The Scroll of the Dead
by David Stuart Davies
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Titan Books
ISBN-10: 1-848-56493-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-848-56493-0
Publication Date: November, 2009
List Price: $9.95
Review: Sherlock Holmes is back in a completely new series of adventures! In this thrilling book, The Scroll of the Dead, he finds out that Sebastian Melmoth is on the verge of finding the key to immortality, Setaph’s Scroll of the dead. Can Holmes and Watson stop Melmoth before it is too late? Join Holmes and Watson in this fast paced adventure written by David Stuart Davies.
When Sherlock Holmes is called to investigate a murder at the Egyptian Museum, it is the start of a high-speed, mysterious case. He first tries to track down Sebastian Melmoth, but soon hears that he is dead. However, he knows it is not true. As he races against time to find the scroll of the dead, he finds many clues and other mysteries. When he reaches the Elms he finds the Scroll of the dead but so has Sebastian Melmoth. What will happen next? Well, read The Scroll of the Dead.
I think this is a fantastic book that Sherlock Holmes fans will devour! I would say it is for everyone, though it is a little confusing with all of the immense words, but that is part of the book’s charm. There are some scary scenes in this book, and there is a lot of violence weaved in the book. I would highly recommend it for kids in fourth grade all the way up. I think it is a truly well-written book that takes a lot of talent to write. I liked how it includes some Egyptian history with all of the vases that Holmes and Watson find. I also liked the beginning where it tells about the ancient scroll of the dead. Plus, the ending was great because it left me wanting more of the action and the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I even think this book is worthy of a Newberry award because even though it doesn’t teach a lesson, it describes the themes and settings thoroughly and shows a lot of the characters talents and abilities. I think everyone should have a chance to read this wonderful book because it is so great.
Review written by Sheila (6th grade student).
We would like to thank Titan Books for providing a copy of The Scroll of the Dead for this review.
Have you read The Scroll of the Dead? How would you rate it?
I really enjoy Sherlock Holmes pastiches, especially those that are done well and are faithful to the originals by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are many to select from, so it's nice to read from your review that this is a good one to choose.
ReplyDeleteActually, David Stuart Davies Scroll of the Dead was published first in 1998 by Calabash Press (ISBN 1-899562-47-8 paperback). Titan apparently is reprinting them in a series "New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." The Calabash books are out of print.
ReplyDeleteThat said, Davies is a world recognized authority on the original 60 Sherlock Holmes stories. His own Holmes stories(called "pastiches") are widely regarded as among the very best.
For more on Davies and his stories, see at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stuart_Davies