Tag: Sherlock Holmes

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Case of the Missing Marquess

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

First line: The only light struggles from the few gas street-lamps that remain unbroken, and from pots of fire suspended above the cobblestones, tended by old men selling boiled sea snails outside the public houses.

Summary: Enola Holmes, the younger sister of famed detective Sherlock Holmes, has lived her life on the family estate with only her mother as a companion. However, on her 14th birthday her mother mysteriously disappears leaving Enola to wonder what has happened to her. Using the clues left by her mother, she eludes her brother’s plans and escapes to London in search of her.

Along the way, she becomes embroiled in the case of the missing marquess and the dastardly villains who have abducted him. As she tries to rescue the young noble, she must also evade her older brother while also continuing her search for her mother. All in a day’s work it seems for a youngest Holmes sibling.

My Thoughts: A month or two ago I watched the Enola Holmes movies on Netflix. I enjoyed the star-studded cast including Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham-Carter. Then recently I was looking for something short and lighter to listen to when I stumbled upon this. It felt like a perfect fit for my interest level at the time.

Having watched and read many Sherlock Holmes iterations, so I knew the feel of the Holmes-esque character. I liked both versions, movie and book, of Enola Holmes. She is smart, determined and resourceful as she tries to solve the mysteries before her. I loved how it introduces younger readers to clues and symbols in the art of detecting. For instance, Enola and her mother use the language of flowers to communicate in code. I can see this easily being a gateway into the more involved stories of Sherlock Holmes and other detective fiction.

Overall, it was an enjoyable listen. I may one day listen to more books in the series and see how they compare to the other movies. I would recommend this for teens looking for an engaging mystery series without too much violence or bad language.

What’s Ashley Reading?: Basil of Baker Street

Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus

First line: The mystery of the missing twins could never have been solved by an ordinary detective.

Summary: Living in the cellar of 221B Baker Street is the legendary mouse detective, Basil. He and his companion, both admirers of the famous Sherlock Holmes, spend their time solving mysteries in the mouse world. When two young mice twins disappear it is Basil that the community turns to. As he searches for clues he discovers that it is none other than the Terrible Three. With his faithful companion by his side the travel to the English shore to find and return the missing twins.

My Thoughts: Summer reading at the library started this week! It is always a busy and fun time here at the library. To start off the summer I picked a children’s book for my review.

This is the first story in The Great Mouse Detective series by Eve Titus. It was the inspiration for the movie of the same name by Disney. And also happens to be one of my favorite Disney movies. It was a cute story and lots of fun for young readers. It will definitely be a gateway for kids into the world of Sherlock Holmes. I liked that the book had illustrations. The author even gives a list of characters at the beginning of the book. I think this will appeal to younger readers. I would definitely recommend this to young patrons looking for a good and clean mystery.

FYI: Originally written in 1958.

*This is my pick for category #4 (A speed read (less than 100 pages)) for the ReadICT challenge.*

Book Review: The Book Jumper

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser

First Line: Will ran.

Summary: Amy and her mother, Alexis, decide to make a trip to Scotland to their family estate on an island called Stormsay.  When they arrive at the ancestral home and she finally meets her mother’s family she learns a secret that will take her love of reading to a whole new level.  The two families that live on the island are able to jump into books and interact with the characters and story. Their mission in life is to protect the stories and keep them running smoothly.  On her first day of lessons as a book jumper she enters the world of The Jungle Book but as the days pass things in the literary world start falling apart. It appears that someone is stealing ideas from stories!

Highlights: Once again the cover caught my attention. But the idea that someone could jump into a story and live along with the characters is a dream come true.  What story would I jump into?  The possibilities are endless. The little twists were fun and kept you wondering.  The other stories were chosen well with a variety of different themes.

Lowlights: Spoilers. Several of the books that are mentioned I have not read but the plot gives away the endings to many of them.  It made sense for the story and it isn’t a major problem but it was a little frustrating.

FYI: This story was originally published in German.

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