Peacock, Shane. Becoming Holmes. (The Boy Sherlock series) Tundra Books 245p $21.99 978-1-77049-232-5 2012 ms/jr E-BN Mystery/Detective
It is 1870, around the time of Charles Dickens’ death. As all of London mourns his passing, Sherlock Holmes embarks upon his last mission, in which he faces his nemesis, Malefactor and his henchmen (Crew and
Grimsby). Sherlock is nearly seventeen in this concluding escapade in the Boy Sherlock
series. He senses that he is rapidly becoming depressed since his father’s death and the developing illness of his mentor, Sigerson
Bell. To recoup a little bit of family he takes off to
visit his brother, Mycroft, who works for the Treasury. While talking to his brother he spots one of his nemesis’ crew walking into the building. Sherlock knows
that Malefactor is up to something because there is no way that Grimsby could
be a banker.
Sherlock shakes off his malaise and starts to investigate the possibilities. Throughout this book there are little slivers of insight into Sherlock’s deductive powers and his ability to read people from their body language. Readers will also get some insight into the conditions that existed in London in the 1870s era. Sherlock’s sense of justice drives him into dangerous and sometimes unscrupulous actions. His mentor assists in many of these actions, but he also acts as Sherlock’s conscience as his own illness progresses.
In the final pages of the book Sherlock finds himself helped by the young Lestrade. Crew is cornered in a crypt with several large very poisonous snakes.
Readers who have followed this series will like the fast pace and spine-tingling twists as the story concludes. But will they wonder who that body was, climbing out of the water?
