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The Boy Sherlock Holmes #1
Eye of the Crow
Sherlock Holmes, just 13, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition, makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and son Sherlock bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way.
But what wits he has! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused, and in London, they hang boys of thirteen.
But what wits he has! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused, and in London, they hang boys of thirteen.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2007
104 people are currently reading
1911 people want to read
About the author
Shane Peacock
37 books134 followersShane Peacock was born in 1957 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, one of four brothers. He attended school in the northern town of Kapuskasing, Ontario, before attending university, where he studied History and English literature. A biographer, journalist, and screenwriter, he is also the author of eighteen novels, a picture book and three plays, and has been won and/or been nominated for numerous awards including two Arthur Ellis Awards for crime fiction, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for historical fiction, the Violet Downey Award, the Libris Award, seven times honored with Junior Library Guild of America selections, and has been on three shortlists for the Canadian Children's Literature Award, and one for the Governor-General's Award. His books have been published in 20 languages in 18 countries. He and his wife, journalist Sophie Kneisel live in Cobourg, Ontario and have two daughters and a son.
Series:
* The Dylan Maples Adventures
* The Boy Sherlock Holmes
The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim
The Seven Series
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2008): Eye of the Crow
The Arthur Ellis (2013)
The Violet Downey Award
The Libris Award
The Geoffrey Bilson Award
The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award
Anne Izard Storyteller Choice Award
Junior Library Guild of America Selection (7 times)
Governor-General's Award (shortlist)
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (shortlist)
Series:
* The Dylan Maples Adventures
* The Boy Sherlock Holmes
The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim
The Seven Series
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2008): Eye of the Crow
The Arthur Ellis (2013)
The Violet Downey Award
The Libris Award
The Geoffrey Bilson Award
The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award
Anne Izard Storyteller Choice Award
Junior Library Guild of America Selection (7 times)
Governor-General's Award (shortlist)
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (shortlist)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
September 8, 2024
It's difficult to take on a classic character who was written so well so long ago.
I realize Eye of the Crow is meant for today's young readers. The author does a fair job of creating 1860s London, replete with historic sites such as Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and Newgate Prison. I appreciated young Sherlock's introduction to disguises and the quick pace of the adventure.
However, there are more references to Sherlock's abilities in deduction than there are examples. Too much telling, too little showing. The narrator points out that Sherlock never cries, but then he cries four times. For some reason, one of the characters is named A. C. Doyle (another is Stamford, another John Stuart Mill). These names were an odd distraction. While I typically enjoy present tense narration, it did not work in this case, where Sherlock is so identifiable as a Victorian fellow.
Much is made of young Sherlock being Jewish, which I don't recall being stated or of consequence in Doyle's books. The story's suspect is referred to as "The Arab". Crows play a large role in the story, and there is a head-shaking scene involving porridge being used as an iron object.
Overall, it's an okay story. I think teens would like the book, but Sherlock devotees might want to avoid it.
I realize Eye of the Crow is meant for today's young readers. The author does a fair job of creating 1860s London, replete with historic sites such as Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and Newgate Prison. I appreciated young Sherlock's introduction to disguises and the quick pace of the adventure.
However, there are more references to Sherlock's abilities in deduction than there are examples. Too much telling, too little showing. The narrator points out that Sherlock never cries, but then he cries four times. For some reason, one of the characters is named A. C. Doyle (another is Stamford, another John Stuart Mill). These names were an odd distraction. While I typically enjoy present tense narration, it did not work in this case, where Sherlock is so identifiable as a Victorian fellow.
Much is made of young Sherlock being Jewish, which I don't recall being stated or of consequence in Doyle's books. The story's suspect is referred to as "The Arab". Crows play a large role in the story, and there is a head-shaking scene involving porridge being used as an iron object.
Overall, it's an okay story. I think teens would like the book, but Sherlock devotees might want to avoid it.
March 4, 2020
Interesting enough but ultimately I found this to be just an OK read. The story seemed to rely heavily on coincidence regarding the crows and also finding an object that was still there DAYS after an event. Not only that, young Sherlock's mother really made a terribly stupid move which was totally unbelievable. And finally the method Sherlock used to get into some mansions - sure it was really a thing back in Victorian times - but still I found that suspended my belief. Just seemed like another clever thing to give Sherlock to do. I dunno.
Not sure I'll pick up another of these. Unless someone can tell me the next one is so much better.
Not sure I'll pick up another of these. Unless someone can tell me the next one is so much better.
January 20, 2015
I have never given much thought to Sherlock Holmes as a boy or spent any time pondering what Holmes must have been like as a teenager. Reading "Eye of the Crow" though kind of forces the issue.
I think the origins of Holmes that Peacock chooses are a much darker and more depressing view than I would have had. That certainly does not make Peacock's ideas wrong, just a different interpretation than I probably would have made.
The story IS dark. It shows a bleak childhood for the boy who would become Sherlock Holmes.
4 STARS
I think the origins of Holmes that Peacock chooses are a much darker and more depressing view than I would have had. That certainly does not make Peacock's ideas wrong, just a different interpretation than I probably would have made.
The story IS dark. It shows a bleak childhood for the boy who would become Sherlock Holmes.
4 STARS
November 19, 2020
I remember reading this book when I was thirteen years old, and comparing my life to that of Sherlock in the book. I think as an adult this wouldn't be that impressive of a read, but I really enjoyed it at the time. I was amused and intrigued and absolutely wanting more when I finished the book.
August 5, 2016
2 1/2
Fresh on the heels of the Enola Holmes series, I was on something of a kick - so when I came across the notion of a story showing us a boy Sherlock Holmes and how he came to be who he was, I was certainly intrigued.
Unfortunately, I had some major issues with the story.
Now, there were parts of it which were interesting and Peacock seems to have given some serious thought to a background story which could possibly lead the adult Holmes to be how he was.
On the other hand, it read like many a usual detective novel, with the boy Holmes sort of blundering around looking for clues and almost accidentally coming across some bits - and having a good deal of help with others. Now, granted, this is his first case so we can't expect him to have the same deduction skills he develops - but, on the other hand, I had a hard time figuring out how this made a Holmes story, per se. Aside from some details and names, it felt like a dozen other YA mystery books I've read.
Also, I sort of got tired of the names and faces parade.
At one point Holmes meets a kindly jail visitor named Andrew C Doyle, which I could only see as a shout-out to original Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle. Mr. Doyle also has a young daughter who is interested in justice and who is introduced to the shadier sides of life through the case of the name of Irene. I presume she is the Irene Adler to be - introduced to the criminal element through Holmes, no less.
Also, Holmes is often tormented, then helped, but a gang of ruffians lead by someone called the Malefactor, who is as brilliant as Holmes and who has a grudging respect and yet hatred for our intrepid young detective. Obviously Moriarty in the making - he's even referred to as a young Napoleon of crime at one point.
The detective who gives Holmes and his family such trouble is elder Lestrade, and in the course of the book Holmes views younger Lestrade helping out his father.
A newspaper vendor who is friendly towards Holmes is called Dupin, which I imagine is a shout-out to Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin - a character which laid the foundation for Doyle's Holmes in the first place.
And, lastly, in one scene we briefly see a young medical student who was a bit stout around the middle. I actively rolled my eyes at this point on the assumption that this was a glimpse of a young Watson.
Now, sometimes I read stories which have these little shout outs and things and I can smile - usually those stories are more humorous in tone, though. In this book which was ever-so-serious (sometimes rather melodramatically so), it just seemed twee. (And while I'm not a purist, per se, introducing Holmes to Irene Adler and Moriarty at a young age just plays with the timeline far too much for my tastes.)
Anyway... aside from all that, and the melodrama, there's also the fact that it just sort of meandered on. Again, I don't expect the young Holmes on his first case to come in and solve it in 5 minutes, but nor do I expect him to wander practically aimless for days on end, either. Towards the end of the book I flipped ahead to see how many pages I had left because it just seemed to develop far too slowly.
All that aside, it wasn't terrible, and I see potential here. I may pick up the second book at some point to see if the general narration gets any better - tighter, more fast paced, less riddled with oh-so-clever easter eggs... because it is an interesting, if not entirely original, conceit and I do think it offers some possibilities.
Fresh on the heels of the Enola Holmes series, I was on something of a kick - so when I came across the notion of a story showing us a boy Sherlock Holmes and how he came to be who he was, I was certainly intrigued.
Unfortunately, I had some major issues with the story.
Now, there were parts of it which were interesting and Peacock seems to have given some serious thought to a background story which could possibly lead the adult Holmes to be how he was.
On the other hand, it read like many a usual detective novel, with the boy Holmes sort of blundering around looking for clues and almost accidentally coming across some bits - and having a good deal of help with others. Now, granted, this is his first case so we can't expect him to have the same deduction skills he develops - but, on the other hand, I had a hard time figuring out how this made a Holmes story, per se. Aside from some details and names, it felt like a dozen other YA mystery books I've read.
Also, I sort of got tired of the names and faces parade.
