[GOODREADS] “Sherlock Holmes, just 13, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition, makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and son Sherlock bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way.
But what wits he has! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused, and in London, they hang boys of thirteen.”
Wow. All I can say is, wow! I read this book in one sitting. This is a superb story, written with an eye for detail that must be expected of any mystery, and especially a Sherlock Holmes mystery.
Shane Peacock takes us into the early life of Sherlock. It is filled with the grit, smut and intense poverty typical of London life during that time.It’s important to note this because it drives the character of a boy who becomes a cultural icon; born with a brilliant mind but unfortunate circumstances. He doesn’t let one detail go, not one plot or word that is not intricately placed and it all leads us through a topsy turvy adventure. Then, there’s a murder. The crows descend; the sparkle in the night; it all means something; it all matters.
KIDS LIT 