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Deadtime Stories #13
The Beast of Baskerville
The Deadtime Stories by "Twisted Sisters" Annette and Gina Cascone--they'll scare you silly.
Everyone in Baskerville knows about Jimmy Leeds. In fact, Adam Riley and his friends have been telling scary stories about Jimmy for years--stories they don't really believe. After all, how can anyone believe in a half-human beast with horns and hooves?
But the legend of Jimmy Leeds isn't just a story. When all the kids in the neighborhood decide to have a giant campout, Adam and his friends learn much too late that the streets of Baskerville aren't safe--especially after dark. One by one, Adam's friends start disappearing into the night. At first, Adam thinks it's some kind of joke--until he follows the hoofprints into the nearby woods, and finds himself face-to-face with the Beast of Baskerville....
Everyone in Baskerville knows about Jimmy Leeds. In fact, Adam Riley and his friends have been telling scary stories about Jimmy for years--stories they don't really believe. After all, how can anyone believe in a half-human beast with horns and hooves?
But the legend of Jimmy Leeds isn't just a story. When all the kids in the neighborhood decide to have a giant campout, Adam and his friends learn much too late that the streets of Baskerville aren't safe--especially after dark. One by one, Adam's friends start disappearing into the night. At first, Adam thinks it's some kind of joke--until he follows the hoofprints into the nearby woods, and finds himself face-to-face with the Beast of Baskerville....
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2014
14 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
A.G. Cascone
27 books23 followersThe team of Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone, sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 19, 2025
A perfectly spooky and chilling children’s tale featuring the legend of the Jersey Devil.
August 29, 2021
There's a legend in Baskerville about a half-human beast who devoured children; but Adam's convinced there's no way that can be real. Adam and a group of neighborhood kids are having their annual 'tent night,' where they camp outside and sneak off to play in the woods.
Shortly into the night, though, kids start to disappear, and the woods are full of big hoof prints and screams.
Could the Beast of Baskerville possibly be real?
Shortly into the night, though, kids start to disappear, and the woods are full of big hoof prints and screams.
Could the Beast of Baskerville possibly be real?
December 17, 2023
The Beast of Baskerville is about a group of friends that go camping close to where supposedly there was a Beast that comes out every year and kills people. I did not like the book that much but there are some things I did like: I liked the characters in the book which was the whole friend group and how they did a good job describing their personalities as little kids. One thing I did not like was the fact that every chapter ended on a cliffhanger but when you started the next chapter the cliffhanger would be something insignificant. For example "Then he saw something hunched over and it was not a human" Then in the next chapter, it would just say it was a deer or another animal. The cliffhangers were just integrated into the chapter to make the reader hooked on something that they would learn to know wasn't even significant. I would recommend this book for a younger audience like middle schoolers because they would find it more interesting in this kind of mystery book.
February 15, 2017
Good book.
November 3, 2015
Why you should read this book. It is a good fantasy book I like it because I like books that are kind of scary and have a mythical creature that is a killer or a nice monster just really big and hairy. The book is about a big hairy beast that is really actually nice to people and just wanted to break the curse so he could be normal.DK
April 2, 2019
A short suspenseful novel that keeps you in the dark until the end. That said, the overuse of cliffhangers dragged on the novel in a way that almost had me disinterested. A perfect read for anyone in grade 3 to 7.
December 23, 2017
A less clever , less spooky version of Goosebumps. It felt very juvinille and unnecessarily drawn out to me. It's probably perfect for a younger audience.
August 15, 2024
It’s finally time to truly start our next Goosebumps ripoff round, after doing a few for my camp marathon. Sorry this is late, I’ve been caught up in watching stuff and blog projects (like the Fear Streeet nights review!) and that has filled the time I’ve had recently. I hope to do more reading but rest of the month will be finishing up this round, most likely.
Anyway, Deadtime stories. We’re close to done, since two of them have no access and this is our next to last. This is a famous one and I do remember the episode so let’s see how the book is. Adam and Eugne are two friends living in a town that has a legend about a Beast of Baskerville. Long ago a witch married a human and it was against the coven’s rules so they cursed the husband to be a newt and her unborn child was cursed to be born as a beast, and it went around eating people.
