Death Cloud (2010) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 4 stars

“When I was first ask to review this I was really hesistant. I love Sherlock Holmes (though I haven't read the original books)--especially the latest film, but mystery and murder isn't my usual cup of tea. So when I said yes I was taking a big risk, but I wanted to see how Sherlock Holmes would act as a young teenager. And in the end it was worth the risk, I loved it.

At the age of fourteen, Sherlock must spend the summer with his estrange aunt and uncle. What he thinks will be a boring holiday turns into a adventure of a life time. Along side him is Matty (a friend he met coincidentally), Amyus Crowe (tutor) and Virgina (tutor's daughter, Sherlock's crush).

Andrew Lane has made the book so their is never a dull moment at hand. As a reader you'll be able to quickly jump into it and even spend most of the book trying to solve the mystery.

The characters in the book are all lovable, though I enjoyed Virgina the most. She represented a strong female lead, and was not at all a damsel-in-distress. I was saddened that she didn't have a lot of spotlight in the book, and hope that in the next she will.

My thoughts on Sherlock's young self compared to his older self are purely based on how Robert Downey Jr portrayed him. I haven't read the original Sherlock Holmes novels so I can't really get a complete grasp on his older self. In this book Sherlock is at the beginning of his journeys. He's smart but not mega smart. I kind of like that because it shows that Sherlock gained his knowledge through education and experience, not having it naturally. I think Sherlock Holmes (whether young or old) is a great role model because he shows that with hard work and dedication you can achieve a level of knowledge that can help make the world a better place. Most young adults think school is a waste, maybe even me a bit, and Sherlock shows that he needed education and experience to become the great hero he became when he was older.

The only down side to this book was some of the description was foggy and hard to understand. As well as by the end of the book it kind of dragged. The antagonist of the book was simple to figure out, it was the mystery and actions of the villain that were hard to solve.

Overall I enjoyed Death Cloud and will definitely be keeping an eye out for it's sequel.”

• Rated 4 stars

“What Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson did for Peter Pan, Andrew Lane has done for Sherlock Holmes with a bonus, the endorsement of the Arthur Conan Dyle Estate Ltd. Young Sherlock is introduced to the reader as his brother Mycroft arrives at his school to inform his younger brother that he will not be returning home, but will be spending the coming vacation with an unknown aunt and uncle in the English countryside. What at first appears to be a boring and trying time apart from those Sherlock knows becomes an adventure whetting his appetite for more. First he meets Matty Arnatt, a young orphan who befriends Sherlock and becomes his tour guide and sometimes defender. Amyus Crowe, the tutor hired by Mycroft, hones Sherlock's reasoning skills and helps Sherlock solve the mystery of the two deaths in the small village. And Sherlock is obviously smitten with Virginia, Crowe's adventuresome daughter.

The book is an excellent introduction to the young Sherlock Homes series for teens and readers will want to know if the successful foursome will endure and what the future holds for the Paradol Chamber and the evil Baron Maupertuis. And perhaps there will be an answer to the question: Why is Mrs. Englantine not a friend to the Holmes family?

The copy reviewed was the ARC.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Sherlock Holmes: The Death cloud
Sherlock Holmes, the greatest young detective in London, Is moving to live with his Uncle and Aunt in Holmes Manor over the summer. While he explores the new city, he makes new allies, Matty Arnat the street boy, Amyus Crowe and his daughter. Something strange is happening in the city, something big, deadly and invisible called the death cloud. The death cloud has now killed 2 people; now join Sherlock in the mysterious adventure to find the killer before the death cloud finds him!
”

• Rated 5 stars

“So good”

• Rated 4 stars

“Death Cloud was an enjoyable read and would particularly capture the attention of ten to fourteen year old boys. In some ways it very much reminded me of the Alex Rider books, although with less gadgets lol, so fans of that series and similar books would like this one.

The cast of characters were likable, I think my favourite was probably Matty, who is taking on the role of Sherlock's side-kick. The two make a good duo, with Sherlock being the thinker and puzzle solver and Matty being the tough, street-wise kid. There's also potential love interest in Virginia, although no doubt as with most 'boys' books this won't be a large part of the plots - this is actually the reason why I like to have a change and read this kind of book.

A good start to the series, I will definitely be making time to read any future Young Sherlock Holmes books.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Meh. Passes the time. Good plot, etc, etc.”