No Place Like Holmes {Book Review}


No Place Like Holmes
By Jason Lethcoe
Published by Thomas Nelson
Juvenile Nonfiction / Religious / Christian / Action & Adventure
Price: $9.99

Book Description

"Griffin Sharpe has an uncanny ability to notice everything. Which is a great quality for a future detective, he tells himself.

It looks like his big break is about to happen when he gets the chance to visit his uncle in England for an entire summer. Especially because his uncle lives at 221 Baker Street, the address of the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Griffin arrives at 221 Baker Street, only to discover that Holmes lives in flat 221B and his much less well known, eccentric uncle lives in flat 221A Baker Street! In the midst of his disappointment Griffin stumbles onto a mystery too strange for even the great Sherlock Holmes. It will take Griffin's faith and nose for clues and his uncle's quirky, but surprisingly brilliant inventions to crack the case!"

My initial impression:

A quick glance at the Contents reveals interesting titles and a few special extras like a How Sharpe Are You? section to see how much you remember, Griffin Sharpe Mini-Mysteries, Mrs. Tottingham's Delicious Scone Recipe, and an excerpt from The Future Door, book 2 in the No Place Like Holmes series. This looks like a fun book!

My Review:

I was not disappointed. I like Griffin Sharpe from the beginning. His character is well developed. He is sharp, very clever indeed, honest and very observant. In fact, his observations lend the book fascinating detail and vivid descriptions.

The setting adds to the charm of this book. Lethcoe does a wonderful job of giving the reader a glimpse at what life must have been like in 1903 when "motorcars were rare and pianos tinkled in elegant parlors, when men wore top hats and ladies carried beautiful parasols."

The plot is well crafted and interesting.  The climax even leaves you in suspense and reveals a surprising ending ~ one that is touching and will make you want to read more.

I especially appreciate how Griffin's faith is intertwined in the book. This is not just another book that is merely made to look like a Christian book, we see how Griffin's faith affects not only his life, and his uncle's life, but the world around him. Beautifully done!

Geared towards young readers, it is sure to be a hit. I'm sure my boys will agree. But I can't wait until the next book comes out!  In the mean time, I will enjoy some of Mrs. Tottingham's Delicious Scones... because after reading the book, one can hardly resist not making some to enjoy with some tea!

I review for BookSneeze®

3 comments

  1. I think my son will enjoy this, thanks for the review! I look forward to more!
    Shalom,
    Moira

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm still waiting for my boys to finish it ~ I think I should have let
    them read it first, lol. :D

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