At one point Holmes meets a kindly jail visitor named Andrew C Doyle, which I could only see as a shout-out to original Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle. Mr. Doyle also has a young daughter who is interested in justice and who is introduced to the shadier sides of life through the case of the name of Irene. I presume she is the Irene Adler to be - introduced to the criminal element through Holmes, no less.
Also, Holmes is often tormented, then helped, but a gang of ruffians lead by someone called the Malefactor, who is as brilliant as Holmes and who has a grudging respect and yet hatred for our intrepid young detective. Obviously Moriarty in the making - he's even referred to as a young Napoleon of crime at one point.
The detective who gives Holmes and his family such trouble is elder Lestrade, and in the course of the book Holmes views younger Lestrade helping out his father.
A newspaper vendor who is friendly towards Holmes is called Dupin, which I imagine is a shout-out to Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin - a character which laid the foundation for Doyle's Holmes in the first place.
And, lastly, in one scene we briefly see a young medical student who was a bit stout around the middle. I actively rolled my eyes at this point on the assumption that this was a glimpse of a young Watson.
Now, sometimes I read stories which have these little shout outs and things and I can smile - usually those stories are more humorous in tone, though. In this book which was ever-so-serious (sometimes rather melodramatically so), it just seemed twee. (And while I'm not a purist, per se, introducing Holmes to Irene Adler and Moriarty at a young age just plays with the timeline far too much for my tastes.)
Anyway... aside from all that, and the melodrama, there's also the fact that it just sort of meandered on. Again, I don't expect the young Holmes on his first case to come in and solve it in 5 minutes, but nor do I expect him to wander practically aimless for days on end, either. Towards the end of the book I flipped ahead to see how many pages I had left because it just seemed to develop far too slowly.
All that aside, it wasn't terrible, and I see potential here. I may pick up the second book at some point to see if the general narration gets any better - tighter, more fast paced, less riddled with oh-so-clever easter eggs... because it is an interesting, if not entirely original, conceit and I do think it offers some possibilities.
December 21, 2017
Libro, en principio juvenil, pero un poco escabroso. El protagonista y su entorno, tal como están descritos, no me parecen que sean los que correspondan al personaje adulto creado por Conan Doyle. En algunos momentos se me ha hecho bastante pesado.
October 10, 2021
Este libro nace de la inquietud de su escritor para imaginar los orígenes del personaje literario Sherlock Holmes.
Por ese motivo el protagonista es un Sherlock Holmes pre adolescente, en el momento que inicia la historia está perfeccionando la técnica de no ir a la escuela, en lugar de eso, recorre las calles de Londres buscando diarios con las noticias policiacas y observando las cosas a su alrededor.
Una nota llama su atención, una joven fue asesinada en un callejón no muy lejos de los lugares que acostumbra transitar, su curiosidad le hace centrase en esos acontecimientos y tratar de dar con el asesino.
Intercalando con la acción, vamos conociendo la historia de sus padres, jóvenes, inteligentes pero pobres, subsistiendo con trabajos muy por debajo de sus cualidades.
El ritmo es ágil, las referencias y las pistas se van sucediendo de una manera congruente, aunque en el momento que la acción se intensifica, ciertas situaciones se vuelven poco creíbles; los personajes secundarios son de la misma edad del joven Holmes y dan cierta congruencia pero se van desdibujando.
Para mí este esbozo del origen del detective más famoso, se queda muy corto, y no cuadra de ninguna manera con la personalidad y fuerza del original, demasiado simplista, idealista, aburrido y sin relación alguna con la agudeza del creador.
Un niño detective 🕵️ original hubiera sido una mejor idea.
Por ese motivo el protagonista es un Sherlock Holmes pre adolescente, en el momento que inicia la historia está perfeccionando la técnica de no ir a la escuela, en lugar de eso, recorre las calles de Londres buscando diarios con las noticias policiacas y observando las cosas a su alrededor.
Una nota llama su atención, una joven fue asesinada en un callejón no muy lejos de los lugares que acostumbra transitar, su curiosidad le hace centrase en esos acontecimientos y tratar de dar con el asesino.
Intercalando con la acción, vamos conociendo la historia de sus padres, jóvenes, inteligentes pero pobres, subsistiendo con trabajos muy por debajo de sus cualidades.
El ritmo es ágil, las referencias y las pistas se van sucediendo de una manera congruente, aunque en el momento que la acción se intensifica, ciertas situaciones se vuelven poco creíbles; los personajes secundarios son de la misma edad del joven Holmes y dan cierta congruencia pero se van desdibujando.
Para mí este esbozo del origen del detective más famoso, se queda muy corto, y no cuadra de ninguna manera con la personalidad y fuerza del original, demasiado simplista, idealista, aburrido y sin relación alguna con la agudeza del creador.
Un niño detective 🕵️ original hubiera sido una mejor idea.
March 13, 2016
4.5 stars. Lively, edge-of-your seat story about the young 13 year old Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock hasn't perfected his stoic demeanor and purely analytical deliberations, he is still impulsive and makes a few mistakes. It is frustrating but endearing and very exciting.
Likes:
* A young Sherlock Holmes
* Sherlock's loving parents
* Sherlock's mother giving up her family and their wealth to marry her Jewish love
Dislikes:
* Gruesomeness of the murder
* Sherlock's slips of judgement
With-reservations:
murder, violence, truancy,
Colleen has a good analysis of the names in the book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Likes:
* A young Sherlock Holmes
* Sherlock's loving parents
* Sherlock's mother giving up her family and their wealth to marry her Jewish love
Dislikes:
* Gruesomeness of the murder
* Sherlock's slips of judgement
With-reservations:
murder, violence, truancy,
Colleen has a good analysis of the names in the book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 17, 2012
Đây là cuốn sách đầu tiên sau khoảng 10 năm mình chưa đọc một cuốn trinh thám nào tuy từ nhỏ cuốn nào mình đọc mình cũng đều thấy thích, nhưng lại ngại mua. Tự dưng năm nay nổi hứng muốn thay đổi chút thể loại và làm 2 em trong Series này.
Một cuốn sách tuyệt vời vì mình hoàn toàn 'enjoy' nó.
Sherlock Holmes thì nổi tiếng quá rồi, nhưng thực ra chưa cầm cuốn sách nào của Conan Doyla cả. Nhưng đọc xong cuốn này chắc phải có kế hoạch làm một bộ thôi.
Theo ý kiến cá nhân của một người ít đọc truyện trinh thám cũng như không có đầu óc nhạy bén để suy nghĩ sâu xa thủ phạm là ai hay đoán trước tình tiết, mình cứ để cho tác giả dẫn dắt. Shane Peacock thật sự lôi kéo mình, từng chi tiết nhỏ được tiết lộ, manh mối đầy đủ dần, bất ngờ tăng lên, kịch tính dâng trào và cuối cùng thủ phạm cũng bị lôi ra vành móng ngựa và Holmes cũng mất mát không ít, nhưng CÔNG LÝ được thực thi là điều cốt lõi. Song nhiều khi anh hùng không được biết đến là điều hay xảy ra trong xã hội có phần mục ruỗng.
Giá như khai thác kỹ hơn về suy nghĩ hay hành động của kẻ lái xe ngựa, câu chuyện có lẽ hoàn hảo hơn.
Một cuốn sách tuyệt vời vì mình hoàn toàn 'enjoy' nó.
Sherlock Holmes thì nổi tiếng quá rồi, nhưng thực ra chưa cầm cuốn sách nào của Conan Doyla cả. Nhưng đọc xong cuốn này chắc phải có kế hoạch làm một bộ thôi.
Theo ý kiến cá nhân của một người ít đọc truyện trinh thám cũng như không có đầu óc nhạy bén để suy nghĩ sâu xa thủ phạm là ai hay đoán trước tình tiết, mình cứ để cho tác giả dẫn dắt. Shane Peacock thật sự lôi kéo mình, từng chi tiết nhỏ được tiết lộ, manh mối đầy đủ dần, bất ngờ tăng lên, kịch tính dâng trào và cuối cùng thủ phạm cũng bị lôi ra vành móng ngựa và Holmes cũng mất mát không ít, nhưng CÔNG LÝ được thực thi là điều cốt lõi. Song nhiều khi anh hùng không được biết đến là điều hay xảy ra trong xã hội có phần mục ruỗng.
Giá như khai thác kỹ hơn về suy nghĩ hay hành động của kẻ lái xe ngựa, câu chuyện có lẽ hoàn hảo hơn.
October 6, 2009
I only picked this up as an "I'm-a-librarian-and-I-need-some-more-boy-mystery-recommendations" read, but I really enjoyed it. It believably lays the groundwork for the man that Sherlock becomes.
May 27, 2015
I was surprised at how well this book was written. I think mysteries would be really hard to write with all the clues and different steps.
August 10, 2018
Caught in the intolerance and poverty of 1860’s London after his mother, raised in an aristocratic family marries a penniless Jew, in “ Eye of the Crow” young Sherlock Holmes is friendless and bullied at school when a brutal murder in Whitechapel makes headlines. His curiosity sparked after Mohammed Adalji, hiding a bloodied knife under his shirt is accused of the murder, the thirteen-year-old sleuth after finding a glass eye at the crime scene becomes entrenched in solving the crime only to escape the police after being arrested and going undercover tracing a lead to the prosperous Mayfair district. Yet danger is never far from Sherlock as he all too quickly must face a tragedy that will rip his world apart.
