The Beast of Blackslope

Gr 4—6—Xena and Xander Holmes, vacationing in the English village of Blackslope, find themselves in the middle of a unsolved mystery in this installment (Clarion, 2010) in the series by Tracy Barrett. The brother and sister are great-great-great grandchildren of the famous Sherlock Holmes and have the detective's cold case notebook. Residents claim to see and hear a beast-like creature during the night, just like they did a hundred years ago. Are the two cases related? The suspects are plentiful because of the potential profit involved. The local bookstore owner wrote a book about the beast that has not sold well and their playmate, Trevor, is trying to earn money for a trip to Australia. Xena and Xander unwittingly stumble upon the perpetrators while following one of their suspects. However, they are still left scratching their heads about Sherlock's case. American and British accents are used by narrator Joseph Allen Nelson, but the reading is a bit flat. Some sound effects could have boosted the level of suspense. The plot is similar to a Scooby Doo mystery, but does not have the same characterization. Nonetheless, children will find this an enjoyable listen.—Lori A. Guenthner, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Baltimore, MD