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Monster on the Moors
Monster On The Moors is an MG-YA horror thriller that takes place in the eerie North York Moors of England. Clairvoyant Bobby Holmes, his American cousin Brenda Watson, and their friends, wise guy Stevie and Michael (who is challenged by Asperger Syndrome), are drawn into a deadly mystery. They are hunted by an ancient wolf creature controlled by evil witches of British lore. When one of their friends is captured, they must rely on the investigations of a librarian who is more than he seems, the mystical gifts of a gypsy king, a mysterious stranger at the center of it all, and their own wits in a desperate race to save their friend and come out alive.
280 pages, ebook
Published October 31, 2019
1 person is currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Kelly
5 books228 followersAbout the Author
J.M. Kelly has been a middle school teacher, a vice-principal, a principal, a Co-Director of the New Jersey State History Fair, a consultant for the New Jersey Foundation for Educational Administration, a current Board member of the Global Learning Project, a non-profit, and Past-President of the Morris County Association of Elementary and Middle School Administrators. He has been the recipient of numerous education awards such as the New Jersey Governor’s Teacher Award, two Geraldine Dodge Foundation Grants, and by acclamation of his school staff, received the New Jersey Principal’s and Supervisor’s Association Principal of the Year Award for Visionary Leadership in 2007. He has authored two professional books: Student–Centered Teaching for Increased Participation and In Search of Leadership.
The Lost Treasure , available on Amazon.com, is his first novel. His love of mysteries, adventures, and everything about Sherlock Holmes, helped in the creation of eleven-year-old Bobby Holmes and his cousin Brenda Watson. Tommy Ails: Good For What Ails You, also available on Amazon, is a humorous off-beat mystery, and his first novel for adults. He is currently working on a sequel to The Lost Treasure entitled Monster on the Moors, which involves the same characters and takes place in England.
Jim divides his time between Sea Girt, New Jersey and Sarasota, Florida, with his wife Bronwen. They have three grown children, Peter, Alex, and Brianna.
Contact
Phone: 973-229-6778
Email: jmkellyauthor@gmail.com
Website: JMKellyauthor.com
J.M. Kelly has been a middle school teacher, a vice-principal, a principal, a Co-Director of the New Jersey State History Fair, a consultant for the New Jersey Foundation for Educational Administration, a current Board member of the Global Learning Project, a non-profit, and Past-President of the Morris County Association of Elementary and Middle School Administrators. He has been the recipient of numerous education awards such as the New Jersey Governor’s Teacher Award, two Geraldine Dodge Foundation Grants, and by acclamation of his school staff, received the New Jersey Principal’s and Supervisor’s Association Principal of the Year Award for Visionary Leadership in 2007. He has authored two professional books: Student–Centered Teaching for Increased Participation and In Search of Leadership.
The Lost Treasure , available on Amazon.com, is his first novel. His love of mysteries, adventures, and everything about Sherlock Holmes, helped in the creation of eleven-year-old Bobby Holmes and his cousin Brenda Watson. Tommy Ails: Good For What Ails You, also available on Amazon, is a humorous off-beat mystery, and his first novel for adults. He is currently working on a sequel to The Lost Treasure entitled Monster on the Moors, which involves the same characters and takes place in England.
Jim divides his time between Sea Girt, New Jersey and Sarasota, Florida, with his wife Bronwen. They have three grown children, Peter, Alex, and Brianna.
Contact
Phone: 973-229-6778
Email: jmkellyauthor@gmail.com
Website: JMKellyauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 9, 2019
J. M. Kelly’s Monster On The Moors is a decently spooky and thrilling werewolf read. I love the setting and the mystery but I wish the characters and dialogue were better written. This is the second book in the series but it works as a standalone.
Clairvoyant Bobby Holmes, his cousin Brenda Watson and their friends Stevie and Michael are in the middle of a horrifying mystery. The friends are vacationing in the spooky North York Moors of England when they find themselves being stalked by an ancient werewolf. With the help of some surprising allies, the friends uncover the depths of this mystery and must save one of their own before more fall victim to the werewolf!
I enjoyed this fast-paced and surprisingly creepy read! I love werewolves and Kelly did a great YA take on the theme. I love the well-written and eerie setting. The opening is wonderfully spooky. There are several surprisingly gory scenes but it should be manageable for teen readers. The book features some good twists. Although some are predictable, they are still enjoyable. I also like the werewolf’s history as well as the other supernatural elements which I really wasn’t expecting. I also like the interesting and mysterious allies.
