Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon

Quick Look

• Popular author Robert J. Harris brings the young Conan Doyle to life
• An ingenious detective story full of twists, turns and shocking reveals set in the amazing world of magic and illusions in nineteeth century Edinburgh
• This exciting new series will appeal to all amateur sleuths

Before the world meets Sherlock Homes, twelve-year-old Artie Conan Doyle has his own mysteries to solve. A giant dragon has been stolen from a world-famous magician. Can Artie discover the culprit of the seemingly impossible theft?

Description

One day Arthur Conan Doyle will create the greatest detective of all -- Sherlock Holmes. But right now Artie Conan Doyle is a twelve-year-old Edinburgh schoolboy with a mystery of his own to solve.

Artie and his friend Ham are hired to investigate a series of suspicious accidents that have befallen world-famous magician, the Great Wizard of the North. It seems someone is determined to sabotage his spectacular new illusion.

When the huge mechanical dragon created for the show vanishes, the theft appears to be completely impossible. Artie must reveal the trick and unmask the villain or face the deadly consequences.

The cards have been dealt, the spell has been cast, and the game is afoot once more!

Robert J. Harris, author of The World's Gone Loki series and Will Shakespeare and the Pirate's Fire, brings the young Conan Doyle to life in the second book of this ingenious new detective series.

Reviews

'I found the mystery well put together and the settings atmospheric. I especially enjoyed the vividness of the world. The author clearly did his research on the period... [A] well-paced read that gave me a bit of nostalgia for the crime novels of my youth as well as hope for the continued availability of quality Sherlockiana that provides a fun introduction to Holmes's world for youngsters.'
-- Sherlock Holmes Journal

'For parents out there who are avid Sherlock Holmes fans, this book offers a way for the magic to live on.'
-- Scottish Field

'[A] fantastic detective series. Riffing on Sherlock Holmes adventures, with tons of awesome cameos and supporting characters, it's a mystery par excellence.'
-- Read It Daddy, book blogger

'...the stories are a clever mix of puzzle, conspiracy and history -- late Victorian Edinburgh is brought to vivid life. Satisfying adventure stories in their own right, with a good helping of humour to ease and then emphasise the tension, these are also excellent introductions to the works of the great man himself.'
-- Lovereading4kids

'... A book that is ideal for younger readers... It's easy to read as well as entertaining, keeping the reader interested... I've really enjoyed reading the first two books in the series, and I'm excited to see where the next adventure for Artie and Ham will take them.'
-- Much Loved Books, book blogger

'It is a brilliant and well-imagined story that will leave you feeling very satisfied as the adventure unravels... This is a great book for the reluctant reader as it is easy to follow, packed with great imagination and no unnecessary dialogue.'
-- Mr Ripley, book blogger

'The colourful range of suspects provided plenty of entertainment, and provided a feeling akin to that of a classic mystery such as Enid Blyton's Five Find-Outers. The culprit and their reason for commiting the crime came as a complete shock, yet still made sense, and overall I had a lot of fun with this and will pick up the next book. 4/5'
-- Golden Books Girl, book blogger

Praise for Artie Conan Doyle and The Gravediggers' Club:

'The ingenious plot is rich enough to keep you guessing until the very end. A great series to snatch the attention of reluctant readers away from screens and get them reading.'
-- Carousel

'A hugely enjoyable crime mystery which this huge Holmes fan absolutely loved.'
-- Lara Mieduniecki, Blackwell's

'I LOVED IT! A perfect combination of a classic mystery and a new adventure.'
-- Sharleen Creasey, Seven Stories

'As soon as you turn the page, you find yourself instantly transported back to 19th century Edinburgh . . . A very enjoyable detective story consisting of some brilliant dialogue. It has a fantastic ending which makes a good impression for the rest of the series. '
-- Mr Ripley

'This is a clever and creative imagining of Arthur Conan Doyle as a middle school kid detective with his sidekick, Hamilton . . . I am reminded a bit of old school Enid Blyton and Franklin Dixon series novels.'
-- GoodReads

'An entertaining story'.
-- The Sherlock Holmes Journal

'A 19th century crime story, which weaves historical detail and interest into its plot to create a fast-moving and well-written novel'
-- School Library Association

'These were a lot of fun and very much in the vein of a couple of other series I have read recently -- Robin Steven's Murder Most Unladylike and Chris Priestly's Maudlin Towers. It also reminds me of series such as Nancy Drew, The Famous Five and The Secret Seven that I read when much younger... I would highly recommend this to the target age group.'
-- Kirstyes, book blogger.

'This story is well told with very likable and believable characters and a mystery that just doesn’t seem to be able to be solved. Give this to kids who like mysteries with amateur sleuths and a lot of excitement with a swiftly moving plot.'
-- Youth Services Book Review

Author

Robert J. Harris was born in Dundee and now lives in St Andrews with his wife, sons and his dog. He is the author of many children's books, including Will Shakespeare and the Pirate's Fire, Leonardo and the Death Machine and zany Norse-god trilogy The World's Gone Loki!.

You can also visit the author's own website at http://www.harris-authors.com

Links

Discover more of our Scottish children's books on the Discover Kelpies website, where you can search the full Kelpies range, from board books to young teen novels, by age, genre, subject and location.