Death Cloud
Encyclopedia
Young Sherlock Holmes: Death Cloud is the first novel in the Young Sherlock Holmes series
that depicts Arthur Conan Doyle
's detective Sherlock Holmes
as a teenager in the 1860s. It was written by Andy Lane
and released in the UK
on June 4, 2010 by Macmillan Books.
After a few days of holidays Sherlock discovers that his brother Mycroft has hired him an unusual American tutor named Amyus Crowe. During their first lesson together Sherlock finds a dead body on the Holmes' estate and witnesses the same death cloud surrounding the body that Matty had previously seen. He detects a yellow powery substance around the body and takes a sample of it.
With Matty's help he tracks down a warehouse which has links to one of the deceased, and is almost trapped in the warehouse when the villains set it alight. Holmes escapes the building, and determines that he must travel to Guildford and locate an expert in exotic diseases who might help identify the yellow substance. He, therefore, sets out with Matty on his barge to Guildford, and although they are attacked along the way by the villains, they nevertheless make it to his destination and discovers that the yellow substance is bee pollen. On returning home he visits his tutor's home, where he meets Crowe's daughter Virginia.
A few days later Sherlock is lured to a fair, where he is forced to participate in a boxing match, from which he is kidnapped and interrogated by the unseen Baron Maupertuis until he is rescued by Matty, and the pair go to his tutor's home. Knowing that the Baron has left his headquarters, Sherlock, Matty, Crowe and Virgina determine to follow and locate the Baron.
They discover that the Baron is shipping a weapon from a London wharf, and after a series of chases, Sherlock and Virgina are kidnapped to France by the Baron, and further interrogated. The pair escape and meet up with Crowe and Matty and set out to stop the Baron from trying to destroy the British Empire.
his locomotion is achieved in a very unique way.
's bestselling Young Bond
series, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle authorised a series of books detailing the life of the teenage Sherlock Holmes. When the series was first in development, the title of Death Cloud was initially to be called either The Colossal Schemes of Baron Maupertuis or Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow of the Marionette. The Colossal Schemes of Baron Maupertuis is an adventure mentioned in The Adventure of the Reigate Squire
(known as The Adventure of the Reigate Puzzle in America). Maupertuis had already appeared as a character in Lane's Doctor Who
/ Sherlock Holmes crossover
novel, All-Consuming Fire
.
One of Andy Lane's key aims is to explain some of the complexities of Holmes' character, who is scientific and analytical on the one hand, and artistic and moody on the other. Two new characters introduced in this series, his two tutors, Amyus Crowe and Rufus Stone, will help shed light on the formation of the two sides of his character evident in later life.
The title could be a nod to the Conan Doyle Professor Challenger novella The Poison Belt
.
gave Death Cloud a positive review stating:
Graham Moore, author of The Sherlockian, reviewed Death Cloud for The New York Times
and stated:
) was released on 5 November 2010, and features Sherlock accompanying his tutor Amyus Crowe to America
Further titles in the series may include;
Young Sherlock Holmes (books)
Young Sherlock Holmes is a series of young adult Thriller novels by Andy Lane featuring Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes as a teenager in the 1860s-Books in the series:...
that depicts Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's detective Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
as a teenager in the 1860s. It was written by Andy Lane
Andy Lane
Andrew Lane , who also writes as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist. He has written a number of spin-off novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Finish based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who , as well as assorted non fiction books based...
and released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on June 4, 2010 by Macmillan Books.
Plot summary
Sherlock Holmes is sent to live with his unknown aunt and uncle in Holmes Manor in Hampshire over his school holidays when his father is unexpectedly sent overseas with the British Army. He cannot go home as his mother is unwell, and cannot go to London as his older brother Mycroft is busy working for the government. Wandering around the estate and the surrounding countryside he soon befriends a boy his own age named Matty Arnatt (who has witnessed an unusual death involving a cloud of death).After a few days of holidays Sherlock discovers that his brother Mycroft has hired him an unusual American tutor named Amyus Crowe. During their first lesson together Sherlock finds a dead body on the Holmes' estate and witnesses the same death cloud surrounding the body that Matty had previously seen. He detects a yellow powery substance around the body and takes a sample of it.
With Matty's help he tracks down a warehouse which has links to one of the deceased, and is almost trapped in the warehouse when the villains set it alight. Holmes escapes the building, and determines that he must travel to Guildford and locate an expert in exotic diseases who might help identify the yellow substance. He, therefore, sets out with Matty on his barge to Guildford, and although they are attacked along the way by the villains, they nevertheless make it to his destination and discovers that the yellow substance is bee pollen. On returning home he visits his tutor's home, where he meets Crowe's daughter Virginia.
A few days later Sherlock is lured to a fair, where he is forced to participate in a boxing match, from which he is kidnapped and interrogated by the unseen Baron Maupertuis until he is rescued by Matty, and the pair go to his tutor's home. Knowing that the Baron has left his headquarters, Sherlock, Matty, Crowe and Virgina determine to follow and locate the Baron.
They discover that the Baron is shipping a weapon from a London wharf, and after a series of chases, Sherlock and Virgina are kidnapped to France by the Baron, and further interrogated. The pair escape and meet up with Crowe and Matty and set out to stop the Baron from trying to destroy the British Empire.