I didn’t even realize that the book is a modern-day YA spin on Sherlock Holmes. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing! While I like the characters well enough, I wish they were much better written. They often act very stereotypically and I couldn’t connect with them. Protagonist Bobby is smart and has visions, Stevie is obnoxious, and token girl Brenda is clever. However, I do like that there is some diversity as Michael has Asperger’s. The other characters are kind and respectful of him. However, the characters often acted very implausibly, especially the adults. Even the werewolf sometimes acted too improbably!
Additionally, I know that the children are probably young teens but their dialogue varies between sounding too mature or too childish. The overall dialogue also could have been better written. The characters’ conversations are often stilted, unnatural, and there is a fair bit of info dumping.
Monster On The Moors is a great and creepy YA read. I am not the intended audience but I enjoyed this novel. This is a good introduction to horror reads for young teens. It will also work for adults looking for a quick atmospheric Halloween read. I would definitely read more in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Publications, Ltd for this book in exchange for an honest review.
🐺 🐺 🐺 ½ werewolves out of 5!
Clairvoyant Bobby Holmes, his cousin Brenda Watson and their friends Stevie and Michael are in the middle of a horrifying mystery. The friends are vacationing in the spooky North York Moors of England when they find themselves being stalked by an ancient werewolf. With the help of some surprising allies, the friends uncover the depths of this mystery and must save one of their own before more fall victim to the werewolf!
I enjoyed this fast-paced and surprisingly creepy read! I love werewolves and Kelly did a great YA take on the theme. I love the well-written and eerie setting. The opening is wonderfully spooky. There are several surprisingly gory scenes but it should be manageable for teen readers. The book features some good twists. Although some are predictable, they are still enjoyable. I also like the werewolf’s history as well as the other supernatural elements which I really wasn’t expecting. I also like the interesting and mysterious allies.
I didn’t even realize that the book is a modern-day YA spin on Sherlock Holmes. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing! While I like the characters well enough, I wish they were much better written. They often act very stereotypically and I couldn’t connect with them. Protagonist Bobby is smart and has visions, Stevie is obnoxious, and token girl Brenda is clever. However, I do like that there is some diversity as Michael has Asperger’s. The other characters are kind and respectful of him. However, the characters often acted very implausibly, especially the adults. Even the werewolf sometimes acted too improbably!
Additionally, I know that the children are probably young teens but their dialogue varies between sounding too mature or too childish. The overall dialogue also could have been better written. The characters’ conversations are often stilted, unnatural, and there is a fair bit of info dumping.
Monster On The Moors is a great and creepy YA read. I am not the intended audience but I enjoyed this novel. This is a good introduction to horror reads for young teens. It will also work for adults looking for a quick atmospheric Halloween read. I would definitely read more in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Publications, Ltd for this book in exchange for an honest review.
🐺 🐺 🐺 ½ werewolves out of 5!
October 4, 2019
Typical horror mystery made extraordinary by a well written plot and equally well done characters. Perfect to enjoy on Halloween. 5/5 stars for a suspenseful mystery.
September 27, 2019
MONSTER ON THE MOOR is an exciting YA mystery set in England, the sequel to THE LOST TREASURE. Both star Bobby Holmes, whose mother is a Scotland Yard Special Investigator. Bobby has Second Sight--clairvoyance--which isn't always perfectly revelatory. Bobby, cousin Brenda and her two friends Stevie and Michael in the U.S., find their vacation on the North Yorkshire Moors both enlightening and dangerous as they encounter both a shapeshifter and sorcery.
September 18, 2019
Thank you to Net Galley for sending me a copy in exchange for a honest review.
After having this copy sent to my tablet, I found out it was the sequel in a series, the first The Lost Treasure is set in America, and based around ghostly pirates. I decided to continue reading it. You could get away with reading just this one if you wanted to, as things in the previous book were recapped well enough.
This is set in the very creepy village of Goathland in North Yorkshire where a young boy called Bobby Holmes is on holiday with his Scotland Yard Detective mother, to visit one of her old friends. Multiple people warn Bobby not to stay in the county and not to go out at night. When they arrive it seems that a young woman has gone missing...
Bobby seems to be quite mature for his age, probably as he is a homage to Sherlock himself, but it was really strange to see him converse with adults as if he was the elder and consoling one. He and his friends were a cute little band of mystery solvers, with one being an obnoxious american called Stevie, an autistic young boy called Michael and the token clever girl of the group called Brenda. There were different POVs, from the children and the adults which was refreshing, as we could see what the adults were doing to solve the murders, and what the children were up to running around Whitby and the moors.
