Most Popular Books by Shane Peacock

Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way. But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen. Shane Peacock has created a boy who bears all the seeds of the character who has mesmerized millions: the relentless eye, the sense of justice, and the complex ego. The boy Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating character who is sure to become a fast favorite with young readers everywhere.

Just when Dylan Maples is settling down after last summer''s trip to Ireland''s Eye, the parental units are at it again—planning another family adventure. Only this time, it''s not a summer vacation, but an extended trip way up north to Cobalt, Ontario, in the middle of a bitter winter. Once a thriving silver mining community, all that''s left of the town''s rich history are the long abandoned mines. A Toronto millionaire has hired Dylan''s dad to retrieve a fortune in silver allegedly stolen from his grandfather back in the early part of the twentieth century. But was the fortune really stolen? And if so, where has it been hidden? The answers to these questions reside with one man—Theobald T. Larocque, Cobalt''s oldest citizen. But no one has seen him in years. And no one seems at all eager to help Dylan''s dad locate him—except, of course, his devoted son Dylan, and Dylan''s newfound friend and accomplice, Wynona Dixon.

Sherlock Holmes and Irene Doyle are as riveted as the rest of the audience. They are celebrating Irene''s sixteenth birthday at the Egyptian Hall as Alistair Hemsworth produces a real and very deadly dragon before their eyes. This single, fantastic illusion elevates the previously unheralded magician to star status, making him the talk of London. He even outshines the Wizard of Nottingham, his rival on and off the stage. Sherlock and Irene rush backstage after the show to meet the great man, only to witness Inspector Lestrade and his son arrest the performer. It seems one-upmanship has not been as satisfying to Hemsworth as the notion of murder. The Wizard is missing; his spectacles and chunks of flesh have been discovered in pools of blood in Hemsworth''s secret workshop. That, plus the fact that Nottingham has stolen Hemsworth''s wife away, speak of foul play and motive. There is no body, but there has certainly been a grisly death. The Lestrades are certain they have their man, but ever-observant Sherlock is not so sure. Night visits to the workshop turn up clues that don''t add up to a closed case. The deeper Holmes digs, the more this mystery becomes an illusion; a deadly game of smoke and mirrors. Before it plays out, the boy will have to consider far more than Hemsworth''s guilt or innocence. He may even come to believe in magic and the existence of dragons.

After the harrowing experience of losing his mother while solving a brutal murder in London’s East End, young Sherlock Holmes commits himself to fighting crime … and is soon involved in another case. While visiting his father at the magnificent Crystal Palace, Sherlock stops to watch a remarkable and dangerous trapeze performance high above, framed by the stunning glass ceiling of the legendary building. Suddenly, the troupe’s star is dropping, screaming and flailing, toward the floor. He lands with a sickening thud just a few feet away, and rolls up almost onto the boy’s boots. Unconscious and bleeding profusely, his body is grotesquely twisted. In the mayhem that follows, Sherlock notices something that no one else sees — something is amiss with the trapeze bar! He knows that foul play is afoot. What he doesn’t know is that his discovery will put him on a frightening, twisted trail that leads to an entire gang of notorious criminals. Wrapped in the fascinating world of Victorian entertainment, its dangerous performances, and London’s dark underworld, Death in the Air raises The Boy Sherlock Holmes to a whole new level. Be sure not to miss Eye of the Crow, The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case.

The pulse-pounding second book in a gripping gothic trilogy, featuring monsters from classic literary tales, secret societies and the fight between good and evil. After vanquishing the terrible creature that stalked the aisles of the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edgar Brim and his unusual crew of friends return to their mentor only to discover that he has been brutally murdered by an unknown assailant. The group go into hiding, Edgar desperate to protect his friends and family from what may be a second horrific creature torn from the pages of literature. Meanwhile, Edgar''s guardian, Alfred Thorne, forces him to pursue a trade, and so Edgar begins working with his uncle, Doctor Vincent Brim, and a renowned vivisectionist, the brilliant yet mysterious Doctor Godwin. The more time Edgar spends in the company of Godwin, the more he begins to wonder about Godwin''s motives. And time is running out for Edgar and his friends. A monstrous creature is chasing them, a beast seemingly impervious to Thorne''s weaponry. Can Edgar Brim once again defy the horrors that pursue him, and protect those dearest to his heart?

