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elizabethpalmer1's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
astudyinliterature's review against another edition
5.0
Yet again another action packed instalment of the young sherlock series!
chefbex's review against another edition
3.0
The hunter becomes the hunted.
And now Sherlocks all alone with only Matty the help him find out what has happened to Amyus and Virginia Crowe he must use everything he has been taught in the power of deduction to unbury the clues that have been left for him and save his friends before it is too late.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one watching Sherlock as he learns to decipher the world around him on his own and as he starts to believe in his one abilities now he has no one to rely on.
And now Sherlocks all alone with only Matty the help him find out what has happened to Amyus and Virginia Crowe he must use everything he has been taught in the power of deduction to unbury the clues that have been left for him and save his friends before it is too late.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one watching Sherlock as he learns to decipher the world around him on his own and as he starts to believe in his one abilities now he has no one to rely on.
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
The housekeeper / blackmailer plot was good and should have taken up the entire book.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comments_01/fire_storm.html
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comments_01/fire_storm.html
skey1952's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
isabelalexander1998's review against another edition
5.0
i thought this was the best one in the whole series! i'm a HUGE sherlock holmes fan anyway and this is one of those books that im glad i paid full price for.
evila_elf's review against another edition
2.0
I still love this character and am thrilled that we get to find out a bit more about Mrs. Eglantine, since we have been teased for the past 3 books about her. However, the writing seems to be slipping a bit.
The story seems to always stop to tell us what Sherlock is thinking. It is distracting. I would much rather NOT be shown how clever he is - as most of the things he observes are not all that exciting, unless relating to a case.
Because of always being told what he sees and observes, I can't fully submerge myself in the story. *I* want to observe these things as well.
A bear? Really? This series has always had some over the top moments, like in the first book and the puppet-guy. But it was written in a way that I could suspend disbelief and believe it was possible. This was just silliness, especially Crowe's involvement.
If this is the end of Eglantine's involvement, I am disappointed. All of that buildup for this? Too easy.
Okay, after all that complaining (sorry) I did enjoy parts of this. The action sequences are always well done and have me holding my breath. I loved Bedlam, the short story in this series, and I think this book just suffers from trying to make it a certain length and cramming in all these story plots rather than developing just a few.
The history is great and I love the author's notes at the end where it is talked about how certain parts of the book came to be.
The story seems to always stop to tell us what Sherlock is thinking. It is distracting. I would much rather NOT be shown how clever he is - as most of the things he observes are not all that exciting, unless relating to a case.
Because of always being told what he sees and observes, I can't fully submerge myself in the story. *I* want to observe these things as well.
A bear? Really? This series has always had some over the top moments, like in the first book and the puppet-guy. But it was written in a way that I could suspend disbelief and believe it was possible. This was just silliness, especially Crowe's involvement.
If this is the end of Eglantine's involvement, I am disappointed. All of that buildup for this? Too easy.
Okay, after all that complaining (sorry) I did enjoy parts of this. The action sequences are always well done and have me holding my breath. I loved Bedlam, the short story in this series, and I think this book just suffers from trying to make it a certain length and cramming in all these story plots rather than developing just a few.
The history is great and I love the author's notes at the end where it is talked about how certain parts of the book came to be.
sunsoar25's review against another edition
4.0
I adore Sherlock Holmes and anything S.H. related, so of course I had to read at least one book from this series. After coming off of [b:Mrs Hudson's Diaries: A View from the Landing at 221b|17141947|Mrs Hudson's Diaries A View from the Landing at 221b|Barry Cryer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356153309s/17141947.jpg|23544957], my expectations weren't all that high, but I did have some hope since this series has been endorsed by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Estate. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the story.
Virginia and her father, fourteen-year-old Sherlock's tutor, have disappeared. Their house is empty and the neighbors claim never to have heard of them. Sherlock begins to doubt his own mind when he discovers a lead that takes him to Scotland. In Scotland waits a web of mystery and deceit that only a mind like Sherlock's can unravel.
I'll admit I was a bit confused starting the series with book four (partly why I gave it four stars), especially since the reader is dropped right into the middle of the action. However, I loved the characters, or at least what I've learned of them from this point, especially Sherlock. Just in the course of this book I could see him begin to develop into the character he becomes, but he is still quite different from the Sherlock we know. Like other reviewers, I agree that the presentation of his character here reminds me a good deal of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl and I like that comparison.
Another reason I knocked the rating down is because it feels fragmented. The opening section with Mrs. Eglantine, his uncle, and Harkness could have been a part of another book and I was actually kind of surprised that there was so much more to come.
Finally, I loved every reference to adult Sherlock's life. If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes in any way, check out this series, but you'll probably want to start with book one just like I plan to do.
Virginia and her father, fourteen-year-old Sherlock's tutor, have disappeared. Their house is empty and the neighbors claim never to have heard of them. Sherlock begins to doubt his own mind when he discovers a lead that takes him to Scotland. In Scotland waits a web of mystery and deceit that only a mind like Sherlock's can unravel.
I'll admit I was a bit confused starting the series with book four (partly why I gave it four stars), especially since the reader is dropped right into the middle of the action. However, I loved the characters, or at least what I've learned of them from this point, especially Sherlock. Just in the course of this book I could see him begin to develop into the character he becomes, but he is still quite different from the Sherlock we know. Like other reviewers, I agree that the presentation of his character here reminds me a good deal of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl and I like that comparison.
Another reason I knocked the rating down is because it feels fragmented. The opening section with Mrs. Eglantine, his uncle, and Harkness could have been a part of another book and I was actually kind of surprised that there was so much more to come.
Finally, I loved every reference to adult Sherlock's life. If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes in any way, check out this series, but you'll probably want to start with book one just like I plan to do.
pers's review against another edition
4.0
It's nice to see Sherlock becoming more proactive in these adventures.
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