The conversations between Melanie, Bobby's mum and himself were very strangely written - very stilted and formal. I also question whether a Scotland Yard Detective would carry a gun, which made me think that the author was American (on checking later I found this correct).
The writing was very good, beautiful in it's descriptions, but in making this a middle grade book, it feels like the author became a little stuck. The adult chapters were easier to read and follow than the children's. Whilst the plot was interesting and the writing for the most part were lovely, this felt a little off, and a little difficult to read in the sense that it didn't flow or make much sense in places. If this is edited and changed before it's release, then I would recommend this for older children and it could be a good introduction to horror books for young people.
Trigger warnings for gore, blood, death of animals, detailed descriptions of injuries and supernatural bodily changes.
After having this copy sent to my tablet, I found out it was the sequel in a series, the first The Lost Treasure is set in America, and based around ghostly pirates. I decided to continue reading it. You could get away with reading just this one if you wanted to, as things in the previous book were recapped well enough.
This is set in the very creepy village of Goathland in North Yorkshire where a young boy called Bobby Holmes is on holiday with his Scotland Yard Detective mother, to visit one of her old friends. Multiple people warn Bobby not to stay in the county and not to go out at night. When they arrive it seems that a young woman has gone missing...
Bobby seems to be quite mature for his age, probably as he is a homage to Sherlock himself, but it was really strange to see him converse with adults as if he was the elder and consoling one. He and his friends were a cute little band of mystery solvers, with one being an obnoxious american called Stevie, an autistic young boy called Michael and the token clever girl of the group called Brenda. There were different POVs, from the children and the adults which was refreshing, as we could see what the adults were doing to solve the murders, and what the children were up to running around Whitby and the moors.
The conversations between Melanie, Bobby's mum and himself were very strangely written - very stilted and formal. I also question whether a Scotland Yard Detective would carry a gun, which made me think that the author was American (on checking later I found this correct).
The writing was very good, beautiful in it's descriptions, but in making this a middle grade book, it feels like the author became a little stuck. The adult chapters were easier to read and follow than the children's. Whilst the plot was interesting and the writing for the most part were lovely, this felt a little off, and a little difficult to read in the sense that it didn't flow or make much sense in places. If this is edited and changed before it's release, then I would recommend this for older children and it could be a good introduction to horror books for young people.
Trigger warnings for gore, blood, death of animals, detailed descriptions of injuries and supernatural bodily changes.
January 14, 2020
Bobby Holmes is on vacation with his mother Melanie in North York Moors of England. His cousin Brenda and his two friends Stevie and Michael arrive several days later to join them on vacation. Arriving in England though they are met with warnings to stay indoors at night as a monster is loose in the moors. After one of the group members goes missing, it’s up to the group along with their caretaker James to find their friend and kill the monster.
J.M. Kelly did a great job building up the eeriness of North York Moors. The descriptions of the fog mixed with the subtle noises in the darkness sure added to the scariness factor of the book. The mix of Werewolves of Witches was an interesting take but I think it did fall short for me. There was more story around the mystery of how the ancient wolf came to the Moors rather than scenes with the wolf itself present. The characters of Bobby, Brenda, Stevie, and Michael are supposed to be kids but I never really thought of them as such. Their dialogue with Melanie and other townsfolk was very adult like, I had trouble remembering they were kids. Some of the decisions of the group were more annoying rather than suspenseful; we know it’s dark and there’s a monster about but let’s split up. WHY?!?!?! I did enjoy the actual hunt for the wolf and liked how Bobby’s supernatural sight played into the storyline.
There was some challenges with the Kindle version. Anything that was italicized was just one long run-on sentence. Also I think I was missing a page in there; it went from talking to a townsperson who had been attacked to the next page of Bobby with his friends. It wasn’t enough to take much away from the reading experience but just enough to confuse me.
Thank you to Publications, Ltd. for providing a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
J.M. Kelly did a great job building up the eeriness of North York Moors. The descriptions of the fog mixed with the subtle noises in the darkness sure added to the scariness factor of the book. The mix of Werewolves of Witches was an interesting take but I think it did fall short for me. There was more story around the mystery of how the ancient wolf came to the Moors rather than scenes with the wolf itself present. The characters of Bobby, Brenda, Stevie, and Michael are supposed to be kids but I never really thought of them as such. Their dialogue with Melanie and other townsfolk was very adult like, I had trouble remembering they were kids. Some of the decisions of the group were more annoying rather than suspenseful; we know it’s dark and there’s a monster about but let’s split up. WHY?!?!?! I did enjoy the actual hunt for the wolf and liked how Bobby’s supernatural sight played into the storyline.