It is the summer of 1870 in London, and death seems to be everywhere; at least it feels that way to Sherlock Holmes. Almost seventeen now, he cannot shake the blackness that has descended upon him: he has lost his dear father; his mentor, Sigerson Bell, is growing gravely ill; Irene Doyle, the object of his affections, has left for America; his longtime admirer, Beatrice Leckie, has chosen another suitor; and the death of the great Charles Dickens fills the city with an impending sense of doom. And out there somewhere in that darkness, Sherlock''s great enemy, the villainous Malefactor, is spinning his web of evil, planning who knows what. Only one thing can rouse the young detective from the depths of despair: the possibility of justice. Through information gleaned from his brother, Mycroft, Holmes uncovers a new and terrible plot unleashed by his nemesis. Malefactor has infiltrated the British government, employing his nefarious agents, Grimsby and Crew, to help him begin his ascent to complete control. Prepared to do anything to stop this criminal infestation, Sherlock sets out to destroy his rival and bring down him and his henchmen--once and for all. He soon sets off on a twisting trail of death and desperation that eventually leads him to a legendary, abandoned graveyard in the heart of the city. Everything in the brilliant boy''s life changes as death knocks again.... But in this shocking and spine-tingling conclusion to the series, Sherlock Holmes transforms, becoming the immortal master of criminal detection.

The third and final book in a gripping Gothic YA trilogy, featuring monsters from classic literary tales, secret societies and the fight between good and evil. Having tracked the monstrous Godwin to the Arctic and barely escaped with their lives, Edgar Brim and his friends return to London. Edgar continues his work at London Hospital, now under the tutelage of the Chairman, the affluent and charming Sir Andrew Lawrence. Edgar''s night terrors begin increasing in intensity, and soon the group becomes aware of a new threat: they are being stalked by a new creature, an invisible assailant they are convinced is the Devil himself. In the hope of curing his affliction and combating his fears, Edgar confides in Dr. Berenice, a renowned yet enigmatic alienist who may somehow be involved in the mystery. Yet when the group suffers a fatal attack and a long-dead ally makes an appearance, Edgar begins questioning his own sanity. Can he and his friends truly defeat the most powerful villain imaginable if they can''t even trust their own minds?

One young man’s journey towards understanding his impact on his girlfriend in the context of a culture complacent with the abuse of girls and women. It’s the summer before grade twelve, and sixteen-year-old Noah Greene is in the relationship of a lifetime with his brilliant and book-smart girlfriend, Miranda Owens. But when Miranda overhears his private conversation with another girl, what he says destroys everything they’ve built, shattering Noah’s world. Determined to make amends, Noah sets out to truly understand the harm his words have caused and maybe become worthy enough for Miranda in time for prom. Along the way, he’s been turning his journey into a manuscript called The Book of Us and wants to give it to Miranda to prove to her how far he thinks he’s come. What did Noah say that upset Miranda so much? What will she say when he finally asks her out again? Has he been able to mend the harm he''s caused, or are some things beyond repair?

It is 1868, the week that Benjamin Disraeli becomes Prime Minister of the Empire. Sherlock''s beautiful but poor admirer, Beatrice, the hatter''s daughter, appears at the door late at night. She is terrified, claiming that she and her friend have just been attacked by the Spring Heeled Jack on Westminster Bridge and the fiend has made off with her friend. At first Sherlock thinks Beatrice simply wants his attention, and he is reluctant to go back to detective work. He also believes that the Jack everyone fears is a fictional figure. But soon he is suspicious of various individuals, several of them close friends. Set at a time when many in England were in a state of fear because a Jew was running the country, Shane Peacock presents a compelling story filled with an atmosphere of paranoia and secrets and surprises played out on late-night London streets. Sherlock gets drawn deeper and deeper into the pursuit of the Spring Heeled Jack, whose attacks grow in number until it seems that there are Jacks everywhere. The Secret Fiend is the fourth book in Shane Peacock''s award-winning Boy Sherlock Holmes series, combining brilliant storytelling with fascinating historical detail and a mystery worthy of one of the greatest sleuths in English literature.

The third case in the compelling Boy Sherlock Holmes series is full of as many twists and turns as the backstreets of Victorian London. When a wealthy young girl vanishes as if by magic in Hyde Park, Sherlock is once again driven to prove himself. In a heart-stopping race against time, an innocent boy’s survival depends on Sherlock’s ability to solve the mysterious puzzle of the Vanishing Girl. As complex as the maze that protects the missing girl’s hiding place, this case takes Sherlock racing to the countryside, the coast, and into the lair of a menagerie of exotic, dangerous creatures. Haunted by memories of his shattered family, goaded by his enemies, driven to heal the fragile relationship between him and the beautiful Irene Doyle, Sherlock makes an almost fatal mistake. In the end, his brilliant powers of deduction and the steadfast eccentric Sigerson Bell save the day. Soon, very soon, the world will come to know him as the master detective of all time.

