Another great entry in an excellent series | The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fourth Case |...

book: The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fourth Case | Shane Peacock

books:


	• The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fourth Case Shane Peacock Tundra Books, 2010 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Best yet in this series

This is the fourth book in Shane Peacock's incredibly rich and wonderful series about Sherlock Holmes as he developed during his youth. The story in this case concerns a "fiend" known as the Spring-Heeled Jack. The Spring-Heeled Jack originated in actual claimed sightings in 1837, and eventually evolved into a kind of bogeyman of cheap Victorian serial tabloid fiction. The case begins after a childhood friend (Beatrice) of Sherlock is attacked by this "fiend". She becomes a new love interest for Sherlock, as something of a foil to Irene Doyle, who of course appears again in this novel.

We see in this novel a further development of the close relationship between Sherlock and his mentor, Bell the apothecary. Indeed, there are fascinating secrets about Bell that are revealed as the story unfolds. But it is Sherlock's continuing nemesis whose development steals the show in this book. I don't wish to include spoilers so let it suffice to say that it becomes very clear by the end of the book the direction in which Peacock is going to take this central figure of the series.

The otherwise wonderful story in the book is blemished by an unfortunate reference to Chaos Theory (in the mathematical sense), which was not formulated until 1961.

While the first three books were relatively tame in this regard, there is sufficient suggested and apparent violence in this fourth book that I would not recommend it for children younger than the target age group (10 and up).

I found this fourth case to be the most interesting and exciting of the books so far. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in what I think is the most exciting series since Harry Potter.

for more information click here

Another great entry in an excellent series

Like the other reviewer, I think this may be the best in the series so far. In this series, Sherlock Holmes is a poor, half-Jewish boy living, more or less, on the streets of London. In earlier books, Holmes' beloved mother has been killed, and Holmes has found a home with an eccentric apothecary. It is from this man that Holmes learns much that will make Holmes into the man we know.
In this story, Holmes finds himself attracted to, and confused by, two very pretty young women - one is poor, like himself, and the other wealthy, and too mature for her age. We learn more about Holmes' nemesis, who calls himself Malefactor, confirming suspicions about this young man's real identity. We also see Holmes' friendship with the young Lestrade growing into a type of mutual respect. Most importantly, we see Holmes going from boy to man.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, as I have others in this series. I look forward to more.

for more information click here

It is 1868, the week that Benjamin Disraeli becomes Prime Minister of the Empire. Sherlock's beautiful but poor admirer, Beatrice, the hatter's daughter, appears at the door late at night. She is terrified, claiming that she and her friend have just been attacked by the Spring Heeled Jack on Westminster Bridge and the fiend has made off with her friend. At first Sherlock thinks Beatrice simply wants his attention, and he is reluctant to go back to detective work. He also believes that the Jack everyone fears is a fictional figure. But soon he is suspicious of various individuals, several of them close friends.

Set at a time when many in England were in a state of fear because a Jew was running the country, Shane Peacock presents a compelling story filled with an atmosphere of paranoia and secrets and surprises played out on late-night London streets. Sherlock gets drawn deeper and deeper into the pursuit of the Spring Heeled Jack, whose attacks grow in number until it seems that there are Jacks everywhere.

The Secret Fiend is the fourth book in Shane Peacock's award-winning Boy Sherlock Holmes series, combining brilliant storytelling with fascinating historical detail and a mystery worthy of one of the greatest sleuths in English literature.

for more information click here