Review: Death Cloud - Andrew Lane

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 2.5 stars (Not a fan of the Bieber kid. I like the new covers better.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Page Count: 311 p.
Buy it: Book Depository | Indie | Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Sherlock Holmes has just been told that he will be staying with his aunt and uncle (both of whom he's never met) during his summer break from school. He is not looking forward to this arrangement, but unfortunately it is all that can be done given the current circumstances. After arriving and surviving his first encounter with the cruel housekeeper, Sherlock learns that on top of the living arrangements, he also must have a tutor for the summer. This is unfortunate, as he has just made a friend and stumbled upon a mystery. The tutor, Amyus Crowe, is a good man though and might even help Sherlock in more ways than just schooling. This may prove to be a far more exciting summer than going home would have been.

What an adventure. From the very first page I was drawn in to this tale. I'm a fan of Sherlock and this novel was wonderful. It kept plenty of things mysterious while you were racing Sherlock and Amyus to discover how all the pieces fit.

All the characters were pretty perfect too. I quite enjoyed Matty and his big personality. He was a really fun character and a great side-kick to Sherlock in the pre-Watson adventures. It was interesting to see Sherlock just starting off solving crimes. His mind is sharp, but he hasn't learned all his tricks yet. Amyus is a mysterious fellow and I very much look forward to finding out more about him soon.

As soon as I finished this one I wanted to read the next, alas it is not at my library currently, but soon! If you are a fan of mysteries or Sherlock in any capacity, I beg you to check this one out. It was such a great and exciting story and you will not regret it at all. I think boys and girls will find plenty that please them in this novel. You may want to make sure you have all the ones that are published first though, that way you can dive into the next one when you've finished.

First Line:
"The first time Matthew Arnatt saw the cloud of death, it was floating out of a first-floor window of a house near where he was living."

Favorite Line:
"Virginia placed a warning hand over his, but Sherlock felt a blossoming pride at the investigations he had made, the facts he had discovered, the plot that he was beginning to put together."