Adam has a good life in Buffalo: great parents, a cute girlfriend, adequate grades. He''s not the best at anything, but he''s not the worst either. He secretly lusts after Vanessa, the hottest girl in school, and when his dead grandfather''s will stipulates that he go on a mission to France, Adam figures he might just have a chance to impress Vanessa and change his life from good to great. When he gets to France, he discovers he has not one but three near-impossible tasks before him. He also discovers a dark and shameful episode from his grandfather''s past, something Adam is supposed to make amends for. But how can he do that when he barely speaks the language and his tasks become more and more dangerous? Despite the odds, Adam finds a way to fulfill his grandfather''s wishes and, in the process, become worthy of bearing his name.

Things aren''t going so well for fifteen-year-old Dylan Maples. He''s sick of his own reflection, his parental units are driving him nuts, and, worst of all, he''s trying to come to terms with the unexpected death of one of his best friends. Now, to top things off, he''s been roped into a family trip to stay with family friends in New Brunswick. After just a few hours in Bathurst, Dylan worries this will turn out to be the most boring vacation ever, but when he meets a local girl, Antonine, and the two of them witness what looks like a burning ship way out on the water, he begins to think that New Brunswick might be more interesting than he thought. As Dylan and Antonine begin to research the famous ghost ship of the Chaleur Bay, they raise more questions than they answer. Does Antonine''s father hold a clue to the mystery? What''s the deal with the local right-wing politician who is on everybody''s minds these days? And what really happened on the water all those years ago?

After Dylan Maples''s terrifying adventure in Alberta, the holiday his "parental units" plan in British Columbia''s Rocky Mountains seems like a dream. Swimming, hiking, and loafing around are welcome distractions from vivid memories of his narrow escape from "The Reptile," the frightening criminal who pursued him and his friends through the badlands. But Dylan soon discovers that he is heading into an area teeming with legends of real-life monsters, among them the sea serpent Ogopogo and the awesome sasquatch. In fact, more mysterious creatures are said to exist in BC than in any other place in the world.... Dylan tries not to take it all too seriously. But when he arrives in the resort town of Harrison Hot Springs and meets his eccentric uncle, Walter Middy, he is pulled right into the heart of the sasquatch mystery. Before you can say "I see a monster!" Dylan, Walter, and their new friend Alice are deep in the wilderness, on the trail of the deadly beast.

When Adam Murphy learns that his late, revered grandfather, David McLean, hid a huge stash of foreign cash and fake passports in the family’s cottage, he is stunned. Was Grandpa really a traitor, as some of the evidence suggests? And why was a loaded Walther PPK pistol hidden at the cottage? Determined to prove his grandfather’s innocence, Adam takes the famous James Bond gun and follows the clues to Bermuda, where he encounters danger, evidence of espionage, and an unusual girl named Angel Dahl. Desperate and on the run with Angel, pursued by a deadly operative, Adam races to other exotic locations, unsure if Angel is friend or foe, or if his grandfather was a hero or a villain. Three clues hold the dark secret of David McLean’s past—the letter W, a glass eye with a golden iris, and the haunting words of someone named Mr. Know. Double You is the sequel to both Separated, part of The Seven Prequels and Last Message, part of Seven (The Series).

While on a trip to Sweden with his grandfather, Adam winds up alone in Stockholm and worried that he is being followed.

A TRAGIC DOUBLE HOMICIDE, OR A HIDDEN SERIAL KILLER? SERGEANT ALICE MORROW IS DETERMINED TO SOLVE A MYSTERY SPANNING SIXTY YEARS. When Evelyn Massey is found dead in her home, it seems like an open-and-shut case: Evelyn was one hundred years old — natural causes. But Sergeant Alice Morrow learns that traces of poison were found in Mrs. Massey’s blood. Then the remains of a body some sixty years deceased are discovered in the dead woman’s basement. Two murders, decades apart. Are they connected? In the second book in Shane Peacock’s award-winning Northern Gothic Mystery series, Morrow and former nypd homicide detective Hugh Mercer unearth stunning truths about Evelyn Massey’s life and learn of other disappearances over the past sixty years. Was a serial killer quietly at work in this Ontario town? Could the murderer still be among its citizens, hidden in plain sight?

When a group of young performers take on the world’s greatest showman, can their abilities overcome his power? In an alternate 1899, Solomon Hunt leaves home after his father’s death to seek income for his family, only to stumble into the adventure of a lifetime when he rescues the Seer, a young genius showman, from captivity in a sideshow. Together, the duo flee across the terrifying, entertainment-obsessed Empire of America, evading a group of vicious pursuers led by Leopold J. Coop, who not only dominates the Empire through his circus-like extravaganzas, but seeks to be president too. From Buffalo to New Orleans, Denver to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, Solomon and the Seer befriend and recruit diverse young performers trapped in shows, including a human cannonball, a giant acrobat, a blues musician, an outlaw gunslinger, a talking gorilla, and more. As Coop closes in and vile secrets are revealed, the ragtag troupe prepare an explosive, groundbreaking performance intended to save them all.