Sherlock Holmes
A brilliant 14 year old who is a loner but longs for friendship. He is attending Deepdene School for Boys (boarding school) and because of his father's sudden orders to ship off to India, his is required to stay with his aunt and uncle in Farnham. When he starts his holiday, he is a naive young man, but through the series of events that occur in the book Holmes matures and is changed profoundly, he has faced death, found love and defeated evil. In terms of his relationships, he idolises his older brother Mycroft, he likes Matty, has developed feelings for Virginia, and is intrigued by Crowe.Mycroft Holmes
Sherlock's older brother, works in London, and over the course of the book it becomes obvious that he is an extremely powerful individual in espionage circles.Matty Arnatt
He has no mother or father and lives by his wits, finding or stealing food where he can and travelling along the English canals in his barge. He is fascinated by Sherlock and a true friendship ended up being formed.Amyus Crowe
An American hunter and tracker who is a highly unusual tutor preferring to focus on practical learning. He is described as a large man with white hair and a large beard. He is doing uncover work in Britain tracking down American Civil War criminals.Virginia Crowe
Amyus Crowe's daughter, unhappy with England because of a negative experience she and her father experienced on the way to the United Kingdom, is a free-spirited, outspoken girl. She is described to be a red-haired lass with violet eyes, tanned skin, and freckles.Is a excellent horseback rider.Mrs. Eglantine
Mrs. Eglantine is the housekeeper of Holmes Manor, she is slightly sinister and does not welcome new guests. Mycroft Holmes told Sherlock in a letter, that she is "no friend to the Holmes family".Baron Maupertuis
The Baron is the mastermind behind the mystery of the Death Cloud, and because of serious injuries sustained by him at the Charge of the Light BrigadeCharge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
his locomotion is achieved in a very unique way.
Background
Based on the success of Charlie HigsonCharlie Higson
Charles Murray Higson , more commonly known as Charlie Higson - also Switch - is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer...
's bestselling Young Bond
Young Bond
Young Bond is a series of five young adult spy novels by Charlie Higson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond as a young teenage boy attending school at Eton College in the 1930s...
series, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle authorised a series of books detailing the life of the teenage Sherlock Holmes. When the series was first in development, the title of Death Cloud was initially to be called either The Colossal Schemes of Baron Maupertuis or Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow of the Marionette. The Colossal Schemes of Baron Maupertuis is an adventure mentioned in The Adventure of the Reigate Squire
The Adventure of the Reigate Squire
"The Adventure of the Reigate Squire", also known as "The Adventure of the Reigate Squires" and "The Adventure of the Reigate Puzzle", was one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of...
(known as The Adventure of the Reigate Puzzle in America). Maupertuis had already appeared as a character in Lane's Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
/ Sherlock Holmes crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
novel, All-Consuming Fire
All-Consuming Fire
All-Consuming Fire is an original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel is a crossover with Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes featuring the characters of both Holmes and Doctor Watson, and also...
.
One of Andy Lane's key aims is to explain some of the complexities of Holmes' character, who is scientific and analytical on the one hand, and artistic and moody on the other. Two new characters introduced in this series, his two tutors, Amyus Crowe and Rufus Stone, will help shed light on the formation of the two sides of his character evident in later life.
The title could be a nod to the Conan Doyle Professor Challenger novella The Poison Belt
The Poison Belt
The Poison Belt was the second story, a novella, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Professor Challenger. Written in 1913, roughly a year before the outbreak of World War I, much of it takes place—rather oddly, given that it follows The Lost World, a story set in the jungle—in a room in...
.
Reception
Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
gave Death Cloud a positive review stating:
Graham Moore, author of The Sherlockian, reviewed Death Cloud for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and stated:
Sequels
A sequel Red Leech (which was mentioned in The Adventure of the Golden Pince-NezThe Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez
"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes.-Synopsis:...
) was released on 5 November 2010, and features Sherlock accompanying his tutor Amyus Crowe to America
Further titles in the series may include;
- The Giant Rat of Sumatra (mentioned in The Adventure of the Sussex VampireThe Adventure of the Sussex Vampire"The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short-stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.- Plot summary :...
) - The Remarkable Worm Unknown to Science (mentioned in The Problem of Thor BridgeThe Problem of Thor Bridge"The Problem of Thor Bridge" is a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle, which appears in the collection The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes...
) - Colonel Warburton’s Madness (mentioned in The Adventure of the Engineer's ThumbThe Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb"The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb", one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the ninth of the twelve stories collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The story was first published in Strand Magazine in March 1892.-Synopsis:In his...
) - The Segregation of the Queen (mentioned in His Last BowHis Last Bow (story)"His Last Bow" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and one of seven collected in the anthology His Last Bow. Unlike most other Holmes stories which are written from the point of view of Dr...
, but also the sub-title of Laurie R. KingLaurie R. KingLaurie R. King is an American author best known for her detective fiction. Among her books are the Mary Russell series of historical mysteries, featuring Sherlock Holmes as her mentor and later partner, and a series featuring Kate Martinelli, a fictional lesbian San Francisco, California, police...
's first Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell book, The Beekeeper's ApprenticeThe Beekeeper's ApprenticeThe Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first book in the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. It was nominated for the Agatha best novel award and was deemed a Notable Young Adult book by the American Library Association....
: Or On the Segregation of the Queen)