The Beast of Blackslope

June 1, 2009
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"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2009
Is the Sasquatch-like creature from Sherlock Holmes's unsolved case notes roaming around the English countryside again, a century later? The famous detective's great-great-great-grandchildren, Xena and Xander, are determined to find out (even if Xander is afraid of wild animals). Multiple suspects and red herrings keep mystery fans engrossed, though the anticlimactic solution proposed for Sherlock's original case may disappoint readers.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)