Skillfully choreographed with a vividly descriptive plot, the setting where Sherlock lives and investigates the murder is darkly depressing with its drunks, prostitutes, beggars and young thugs populating the streets, especially at night. Following the crows to the murder site where he uncovers clues like the glass eye and a bracelet, the intensity and suspense quickly escalate when escaping police incarceration, he goes undercover living in a dog house and uncovering clues that endanger his new friend and his family as the danger mounts. Thrilling and intoxicating as events unfold, the story progresses swiftly and smoothly to an ending that promises a surprising twist.
Complex and unforgettable characters like the keenly observant and sharp-minded Sherlock Holmes imbue the plot with intrigue, power and realism. Irene Doyle is his clever, independent and adventurous partner who's admired not only by Sherlock but Malefactor the roguish leader of a criminal band of Irregulars who respects yet hates the young sleuth.
I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend “Eye of the Crow” a thrill-ride for young teenage readers that will keep them on the edge of their seat until the end.
Skillfully choreographed with a vividly descriptive plot, the setting where Sherlock lives and investigates the murder is darkly depressing with its drunks, prostitutes, beggars and young thugs populating the streets, especially at night. Following the crows to the murder site where he uncovers clues like the glass eye and a bracelet, the intensity and suspense quickly escalate when escaping police incarceration, he goes undercover living in a dog house and uncovering clues that endanger his new friend and his family as the danger mounts. Thrilling and intoxicating as events unfold, the story progresses swiftly and smoothly to an ending that promises a surprising twist.
Complex and unforgettable characters like the keenly observant and sharp-minded Sherlock Holmes imbue the plot with intrigue, power and realism. Irene Doyle is his clever, independent and adventurous partner who's admired not only by Sherlock but Malefactor the roguish leader of a criminal band of Irregulars who respects yet hates the young sleuth.
I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend “Eye of the Crow” a thrill-ride for young teenage readers that will keep them on the edge of their seat until the end.
February 10, 2022
A darker version of a young Sherlock Holmes than the series I read previously.
I liked this one very much and instead of the other series, we see a young boy, who already has very very sharp senses and learns in a harder way than the Sherlock in the other series.
I liked this one very much and instead of the other series, we see a young boy, who already has very very sharp senses and learns in a harder way than the Sherlock in the other series.
February 27, 2010
Thirteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is living a hard life with his poverty-stricken parents in London. Tired of being mocked at school, Sherlock stops attending and instead spends his days on the streets of the city, observing everyone and everything around him. When a murder is committed, Sherlock finds himself suddenly pulled into the case and must find the real murderer before he himself is found guilty of having had a part in the crime.
I love Sherlock Holmes, so I was excited to read this author's version of the famous detective's childhood. I was disappointed. The author mentions doing a great deal of research into all things Holmse-ian, and I believe him. I just wish that I, too, had done all that research so I knew which parts of this book were from other sources and which were this author's imagination.
One of my objections to this book is that it went on for too long. I am used to Holmes stories either being short or fast-paced (or both). There were times when this one just seemed to drag on and on. I understand that Sherlock is just beginning to experiment with his detective skills and therefore cannot be expected to be as quick as he is in later years. But I still thought things took longer than they needed to. Or maybe it just felt as if it were dragging because I wasn't enjoying the book.
I have mixed feelings about this Sherlock Holmes. There were times when I liked him (these were usually the times when he reminded me of the Holmes I have met elsewhere), and there were other times when I really didn't like him at all and thought he was just being stupid. He's thirteen, so I guess I shouldn't expect him to be perfect... but Sherlock Holmes is sort of amazing, so it's hard to accept that as a child he would have been so clueless. I can understand why the author did certain things in the book, but that still doesn't mean that I enjoyed reading it.
I also must admit that, even before reading the book, I was disposed not to like it. I made the mistake of reading the blurb about the author on the back flap, which features a rather blatant dangling participle. I hoped that the author had not written the blurb himself and tried to read the book with an open mind. While I don't remember finding any more dangling participles in the book, that one left me with a bad taste in my mouth that I just couldn't shake.
To people who want to read other authors' takes on Holmes, I would recommend the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. They are the best ones I have found.
I love Sherlock Holmes, so I was excited to read this author's version of the famous detective's childhood. I was disappointed. The author mentions doing a great deal of research into all things Holmse-ian, and I believe him. I just wish that I, too, had done all that research so I knew which parts of this book were from other sources and which were this author's imagination.
One of my objections to this book is that it went on for too long. I am used to Holmes stories either being short or fast-paced (or both). There were times when this one just seemed to drag on and on. I understand that Sherlock is just beginning to experiment with his detective skills and therefore cannot be expected to be as quick as he is in later years. But I still thought things took longer than they needed to. Or maybe it just felt as if it were dragging because I wasn't enjoying the book.
I have mixed feelings about this Sherlock Holmes. There were times when I liked him (these were usually the times when he reminded me of the Holmes I have met elsewhere), and there were other times when I really didn't like him at all and thought he was just being stupid. He's thirteen, so I guess I shouldn't expect him to be perfect... but Sherlock Holmes is sort of amazing, so it's hard to accept that as a child he would have been so clueless. I can understand why the author did certain things in the book, but that still doesn't mean that I enjoyed reading it.
I also must admit that, even before reading the book, I was disposed not to like it. I made the mistake of reading the blurb about the author on the back flap, which features a rather blatant dangling participle. I hoped that the author had not written the blurb himself and tried to read the book with an open mind. While I don't remember finding any more dangling participles in the book, that one left me with a bad taste in my mouth that I just couldn't shake.
To people who want to read other authors' takes on Holmes, I would recommend the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. They are the best ones I have found.
December 22, 2014
Great book, an interesting view of the origin story of Sherlock Holmes. The story at least seemed historically accurate; it didn't detract from the story. It was suspenseful despite the fact that the ending was already given. The main character, Holmes, showed a lot of character development and was likable. Overall, the story gave me a lot to chew on about. I will definitely check the rest of the series and I would recommend this book if you liked Artemis Fowl or books like that.
December 8, 2008
Taste the London grit of poverty & murder as you follow the impoverished, brilliant 13-year-old Sherlock Holmes. When a highborn lady is murdered, Holmes becomes entangled in the mystery and must solve it himself or risk dire consequences. But the killer will stop at nothing, including hurting Holmes’ loved ones, to stop Holmes from solving the crime.
October 13, 2009
I had low expectations for this book since my husband had said it was only OK, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's from the Juvenile section of our library, and the mystery is somewhat simplistic but entertaining. Not quite up to the level of the Young Sherlock Holmes movie but worth a read nonetheless.
December 13, 2008
I join the legions of fans of this new series. Peacock brings to life the grit, gore and bigotry of Victorian England and he creates an entirely believable young Sherlock Holmes. Read this to find out his origins.
March 10, 2009
Provides background to Sherlock Holmes life as a young boy offering scenarios and situations that would explain Holmes' personality traits and skills. Great plot and setting. Give this to an older 5 grader and up as a mystery or as a historical fiction hook.
December 16, 2008
Great story about how it all started for Sherlock Holmes - at the age of 13 when he is accused of conspiracy in a murder.
May 10, 2021
When a young Arab is accused of murder, thirteen-year-old Sherlock skips school to poke about the crime scene, determined to find the real criminal. But when he's seen, investigators assume he's in league with the Arab. If Sherlock doesn't figure out what's happened, he be brought in as an accomplice.
In this version of Sherlock's life, Holmes is a poor half-Jew. He gets his observational brilliance from his academic father and his knack for acting from his aristocratic mother, who loves the opera. Many subtle allusions to the original, which hint at future events. Yep, I'd pick up the next book.
In this version of Sherlock's life, Holmes is a poor half-Jew. He gets his observational brilliance from his academic father and his knack for acting from his aristocratic mother, who loves the opera. Many subtle allusions to the original, which hint at future events. Yep, I'd pick up the next book.
June 17, 2021
Review by my 10-year-old:
The story of the first case of the most famous detective in English literature houses some of the best moments in Sherlock Holmes' early life. Shane Peacock has successfully produced a book that shows the detective's map to the person he became years later. Trying to solve the brutal East End murder when nearly everyone thought it was a closed case the day after Sherlock had heard of this event, turned out to be one which took intelligence, nerves and lots of different feelings. Finally after a lot of hard work the murderer was found. The book was one of the few that I noticed had been very carefully made.
The story of the first case of the most famous detective in English literature houses some of the best moments in Sherlock Holmes' early life. Shane Peacock has successfully produced a book that shows the detective's map to the person he became years later. Trying to solve the brutal East End murder when nearly everyone thought it was a closed case the day after Sherlock had heard of this event, turned out to be one which took intelligence, nerves and lots of different feelings. Finally after a lot of hard work the murderer was found. The book was one of the few that I noticed had been very carefully made.
October 22, 2021
I enjoy mystery books and this books was no different. It is written by a Canadian, the writing was good, the pace of the book great. I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
July 22, 2019
Again a Nice Sherlock Holmes story. The fist actualy.
