Eleven year old John Watson has just moved to a New
York apartment with his military mum to live a stable, civilian life. He misses
his estranged father and life is boring. He meets Shelby Holmes and her dog,
Sir Arthur.
Shelby is a tetchy but sparky little girl that
lives in the same apartment block. She’s highly intelligent, independent and
nosy. She is an unofficial girl detective, highly regarded in the
neighbourhood. Younger than John, and a
loner, her dedicated passion is solving crimes.
Shelby is called in to investigate the
disappearance of Daisy, a show dog owned by the wealthy Lacy family. John, now
called Watson, is allowed to tag along on her jaunts so he can familiarize
himself with the neighbourhood. Watson is eager to make friends but Shelby has
made it clear friendship between them is not an option.
Watson finds himself accompanying Shelby in all her
explorations. His loneliness abates as new thoughts occupy his mind. He begins to
observe and think like a sleuth due to Shelby’s demands. The neighbourhood
becomes less alien.
There are lots of suspects, especially in the Lacy
household. Is it Emerson the dog trainer? Or perhaps Daisy’s owner, Tamra? Even
Tamra’s jealous sister Zareen and her twin brother Zane are suspects!
Can Shelby and Watson crack the case before the dog
show that’s only a few days away? Will solving the case together mean things
will improve between the two sleuths?
In this character driven mystery story about
unusual friendships, we discover that there’s more to children that we see.
They are smart and have hidden talents that if nurtured, can become their
life’s true calling. Themes around strength of character, courage, adapting to
new circumstances, and self confidence weave through a strong simple storyline.
Title:
The Great Shelby Holmes Girl Detective
Author:
Elizabeth Eulberg
Illustrator:
Matt Robertson
Publisher:
Bloomsbury, $14.99
Publication
Date: February 2017
Format:
Paperback
ISBN:
9781408871478
For
ages: 9+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction