Becoming Holmes by Shane Peacock YP FIC PEACOCK

Sherlock Holmes is at a crossroads. At 17 is seems his life may be over before it has begun. He has lost or is losing all the people that tied him to his past, the only chances of love he ever dared imagine for himself, and his future is the darkest mystery he has ever faced.  There is only one thing that can, pull him for the darkness of despair, a case! And it is the case of his young career, the evil mastermind Malefactor has finally tipped his hand.  Now Holmes and Malefactor begin a deadly battle of wits.  If Holmes survives this he may yet seize his destiny as the world’s greatest detective.

This is in many ways a perfect ending to Peacock’s excellent series.  It finally brings Holmes to the position to become THE Sherlock Holmes we know from the original mysteries. It even very cleverly accounts for differences in the original stories and this series in a dramatically satisfying manner.  One of the things that works best about this series is the mix of the very real London of the time (complete with real historical figures) and the classic mystery style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The dark and dreary streets of London are one of the greatest characters in the series.  The greatest triumph is crafting a believable young Holmes and giving his story enough weight that it feels like an important addition to the Holmes legend. Which is why the surprise ending of this book may be a betrayal to fans of Sherlock Holmes.  Peacock has Holmes do something many fans would never accept.  I would say that Doyle’s Sherlock would not have done what Peacock’s Sherlock does, but I think Peacock has built his Holmes in a way that it is believable and works with the original Holmes’ stories too.  Some readers may feel this is cheapening Holmes, but I loved the alternate view of Holmes that Peacock crafted and feel like it is one of the finest Sherlock series besides the original books.  I highly recommend you start this series from the very first book and read until this final chapter.  

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The Secret Fiend by Shane Peacock YP FIC PEACOCK

It is 1868 and Benjamin Disraeli has become the first Jewish Prime Minister of England. Some fear this is a dangerous change that could imperil England, but this fear is soon replaced by terror of a myth come to bloody life. Spring Heel Jack, a purely fictional fiend has leaped into reality attacking two girls, friends of the now age 14 Sherlock Holmes. Beatrice a poor and beautiful admirer of Holmes claims that Jack appeared from the sky stealing away her friend. Holmes is convinced that she has made the story up for attention, but when another family is attacked he is on the case, while avoiding his enemy, the teenage criminal named only Malefactor.

This is the latest and also greatest of Peacock’s excellent Boy Sherlock Holmes series. I reviewed his last book The Vanishing Girl here, and liked it a great deal, the series has an excellent understanding of the Holmes character and does a brilliant job of imagining him as a young person. This volume gets more into the background of Malefactor and makes clearer how he is becoming the man who will be Holmes’ most dangerous nemesis. Peacock does a good job of recreating Victorian England and its class struggles. He has a real knack for writing believable squalor and criminals. All of these were true of Peacock’s previous entries as well, but what makes The Secret Fiend his best so far is how he is able to go deeper into Sherlock’s life than ever before and how well the relationships between Sherlock and his friends and enemies has built. I recommend reading the previous volumes before this book, but you won’t be lost if you just jump into this latest adventure. I’d recommend this to any fan of historical mysteries, especially of Sherlock Holmes. If you enjoy the series, check out the Mary Quinn Mystery series (YP FIC LEE) as well.

Vanishing Girl by Shane Peacock YP FIC PEACOCK

A wealthy girl disappears in the middle of a crowded London street without a single witness to the crime. Sherlock Holmes, age 14, is on the case. Sherlock must race against the clock and his perfidious rival, the young criminal Malefactor, to save the girl and win the acclaim his genius is due. Before the case is over he will have to scour London for clues, brave a haunted house, dodge exotic and deadly creatures, and outwit everyone. The game is afoot!

This is the third book in the series about Sherlock Holmes as a boy. The book does an excellent job catching up readers, so this is a good title to jump into the series. Peacock really has a good take on what Holmes would have been like as a child. Holmes has all the brooding seriousness and arrogant drive for greatness that will define him as an adult. I found him both fascinating and sad. Peacock clearly did his research and brings 19^th century London to life. Class conflicts and prejudices of the time play a role in the story and make the world much realer. All the characters have realistic motivations and seem genuine. The only thing that some readers may not like is the pace of the book. It has some very exciting and tense moments but it also has some places that are slower and more thoughtful. I thought it worked, but some readers may want a faster pace. If you like mystery books or historical fiction I would definitely read this book.