Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins: Rebel Fire by Andrew Lane
Sherlock Holmes is excited to have his brother Mycroft home for a visit. But when Mycroft pulls Sherlock’s tutor Amyus Crowe aside for a private conversation. Sherlock discovers that Mycroft’s visit wasn’t just to see him. News has come that presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth may be not be dead, but hiding out nearby in England. Despite warnings from both his brother and Crowe, Sherlock decides to investigate. His latest adventure takes him on a wild ride across the ocean to America where Sherlock uncovers a massive conspiracy.
Fourteen-year-old Sherlock still has a lot to learn. But he’s brave and extremely resourceful. Once again, his adventurous spirit gets Sherlock and his friends in all sorts of trouble. With plenty of danger, suspense, and intrigue – this fast-paced thrill ride is less of a whodunit mystery like Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and more of an Indiana Jones-style adventure. I listened to the audio version of the story (thanks to Macmillan Audio), and noticed there was quite a bit more gruesome violence than most young reader novels. I doubt it would be as cringe-worthy just reading a novel, but when narrated by the talented Dan Weyman the action is much more engrossing. Once again, Weyman does an excellent job of capturing the diverse characters and their accents. Though, his female American accent is still a bit muddled. Sherlock Holmes fans will get a kick out of this creative new series with eccentric characters, exciting exploits, and a bit of history blended for an extremely enjoyable story.