December 31, 2012
Dr. Watson had never knew about Sherlock Holmes' childhood, he thought he was an orphan. Shane Peacock has created a book that looks at Sherlock's past.
Sherlock lives in an apartment with his mother and father, Rose and Wilber Holmes in London. Sherlock likes to wander the streets, he reads the Police
News or anything related, not wanting to go to school. When one day, a young lady was murdered, Sherlock goes to the murder site, he puts himself, his family,
and his new friend, Irene in danger. As Sherlock is investigating, he is being pressured at the time limit he has, because in less than two weeks the boy Mohammed
Adalji will be hanged for being accused of murdering the 22 year old woman.
Problems/Errors:
Page 129-"They saw it," he mumbles. His whole faced has changed: a look of horror has come over it.
"What?" she asks, unsettled by his expression.
"They saw it," he says again.
"Who?"
"The crows."
"Saw what?" She knows the answer but wants him to go on.
"I've been guessing that the crows were there when it happened." He pauses, staring down the elegant white steps.
"Now . . . I know they were. They saw the whole thing."
Sherlock's eyes turn to hers. His black pupils are huge.
"They watched this person . . . murder her."
------------
I think this paragraph is kind of dumb, the crows probably did see the murder, but isn't horrible, they're birds! Birds do see everything because they can fly. Shane should have made it
more suspenseful and straight to the point . . . or maybe it's too dramatic, I don't if thats what he wanted to capture at this point.
-----------
I noticed another possible error on page 211-213, Sherlock is breaking into a house at night, he got in by climbing down the chimney, now, he is on the ground floor, "In front of him
stands the regal dining-room table, its mahogany surface covered with a white lace cloth, attended by five chairs, all carved in French Style."
First of all it is night, so how could he know this? In earlier paragraphs, it never mentions about 'moonlight seeping through the curtains'.
Continuing, "The long windows have dark drapes that hang to the floor, paintings cover the walls, ferns sit in vases, and his bare feet stand on a soft ornate green carpet. Gingerly
feeling a path around the table, he finds his way into the hallway."
He's expaining everything about the room, then he has to gingerly make his way around the table? "Edging down the hall, his breath coming in gasps, his sleeve brushes against
a little round table. There is a jingling sound and something starts to fall. Frightened, he throws a hand out and catches it. " *Skipping some sentences, * "What does he hold in his hand?"
*Down more sentences,* "He kneels on the floor and pulls a match from his pocket, an essential tool of a thief. He lights it. He'll only have a second and then the flame and its smoke
will have to be extingished. There is the ******* with its... **** **** ****."
Its like he can see, than he can't. I'm confused on that part.
---------
Another funny sentence on page 215, "He walks out the front steps onto the street. He can't bolt the door again from the outside. So he leaves it unlocked."
Well, duh you can't relock a door from the outside, everyone knows that! And if you don't, you might soon find out.
--------
On page 243, the 'villan' is "-lying on his back." At the end of the chapter, Sherlock slaps him on the face, did he turn over? If he did, Shane failed to mention that.
-------
My expressed and detailed thoughts about this book and why I chose to read it:
When I first saw the cover, I liked the title, "Eye of the crow". When I realized it was Sherlock's first case, I was bouncing up and down! Readers of the Sherlock series would finally
know about his life as a child (unless they read another similar book about Sherlock as a child). Usually when I pick out a book, I decide how to read it by reading the first sentence,
"As the sun climbs, its rays spread light through the lifting yellow fog, filtering down upon a brown, flowing mass of people: on top hats and bonnets, heavy clothes and boots
swarming on bridges and along cobblestone streets." It's not really a hook that some authors use. That's something I wasn't impressed by. As you keep reading, it seems slow
but it keeps you wrapped up and the next you know your on page 133!
---------
All and all I enjoyed the book.
Sherlock lives in an apartment with his mother and father, Rose and Wilber Holmes in London. Sherlock likes to wander the streets, he reads the Police
News or anything related, not wanting to go to school. When one day, a young lady was murdered, Sherlock goes to the murder site, he puts himself, his family,
and his new friend, Irene in danger. As Sherlock is investigating, he is being pressured at the time limit he has, because in less than two weeks the boy Mohammed
Adalji will be hanged for being accused of murdering the 22 year old woman.
Problems/Errors:
Page 129-"They saw it," he mumbles. His whole faced has changed: a look of horror has come over it.
"What?" she asks, unsettled by his expression.
"They saw it," he says again.
"Who?"
"The crows."
"Saw what?" She knows the answer but wants him to go on.
"I've been guessing that the crows were there when it happened." He pauses, staring down the elegant white steps.
"Now . . . I know they were. They saw the whole thing."
Sherlock's eyes turn to hers. His black pupils are huge.
"They watched this person . . . murder her."
------------
I think this paragraph is kind of dumb, the crows probably did see the murder, but isn't horrible, they're birds! Birds do see everything because they can fly. Shane should have made it
more suspenseful and straight to the point . . . or maybe it's too dramatic, I don't if thats what he wanted to capture at this point.
-----------
I noticed another possible error on page 211-213, Sherlock is breaking into a house at night, he got in by climbing down the chimney, now, he is on the ground floor, "In front of him
stands the regal dining-room table, its mahogany surface covered with a white lace cloth, attended by five chairs, all carved in French Style."
First of all it is night, so how could he know this? In earlier paragraphs, it never mentions about 'moonlight seeping through the curtains'.
Continuing, "The long windows have dark drapes that hang to the floor, paintings cover the walls, ferns sit in vases, and his bare feet stand on a soft ornate green carpet. Gingerly
feeling a path around the table, he finds his way into the hallway."
He's expaining everything about the room, then he has to gingerly make his way around the table? "Edging down the hall, his breath coming in gasps, his sleeve brushes against
a little round table. There is a jingling sound and something starts to fall. Frightened, he throws a hand out and catches it. " *Skipping some sentences, * "What does he hold in his hand?"
*Down more sentences,* "He kneels on the floor and pulls a match from his pocket, an essential tool of a thief. He lights it. He'll only have a second and then the flame and its smoke
will have to be extingished. There is the ******* with its... **** **** ****."
Its like he can see, than he can't. I'm confused on that part.
---------
Another funny sentence on page 215, "He walks out the front steps onto the street. He can't bolt the door again from the outside. So he leaves it unlocked."
Well, duh you can't relock a door from the outside, everyone knows that! And if you don't, you might soon find out.
--------
On page 243, the 'villan' is "-lying on his back." At the end of the chapter, Sherlock slaps him on the face, did he turn over? If he did, Shane failed to mention that.
-------
My expressed and detailed thoughts about this book and why I chose to read it:
When I first saw the cover, I liked the title, "Eye of the crow". When I realized it was Sherlock's first case, I was bouncing up and down! Readers of the Sherlock series would finally
know about his life as a child (unless they read another similar book about Sherlock as a child). Usually when I pick out a book, I decide how to read it by reading the first sentence,
"As the sun climbs, its rays spread light through the lifting yellow fog, filtering down upon a brown, flowing mass of people: on top hats and bonnets, heavy clothes and boots
swarming on bridges and along cobblestone streets." It's not really a hook that some authors use. That's something I wasn't impressed by. As you keep reading, it seems slow
but it keeps you wrapped up and the next you know your on page 133!
---------
All and all I enjoyed the book.
November 8, 2021
SPOILER ALERT
Choice book #3 Quarter 1
Eye of the Crow - a mystery book written by Shane Peacock.
Eye of the Crow mostly takes place just all over London, mostly around Mayfair though, since Sherlock doesn't know where to look for whatever he was looking for (he didn't know what he was looking for either, he just knew that he needed to find clues), although there are some scenes inside his house, but those don't have much significance (except for maybe one or two.
Main character(s):
In Eye of the Crow, the main character is Sherlock Holmes. But when he was 11 or 12. In the book, he's eccentric (well, he's always eccentric in every book and movie about him, but that's beside the point). His parents are poor and live in a small town and house. So, of course, Sherlock lives with them. He's 11. At the beginning of the book, he's just interested in what the "Police News" (or whatever it's called, it's basically just a newspaper about the recent crimes in London), but later on, he gets involved in a specific crime (a murder, to be more specific), that I'll talk about in the "Plot" section. He doesn't have any friends until about the middle of the book, and I'll talk about her in the "Minor Characters" section. Sherlock has an older brother named Mycroft, but he's mentioned only once in the book, so he's not that important. Sherlock Holmes's traits include: sneaky, doesn't try, but when he does, he does whatever he's doing really well, notices little details, is a quick thinker, keeps to himself, is very perceptive, and has the mindset of both a child and an adult. He is also very protective of things he cares about. And of course, he's eccentric.