The kids and their friends are planning a camping party and it seems like there may be a beast around to ruin their fun. So I liked this one well enough, but it is on the lighter end of Good. The story concept is pretty sound, with the legend of this beast. It’s mostly hurt by little things in the first half or so.
The writing feels too basic so it can’t have the suspense it wants in places, and Adam denying the beast existing gets annoying fairly quickly. It’s weird, Eugene feels like more of the lead for about half of it as more important is placed on him but later on Adam gets more important. Adam is just there, typical and Egune has more to him with being introverted and afraid which can get annoying but mostly he’s okay.
The rest of their friend group is just there. There’s a few too many but at least there’s a plot reason for that and in the end even the mildly important ones fade into the background. Despite these little things, it does cook as it goes. There’s solid tension regarding the beast and while it can slow or rushed in some parts, the pacing is mostly fine.
It’s set all outside and away from parents so you get a different feel from the usual here. It ramps well and we get a solid,if obvious reveal about the beast. There’s a thing with this kid JJ and he’s fun with he is, sort of jerky but in a way you get. The villain is interesting with how they even are a villain, given the backstory we know from before, but they sort of work.
There are rules that get overly complicated and abristry but it sort of works in context. The twist is easily the best in this series, as it’s actually connected to the plot and works as a screw you ending lol. Perhaps take away sympathy for one person but that’s not too bad.
It’s not as good as it could have been, but as it goes it becomes good enough. It has enough decent tension and solid ideas to make up for the clunky aspects. Not one of the strongest but it has enough to be mildly memorable. I can actually see the episode being better but we’ll have to wait to see how that holds up.
For now, a far entry even if it was a slow burn for me. Crazy how we’re almost done with Deadtime. Next time, we go to the other series we’re almost done with, as we do the next to last entry in Galaxy of Fear.
See ya then.
Anyway, Deadtime stories. We’re close to done, since two of them have no access and this is our next to last. This is a famous one and I do remember the episode so let’s see how the book is. Adam and Eugne are two friends living in a town that has a legend about a Beast of Baskerville. Long ago a witch married a human and it was against the coven’s rules so they cursed the husband to be a newt and her unborn child was cursed to be born as a beast, and it went around eating people.
The kids and their friends are planning a camping party and it seems like there may be a beast around to ruin their fun. So I liked this one well enough, but it is on the lighter end of Good. The story concept is pretty sound, with the legend of this beast. It’s mostly hurt by little things in the first half or so.
The writing feels too basic so it can’t have the suspense it wants in places, and Adam denying the beast existing gets annoying fairly quickly. It’s weird, Eugene feels like more of the lead for about half of it as more important is placed on him but later on Adam gets more important. Adam is just there, typical and Egune has more to him with being introverted and afraid which can get annoying but mostly he’s okay.
The rest of their friend group is just there. There’s a few too many but at least there’s a plot reason for that and in the end even the mildly important ones fade into the background. Despite these little things, it does cook as it goes. There’s solid tension regarding the beast and while it can slow or rushed in some parts, the pacing is mostly fine.
It’s set all outside and away from parents so you get a different feel from the usual here. It ramps well and we get a solid,if obvious reveal about the beast. There’s a thing with this kid JJ and he’s fun with he is, sort of jerky but in a way you get. The villain is interesting with how they even are a villain, given the backstory we know from before, but they sort of work.
There are rules that get overly complicated and abristry but it sort of works in context. The twist is easily the best in this series, as it’s actually connected to the plot and works as a screw you ending lol. Perhaps take away sympathy for one person but that’s not too bad.
It’s not as good as it could have been, but as it goes it becomes good enough. It has enough decent tension and solid ideas to make up for the clunky aspects. Not one of the strongest but it has enough to be mildly memorable. I can actually see the episode being better but we’ll have to wait to see how that holds up.
For now, a far entry even if it was a slow burn for me. Crazy how we’re almost done with Deadtime. Next time, we go to the other series we’re almost done with, as we do the next to last entry in Galaxy of Fear.