There was some challenges with the Kindle version. Anything that was italicized was just one long run-on sentence. Also I think I was missing a page in there; it went from talking to a townsperson who had been attacked to the next page of Bobby with his friends. It wasn’t enough to take much away from the reading experience but just enough to confuse me.
Thank you to Publications, Ltd. for providing a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2020
This book was sent to me by NetGalley, thanks for it guys!
This book was cool and fun, it is actually a follow up for anothet book, but it works as a stand alone also.
The writing was ok, and the story itself was very interesting. This is way more than a wolf story, and the witches were a plus to me. But they story felt so much like a YA book or even as a kids book, which is great! But I was expecting something else, so, for me it was just ok.
However, I think I would have loved this book 10 years ago.
3 stars!
This book was cool and fun, it is actually a follow up for anothet book, but it works as a stand alone also.
The writing was ok, and the story itself was very interesting. This is way more than a wolf story, and the witches were a plus to me. But they story felt so much like a YA book or even as a kids book, which is great! But I was expecting something else, so, for me it was just ok.
However, I think I would have loved this book 10 years ago.
3 stars!
July 12, 2019
While I don’t believe I’m the target audience for this book it was pretty enjoyable.
“Monster on the Moors” follows Bobby Holmes who is on a holiday where he is anxious to meet up with his friends who are coming over from America but soon an ominous warning keeps him from enjoying his time away and it isn’t long before the group finds themselves lost in the night with nothing but the howling of the creature to keep them company.
I didn’t know this was a series when I requested it but thankfully there was a bit of a recap from the groups earlier adventures so you can get caught up fairly quickly.
This reads a bit like a Scooby Doo meets Sherlock Holmes only the supernatural elements are real which was an interesting touch. Here we have the classic monster on the moors or the werewolf mythology thrown in and it was interesting to see how the kids worked to solve the mystery at hand at the risk of being lost to it all.
I did think however that Bobby’s abilities would have been at the forefront of the plot itself but it’s more like the catalyst to each new story which was fine but I was hoping to see more especially when introduced to a character who seemed to have similar abilities.
This book isn’t bad but again I think it’s meant for a younger audience and I can think of quite a few people I’m going to recommend it to!
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**
“Monster on the Moors” follows Bobby Holmes who is on a holiday where he is anxious to meet up with his friends who are coming over from America but soon an ominous warning keeps him from enjoying his time away and it isn’t long before the group finds themselves lost in the night with nothing but the howling of the creature to keep them company.
I didn’t know this was a series when I requested it but thankfully there was a bit of a recap from the groups earlier adventures so you can get caught up fairly quickly.
This reads a bit like a Scooby Doo meets Sherlock Holmes only the supernatural elements are real which was an interesting touch. Here we have the classic monster on the moors or the werewolf mythology thrown in and it was interesting to see how the kids worked to solve the mystery at hand at the risk of being lost to it all.
I did think however that Bobby’s abilities would have been at the forefront of the plot itself but it’s more like the catalyst to each new story which was fine but I was hoping to see more especially when introduced to a character who seemed to have similar abilities.
This book isn’t bad but again I think it’s meant for a younger audience and I can think of quite a few people I’m going to recommend it to!
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**
December 19, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.
The cover and description of this book grabbed my attention so I was looking forward to reading it. However, I was pretty disappointed in this one.
There's a lot of telling, not showing, and that makes it very difficult to get engrossed in this story. The characters are really flat and one dimensional, and their interactions and dialogue seem very forced. Stevie, in particular, was meant to be comedic relief but instead was cringy. All his one liners had the opposite effect on me than the author intended. I was also not a fan of some of the metaphors in this one. They didn’t make sense and left me confused. They pulled me out of the setting, which is the opposite of what a good metaphor should do.
I do have to say that a redeeming quality in this one was the way the author described the more horror based scenes. You could tell it had real potential in those scenes.
All in all, this one is a pass for me.
The cover and description of this book grabbed my attention so I was looking forward to reading it. However, I was pretty disappointed in this one.
