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Overview
Xena and Xander have been looking forward to their vacation in the peaceful country village of Blackslope. But when a huge monster begins to terrorize the town, the young detectives are faced with a mystery that seems impossible to solve.
Sherlock Holmes, Xena and Xander’s famous ancestor, investigated the case of a horrible beast in Blackslope, but that was nearly a hundred years ago. It couldn’t be the same creature after all this time—could it?
Synopsis
Xena and Xander have been looking forward to their vacation in the peaceful country village of Blackslope. But when a huge monster begins to terrorize the town, the young detectives are faced with a mystery that seems impossible to solve.
Sherlock Holmes, Xena and Xander’s famous ancestor, investigated the case of a horrible beast in Blackslope, but that was nearly a hundred years ago. It couldn’t be the same creature after all this time—could it?
Children's Literature
This second book in a series based on the unsolved cases of Sherlock Holmes is set in a peaceful English village. The great-grandchildren of the famous detective are spending a holiday in the country away from the bustling city during a year in which their father has taken an assignment in London. Xena Holmes, the older of the two siblings, is adventuresome and physically strong. Her younger brother Xander has a photographic memory which comes in handy when investigating cases, but he also has a phobia about wild animals. This makes him none too eager to explore in the woods and try to try track down the mysterious howling that they hear. Both are expert at playing The Game in which, just like their great-grandfather, they use very careful observation of details to make skilled deductions. When it seems that a monster has come back to terrorize the town after a hundred years, the two young detectives set to work. Fast pacing, interesting characters and setting, and the satisfaction of solving a mystery will help make up to readers for what they may find to be a somewhat disappointing ending. Part of "The Sherlock Files" series. Reviewer: Phyllis J. Perry
Editorials
Children's Literature -
This second book in a series based on the unsolved cases of Sherlock Holmes is set in a peaceful English village. The great-grandchildren of the famous detective are spending a holiday in the country away from the bustling city during a year in which their father has taken an assignment in London. Xena Holmes, the older of the two siblings, is adventuresome and physically strong. Her younger brother Xander has a photographic memory which comes in handy when investigating cases, but he also has a phobia about wild animals. This makes him none too eager to explore in the woods and try to try track down the mysterious howling that they hear. Both are expert at playing The Game in which, just like their great-grandfather, they use very careful observation of details to make skilled deductions. When it seems that a monster has come back to terrorize the town after a hundred years, the two young detectives set to work. Fast pacing, interesting characters and setting, and the satisfaction of solving a mystery will help make up to readers for what they may find to be a somewhat disappointing ending. Part of "The Sherlock Files" series. Reviewer: Phyllis J. PerrySchool Library Journal
Gr 4-6
While vacationing with their parents in an English village, supersleuth siblings Xena and Xander, who are descendants of Sherlock Holmes, plunge into an old mystery about a local terrorizing beast. Sketches and comments from Holmes's own cold-case notebook, when he investigated the case nearly 100 years earlier, together with "strange howls" in the night and sightings of a shaggy beast lurking in the nearby woods propel the youngsters to search for more clues. Exploring the forest, they slide into several exciting and suspenseful adventures. Barrett throws in enough red herrings as well as solid clues to keep ardent fans of the genre turning the pages until the surprise denouement. She plants the siblings' two new friends, Trevor and Ian, in key scenes at just the right moments to allow for the possibility of either boy being culpable in part of the mystery. Xena's methodical and calm rationality balances with Xander's intuitive imaginativeness so that they complement one another. Fans of Ron Roy's popular "A to Z Mysteries" series (Random) will delight in graduating to this series.-James K. Irwin, Sandy Library, UT