Minor Characters:
Minor characters. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, so I might forget some, but I do remember all of the important minor characters, so I'm just going to list them. First off, there's Sherlock's mother. At the end of the book, she was his little spy, and she got killed because of it. She taught singing lessons in the richer homes of London, and Sherlock wanted to prove his theory that the murderer lives in Mayfair, which is a richer place in London. But before she met Sherlock's father, she was a wealthy girl named Rose Sherrinford that wanted to perform in the opera, but her family didn't let her, since singing in the opera is apparently "inappropriate" for a young lady like her. Her parents did get her the best singing coaches in all of England, and let her go to the opera whenever she wanted, but that wasn't enough for her. Then she met Sherlock's father at the opera one day, and she fell in love with him. But her parents didn't approve of it, and I'll explain why when I get to him. But she still wanted to marry him, and she "betrayed her parents". So they disowned her. And that's why she's now poor. Moving on from her sad story, Sherlock's father's is entirely another story. Sherlock's father is a Jew, and the book is set in 1867, so there was some prejudice against Jews. So he was poor. See why Rose's parents disowned her? He was promising to have a good future since he got good grades and could've been accepted into one of London's best universities. If he wasn't Jewish. Moving onto his significance in the book, he started Sherlock's theory that the crows saw the entire murder. Haha, pun. But the theory turned out to be true. Next is Irene. Sherlock met her in about the middle of the book when he was in jail (don't worry, you'll get the context in the "Plot" section). Sherlock first saw her as mysterious and beautiful. But then, once he got to know her, I got to know that she is too caring for her own good, well-educated, curious, about Sherlock's age (Sherlock thought that she was about his age when he first saw her, but it was confirmed later on), and that she doesn't care about risks. She's also rich. She's the daughter of a widower that believes that he can change the world by visiting jails and poor neighborhoods to convince them to not do bad things. Next, there's Malefactor. I'm not sure if this is his birth name or his nickname (I'm leaning more towards the latter, because who in their right mind would name their child a word that literally means "a person who commits a crime or some other wrong."). Anyway, he's significant in the story because he knew how the murder went down. I don't get why he didn't tell Inspector Lestrade (who, by the way, Sherlock gave all the evidence to how the murder happened, and Lestrade took all of the credit) what happened, but I'm guessing that it has something to do with how nothing is fair (he told Sherlock that at some point) and that if justice existed, then he wouldn't be in his position, which is a street boy. He's also the leader of the Irregulars, which is a group of homeless street boys. There's also Mohammad Adalji, who the police first suspected committed the murder, which proved wrong. He's an Arab and is referred to as such for most of the book. He's pretty religious since he was praying for most of the time that he was in the book. I'm pretty sure those are all of the minor characters worth mentioning.
Main Problem:
The main Problem in Eye of the Crow is that Mohammad is being falsely accused of being the murderer and was going to be executed, and Sherlock thought that it was wrong.
Brief Description of the Plot:
Eye of the Crow has so many events in it, so this is going to be hard. First, the book starts with Sherlock reading a newspaper, and the headline of the newspaper is that a woman died in Whitechapel. Of course, Sherlock, being Sherlock, had to find out more, but all that was said was that she was anonymous, nobody knew who she was, and that she had no known enemies. Then, Big Ben announced that it was 5 o'clock, and that notified Sherlock that he had to start sprinting home. See, it was a school day, but he got bullied a lot at school, so he wasn't motivated to go to school all that much. On his way home, he ran into the Irregulars, who teased him for reading the newspaper. And he ran into a lunatic that lives near where he does, and he ran into a fisherman, so the entire front of his coat was soaking. Evidently, he was late, and he arrived about 3 seconds before his parents did. They, of course, busted him for skipping school, no matter how hard Sherlock tried to convince them that he didn't. Anyways, at the end of the day, Sherlock's dad started Sherlock's theory that the crows saw everything since there was a crow in the newspaper photo, and crows are smart. The next day, he wanted to go to school, but he couldn't keep himself away from the murder story. He's Sherlock Holmes, for crying out loud! He read the newspaper and discovered that there was a suspect and that he was to be bound over at 9 o'clock. Big Ben then gonged 9 o'clock and Sherlock started sprinting towards where the suspect was supposed to be bound over. The suspect was Mohammad Adalji, and he lived not 5 blocks from the crime scene, was found with a knife, and something about blood. He went to where Mohammad was to bound over, but when he got there, Mohammad looked at him sympathetically and tore towards him. Eventually, when he got to him, he told Sherlock, "I didn't do it." Big Ben announced that it was, once again, 5 o'clock, he started going home, but he saw the crows flying somewhere, and he made the impulse decision to follow them. He followed them to the murder scene. As soon as he saw the red-stained concrete, he sprinted all the way back home. I don't know how his parents didn't bust him this time for coming home late (since he went to Whitechapel, it must've taken longer for him to get home), or maybe they did, but it's not written in the book. Regardless, he couldn't sleep all night, because when he tried, he kept on seeing the red-stained concrete. He then realized that this might be his only chance to solve the crime. So he went back. When he got there, he found a fake eye. He looked around a little more but found nothing. The next morning, the police knocked on his door, saying that he's under arrest because the suspect spoke to him directly, and he was spotted at the crime scene twice. He went to jail, but he was there for less than a week until Irene came with her father. Sherlock first saw her as mysterious and beautiful. Eventually, they got to know each other a bit better, and Irene helped Sherlock escape. Then, when they got to know each other a bit more, Sherlock decided to go back to the crime scene (and keep in mind, he's now a wanted criminal because of the same reasons he went to jail in the first place, but also because escaping from jail doesn't really do your reputation any justice), and there he found a diamond bracelet. Eventually, Sherlock and Irene find out that the murderer lives in Mayfair. Sherlock then decides to visit his mother. He tells her everything and says that he needs some help. Her, being the caring mother that she is (and maybe because she wants to save her son's reputation since it isn't that good so far, but you didn't hear that from me), she agreed to find out how many one-eyed people live in Mayfair. She came to Sherlock the next day with a list of four. Sherlock thanked his mother and when it was midnight, he set out for the first house. There, he found a spare glass eye that wasn't the same color (brown iris with purple flecks) as the one he found at the crime scene. The next night, he went to the second house. This time, there wasn't a spare eye, but he did find a crutch and some battle medals, and why would a war veteran kill an innocent woman? The next night, he went to the third house, and I don't remember how he knew that the third man was innocent, but he figured that out. Before he went to the third house, he decided to go visit his mother and tell her his findings. But when he got there, he saw his mother on her deathbed, already half-dead. When he asked her what happened, she told him that she went to have some tea with the fourth suspect, and she said that he gave her some weird-tasting tea, and when he led her out, he told her that he got suspicious that all of his one-eyed friends had recent break-ins (Sherlock's a detective, not a trained criminal, so of course his work was a bit sloppy). Sherlock quickly figured out that the fourth suspect gave her deadly nightshade, and tried to tell her that the other three were innocent, but it was too late. Sherlock's mother died in his arms that night. He held her in his arms for a few minutes but then realized that he needed to do something. He made a beeline for the butcher's that Mohammad worked at, and stole a knife. Then he angrily stormed towards the murderer's house. He first found evidence that the man really did kill Lillie (the murdered lady), grabbed it, and made his way to the man's bedroom. He stood over the sleeping man with the knife in his hand, but he figured that if he murdered the murderer, he would also become a murderer, which is counter-productive. So Sherlock settled on bringing the evidence to the police station (specifically Detective Lestrange's office, who was "investigating the crime"). In the end, Detective Lestrange got all the credit for "solving" the mystery, and Sherlock did not get the recognition he deserved.
Opinion and Analysis:
Why did you enjoy the book (if you did) or why didn’t you (if you didn’t). Explain.
I enjoyed the book because it was suspenseful, and the overall plot is amazing. The delivery of the clues was really good too.
What was your favorite part of the book? Explain.
My favorite part of the book was the part where Sherlock meets Irene. The way that Sherlock interprets Irene, at first sight, is amazing. And the words used to describe her are just beautiful.
Does the book engage your emotions? If a book made you laugh or cry or think about it for days, be sure to include that.
Eye of the Crow made me really think about who the murderer was. Because somewhere at the beginning of the book, Sherlock's mother taught a singing lesson, and she told Sherlock that the father of the household had a "dead-looking eye", and when the glass eye was found, I thought I was smarter than Sherlock Holmes for most of the book. Until I was proven wrong. The first house that Sherlock visited was the one that Sherlock's mother visited at the beginning of the book.
Did the book feel complete, or did it feel as though key elements were left out?
The book felt a little bit incomplete because the author didn’t say whether or not Sherlock got the credit he deserved. I mean, he does solve mysteries like they're nothing when he's an adult, but I mean in this particular mystery.
How does the book compare to other books like it you’ve read?
I have read a couple of Sherlock Holmes stories before (none of which I've fully read, but that's beside the point), and I have to say that Eye of the Crow was a little less suspenseful than them, but that's probably the point since this is a children's book.
Would you have done anything differently had you been the author?
Other than what I've already mentioned? No.
Choice book #3 Quarter 1
Eye of the Crow - a mystery book written by Shane Peacock.
Eye of the Crow mostly takes place just all over London, mostly around Mayfair though, since Sherlock doesn't know where to look for whatever he was looking for (he didn't know what he was looking for either, he just knew that he needed to find clues), although there are some scenes inside his house, but those don't have much significance (except for maybe one or two.