There's a lot of telling, not showing, and that makes it very difficult to get engrossed in this story. The characters are really flat and one dimensional, and their interactions and dialogue seem very forced. Stevie, in particular, was meant to be comedic relief but instead was cringy. All his one liners had the opposite effect on me than the author intended. I was also not a fan of some of the metaphors in this one. They didn’t make sense and left me confused. They pulled me out of the setting, which is the opposite of what a good metaphor should do.
I do have to say that a redeeming quality in this one was the way the author described the more horror based scenes. You could tell it had real potential in those scenes.
All in all, this one is a pass for me.
August 25, 2019
An interesting read that I believe is a retelling of Holmes?
The story while enjoyable meandered for a bit before picking up speed. That and the constant shift of perspectives somewhat soured my expectations of this. Apparently this is also a part of a series so even though there was backstory I felt more than a little lost along the way honestly.
This is however a great book for those who are favs of middle grade fiction and an opening to horror and mysteries for young minds.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
The story while enjoyable meandered for a bit before picking up speed. That and the constant shift of perspectives somewhat soured my expectations of this. Apparently this is also a part of a series so even though there was backstory I felt more than a little lost along the way honestly.
This is however a great book for those who are favs of middle grade fiction and an opening to horror and mysteries for young minds.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
February 20, 2020
**** Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy that's been sent my way. This is my honest opinion on this book ****
I didn't like it. Maybe I am a little too old to belong to the target this book was addressed to, but I found it full of little annoying things that made me want to throw the book out of the window, and that's sad.
First of all I'd like to say that this book didn't feel like a young adult fantasy, but more like a middle grade one, and maybe that's why I noticed the flaws more than what would've happened in a different occasion, but let's try to be a bit organized here.
First of all, I thought that the descriptions that we've been given were poorly executed, almost silly when it came to the ambience and the physical space around which the main characters were acting. The pace of each scene was very slow mainly because of that, above all at the beginning. Every single one was full of useless details and I don't really get if it's part of the author's style (and in this case I can't say much) or if it was an attempt to try and cover up the hypothetical holes in the plot because this is apparently a book belonging to a series? I did not quite get this, sorry.
Also, another thing I didn't particularly appreciate was the changing in the scenario that was almost every couple of paragraphs. I found it very annoying and slightly confusing. I didn't even quite understand if it was Victorian England or Modern one... Should I be ashamed?
I didn't think it was creepy at all, not that the atmosphere was suspenseful enough for the genre the author attempted to write. But once again this might be me, because I'm difficult to scare when it comes to books. It has to be a very particular story or topic, dealt with in a particular way. And I found the mystery behind this monster predictable from the very first chapters.
I also didn't like the characters who were like a bunch of marionettes with some random traits to distinguish them, with no position nor behavior that would resemble an actual person of their age and a way of talking that is mostly out of date and not used anymore. I thought some of them were inconsistent and contradictory one another, and I found funny that somehow everyone we meet is part of some secret service. Dialogues were also empty and didn't bring anything to the story; they felt like small chats and nothing more.
I am so sorry I have to write this review but I couldn't pretend I liked something when I didn't and I like to give to my readers as much honesty as I can. I still appreciated the opportunity given to my by NetGalley's team, but I'm afraid this book just didn't work for me.
I didn't like it. Maybe I am a little too old to belong to the target this book was addressed to, but I found it full of little annoying things that made me want to throw the book out of the window, and that's sad.
First of all I'd like to say that this book didn't feel like a young adult fantasy, but more like a middle grade one, and maybe that's why I noticed the flaws more than what would've happened in a different occasion, but let's try to be a bit organized here.
First of all, I thought that the descriptions that we've been given were poorly executed, almost silly when it came to the ambience and the physical space around which the main characters were acting. The pace of each scene was very slow mainly because of that, above all at the beginning. Every single one was full of useless details and I don't really get if it's part of the author's style (and in this case I can't say much) or if it was an attempt to try and cover up the hypothetical holes in the plot because this is apparently a book belonging to a series? I did not quite get this, sorry.
Also, another thing I didn't particularly appreciate was the changing in the scenario that was almost every couple of paragraphs. I found it very annoying and slightly confusing. I didn't even quite understand if it was Victorian England or Modern one... Should I be ashamed?
I didn't think it was creepy at all, not that the atmosphere was suspenseful enough for the genre the author attempted to write. But once again this might be me, because I'm difficult to scare when it comes to books. It has to be a very particular story or topic, dealt with in a particular way. And I found the mystery behind this monster predictable from the very first chapters.
