Sherlock Bones and the Case of the Crown Jewels (Adventures of Sherlock Bones #1)

More than one game is afoot in this puzzle-filled, series-opening ode to Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective, starring astute canine Sherlock Bones and his feline accomplice, Dr. Jane Catson. Together, the animalian pair follow clues—or at least, the ones not inadvertently demolished by police chief Inspector Bloodhound’s rambunctious pups—to uncover the culprit behind the queen’s stolen crown jewels, recently pilfered from Buckingham Kennel. When the mystery of the missing gems unexpectedly intersects with an enigmatic glowing phantom terrorizing London’s sewers, Bones and Catson endeavor to solve the cases, leading to fraught encounters with suspects that include a carrot-selling rabbit and an imperious poodle. Thirty puzzles, mazes, and games—illustrated with careful attention to detail by Bigwood (the Buster Practice Workbooks series) and sprinkled with droll visual puns—are featured throughout, providing readers with opportunities to assist in the investigations. Holmes’s canine counterpart may chew meditatively on a bone rather than a briarwood pipe, but Collins (the Zero to Hero series) remains largely faithful to the source material’s spirit, serving up an energetic introduction to classic literary characters via a cunning, fur-raising adventure. Ages 7–9. (Feb.)