Book info

• Title
• Author Andy Lane
• Year
• Genres

Thoughts

Having completed the full works of Sherlock earlier this year, I was intrigued by this prequel idea - so little is known about Sherlock’s life prior to the books, Conan Doyle doesn’t give very much away. You have to take a leap of faith and accept that these have been sanctioned by the Doyle estate, because it’s essentially creating a whole new backstory for literature’s most famous detective.

As stories go, it was interesting enough. It seemed there was a little bit more in the way of graphic fighting than you might find in the original Sherlock’s, but I know it is designed to capture the attention of young readers, and is an adventure story rather than a crime puzzle. It was a good read, and had some good characters, but the attention, quite rightly, remained with Sherlock.

I found it a bit hard to reconcile the two Sherlocks in my head ‚Äì the books, and particularly the series with Benedict Cumberbatch, idolise him to the extent where he seems almost infallible. Here, as a young boy, Sherlock has everything to learn and is only just beginning to see the sense in thinking logically and working out problems in his unique style. He even has a tutor that tells him a thing or two. It’s interesting, and very well done, but I just find it difficult to imagine Sherlock not being the know-it-all he is later.

Rating: Unrated