No Place Like Holmes

As an avid lover of all things Sherlockian, I was excited to see No Place Like Holmes as one of the choices up for grabs on BookSneeze a few days ago. My excitement was tempered (in fact, you might say that my temper was aroused) by the fact that No Place Like Holmes is only available as an e-book, a great annoyance to someone who doesn’t own an electric reader. I can understand for company costs and things, and for all the people who do have e-readers, why it makes sense to offer books as electronic files, but it would be much more pleasing to us old fuddy-duddies if there was an option.

But that’s just me.

Even if I did have to read it on my computer screen rather than in my hands as a paperback, No Place Like Holmes proved to be every bit the scrumptious read that I had hoped. It’s geared toward a younger audience—say, eight to thirteen or so—but anyone who loves Sherlock Holmes will appreciate young Griffin and his sleuthing abilities, as he cracks the Curious Case of the Kidnapped Clockmaker (to give it a true, Sherlockian name.)

Griffin Sharpe is a young American boy come to spend the summer with his uncle—known only as “Snoops”—in London. On the train, he reads an article about the famed detective Sherlock Holmes and realizes with a shock that the address he’s been given for his uncle is 221 Baker Street! What luck! Griffin is a most observant young fellow and can tell you how many hairs you missed while shaving this morning, or what you had for breakfast, or what sort of dog you have, merely by glancing at your face and coat jacket. So to learn that he is the nephew of such an esteemed sleuth—why, this is luck beyond belief!

Unfortunately, when Griffin arrives, he discovers that things are not as he’d hoped. Rather than 221B, Griffin’s uncle lives at 221A. Rather than the amazing Sherlock Holmes, “Snoops” is better known as Rupert Snodgrass—a detective, yes. But amazing?

Not so much.

He was almost the one to solve the Baskerville case. He almost beat Sherlock to it. But detective work is neither horseshoes nor hand grenades, and Snodgrass has not the time or inclination to bother with a sniveling nephew.

Until the Loch Ness monster—or an impersonator—gobbles up a London watchmaker.

Unwilling at first, but soon seeing the merits of the situation, Snodgrass teams up with his nephew Griffin to solve the case—before Sherlock Holmes.

I really, really liked this book. It features Sherlock without idolizing or transforming him. It focuses on Griffin and his strong faith throughout, as much as it does on solving the mystery—and, it introduces a new villain that will leave all true Sherlock fans biting their nails: Nigel Moriarty, nephew to the great Professor himself.

I highly recommend this book to all budding Sherlockians, as well as old ones just looking for a fun, fresh read. The strong, central message of faith and forgiveness makes this one of the best kids’ books I’ve read in a long time. Thanks, Mr. Lethcoe, for chronicling the life of this Griffin Sharpe—the World’s Most Secret Detective. I’ll be looking for more installments soon!

The Brownie gives No Place Like Holmes a solid five quills.

~The Brownie