I also didn't like the characters who were like a bunch of marionettes with some random traits to distinguish them, with no position nor behavior that would resemble an actual person of their age and a way of talking that is mostly out of date and not used anymore. I thought some of them were inconsistent and contradictory one another, and I found funny that somehow everyone we meet is part of some secret service. Dialogues were also empty and didn't bring anything to the story; they felt like small chats and nothing more.
I am so sorry I have to write this review but I couldn't pretend I liked something when I didn't and I like to give to my readers as much honesty as I can. I still appreciated the opportunity given to my by NetGalley's team, but I'm afraid this book just didn't work for me.
January 31, 2020
In the North York Moors an ancient wolf-like being controlled by equally ancient witches is stalking Bobby, his cousin Brenda and their friends - Stevie and Michael. The creature manages to capture one their party the remaining group must use everything at their disposal to save their friend - Bobby's prophetic visions, a mysterious librarian, a stranger at the center of it all, surprising gifts from a Traveler king and their own skills. Will the motley crew of friends be able to solve the mystery surrounding the werewolf, his masters and save their friend before becoming a casualty or part of the pack?
The Lost Treasure is actually the first book to feature Bobby and his friends although it is not imperative to read that book first. I personally have not read the first installment - the plot of Monster on the Moors is not dependent upon the events of the first book even though prior events/interactions are mentioned.
Some of the characters reactions and dialogue between each other just seemed a little... off. At least to me although a younger reader may not even notice. Not a fan of the italicized portions for dreams/internal character narrative only because all of the italicized words ran together making it harder to read and separate out. If the final novel has rectified the italicized portions then it would definitely be a non-issue and would not detract from the story. Some portions of the chapter don't have clean breaks between character groups - one paragraph to the next can be about an entirely different group. To me the book would flow better if there was clear definition between the two - even if the book was split into separate chapters for each group of characters.
Monster on the Moors reminds me of a gory supernatural British version of The Boxcar Children. The story is pretty clean other than gore/violence and the supernatural/paranormal aspects. Even for an adult to read it was a good story line and didn't take long to finish. I would recommend this book to readers on the older end of Middle-Grade Fiction and the younger end of Young Adult Fiction who enjoy mysteries, the supernatural/paranormal, murder mysteries and thrillers. Thank you to Black Château and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Lost Treasure is actually the first book to feature Bobby and his friends although it is not imperative to read that book first. I personally have not read the first installment - the plot of Monster on the Moors is not dependent upon the events of the first book even though prior events/interactions are mentioned.
Some of the characters reactions and dialogue between each other just seemed a little... off. At least to me although a younger reader may not even notice. Not a fan of the italicized portions for dreams/internal character narrative only because all of the italicized words ran together making it harder to read and separate out. If the final novel has rectified the italicized portions then it would definitely be a non-issue and would not detract from the story. Some portions of the chapter don't have clean breaks between character groups - one paragraph to the next can be about an entirely different group. To me the book would flow better if there was clear definition between the two - even if the book was split into separate chapters for each group of characters.
Monster on the Moors reminds me of a gory supernatural British version of The Boxcar Children. The story is pretty clean other than gore/violence and the supernatural/paranormal aspects. Even for an adult to read it was a good story line and didn't take long to finish. I would recommend this book to readers on the older end of Middle-Grade Fiction and the younger end of Young Adult Fiction who enjoy mysteries, the supernatural/paranormal, murder mysteries and thrillers. Thank you to Black Château and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2020
2.5/5
this is a really short and quick read. but, the cover can be misleading as it doesn’t present itself as a middle grade book which i wasn’t expecting because the cover along with the title does present the novel as more of a horror, which was present in some of the more gore-y and detailed descriptions in the novel.
it overall felt strange? in terms of writing. i guess what i mean is i feel like it sometimes fluctuated being between too old for its intended audience and too young or immature for its intended audience. the humor sometimes felt forced and stiff. and i had to suspend my disbelief for some things even though it was a supernatural novel. i am someone who enjoys middle grade but did not particularly enjoy this one. though maybe i’m not the specific targeted audience.
this is a really short and quick read. but, the cover can be misleading as it doesn’t present itself as a middle grade book which i wasn’t expecting because the cover along with the title does present the novel as more of a horror, which was present in some of the more gore-y and detailed descriptions in the novel.
it overall felt strange? in terms of writing. i guess what i mean is i feel like it sometimes fluctuated being between too old for its intended audience and too young or immature for its intended audience. the humor sometimes felt forced and stiff. and i had to suspend my disbelief for some things even though it was a supernatural novel. i am someone who enjoys middle grade but did not particularly enjoy this one. though maybe i’m not the specific targeted audience.
July 28, 2020
This book was the perfect concoction of creepiness with spookiness mixed in. I'm not usually a big time reader of horror books typically, but thought I'd give this one a chance. And I am so glad that I did. This book didn't leave me afraid to read at night, but it did have me reading with all the lights on when I did read. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a spooky story that won't leave you scared after you finish the last page. The werewolf folklore was so interesting to read about and added the perfect amount of lore to the story. Loved the representation in this book as well! Thank you to net galley and the publishers for providing me an ARC of Monster On The Moors!
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
January 10, 2020
I was rooting for this one, as I love The Moors as a setting--like in An American Werewolf in London--but this was too MG/YA childish for me, not my usual genre. I wouldn't say it sucked--some of the beast attacks were okay--but with the letters in the dream visions and in internal thoughts all run together, plus the horrid eBook formatting, I had a hard time getting through it and taking it seriously.
November 18, 2019
While on vacation to the North York Moors, Bobby Holmes and his friends visiting from the United States find themselves amid another mystery. These characters have worked together before, solving a mystery the previous summer, but Monster on the Moors can easily be read without knowledge of the previous book. This time, they must figure out what creature is killing sheep and people on the moors.
I really enjoyed the setting of this book. I thought it was thoroughly described, and I especially loved the literary references included to Dracula and more indirectly to The Hound of the Baskervilles.
While I enjoyed the setting, I struggled with the dialogue and the timeline. My biggest issue with the dialogue is that it didn’t sound like children talking, and often the children and the adults talked almost exactly the same. Some of the dialogue also sounded more like narration but this wasn’t as frequent. In regards to the timeline, it jumped around a lot from all of the different characters and I think this led to some dropped details and could be confusing to some younger readers.
I think this could be a really fun series for students to read, especially if some of the dialogue is adjusted in future books so students can connect more with the characters.
I really enjoyed the setting of this book. I thought it was thoroughly described, and I especially loved the literary references included to Dracula and more indirectly to The Hound of the Baskervilles.
While I enjoyed the setting, I struggled with the dialogue and the timeline. My biggest issue with the dialogue is that it didn’t sound like children talking, and often the children and the adults talked almost exactly the same. Some of the dialogue also sounded more like narration but this wasn’t as frequent. In regards to the timeline, it jumped around a lot from all of the different characters and I think this led to some dropped details and could be confusing to some younger readers.
I think this could be a really fun series for students to read, especially if some of the dialogue is adjusted in future books so students can connect more with the characters.
September 16, 2019
Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the advanced copy.
Monsters on the Moor features Bobby Holmes, cousin Brenda Watson (hmm, sound familiar?) and friends, all of which get launched into a paranormal mystery.
This was a really neat spin off of your typical Holmes and Watson mystery, and I found myself enjoying it for the most part. It does start off a bit slow, but it picks up and stays there for the rest of the novel.
I have to say I’m big fan of the mythology / paranormal stuff. It’s commonly done that something ‘seems’ paranormal but has a logical explanation- so it was refreshing to have real creepies in this book.
I wouldn’t purchase this novel right away for my library, mostly because we do not own the first one. However, now that I have read Monsters on the Moor I would highly consider looking into acquiring “The Lost Treasure” also by J.M Kelly. The younger grades would definitely enjoy it.
Monsters on the Moor features Bobby Holmes, cousin Brenda Watson (hmm, sound familiar?) and friends, all of which get launched into a paranormal mystery.
This was a really neat spin off of your typical Holmes and Watson mystery, and I found myself enjoying it for the most part. It does start off a bit slow, but it picks up and stays there for the rest of the novel.
I have to say I’m big fan of the mythology / paranormal stuff. It’s commonly done that something ‘seems’ paranormal but has a logical explanation- so it was refreshing to have real creepies in this book.
I wouldn’t purchase this novel right away for my library, mostly because we do not own the first one. However, now that I have read Monsters on the Moor I would highly consider looking into acquiring “The Lost Treasure” also by J.M Kelly. The younger grades would definitely enjoy it.
November 1, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, I could not get into this novel. It's a short one at around 250 pages, but it took me a while to read. This is part of a series. I haven't read the first novel, but the author did a good job of giving you enough backstory where you felt like you weren't missing anything.