Main character(s):
In Eye of the Crow, the main character is Sherlock Holmes. But when he was 11 or 12. In the book, he's eccentric (well, he's always eccentric in every book and movie about him, but that's beside the point). His parents are poor and live in a small town and house. So, of course, Sherlock lives with them. He's 11. At the beginning of the book, he's just interested in what the "Police News" (or whatever it's called, it's basically just a newspaper about the recent crimes in London), but later on, he gets involved in a specific crime (a murder, to be more specific), that I'll talk about in the "Plot" section. He doesn't have any friends until about the middle of the book, and I'll talk about her in the "Minor Characters" section. Sherlock has an older brother named Mycroft, but he's mentioned only once in the book, so he's not that important. Sherlock Holmes's traits include: sneaky, doesn't try, but when he does, he does whatever he's doing really well, notices little details, is a quick thinker, keeps to himself, is very perceptive, and has the mindset of both a child and an adult. He is also very protective of things he cares about. And of course, he's eccentric.
Minor Characters:
Minor characters. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, so I might forget some, but I do remember all of the important minor characters, so I'm just going to list them. First off, there's Sherlock's mother. At the end of the book, she was his little spy, and she got killed because of it. She taught singing lessons in the richer homes of London, and Sherlock wanted to prove his theory that the murderer lives in Mayfair, which is a richer place in London. But before she met Sherlock's father, she was a wealthy girl named Rose Sherrinford that wanted to perform in the opera, but her family didn't let her, since singing in the opera is apparently "inappropriate" for a young lady like her. Her parents did get her the best singing coaches in all of England, and let her go to the opera whenever she wanted, but that wasn't enough for her. Then she met Sherlock's father at the opera one day, and she fell in love with him. But her parents didn't approve of it, and I'll explain why when I get to him. But she still wanted to marry him, and she "betrayed her parents". So they disowned her. And that's why she's now poor. Moving on from her sad story, Sherlock's father's is entirely another story. Sherlock's father is a Jew, and the book is set in 1867, so there was some prejudice against Jews. So he was poor. See why Rose's parents disowned her? He was promising to have a good future since he got good grades and could've been accepted into one of London's best universities. If he wasn't Jewish. Moving onto his significance in the book, he started Sherlock's theory that the crows saw the entire murder. Haha, pun. But the theory turned out to be true. Next is Irene. Sherlock met her in about the middle of the book when he was in jail (don't worry, you'll get the context in the "Plot" section). Sherlock first saw her as mysterious and beautiful. But then, once he got to know her, I got to know that she is too caring for her own good, well-educated, curious, about Sherlock's age (Sherlock thought that she was about his age when he first saw her, but it was confirmed later on), and that she doesn't care about risks. She's also rich. She's the daughter of a widower that believes that he can change the world by visiting jails and poor neighborhoods to convince them to not do bad things. Next, there's Malefactor. I'm not sure if this is his birth name or his nickname (I'm leaning more towards the latter, because who in their right mind would name their child a word that literally means "a person who commits a crime or some other wrong."). Anyway, he's significant in the story because he knew how the murder went down. I don't get why he didn't tell Inspector Lestrade (who, by the way, Sherlock gave all the evidence to how the murder happened, and Lestrade took all of the credit) what happened, but I'm guessing that it has something to do with how nothing is fair (he told Sherlock that at some point) and that if justice existed, then he wouldn't be in his position, which is a street boy. He's also the leader of the Irregulars, which is a group of homeless street boys. There's also Mohammad Adalji, who the police first suspected committed the murder, which proved wrong. He's an Arab and is referred to as such for most of the book. He's pretty religious since he was praying for most of the time that he was in the book. I'm pretty sure those are all of the minor characters worth mentioning.
Main Problem:
The main Problem in Eye of the Crow is that Mohammad is being falsely accused of being the murderer and was going to be executed, and Sherlock thought that it was wrong.
Brief Description of the Plot:
Eye of the Crow has so many events in it, so this is going to be hard. First, the book starts with Sherlock reading a newspaper, and the headline of the newspaper is that a woman died in Whitechapel. Of course, Sherlock, being Sherlock, had to find out more, but all that was said was that she was anonymous, nobody knew who she was, and that she had no known enemies. Then, Big Ben announced that it was 5 o'clock, and that notified Sherlock that he had to start sprinting home. See, it was a school day, but he got bullied a lot at school, so he wasn't motivated to go to school all that much. On his way home, he ran into the Irregulars, who teased him for reading the newspaper. And he ran into a lunatic that lives near where he does, and he ran into a fisherman, so the entire front of his coat was soaking. Evidently, he was late, and he arrived about 3 seconds before his parents did. They, of course, busted him for skipping school, no matter how hard Sherlock tried to convince them that he didn't. Anyways, at the end of the day, Sherlock's dad started Sherlock's theory that the crows saw everything since there was a crow in the newspaper photo, and crows are smart. The next day, he wanted to go to school, but he couldn't keep himself away from the murder story. He's Sherlock Holmes, for crying out loud! He read the newspaper and discovered that there was a suspect and that he was to be bound over at 9 o'clock. Big Ben then gonged 9 o'clock and Sherlock started sprinting towards where the suspect was supposed to be bound over. The suspect was Mohammad Adalji, and he lived not 5 blocks from the crime scene, was found with a knife, and something about blood. He went to where Mohammad was to bound over, but when he got there, Mohammad looked at him sympathetically and tore towards him. Eventually, when he got to him, he told Sherlock, "I didn't do it." Big Ben announced that it was, once again, 5 o'clock, he started going home, but he saw the crows flying somewhere, and he made the impulse decision to follow them. He followed them to the murder scene. As soon as he saw the red-stained concrete, he sprinted all the way back home. I don't know how his parents didn't bust him this time for coming home late (since he went to Whitechapel, it must've taken longer for him to get home), or maybe they did, but it's not written in the book. Regardless, he couldn't sleep all night, because when he tried, he kept on seeing the red-stained concrete. He then realized that this might be his only chance to solve the crime. So he went back. When he got there, he found a fake eye. He looked around a little more but found nothing. The next morning, the police knocked on his door, saying that he's under arrest because the suspect spoke to him directly, and he was spotted at the crime scene twice. He went to jail, but he was there for less than a week until Irene came with her father. Sherlock first saw her as mysterious and beautiful. Eventually, they got to know each other a bit better, and Irene helped Sherlock escape. Then, when they got to know each other a bit more, Sherlock decided to go back to the crime scene (and keep in mind, he's now a wanted criminal because of the same reasons he went to jail in the first place, but also because escaping from jail doesn't really do your reputation any justice), and there he found a diamond bracelet. Eventually, Sherlock and Irene find out that the murderer lives in Mayfair. Sherlock then decides to visit his mother. He tells her everything and says that he needs some help. Her, being the caring mother that she is (and maybe because she wants to save her son's reputation since it isn't that good so far, but you didn't hear that from me), she agreed to find out how many one-eyed people live in Mayfair. She came to Sherlock the next day with a list of four. Sherlock thanked his mother and when it was midnight, he set out for the first house. There, he found a spare glass eye that wasn't the same color (brown iris with purple flecks) as the one he found at the crime scene. The next night, he went to the second house. This time, there wasn't a spare eye, but he did find a crutch and some battle medals, and why would a war veteran kill an innocent woman? The next night, he went to the third house, and I don't remember how he knew that the third man was innocent, but he figured that out. Before he went to the third house, he decided to go visit his mother and tell her his findings. But when he got there, he saw his mother on her deathbed, already half-dead. When he asked her what happened, she told him that she went to have some tea with the fourth suspect, and she said that he gave her some weird-tasting tea, and when he led her out, he told her that he got suspicious that all of his one-eyed friends had recent break-ins (Sherlock's a detective, not a trained criminal, so of course his work was a bit sloppy). Sherlock quickly figured out that the fourth suspect gave her deadly nightshade, and tried to tell her that the other three were innocent, but it was too late. Sherlock's mother died in his arms that night. He held her in his arms for a few minutes but then realized that he needed to do something. He made a beeline for the butcher's that Mohammad worked at, and stole a knife. Then he angrily stormed towards the murderer's house. He first found evidence that the man really did kill Lillie (the murdered lady), grabbed it, and made his way to the man's bedroom. He stood over the sleeping man with the knife in his hand, but he figured that if he murdered the murderer, he would also become a murderer, which is counter-productive. So Sherlock settled on bringing the evidence to the police station (specifically Detective Lestrange's office, who was "investigating the crime"). In the end, Detective Lestrange got all the credit for "solving" the mystery, and Sherlock did not get the recognition he deserved.
Opinion and Analysis:
Why did you enjoy the book (if you did) or why didn’t you (if you didn’t). Explain.
I enjoyed the book because it was suspenseful, and the overall plot is amazing. The delivery of the clues was really good too.
What was your favorite part of the book? Explain.
My favorite part of the book was the part where Sherlock meets Irene. The way that Sherlock interprets Irene, at first sight, is amazing. And the words used to describe her are just beautiful.
Does the book engage your emotions? If a book made you laugh or cry or think about it for days, be sure to include that.
