Death Cloud

Death Cloud
By Andy Lane
Farrar Straus Giroux, 311 pgs. 2011. Young Adult

To his chagrin, fourteen year old Sherlock Holmes is sent to live with his aunt and uncle at Holmes Manor in Farnham for the summer. Things brighten up, though, when his new unconventional tutor, Amyus Crow, who has a set of his keen observations skills, arrives. While Sherlock and Amyus are out on a walk, they encounter a body that appears to have suffered from the plague, but further investigations prove things are not as they seem. With the help of his friends Matty, a street urchin, and Virginia, Amyus’ daughter, they start to unravel a mystery that puts their lives at risk.

The only flaw I found was the encounter with the over the top villain at the end of the book. With that being said, it did not distract from my enjoyment of the book. There is lots of action to capture any reluctant reader, especially those who enjoy Charles Higson’s Young James Bonds series.

KK