There was autism rep in this book, so that was nice to see.
I may have misunderstood, but I thought this was ya. The language used and the conversations felt much more childish than ya. THere were also over-wordy descriptions that were hard for me to get through.
Sadly, I can't say I'll be continuing this series.
Unfortunately, I could not get into this novel. It's a short one at around 250 pages, but it took me a while to read. This is part of a series. I haven't read the first novel, but the author did a good job of giving you enough backstory where you felt like you weren't missing anything.
There was autism rep in this book, so that was nice to see.
I may have misunderstood, but I thought this was ya. The language used and the conversations felt much more childish than ya. THere were also over-wordy descriptions that were hard for me to get through.
Sadly, I can't say I'll be continuing this series.
December 11, 2019
This was a really cute take on Sherlock Holmes for MG readers. I found the mystery/horror aspect of the book to truly be the best thing about it. It was certainly creepy enough that a younger me would have been thrilled and terrified all at once. Unfortunately, the characters were so bland and boring that it took away from the rest of the story. The conversations seemed stilted and unnatural and though I loved the author including Michael, who has Asperger's, and did a great job with him, he didn't utilize him or the rest of the cast enough. And because it focused so much on Bobby, who was perhaps the most boring, it really took away from what could have been a phenomenal MG read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 30, 2019
I loved it! Intriguing and captivating! I love these types of mysteries. Enjoyable and not only for YA's.
December 30, 2019
An entertaining read from start to finish and a great sequel to the first story!
September 28, 2019
Written by J M Kelly, Monster on the Moors follows Bobby Holmes, a take on a young modern day Sherlock Holmes, and in this he is hunting a werewolf.
This is the second novel in this series, and I feel like it was trying to aim for middle grade and just, slightly missed the mark. The plot was interesting, and the descriptions fantastic, but the whole time I wanted them all to be adults going after the mystery.
If you enjoy novels with werewolves in it, give this a try, and if you want to read something with a Sherlock feel to it, this could be a good choice.
This is the second novel in this series, and I feel like it was trying to aim for middle grade and just, slightly missed the mark. The plot was interesting, and the descriptions fantastic, but the whole time I wanted them all to be adults going after the mystery.
If you enjoy novels with werewolves in it, give this a try, and if you want to read something with a Sherlock feel to it, this could be a good choice.
Read
December 3, 2019Monster on the Moors is part of A Bobby Holmes Mystery series by J.M. Kelly and is a young adult mystery thriller that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. A thrilling read full of unexpected twists and turns that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Monster on the Moors is a story that pulls you in and sure to leave you wanting more. A perfect read for anyone who loves a spine chilling thriller. *I received a complimentary copy from RABT Book Tours and the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.*
October 27, 2019
There is nothing better then a good horror novel this time of year. Unfortunately, this one was a disappointment. Far to much exposition and attention to mundane things. It was a chore to read and I found myself wanting something to happen for too long. The story never seemed to get moving, and for horror that is a major flaw. Still, it may appeal to horror fans who are willing to stay with it. I couldn't.
October 28, 2019
I enjoyed this YA mystery with a modern day spin on Sherlock Holmes. It started slowly, but eventually picked up. I was not aware that this was part of a series when I requested it. There is a bit of the backstory, but I still felt somewhat lost throughout, so just a fair warning.
**I received an advanced copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.**
**I received an advanced copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.**
November 17, 2019
Monster on the Moors was an entertaining and engaging read, even if I'm "too old" for the book. I loved the descriptions, the plot was interesting and the characters had depth to them, one of them even had Aspergers (yay for diversity). The only downside is that I felt the paranormal aspect was a bit brushed over and I would have loved to know more about that aspect.
August 1, 2019
The young adult genre keeps pumping out mysteries and thrillers here lately and I am absolutely living for it! This was an all-consuming read and will be perfect for a reading binge, as you won't want to stop once you've started!
November 14, 2019
It was an entertaining and engrossing read that kept me hooked till the end.
i think it's well written and I liked the character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
i think it's well written and I liked the character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
November 16, 2019
I wasn't aware that the book was part of a series when I requested it. It had a slow start and for being a short novel, it really felt uber long because it was so slow. I was expecting something else from this. It really wasn't my cup of tea.
December 20, 2019
I couldn't even finish this. I know it's only an ARC but the formatting of the book made it impossible for me to read. It was all one sentence with no spaces between it and it meant that I couldn't read. Really disappointed. If the formatting is fixed I would happily continue reading
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