Eye of the Crow made me really think about who the murderer was. Because somewhere at the beginning of the book, Sherlock's mother taught a singing lesson, and she told Sherlock that the father of the household had a "dead-looking eye", and when the glass eye was found, I thought I was smarter than Sherlock Holmes for most of the book. Until I was proven wrong. The first house that Sherlock visited was the one that Sherlock's mother visited at the beginning of the book.
Did the book feel complete, or did it feel as though key elements were left out?
The book felt a little bit incomplete because the author didn’t say whether or not Sherlock got the credit he deserved. I mean, he does solve mysteries like they're nothing when he's an adult, but I mean in this particular mystery.
How does the book compare to other books like it you’ve read?
I have read a couple of Sherlock Holmes stories before (none of which I've fully read, but that's beside the point), and I have to say that Eye of the Crow was a little less suspenseful than them, but that's probably the point since this is a children's book.
Would you have done anything differently had you been the author?
Other than what I've already mentioned? No.
December 11, 2013
*Warning* *Spoiler Alert*
Sherlock Holmes is a thirteen year old boy in London of 1867 in the book The Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock. His father, a poor Jew with exceptional observation skills. His mother is highborn in a Noble family. After marrying a Jewish man her family disowned her. Their marriage makes them social outcasts and their son a reject too. Their family is poor. Sherlock is bullied and pestered at school, and friendless. He feels like a worthless nobody, but soon he will be in the middle of a brutal murder.
Sherlock skips school because he finds the streets of Trafalgar Square more exciting than his time in a classroom. He has been taught observation skills from his talented father. As he wanders through the streets, his eye is caught by the headline “MURDER” on his favorite newspaper. An Arab younger then 19 year old is framed, but when he is taken to jail, their eyes meet and the Arab mouths “I didn’t do it” to Sherlock. This sparks something in him, and he is determined to bring the real murderer to justice and prove the Arab innocent. Soon this young detective will have part in a deadly game where people try to kill him to stop him from solving the case.
In Eye of the Crow, I think that Shane Peacock has done an excellent job of writing a story about a thrilling murder mystery. Sherlock is tracking down his first killer in the dark and gloomy streets of London, and it worked for this book because it seemed very realistic. I liked the ways that Peacock set up the background story for the other books when Holmes is an adult. This was almost like a prelude to the other Sherlock Holmes books. The characters in this book (Sherlock, Malefactor, Irene) were described in detail and you could tell that they were from old London. Eye of the Crow talked about strong issues like classism (when Sherlock is treated like a half-breed and people look down at him because of the amount of money he has) and racism (when the Arab is assumed to be the murderer because the killer used his knife). This book had excitement right through from the beginning to the end and it covered issues relevant to a number of ages.
The parts that I didn’t agree with was parts how Irene Doyle’s father did not believe in slavery. I think that lots of men in the upper-class had slaves. He just didn’t sound very realistic in the time period it was placed in. I thought that some of the parts in the book was just there for a filler and a tad slow. They seemed to be present only to make the story a little longer. This can be seen when Sherlock is stealing food from the market, or in some of the parts when either Sherlock and Malefactor are talking, or when Sherlock talking and planning with Irene (but I also understand that there can not be action every second).
Another issue I had is that when Rose Holmes dies, it is over very quick and you don’t hear much of it in the rest of the book. He could have mentioned it or emphasized it more than the author did. The crows seemed like a big part of the book, but only had little to do with the plot and storyline. The birds only lead him to the scene of the crime and proved that they like shiny objects. It did help Sherlock get a lead on this case, but I think that they were over sold.
I thought that Sherlock Holmes Eye of the Crow was an excellent read. People who like action, adventure and mystery would also be fond of this book. Most of the character’s personalities were well written but on that note, a couple of characters were not placed in the right time period I believed. It is definitely packed with quite a lot of action and suspense. People who enjoyed this book might also like books from authors such as Agatha Christie, James Paterson, Arthur Conan Doyle, or even the continuing 6 part series of The boy Sherlock Holmes. I would give this murder mystery, 4.8 shiny stars out of 5 shiny stars. Probably enough to catch the eye of the crow.
-Jeremy 8.4
Sherlock Holmes is a thirteen year old boy in London of 1867 in the book The Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock. His father, a poor Jew with exceptional observation skills. His mother is highborn in a Noble family. After marrying a Jewish man her family disowned her. Their marriage makes them social outcasts and their son a reject too. Their family is poor. Sherlock is bullied and pestered at school, and friendless. He feels like a worthless nobody, but soon he will be in the middle of a brutal murder.
Sherlock skips school because he finds the streets of Trafalgar Square more exciting than his time in a classroom. He has been taught observation skills from his talented father. As he wanders through the streets, his eye is caught by the headline “MURDER” on his favorite newspaper. An Arab younger then 19 year old is framed, but when he is taken to jail, their eyes meet and the Arab mouths “I didn’t do it” to Sherlock. This sparks something in him, and he is determined to bring the real murderer to justice and prove the Arab innocent. Soon this young detective will have part in a deadly game where people try to kill him to stop him from solving the case.
In Eye of the Crow, I think that Shane Peacock has done an excellent job of writing a story about a thrilling murder mystery. Sherlock is tracking down his first killer in the dark and gloomy streets of London, and it worked for this book because it seemed very realistic. I liked the ways that Peacock set up the background story for the other books when Holmes is an adult. This was almost like a prelude to the other Sherlock Holmes books. The characters in this book (Sherlock, Malefactor, Irene) were described in detail and you could tell that they were from old London. Eye of the Crow talked about strong issues like classism (when Sherlock is treated like a half-breed and people look down at him because of the amount of money he has) and racism (when the Arab is assumed to be the murderer because the killer used his knife). This book had excitement right through from the beginning to the end and it covered issues relevant to a number of ages.
The parts that I didn’t agree with was parts how Irene Doyle’s father did not believe in slavery. I think that lots of men in the upper-class had slaves. He just didn’t sound very realistic in the time period it was placed in. I thought that some of the parts in the book was just there for a filler and a tad slow. They seemed to be present only to make the story a little longer. This can be seen when Sherlock is stealing food from the market, or in some of the parts when either Sherlock and Malefactor are talking, or when Sherlock talking and planning with Irene (but I also understand that there can not be action every second).
Another issue I had is that when Rose Holmes dies, it is over very quick and you don’t hear much of it in the rest of the book. He could have mentioned it or emphasized it more than the author did. The crows seemed like a big part of the book, but only had little to do with the plot and storyline. The birds only lead him to the scene of the crime and proved that they like shiny objects. It did help Sherlock get a lead on this case, but I think that they were over sold.
I thought that Sherlock Holmes Eye of the Crow was an excellent read. People who like action, adventure and mystery would also be fond of this book. Most of the character’s personalities were well written but on that note, a couple of characters were not placed in the right time period I believed. It is definitely packed with quite a lot of action and suspense. People who enjoyed this book might also like books from authors such as Agatha Christie, James Paterson, Arthur Conan Doyle, or even the continuing 6 part series of The boy Sherlock Holmes. I would give this murder mystery, 4.8 shiny stars out of 5 shiny stars. Probably enough to catch the eye of the crow.
-Jeremy 8.4
March 21, 2012
Anda pasti sering mendengar kisah Sherlock Holmes, tapi pernahkah Anda penasaran seperti apa kehidupan Sherlock di masa kecilnya? Jika hal itu pernah terlintas di pikiran Anda, maka buku ini berisi jawabannya.
Sherlock Holmes adalah anak kedua dari tiga bersaudara, dengan orangtua mereka bernama Wilber dan Rose Holmes. Rose sebenarnya adalah seorang Bangsawan Inggris dengan sedikit campuran Prancis, sedangkan Wilber adalah seorang lelaki genius yang sangat menyukai ilmu tentang burung. Dua sejoli ini mengalami cinta yang tidak disetujui orangtua, mereka menikah dan kabur dari masa lalu, lalu memilih sebuah flat sederhana di kawasan Southwark, selatan Sungai Thames.
Kasus Sherlock pertama ini dimulai ketika ia membaca Koran yang berisi berita tentang pembunuhan seorang wanita di sebuah gang sempit di London. Pembunuhan kali ini begitu menarik perhatian Sherlock, karena ada gagak-gagak yang seakan selalu mengikutinya. Sebenarnya polisi sudah menemukan seorang tersangka utama kasus ini, yaitu seorang remaja keturunan Arab bernama Mohammad Adalji. Pada hari ketika tersangka itu akan diadili di Gedung Pengadilan, Sherlock pergi ke sana Karena ia begitu penasaran apakah benar anak lelaki itu seorang pembunuh. Ketika Adalji diseret oleh para polisi, secara tidak sengaja, Sherlock jatuh dan ia bersitatap dengan Si tersangka tersebut.
“Bukan aku pelakunya.”, Hal. 36
Kalimat Adalji itu seakan memenuhi pikiran Sherlock dan ia terus berpikir untuk membuktikan bahwa anak Arab tersebut tidak bersalah. Kemudian ia mencoba mencari sesuatu yang barangkali dapat ditemukan di TKP pembunuhan perempuan itu. Ternyata ia menemukannya, dengan bantuan gagak, ia menemukan sebuah bola mata palsu yang terselip di antara bebatuan.
