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The MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes #3
Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur
Terror Strikes! During the Christmas season, a young man named Jonas Bogswell brings a most baffling case to Sherlock Holmes and the MacDougall Twins. A dinosaur, a creature that should have been extinct millions of years ago, with razor sharp jaws and a terrifying scream, has been spotted roaming the hills of Surrey. The creature has been preying on sheep in the countryside, or has it? The local police believe Jonas Bogswell is responsible for the death of the sheep, and he needs the help of Sherlock Holmes, the MacDougall Twins, and Toby, their faithful canine friend to prove his innocence. But how can a prehistoric creature be alive in Victorian England? Could the monster have something to do with the local legend of Bald Hill where the Devil was supposedly imprisoned a hundred years before? And is Jonas Bogswell completely innocent, or does he and his family have more knowledge of the dinosaur than they've revealed? Find out as the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes solve their most extraordinary case and learn the truth behind the curse of the deadly dinosaur!
- GenresMystery
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2015
About the author
Derrick Belanger
126 books50 followersAuthor Derrick Belanger's publications include an eclectic mix: book reviews, articles for education journals, short stories, poems, comic books, and the graphic novel, Twenty-Three Skidoo! A former instructor at Washington State University, and a current middle school Language Arts teacher, Derrick lives in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife Abigail Gosselin and their two daughters, Rhea and Phoebe. Currently, Derrick is working on several Sherlockian projects: the Young Adult novel Sherlock Holmes and the Transformers of Time, the teaching guide Sherlock Holmes for Teachers, the pastiche novel The Funeral of Sherlock Holmes, and the film studies book The Hound of the Baskervilles: From Page to Screen. He also co-authors the web site Mystery Aircraft.com with author Chuck Davis.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 6, 2025
Great story with lots of information on the times and people of the area of the book. Loved it!!!
December 12, 2015
The MacDougall Twins Mysteries with Sherlock Holmes: Volume 3: Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur by Derrick Belanger, Illustrated by Brian Belanger
This book is the third adventure of ten year old twins Jimmy and Emma MacDougall. The twins live at 222 Baker Street, across the street from Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Their dad is a chimney sweep, their mother is their teacher. They also help Sherlock Holmes from time to time. But they are brilliant detectives in their own right, known as the Baker Street Youth Detectives.
Jimmy MacDougall is tall for his age. He has skill in things mechanical. An expert at disguise, Jimmy can use these talents to become who he wishes, even an adult character. His sister Emma has encyclopedic knowledge of many things. She can deduce from her observations. The two make a great pair, each using unique abilities to further their detective cases.
As the story opens, it is the Christmas season, and the MacDougall family tree is going up. As the family is friends with Mr. Sherman, the owner of the Pinchin Lane Animal Sanctuary, Toby’s owner; several of Mr. Sherman’s animals are visiting.
A knock at the door brings a visit by Mycroft Holmes for the twins and Toby (this is the son of the famous Toby of The Sign of the Four) to help Holmes. Gaining parental permission, the twins go across the street to see Holmes and Watson, who have a client named Jonas Bogswell.
Mycroft puts the twins through an observation/deduction test in order to assure Mr. Bogswell that the twins can really help out with his problem. Bogswell is from a small farm in Surrey. Jonas Bogswell’s father is a Blacksmith; his mother keeps sheep. Three days previous, the sheep were attacked by what appears to be a dinosaur. A three toed track and sheep mangled by claws are just two of the facts in the case.
Following a village superstition, Jonas is cursed by Old Dora Bentley, the local fortune teller. She is a silly old spinster who tells fortunes and has skills with herbs, potions, and ancient remedies. She even claims she can give someone Good Luck In that, she is a charlatan. She claims Jonas woke the Devil by going away to University at Oxford, and “becoming too modern.” His brothers Henry and Ivan seem to agree.
The story is well paced and a delight to read. The illustrations accompanying the text sport a whimsical style that adds to the story, making the book that much more great for children.
In creating these characters, Derrick Belanger’s stated purpose is to introduce Sherlock Holmes to a much younger audience. His brother Brian’s line drawings bring the characters to life, so that the children will know exactly how Emma and Jimmy look, dress, and live.
There are Fun Fact footnotes throughout that will give young readers (and some adults!) a better understanding of words, expressions, and knowledge about what is happening as the story progresses. And off course, the ending has a twist that makes it a real adventure.
This book I highly recommend to Sherlockians who want to introduce children or grandchildren to the world of Sherlock Holmes.
I give the book five stars plus.
Quoth the Raven…
This book is the third adventure of ten year old twins Jimmy and Emma MacDougall. The twins live at 222 Baker Street, across the street from Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Their dad is a chimney sweep, their mother is their teacher. They also help Sherlock Holmes from time to time. But they are brilliant detectives in their own right, known as the Baker Street Youth Detectives.
Jimmy MacDougall is tall for his age. He has skill in things mechanical. An expert at disguise, Jimmy can use these talents to become who he wishes, even an adult character. His sister Emma has encyclopedic knowledge of many things. She can deduce from her observations. The two make a great pair, each using unique abilities to further their detective cases.
As the story opens, it is the Christmas season, and the MacDougall family tree is going up. As the family is friends with Mr. Sherman, the owner of the Pinchin Lane Animal Sanctuary, Toby’s owner; several of Mr. Sherman’s animals are visiting.
A knock at the door brings a visit by Mycroft Holmes for the twins and Toby (this is the son of the famous Toby of The Sign of the Four) to help Holmes. Gaining parental permission, the twins go across the street to see Holmes and Watson, who have a client named Jonas Bogswell.
Mycroft puts the twins through an observation/deduction test in order to assure Mr. Bogswell that the twins can really help out with his problem. Bogswell is from a small farm in Surrey. Jonas Bogswell’s father is a Blacksmith; his mother keeps sheep. Three days previous, the sheep were attacked by what appears to be a dinosaur. A three toed track and sheep mangled by claws are just two of the facts in the case.
Following a village superstition, Jonas is cursed by Old Dora Bentley, the local fortune teller. She is a silly old spinster who tells fortunes and has skills with herbs, potions, and ancient remedies. She even claims she can give someone Good Luck In that, she is a charlatan. She claims Jonas woke the Devil by going away to University at Oxford, and “becoming too modern.” His brothers Henry and Ivan seem to agree.
The story is well paced and a delight to read. The illustrations accompanying the text sport a whimsical style that adds to the story, making the book that much more great for children.
In creating these characters, Derrick Belanger’s stated purpose is to introduce Sherlock Holmes to a much younger audience. His brother Brian’s line drawings bring the characters to life, so that the children will know exactly how Emma and Jimmy look, dress, and live.
There are Fun Fact footnotes throughout that will give young readers (and some adults!) a better understanding of words, expressions, and knowledge about what is happening as the story progresses. And off course, the ending has a twist that makes it a real adventure.
This book I highly recommend to Sherlockians who want to introduce children or grandchildren to the world of Sherlock Holmes.
I give the book five stars plus.
Quoth the Raven…
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews