An excellent abridged version of the classic Sherlock Holmes novella The Hound of the Baskervilles, that captures the narrative and spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work brilliantly. The Hound of the Baskervilles is perhaps the most iconic mystery story in English literature, and certainly my own all-time favourite. When a combination of odd things -- the strange legend of a terrifying, luminous, gigantic hound, a bizarre note of warning, the theft of his boots from his hotel room, etc. -- threatens the well-being of Sir Henry Baskerville, the owner and resident of the great Baskerville Hall in Dartmoor, Sherlock Holmes sends Dr Watson to keep an eye on things and find out as much as he can. Watson keeps Sir Henry company, and meets the servants and neighbours around Baskerville Hall, discovering strange occurrences and behaviours among them until he is reunited with Holmes in an even stranger way. Together, they must get to the bottom of the strange occurrences before Sir Henry's life is in danger!

Although The Hound of the Baskervilles is much longer than the short stories, this book does an admirable job of condensing the gist of the novella. Of course readers will miss out on the slow building of suspense and many details which enrich the plot, but that is to be expected of any abridged edition. This book includes cartoonish illustrations that capture the main plot points nicely and will be sure to an extra layer of entertainment for young readers as they follow Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in unravelling the dark secrets lurking around Baskerville Hall. This will be an excellent introduction for kids to Conan Doyle's classic stories, and will hopefully inspire them to read the originals as well! I will certainly be recommending this series to my younger mystery-loving students as the natural next step from the Famous Five and Secret Seven books!

In this installment of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, they work on saving a family from their curse of Hound attacks. The illustrations were really cute and will keep kids interested in the story. This is perfect for young readers who are looking for a thrilling mystery to keep their minds busy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.