Sialnya, saat itu ada polisi bertugas mengawasi tempat itu yang memergoki Sherlock dan menjebloskannya ke penjara karena dianggap merupakan sekutu Adalji. Lalu bagaimana cara Sherlock membuktikan bahwa ia dan Adalji tidak bersalah? Ya, sejujurnya Sherlock butuh banyak keberuntungan dan kelengahan Polisi untuk bisa melarikan diri dari penjara dan mencari tahu siapa pembunuh yang sebenarnya. Secepatnya. Sebelum Adalji kehilangan nyawanya untuk suatu hal yang tidak ia lakukan!
Karakter Sherlock di masa muda ini agak berbeda dengan karakter di masa tuanya yang suka slengean, sarkatis. Tapi sudah menunjukkan rasa ingin tahu yang besar dan sangat teliti yang kadang memasukkan Sherlock ke dalam bahaya tapi juga membantunya dalam memecahkan masalah. Sikap kritis dan ingatan fotografis yang dimiliki Sherlock sejak kecil ini yang saya rasa awet bertahan sampai kisah-kisah di masa tuanya. Otaknya yang brilian seakan terus bekerja mengolah informasi-informasi yang ia dapatkan, hingga mendapat titik temu yang mencerahkan.
Suasana Inggris yang suram serta kekumuhan yang terjadi mungkin akibat dari Revolusi Industri mampu dikisahkan penulis dengan rapi dan gamblang. Cerita yang cukup menegangkan, ditambah beberapa ilustrasi kasar yang menambah keistimewaan buku ini. Ending cerita yang apik meski menyedihkan membuat saya sebagai pembaca semakin penasaran akan buku keduanya. Akankah kisah tragis di buku pertama ini mengubah kepribadian Sherlock?
April 25, 2014
The Boy Sherlock Holmes: Book 1
Eye of the Crow
by Shane Peacock (Author)
Page Count: 264
Awards
Arthur Ellis Award (2008: Juvenile Crime Fiction)
IODE Book Award
Blurb
Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way. But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen. Shane Peacock has created a boy who bears all the seeds of the character who has mesmerized millions: the relentless eye, the sense of justice, and the complex ego. The boy Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating character who is sure to become a fast favorite with young readers everywhere.
My review
Meet Sherlock Holmes when he was young: before the deerstalker hat, before Watson, before the cocaine. Shane Peacock has written a marvelous book for middle school readers about thirteen-year-old Sherlock as he solves his first case.
Sherlock Holmes is a lonely boy who skips school and wonders the streets of London observing the comings and goings of both rich and poor. A young woman has been killed and a Muslim boy is accused of the crime. Holmes knows the boy is innocent and seeks to discover the real murderer. This is not a light Sherlock Holmes mystery. Peacock's version of Holmes is very conflicted. He faces anti-Semitism and lives in poverty. The murder is especially brutal and although Holmes does solve the mystery, it comes at great cost to himself.
The storyline includes many encounters with London street gangs and Peacock is accurate in his descriptions of the poverty of London's East End and the strict class structure of Victorian English society
I really liked this well written "boy Sherlock Holmes" story. I liked the way the author wove the story of his early years, from his observant and calculating mind to the impetus for his quest for justice.
I think this book is a really interesting book because I am a type of person who loves to read these kinds of books because I can't stop reading it!
This book is for almost all ages. I would highly recommend this book and series to any Sherlock Holmes fan or anyone who loves an action-packed dectective story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover.
Eye of the Crow
by Shane Peacock (Author)
Page Count: 264
Awards
Arthur Ellis Award (2008: Juvenile Crime Fiction)
IODE Book Award
Blurb
Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way. But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen. Shane Peacock has created a boy who bears all the seeds of the character who has mesmerized millions: the relentless eye, the sense of justice, and the complex ego. The boy Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating character who is sure to become a fast favorite with young readers everywhere.
My review
Meet Sherlock Holmes when he was young: before the deerstalker hat, before Watson, before the cocaine. Shane Peacock has written a marvelous book for middle school readers about thirteen-year-old Sherlock as he solves his first case.
Sherlock Holmes is a lonely boy who skips school and wonders the streets of London observing the comings and goings of both rich and poor. A young woman has been killed and a Muslim boy is accused of the crime. Holmes knows the boy is innocent and seeks to discover the real murderer. This is not a light Sherlock Holmes mystery. Peacock's version of Holmes is very conflicted. He faces anti-Semitism and lives in poverty. The murder is especially brutal and although Holmes does solve the mystery, it comes at great cost to himself.
The storyline includes many encounters with London street gangs and Peacock is accurate in his descriptions of the poverty of London's East End and the strict class structure of Victorian English society
I really liked this well written "boy Sherlock Holmes" story. I liked the way the author wove the story of his early years, from his observant and calculating mind to the impetus for his quest for justice.
I think this book is a really interesting book because I am a type of person who loves to read these kinds of books because I can't stop reading it!
This book is for almost all ages. I would highly recommend this book and series to any Sherlock Holmes fan or anyone who loves an action-packed dectective story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover.
December 30, 2011
I'm not entirely sure when my obsession with Sherlock Holmes began. The Basil Rathbone movies probably came first. The books I started reading in eighth grade. I was on a school field trip and I read through a collection of the short stories on the bus ride there and back. By the end of college my mother introduced me to a new take on Sherlock by Laurie R. King, The Beekeeper's Apprentice which has grown to a twelve book series.
This summer while waiting for book twelve, The Pirate King (review coming), I have been reading through some middle grade Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Mostly I read the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer but I also read Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock. Peacock's book falls into the "Young Sherlock" category of stories. Like the film Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) with the awesome CGI stained glass knight, Sherlock is once again thirteen and facing a mystery that puts a woman he loves in dire peril. This first mystery is designed to show his raw talent and the diamond in the rough that will become the refined consulting-detective of Baker Street, London.
While Doyle didn't include much about Sherlock's childhood (or personal life outside of his detective work), Sherlock does mention being from a long line of country squires. So usually when Sherlock's home life is shown, it's on a small estate somewhere, usually with somewhat progressive parents, or absent parents who don't mind their son's usual hobbies.
Peacock, though, in Eye of the Crow, decides to put Sherlock and his family in near poverty, due his mother (of the country squire line) marrying a recent Jewish immigrant, a former scientist who now can't find work.
Sherlock's mixed ethnicity puts the police on his tail as they think he's an accomplice in a grisly murder outside a Muslim run butcher's. While it's an interesting conceit, it just doesn't hold up as the mystery unfolds. Sherlock's parents, father especially, go from being completely absent or at least not caring about him skipping school to helping him sneak around to solve the mystery (at great personal risk).
That brings me to Sherlock's mother. She's never described in the stories but she appears (briefly) in the Enola Holmes series and of course in The Eye of the Crow. In Peacock's book, she ends up being a victim and a catalyst for Sherlock's desire to use his street smarts to solve mysteries.
Given my options, I prefer Nancy Springer's take on Sherlock's mother. She's just as crafty as he is, and more likely to rebel, being burned out by years of playing a proper country squire's widow. She wants her freedom and she takes it (along with most of Mycroft's money). Her Bohemian attitude makes me smile and just fits better with the gestalt of Sherlock Holmes.
This summer while waiting for book twelve, The Pirate King (review coming), I have been reading through some middle grade Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Mostly I read the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer but I also read Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock. Peacock's book falls into the "Young Sherlock" category of stories. Like the film Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) with the awesome CGI stained glass knight, Sherlock is once again thirteen and facing a mystery that puts a woman he loves in dire peril. This first mystery is designed to show his raw talent and the diamond in the rough that will become the refined consulting-detective of Baker Street, London.
While Doyle didn't include much about Sherlock's childhood (or personal life outside of his detective work), Sherlock does mention being from a long line of country squires. So usually when Sherlock's home life is shown, it's on a small estate somewhere, usually with somewhat progressive parents, or absent parents who don't mind their son's usual hobbies.
Peacock, though, in Eye of the Crow, decides to put Sherlock and his family in near poverty, due his mother (of the country squire line) marrying a recent Jewish immigrant, a former scientist who now can't find work.
Sherlock's mixed ethnicity puts the police on his tail as they think he's an accomplice in a grisly murder outside a Muslim run butcher's. While it's an interesting conceit, it just doesn't hold up as the mystery unfolds. Sherlock's parents, father especially, go from being completely absent or at least not caring about him skipping school to helping him sneak around to solve the mystery (at great personal risk).
That brings me to Sherlock's mother. She's never described in the stories but she appears (briefly) in the Enola Holmes series and of course in The Eye of the Crow. In Peacock's book, she ends up being a victim and a catalyst for Sherlock's desire to use his street smarts to solve mysteries.
Given my options, I prefer Nancy Springer's take on Sherlock's mother. She's just as crafty as he is, and more likely to rebel, being burned out by years of playing a proper country squire's widow. She wants her freedom and she takes it (along with most of Mycroft's money). Her Bohemian attitude makes me smile and just fits better with the gestalt of Sherlock Holmes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews