminal mastermind. Younger readers will appreciate the constant action and danger, but those already familiar with Holmes may find it hard to reconcile Lane's portrayal of an uncertain if perceptive teenager with the trademark inscrutability of the man he will become. (That said, early references to beekeeping and Sherlock's future drug addiction are nice touches, and Lane clearly did his research.) However, the inanity of the over-the-top villain (and his plan) undercuts the thrill of the adventure. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from February 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-Sherlock Holmes, 14, is expecting a quiet summer, relaxing with his family after a difficult term at school. However, political upheaval in India, his mother's illness, and brother Mycroft's position in the Foreign Office result in Sherlock being sent to distant relatives instead. Adapting to life at Holmes Manor in Farnham, he makes friends with a village ruffian and is soon given an American tutor to keep him out of mischief. When Sherlock and Amyus Crowe, the tutor, discover a body covered with mysterious swellings, they are thrown into a conspiracy of chemicals, knives, and money. Over the course of his investigation, Sherlock is kidnapped twice by pale and crippled Baron Maupertuis, once after a brutal boxing match, and the second time while with beautiful Virginia Crowe, daughter of Amyus. In their final confrontation, Sherlock and Virginia discover the Baron's plot to bring down the whole of the British Empire. Lane successfully blends the traditional Holmesian confidence with the teen's awkward self-consciousness. The vulnerability of the character is well illustrated through his relationship with Mycroft, as well as his friendship with Matty, the young orphaned longboat operator. While the crush on Virginia seems a bit shoehorned in, her character does provide some needed humor. Occasionally the action overwhelms the investigative components, but the narrative still flows smoothly. A menacing villain and an unexpected twist make for a thoroughly engaging read that will keep readers turning pages. Now, it's just a matter of waiting for the next tale.-Joel Shoemaker, formerly at South East Junior High School, Iowa City, IA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011

This first in a new series about Sherlock Holmes as a teenager finds the dismayed hero taken by his brother Mycroft to stay with a stuffy uncle in the country for his summer school holiday. Sherlock and his orphaned friend, Matty, probe two strange deaths associated with the appearance of a mysterious cloud. One of the strengths of this book is the immediacy of action--beginning chapters don't weigh readers down with details but introduce necessary clues and facts woven skillfully into the text. After the scene is thoroughly set, the plot takes off like a rocket, constantly building suspense to a shockingly violent climax and over-the-top conclusion in which justice prevails over evil. The main characters are well drawn, but the villains are underdeveloped caricatures whose evil is unmitigated by human qualities. A rollicking good read, this book will offer a solid introduction to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for younger teens. It also offers enjoyable insight into how Sherlock Holmes became the future investigative wizard for established fans of the ultimate detective. (Mystery/suspense. 13-17)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2011
Grades 6-9 Before he was the detective whose steel-trap mind made him the curse of criminals, Sherlock Holmes was a teenager, brushing up on his powers of deductionand becoming the curse of one very nasty criminal indeed. This series introduces a 14-year-old Sherlock whos been left at his uncles estate during the holidays. A new friend, a clever tutor, and the tutors pretty daughter arent enough to keep Sherlock out of trouble (well, actually, theyre part of the trouble) when a mysterious cloud and several unfortunate deaths draw him into a malevolent plotters web. This British import (the first teen series to be granted official endorsement from Sir Arthur Conan Doyles literary estate) has punchsome literaland purpose. The story sags a bit in the middle, but the rousing, almost fantastical conclusion will set readers up for the next installment. Clever packaging gets optimum appeal for a book that cant count on all kids knowing the esteemed detective. The young Sherlock on the cover looks like a waistcoat-clad Justin Bieber.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2011
Explaining in an author's note that Conan Doyle left plenty of room for someone to imagine his famed creation's childhood, Lane posits that the detective solved his first case one summer when circumstances require him to stay with some elderly relations in the country rather than with his father (in India) or his brother Mycroft (Foreign Office, London). Two men die from what evidence suggests is a plague; it honors both the Holmes canon and the interests of bloodthirsty young readers that the cause is in fact killer bees. That solved, fourteen-year-old Sherlock still has to catch the miscreants, and in this he is aided by scrappy streetwise sidekick Matty Arnatt and his tutor Amyus Crowe, a friend of Mycroft's hailing from Wild West Albuquerque and skilled in the art of detection. Although there isn't much in everyboy hero Sherlock to suggest the peculiar man he would grow up to be, and while the book is more thrill-packed action-movie than cool deductive mystery, Holmes fans will delight in numerous in-jokes, and adventure readers will thrill to the high-stakes and suspenseful storytelling. roger Sutton

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)