See ya then.
April 14, 2018
The fun twist in the story adds a tremendous amount of energy to the novel. What sets itself up as a conventional story line, turns into an unexpected direction, for this reader, in a pleasing way. In the beginning of the story there are some normal gothic markers: the creepy house, the old hag, the lonely and isolated woods, and a dark tunnel. The story takes the reader on a funny ride for a scary story, which all seems familiar. Near the end, the author's switch gears into and embrace the horror of a horror story. Moving away from the convention arc gives the tale quite a pleasing ending. Enjoy!
July 29, 2019
Wow! This is now my new favorite teen novel. The murder mystery element had lead to an amazing end. The characters are well established in a short time, and you still care about them. The personalities all seem like something kids would have. The ending really leaves a sense of betrayal even though we aren't meant to care about the beast.
December 22, 2025
For a children’s novel, this was a great, fast read. I probably would’ve LOVED this as a kid, as I’d always read Goosebumps and Michigan Chillers.
It’s not a big read, nor is it very wordy, but the author does a decent job given the target audience, and gives a very childlike air throughout the whole thing.
It’s not a big read, nor is it very wordy, but the author does a decent job given the target audience, and gives a very childlike air throughout the whole thing.
April 2, 2020
I would have given 3.5 stars if I could. Our third grader thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it felt unnecessarily drawn out to me. There's a great twist at the end, and I would definitely recommend it for upper elementary students who like spooky stories.
February 29, 2024
in theory it could’ve been a good book and i probably would’ve enjoyed it had i read it in middle school but all the characters were so annoying: adam, eugene, j.j. etc
they just really got on my nerves💀
they just really got on my nerves💀
July 13, 2018
I thought it was an OUTSTANDING book. deadtime stories had me at the edge of my seat many times! it was a great book and i suggest reading it.
July 2, 2019
Well I definitely did not expect that twist to occur but it sure made for an entertaining ending
July 8, 2019
More like a 3.5 maybe a 4 if I hadn’t watched the tv episode first.
October 9, 2019
it was very interesting.
January 3, 2024
The first chapter book I ever read. It will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️
December 18, 2024
It's a good book to read if you are bored
October 5, 2020
if you like books that are hard to solve mysteries than this is for you. overall i really liked this book. it had lots of good parts and it really kept you reading by them adding cliffhangers after every chapter. my favorite part about this book was that they included lots of things in each chapter which led me to read more because there was always something new. I really loved the cliffhangers because it made me read the next page and so on. this story has lots of mysteries to solve and you would always want to finish them. overall this book is very good and i would recommend to people who like mysteries.
January 18, 2022
I have read this book probably 15 times over the years. When I was younger I would just read it over and over. As soon as I was done I restarted it. It just had such a good plot.
October 22, 2012
I was lucky enough to be able to read 3 books from this series:
The Beast of the Baskerville
Invasion of the Appleheads
The Little Magic Shop of Horrors
Normally I would do a book by book review, but I wanted to make sure that these authors did not fall into the all too easy trap of having each book of a series essentially just is a repeat of the previous book. So before I recommended these books to anyone, I had to be sure.
Happily, the sisters manage to avoid the most common pitfalls of a series (which then quickly devolves into boredom and unhappy readers) while keeping the stories different. These are written at the correct language level for readers of about 8 – 12, without talking down to them, or dumbing the whole thing down enough that it is insulting to the readers. While doing a wonderful job of building suspense, the sisters also manage to build in enough plot twists so that the readers will have to pay attention to keep track of the action.
If you are a fan of the happy ending, you definitely will not enjoy these books. If, however you like something a bit creepy and that really should not be read in your room, after the light is out, with a flashlight or book light, then these books are definitely for you.
The Beast of the Baskerville
Invasion of the Appleheads
The Little Magic Shop of Horrors
Normally I would do a book by book review, but I wanted to make sure that these authors did not fall into the all too easy trap of having each book of a series essentially just is a repeat of the previous book. So before I recommended these books to anyone, I had to be sure.
