Eye of the Crow

Eye of the Crow. By Shane Peacock. Tundra Books, 2007. 264 pages. Tr. $19.95. ISBN 978-0887768507

Summary: Our story begins with thirteen-year old Sherlock playing hooky on the streets of Victorian London. Naturally solitary, Sherlock prefers his own company, despising his malevolent and stupid classmates, and boring class assignments. News of the horrendous murder interrupts Sherlock’s outdoor reverie, and he watches as a young terrified boy is led to prison. Sherlock is certain that this boy isn’t the culprit, and does some digging to help clear his name. Apprehended at the scene of the crime, Sherlock is incarcerated by the police, who mistakenly believe Sherlock to have played a role in the murder. How is Sherlock to prove his and Mohammad’s innocence, and ensure that the real murderer is punished?

Critical Review: Shane Peacock perfectly captures the nuances of Victorian London, in this award-winning mystery novel. Lovers of historical fiction will especially savor Peackock’s attention to historical detail, through this is, in many respects, a work of fiction. There simply isn’t enough information to authentically satisfy our understanding of Holmes’s tween years, however, this book does a very good job at providing a variety of theories to determine what may have contributed to Holmes’s desire to become a classic writer of detective fiction. This is a novel that tweens will want to read far into the night, and many will be happy to note that there are several more books within the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series when they are finished.

Genre: Mystery

Series: The Boy Sherlock Holmes

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Nominated for CLA Young Adult Book Award, 2008; Arthur Ellis Award, 2008; ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, 2007; Nominated for CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, 2008

Reviews: Voice of Youth Advocates (February 1, 2008); School Library Journal (November 1, 2007); Booklist (November 1, 2007); Quill and Quire (July 1, 2007)

Author Website: http://www.shanepeacock.ca/

Similar Materials: The following books in The Boy Sherlock Holmes Series: Death in the Air; The Vanishing Girl; The Secret Fiend

Subject/Themes: Victorian London; Judaism; Sherlock Holmes; Murder; Friendship 

Character Names: Sherlock Holmes; Malefactor (leader of the gang of street boys); Ratfinch (the fishmonger); Mrs. Rose Holmes (previously Rose Sherrinford and an opera singer); Mr. Wilber Holmes (previously a professor at the University College of London, now releases the birds at the Chrystal Palace); Mohammad Adalji (the young accused man); Irene Doyle (a philanthropist who aids Sherlock in clearing his name).

Brief Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes tackles his first case, in this first book in The Boy Sherlock Holmes series.