Death Cloud

By Andrew Lane

It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with elderly relatives in the country and expecting a tedious vacation. Instead, he finds himself in the midst of a shocking murder mystery. Two local men have died from symptoms resembling the plague. Soon it is clear they have not died from natural causes.

Heedless of danger, Holmes throws himself into an investigation of what and who really killed them. With encouragement from his American born tutor and the help of two new friends, he uncovers a diabolical plot. So begins his first battle of wits against a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent.

So. Young Sherlock Holmes. Well. Ahem. Alright I’ve stalled enough. How intriguing to put the world’s most famous detective into the awkward phase of youth. I began imagining a know-it-all kid who can’t stand to be around all the boring ‘normal’ people who are so blind to the details of life. I had a pretty clear picture (but was staying open-minded) of what I thought needed to happen. I was expecting a very independent kid who couldn’t stand to let a murder go unsolved simply because he knew that everyone was missing the important clues. Andrew Lane’s Death Cloud introduces us to a 14-year-old Sherlock Holmes, just getting ready for the summer holidays. A loner, but not okay with this, Sherlock is dismayed to realize he isn’t going home when Mycroft appears. It’s evident from the get-go that Sherlock has a hero-worship thing going on with Mycroft (which was weird). Sherlock’s personality is that of a kid who is uncertain and emotional, and far too normal. We are also introduced to Sherlock’s tutor who it is obvious is to be his detecting mentor (which I was also disappointed at. Sherlock Holmes doesn’t seem the type to have needed or wanted anyone telling him the way to do things.) The only reason why I was able to enjoy this book was the fact that I kept forgetting that this kid was supposed to be the Sherlock Holmes. It was decent for a young adult murder mystery. I’m not sold on it at all though. I saw the huge potential for the idea of a young Sherlock, but the choices Lane made seemed more geared toward the genre than the character.

I give it a 3 out of 5 It was fine, but not anywhere near Sherlock’s awesome potential

Jackaby

By William Ritter

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion—and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R.F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary—including the ability to see supernatural being. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A Serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police—with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane—deny.

When a book touts that it is Doctor Who meets Sherlock Holmes, I just can’t pass that up. Two of my favorite things combined? I have to at least read it so I can say whether that claim was founded or not right? Well Watson, let me relate to you my findings based upon the facts: This book had supernatural creatures, well, at least according to Jackaby himself, who seems to be the only one able to perceive these creatures; hence a lot of people think he’s bonkers. It has a companion-like narrator who introduces us to the strange Jackaby and his world of ghosts and goblins. It has hints of romance, vampires, werewolves, ducks that do the filing, and more. The fun thing about the character Jackaby is that he doesn’t care what others think, he has better things to worry about, and he’s totally oblivious to the fact that he’s looked at as insane. It’s very reminiscent of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. Once I made that connection I was having a blast. Before I made this connection I did not like Jackaby. It was weird and felt off-putting, but the second I pictured Matt Smith I was gung-ho and in for the long haul. As for comparing this to Sherlock Holmes, I was a little less enthused about that comparison. There were only two reasons I could see where they were coming from: It’s set in Victorian times, and there are mysteries to solve. I never could really picture Sherlock Holmes anywhere near this story though. Regardless, I still had such a ball reading this that I immediately searched out when the next book would come out (September 22). I admit that if I weren’t such a massive Doctor Who fan, I probably wouldn’t have liked this as much as I did, because I wouldn’t have gotten the pacing and humor as readily. It’s an acquired taste. But oh the fun I did have, and look forward to September!

I give it a 4 out of 5

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

By Arthur Conan Doyle

This is a gathering of some of the more notable cases of the world-famous Sherlock Holmes, written by his faithful friend, Doctor John Watson. Among the stories is “A Scandal in Bohemia” where we meet the American woman Irene Adler, “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”, “The Man with the Twisted Lips”, and many others.

 

There seems to have been an outpouring of Sherlock Holmes related media the past few years, which spurred my interest in reading the actual stories by Doyle. With the surprising Hollywood debut and sequel featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, I was certain that it would be a horrendous version that I would be sick at, but was surprised when I finally watched it that I loved it. Then came BBC’s absolutely genius modernized version that has many people in absolute agony while they wait to figure out how Sherlock survived his ‘fall’. That in and of itself is a brilliant re-imagined version, which is enhanced by Benedict Cumberbach’s manic energy and delivery of the famous detective, not to mention Martin Freeman’s incredible friendship and loyalty portrayed as John Watson. And, to top it off we have the recent adage of “Elementary” in America where Sherlock Holmes is, once again, a modernized character living in New York, a recovering drug addict that is just getting back into detective work. All three versions have their good points and bad, but all three are entertaining. Reading the original stories has been fun knowing the back-stories and having grown up with the Jeremey Brett episodes on PBS, which are more true to the stories than any other. I had fun reading stories that I’d never heard before, especially the engineer’s thumb and the man with the twisted lips. The blue carbuncle was actually quite funny, unless you were the antagonist of the story. I highly recommend reading the original stories if you are a fan of any of the above shows. After all, we all know that in the vast majority, the book is better than the movie!

I give it a 4 out of 5

 

Above: Elementary, New Sherlock and female Watson

 

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson