The Adventure of the Red Circle

The Graphic Novel Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Vincent Goodwin

Innkeeper Mrs. Warren is suspicious of her new guest. He never leaves the room and hasn't been seen in days. She has asked Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. John Watson to investigate the strange man. What Holmes uncovers is much more interesting than a reserved guest. Follow along as Holmes uncovers a mystery and murder in one investigation. Graphic Planet is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades 3-8.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Classics

50 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Raina · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mysterious man checks into an inn outside London. After that first interaction, the staff of the inn don’t see him again. After ten days of nothing but notes left outside the door and late night noises, the Sherlock Holmes and Tom Watson team are on the case. They follow a trail of coded messages in newspapers and strategically lit windows to solve the mystery.
As in many of the Graphic Planet books, “The Graphic Novel Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” includes much extra content, including a Table of Contents, page of Cast photos (cropped headshots of major characters with their names below), a one-page tutorial on How to Draw Dr. John Watson, a Glossary, list of Web Sites, an About the Author, list of Additional Works, and an About the Adapters page. Although the intent of this extra content is no doubt educational, in some cases the extras are actually detrimental to the featured story’s effectiveness. For instance, the Cast page, before the story starts, spoils some of the story – as it points out which characters are important to the mysterious plot.
The actual adaptation of the story is adequate, with serviceable illustrations, but the story involves topics such as emigration politics, secret societies, blackmail, and entrapment. Many of these issues are merely mentioned, and not explored with any deftness.
For those readers looking to read simplified versions of Holmesian tales, this will serve. But those looking for great mysteries in the graphic novel medium should look elsewhere. \\pro review

I'm biased against graphic novels which are adaptations, and not stories originated in the form. This book might be part of the reason I turned against them.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret societies, intrigue, mystery, murder, and creepy mysterious lodgers that hide out in their room, what more could a reader want? This story has everything, including the ever present wit of Sherlock Holmes. One of my favorites and highly recommended.

[Bert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful tale that stand the test of time. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

Listened to this on chirpbooks.com.

[Mohotadin Tahin · Rating 3 out of 5]

average

[Daniel Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did read long story what happen something from hotel and left husband's milia kill him long twenty flashes letf later? something wrong there "hotel red" just person emilia going jail.

[M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs. Warren keeps a boarding house and her new lodger checked in with the understanding that no one would bother him for any reason. Even his meals would be left outside the door and no one would enter the room to clean, for example. After 10 days, Mrs. Warren is concerned and asks Sherlock Holmes to find out what's going on. Holmes figures out that there may have been "a substitution of lodgers" and connects that with code messages in the local newspaper. In the end he uncovers a plot involving something akin to the Italian Maffia transported to New York City and now to London.

I didn't really connect with this book. There was too much not said, the jumps in logic too great to make sense. I didn't find the drawings to be of much help in filling in these logic gaps. And the characters of Holmes and Watson, while well drawn, look more like young teenagers in many of the drawings.

On the other hand, a third grader might not notice the logic gaps and this might be an interesting book for some struggling readers.

[Candice M (tinylibrarian)]

Reviewed for Booklist