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quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Sherlock Holmes
Think you know him?
Think again
A dead man walking
A scarred face
A crime that shattered a country.
Sherlock Holmes knows that adults keep secrets. But he didn’t expect to find the world’s most famous assassin apparently living in Surrey when he’s meant to be dead – and his own brother somehow involved,
When no one will tell you the truth, sometimes you have to risk all to discover it for yourself. So begins an adventure that will lead Sherlock to America, to the centre of a deadly web – where life and death are cheap, and truth has a price no sane person would pay …
It’s a couple of weeks after DEATH CLOUD and although Sherlock’s still stuck with his aunt and uncle, he’s enjoying his lessons with Amyus Crowe. When his brother Mycroft arrives unexpectedly to bring news to Amyus of a sighting of John Wilkes Booth (murderer of President Lincoln) in Surrey, Sherlock decides to investigate and drags his friend Matty with him. However his investigations go wrong and Matty’s kidnapped by renegade Confederates intent on reigniting the American Civil War. To rescue him Sherlock, Amyus and Virginia must travel to America and on the way, Sherlock will risk wild animals, war and death and make some decisions that will change his life forever …
The second in Andrew Lane’s YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES series is a transatlantic affair that involves the murder of Abraham Lincoln with some more iconic elements from Conan Doyle’s original creation.
I like the way that Lane incorporates elements from classic Holmes into his books to explain where they come from. Here he brings in the violin and Sherlock’s admiration for Americans, hints at his use of children as a source of information while developing his powers of logic and reason. There are detailed author notes at the back with suggested reading material and explanations for where he got his inspiration, which I found interesting. I also enjoyed Sherlock’s character development, his reactions to the deaths that he encounters (and causes) feels realistic and you can see how it will affect him as an adult.
The story itself is okay but never really caught fire for me. Part of the reason for this is that, good though Lane’s research is, I found his reliance on exposition in fight scenes to get in the way of the action. This book also felt a little gimmicky, tying in Count Zeppelin with John Wilkes Booth stretched credibility too far (although props to the use of the legend that Booth escapes the barn fire). The main villain was underdeveloped in terms of character and the over-reliance on sickness/deformity as a reason for insanity is rehashed from DEATH CLOUD with the final confrontation being an anti-climax in light of earlier events.
Although the plot didn’t do it for me, it’s still an okay read and I’m interested in reading on – especially to see how the storyline about the awful Mrs Englemere’s hold of Sherlock’s uncle and aunt plays out.
The Verdict:
Andrew Lane’s sequel to YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES: DEATH CLOUD is a well researched book the builds on the legend that John Wilkes Booth escaped capture for the murder of Abraham Lincoln and ties in a plan for the resurgence of the Confederate campaign. For me the overall plot was a little too preposterous and the villain too over-the-top but I like the way that Sherlock is developing as a character and especially the way Lane incorporates elements of the Holmes legend into his stories, which ensures that I will keep reading on.
Thanks to Macmillan for the free copy of this book.
Think you know him?
Think again
A dead man walking
A scarred face
A crime that shattered a country.
Sherlock Holmes knows that adults keep secrets. But he didn’t expect to find the world’s most famous assassin apparently living in Surrey when he’s meant to be dead – and his own brother somehow involved,
When no one will tell you the truth, sometimes you have to risk all to discover it for yourself. So begins an adventure that will lead Sherlock to America, to the centre of a deadly web – where life and death are cheap, and truth has a price no sane person would pay …
It’s a couple of weeks after DEATH CLOUD and although Sherlock’s still stuck with his aunt and uncle, he’s enjoying his lessons with Amyus Crowe. When his brother Mycroft arrives unexpectedly to bring news to Amyus of a sighting of John Wilkes Booth (murderer of President Lincoln) in Surrey, Sherlock decides to investigate and drags his friend Matty with him. However his investigations go wrong and Matty’s kidnapped by renegade Confederates intent on reigniting the American Civil War. To rescue him Sherlock, Amyus and Virginia must travel to America and on the way, Sherlock will risk wild animals, war and death and make some decisions that will change his life forever …
The second in Andrew Lane’s YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES series is a transatlantic affair that involves the murder of Abraham Lincoln with some more iconic elements from Conan Doyle’s original creation.
I like the way that Lane incorporates elements from classic Holmes into his books to explain where they come from. Here he brings in the violin and Sherlock’s admiration for Americans, hints at his use of children as a source of information while developing his powers of logic and reason. There are detailed author notes at the back with suggested reading material and explanations for where he got his inspiration, which I found interesting. I also enjoyed Sherlock’s character development, his reactions to the deaths that he encounters (and causes) feels realistic and you can see how it will affect him as an adult.
The story itself is okay but never really caught fire for me. Part of the reason for this is that, good though Lane’s research is, I found his reliance on exposition in fight scenes to get in the way of the action. This book also felt a little gimmicky, tying in Count Zeppelin with John Wilkes Booth stretched credibility too far (although props to the use of the legend that Booth escapes the barn fire). The main villain was underdeveloped in terms of character and the over-reliance on sickness/deformity as a reason for insanity is rehashed from DEATH CLOUD with the final confrontation being an anti-climax in light of earlier events.
Although the plot didn’t do it for me, it’s still an okay read and I’m interested in reading on – especially to see how the storyline about the awful Mrs Englemere’s hold of Sherlock’s uncle and aunt plays out.
The Verdict:
Andrew Lane’s sequel to YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES: DEATH CLOUD is a well researched book the builds on the legend that John Wilkes Booth escaped capture for the murder of Abraham Lincoln and ties in a plan for the resurgence of the Confederate campaign. For me the overall plot was a little too preposterous and the villain too over-the-top but I like the way that Sherlock is developing as a character and especially the way Lane incorporates elements of the Holmes legend into his stories, which ensures that I will keep reading on.
Thanks to Macmillan for the free copy of this book.
