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A review by sassmistress
Basil of Baker Street, Volume 1 by Eve Titus
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This first one was such a fun read and a great "kid version" of all the things you love most about Sherlock Holmes. Comparing typewriter nuances and coal dust in footprints, surprising the doctor with all the things he noticed and deduced about their brief visitor, etc.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Medical content, and Kidnapping
I took some content notes while I read, for anyone who's searching for specifics. My only personal yellow flag is probably easy to miss and I think the book is great for early elementary on the whole. Spoilers included, sorry!
- Two girls were kidnapped on their way to the sweetshop, their usual stop after school. We find out later they're being pacified with regular sweets while kidnapped.
- They went willingly, though they've been told not to go with strangers. They say at the end of the book they've learned their lesson. "Cross our hearts!"
- The "Terrible Three", the bad guys, involve another mouse in their crimes "by making threats against his family". These are never specified, but he does what they say and is frightened and ashamed.
- The detectives don a disguise and tell untrue backstories about themselves to get gossip out of townsfolk.
- Dr. Dawson stands up in anger when thugs bump their table. Basil whispers to him and he sits back down.
- On their way to the yacht (home base) of the Terrible Three: "'Are you armed?' I patted the revolver in my back pocket." The gun is not mentioned again, as far as I noticed. There are a few quick brawls between the good guys and bad guys.
- Basil lights a pipe.
- The bad guys' crimes are discussed. Generally, robbery.
- The bad guys tie the detectives up and plan to throw them overboard, whenthe police suddenly arrive to arrest them (Basil arranged a signal with them ahead of time).
- Basil promises the blackmailed mouse that he won't turn him into the police if he takes them to the twins. Regardless, the mouse decides he is willing to "face punishment" and "make a new start". We never find out whether he has to face trial, but Basil offers him a job and a home in their town either way.
- The mice have to fight off an owl who tries to carry Dr. Dawson away. The owl is "badly hurt" and incapacitated.
- The young twin girls, knowing Basil and Dr. Dawson, shower them with "wet, sticky kisses".
- ⚠️ Upon finding the twin girls, but before bringing them home, Hawkins (the mouse they didn't know before he was blackmailed by the Terrible Three to keep the girls locked up somewhere for them ) "offered to bathe them. 'I'm quite used to it, sirs, with eight of me own.'"... "Freshly scrubbed and shiny clean, they were two of the prettiest little white mice in all of England!"
- Dr. Dawson steps aside to say a "silent prayer", which he later calls out as having been answered. One mouse calls out "Bless you, Basil--and bless all of you!" Also: "In heaven's name, help me!" and "thank heavens!"
- Two girls were kidnapped on their way to the sweetshop, their usual stop after school. We find out later they're being pacified with regular sweets while kidnapped.
- They went willingly, though they've been told not to go with strangers. They say at the end of the book they've learned their lesson. "Cross our hearts!"
- The "Terrible Three", the bad guys, involve another mouse in their crimes "by making threats against his family". These are never specified, but he does what they say and is frightened and ashamed.
- The detectives don a disguise and tell untrue backstories about themselves to get gossip out of townsfolk.
- Dr. Dawson stands up in anger when thugs bump their table. Basil whispers to him and he sits back down.
- On their way to the yacht (home base) of the Terrible Three: "'Are you armed?' I patted the revolver in my back pocket." The gun is not mentioned again, as far as I noticed. There are a few quick brawls between the good guys and bad guys.
- Basil lights a pipe.
- The bad guys' crimes are discussed. Generally, robbery.
- The bad guys tie the detectives up and plan to throw them overboard, when
- Basil promises the blackmailed mouse that he won't turn him into the police if he takes them to the twins. Regardless, the mouse decides he is willing to "face punishment" and "make a new start". We never find out whether he has to face trial, but Basil offers him a job and a home in their town either way.
- The mice have to fight off
- The young twin girls, knowing Basil and Dr. Dawson, shower them with "wet, sticky kisses".
- ⚠️ Upon
- Dr. Dawson steps aside to say a "silent prayer", which he later calls out as having been answered. One mouse calls out "Bless you, Basil--and bless all of you!" Also: "In heaven's name, help me!" and "thank heavens!"