Happily, the sisters manage to avoid the most common pitfalls of a series (which then quickly devolves into boredom and unhappy readers) while keeping the stories different. These are written at the correct language level for readers of about 8 – 12, without talking down to them, or dumbing the whole thing down enough that it is insulting to the readers. While doing a wonderful job of building suspense, the sisters also manage to build in enough plot twists so that the readers will have to pay attention to keep track of the action.
If you are a fan of the happy ending, you definitely will not enjoy these books. If, however you like something a bit creepy and that really should not be read in your room, after the light is out, with a flashlight or book light, then these books are definitely for you.
March 28, 2023
This book would literally give my english teacher an aneurysm. The writing felt very rushed and the author doesn’t seem to know how to properly end a chapter. To elaborate a bit further on the last sentence, every paragraph ends with foreshadowing of some sort (ie. “Little did they know someone else was playing hide and seek too. And it was definitely winning.”) By the way, the example I used is actually IN the book. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with foreshadowing once or twice in a story, what I do have a problem with is when the author uses foreshadowing as a method to end every single damn chapter! Also, the story probably would have been way better as a short story instead of a full book, because it feels stretched out. I have never read a book in which the author barely understands how to end chapters. If I could improve this book in any way, I would probably condense it and end the chapters so that it transitions directly into the next chapter, rather than redundantly putting foreshadowing referencing the final few chapters. The ending was as predictable as rain on a cloudy day,due to the foreshadowing. Wouldn't recommend.
March 18, 2015
I think that this book is really weird and kind of confusing. There's this kid named Dougie, and he is obsessed with the legend of the Beast of Baskerville. He tries to scare everyone to death with the legend and everything about it. It turns out that J.J. the weird kid is Jimmy Leeds who is the beast. He drags 13 kids into a sewer and makes them sing "Happy Birthday" to J.J. so that he can be a normal kid again, but he doesn't tell them that once they sing to they will be a beast for either 13 months or 13 years. J.J. turned back to normal on the 13 day of the 13 year on the full moon at his birth hour, because 13 witches cursed him. His mother Elvira didn't want it to happen because she would die and J.J.'s father would be a human instead of a newt with three heads and one eye.
February 17, 2016
I didn't realize that I had actually heard of this series before when I was a kid! The Invasion of the Appleheads clued me in. I remember the cover so vividly. This story, on the other hand, was very well written. It was an easy read that definitely had me turning pages! Eugene drove me nuts in this story because he was so neurotic! I just knew he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Had he been following me around then I would have shook or slapped him because he seemed so on edge ALL the time! I knew something crazy was going to happen and God bless Adam for logically explaining everything away. You knew it was just too good to be true. Is "the Beast" real? You'll have to read to find out!
August 23, 2013
Like all "Deadtime Stories", this one had me on the edge of my seat, sending chills up my spine as I read with ALL the lights on. One thing I thought was great was that we had no idea if this was actually going to be a real "beast" or someone just being a jerk until the very end. These books are masterful in that they create terrifying stories with easy language--I would say that they are better than Goosebumps. A little gorey, but great.
February 4, 2016
The first Deadtime Stories title I've read. Based on this one, it would be ideal for reluctant readers and fans of scary stories. There's definitely a formula: every chapter ends in a moment of suspense (i.e. keep the reader reading). But the finale has a twist I didn't expect which raised this a bit above the standard scary story. It doesn't rank as fine literature but it will leave kids reeling with surprise and get creative juices flowing.
February 14, 2015
I have mixed emotions about this eerie little book. On one hand it reads like a script for "Scary Movie". It goes from being hokey and laughable to slightly eerie. On the other hand, my students love it. I think maybe I'm just too old to figure out elementary student's level of humor and horror. I wouldn't buy a hardback copy until I tied out a paperback copy on my students.
September 1, 2014
For me this was written in too a juvenile form. Probably great for a young audience. Only read it because it's kind of a classic and I had never read it.
June 7, 2015
Somewhat creepy book. The ending was a little unexpected and might not satisfy those who like a happy ending. I guess some kids really like the series since I've had several ask for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews