What a fabulous series to get your kids hooked on, so that they'll develop an interest in Sherlock Holmes' cases! "Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers' Club" is the first (in a long line of many, I hope) book chronicling the childhood mystery-solver before he grew up to become Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the Great Detective himself.

Artie and his best friend Ham, both aged 12, scour the streets of Edinburgh for clues pertaining to some suspicious activity in the area, especially around the graveyards at nighttime. This mystery had me hooked from page 1. I'm terribly excited to find book 2.

The author uses a fun and flowing whimsical writing style to keep readers engaged. The scenes come alive, like watching a movie. (Sometimes it feels a little bit like a Victorian-era Goosebumps-esque plot -- with plenty of actual mystery to solve.) I also love how the author incorporates interesting happenings of the time period into the plot itself; topics like Greyfriars Bobby, the Lady in Grey, and Galvani the physicist.

Suitable for: 9 to 14 and up - Adults
(Recommended for kids who can swallow a little talk about graverobbing or ghosts. Also there are some subtle references to adults drinking.)

Overall, it's such a fun and engaging story, that adults (like myself) can enjoy it too!

My favorite quote, from Ham:
“I think I had a sudden attack of courage. I hope it doesn’t happen again. My knees are shaking.”

I loved this early starter for ya readers interested in mystery. A pretty challenging read with great story development.

I tried picking up this novel a few times, but just could not get into the writing and pace. I am going to pass on this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a really fun read. Not too heavy. Lots of action to keep kids interested. Just enough Sherlock hints to keep adults intrigued. Both of the characters are engaging and relatable. Really fun take on the author of Sherlock. I can't wait for the next installment.

A fab young reader's book with a playful twist on Arthur Conan Doyle's adventures as a kid before he created the historic character Sherlock Holmes!

For fans of Sherlock Holmes and for those who have yet to meet the genius sleuth, Harris provides a clever story centering around the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as a child. Enjoyable read.

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book but it should not deliver for me. I really wanted to like it as I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes and other writings by ACD, and thought reading a book about him as a child would be interesting but it did not hold my attention.

I've always been a huge Sherlock Holmes fan – he's the original detective and I love a detective novel. Holmes' has been adapted for the big and small screen, the adventures of young Holmes have been created, with so few options left for playing around with the great detective, I was intrigued to see a fictional depiction of his creator's childhood. This was an enjoyable read with a good pace and likeable characters. Artie is confident and at times, reckless, whilst Ham (his version of Watson) is incredibly loveable in his cowardly and sensible ways. This series is a great introduction for MG readers to the world of Holmes and his methods.

Books for kids have a tall order. They should have a subtle (practically invisible) moral lesson that is delivered in a package that is fun, entertaining, not condescending. They should use language well, introduce the reader to new concepts, places, stories and characters, as well as make all those things relevant. And the instant the story begins to smell moral, young readers are out the door. Those old mystery books series like Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys managed to fulfill all of the above, as well as write to a child's eye view, and introduce essentials like the importance of side-kicks. Robert J. Harris's Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers' Club also does a pretty good job of filling this very tall order.

It seems a no brainer to pick young Artie Conan Doyle to be the inquisitive main character of a child mystery, but it is a perfectly genius concept. And of course, Artie must have a childhood sidekick to parallel Watson, hence the dependable and oft hungry Ham. Even the 'Gravedigger' title falls perfectly into the kid mystery genre, too. And where better to begin the tale than in the beautifully drawn murk of Greyfriars graveyard a week after the death of the most famous of loyal terriers, Grayfriar's Bobby?

Mix together ghosts, gravediggers, a mysterious tenant, the lady in gray, a couple of curious boys, and fantastic ambiance and you have a solid recipe to satisfy any reader's mystery appetite. Artie and Ham felt quite real to me as we were hot on the trail of the mystery. I even like well-read Artie's home library, and hope young readers will be inspired to check out Artie's favorite books. I recommend Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers' Club to any kid (or adult) who would be interested in Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and even Sherlock Holmes. Meanwhile, I did a little research, and find myself intrigued by some of Robert J. Harris's other titles.

The Hardy Boys* meet Arthur Conan Doyle in Robert J. Harris's Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers' Club.

*(Okay, the Hardy Boys don't actually make an appearance in 1872. You probably knew that, but I figured I should make it really clear.)

We see plenty of young Sherlock Holmes or modern Sherlock Homes. I think this is the first I've seen young Arthur Conan Doyle. All references to known material aside, it's not a bad mystery. Clues aren't always the clearest but the pacing is solid. There are a number of cultural and historical references, which will be a barrier for some young readers. What I really enjoyed was the way Harris used elements from Sherlock Holmes stories in this plot, implying that events in his early life were the inspiration for Doyle's writing. Fun for a young Holmes fan.

This book is recommended for children ages 9 to 12; however, I admit I’m past the age of 12, and I enjoyed it. I loved that Robert Harris created a book about the author of Sherlock Holmes when he was a child. Years ago, I read a good many of the Holmes books and enjoyed them very much. When I saw this book, I I couldn’t wait to read it.

Within a few pages, I was drawn into the story. The characters were interesting and very realistic. This very group of characters includes; a sometimes unwilling Ham, the mastermind, Artie, a doctor whose experiments with electricity and healing don’t always turn out the way he wants, a medical student who acts suspiciously, a group of people who are digging up graves and Artie’s somewhat dysfunctional family, to name a few. The fog and dark nights really set the scene and add to the spirit of the book since so much of it has to do with graveyards.

I hope this is book 1 of a series because I’d love to read more stories about Artie Doyle.

This is perhaps my new favourite Middle-Grade mystery series! I was worried it would be overdone or written down too much, but I found it such a great read. Artie is a really great character based on a lot of research that the author has done on Arthur Conan Doyle and his life. I liked the fact that it wasn't all centred around Sherlock Holmes (though there were some great references) but also took into account Conan Doyle's interest in the afterlife as well.

The mystery was very well written and also brought in components of two Sherlock Holmes stories, though not in a way that was too obvious. Harris built his own mystery around these two stories making a wonderfully original and thrilling mystery. I loved all the historical references as well and the Latin that was brought up from time to time.

I think this is a great introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes for young readers who have never read the books, but also a really great series for readers who are already fans of the books and the man behind them, young and old.

I really wasn't sure what this book would be like, but I'm so glad I requested it because it was a really great book.

Fun and a great adventure, very accessible with some very creative characters. A good read.

A fast paced adventure featuring an young Conan Doyle. Full of grave robbers and weird goings-on in Edinburgh. It makes an excellent read.

This was a fun romp through the graveyards of England! I think young readers will enjoy the suspense and mystery built up by Artie and Ham. The boys' characters were well developed, and I think readers will be able to see parts of themselves in one boy or the other. There were some great distractors to keep readers wondering what the graverobbers are looking for. I worry that some younger readers will be confused by some of the language of the era, as well as the references made specifically to British terms.

I wanted to like this more than I did. Perhaps I am still holding a grudge from 8th or 9th grade English when I had to read The Hound of the Baskervilles in what I considered the "low group" instead of The Scarlet Letter. I was not a fan or The Hound and have never read another Sherlock Holmes book. With a young Artie Doyle and his friend Ham trying to solve a mystery I thought I would enjoy it more but it just took too long to really get going. I liked the last 1/3 of the book but I am not sure kids will stick around that long.

Long before he will create the world’s greatest consulting detective, Artie Conan Doyle is just a 12-year-old boy who is glad to be off school and on the hunt for adventure. Along with his friend Ham, Artie is staking out Greyfriars Kirkyard in the hope of encountering the ghostly grey lady and the massive spectral hound that are said to be stalking the graveyard at night. Artie knows that there’s definitely something uncanny afoot on the moonlit streets of Edinburgh, but will he be able to unravel his first mystery? Just who are the sinister Gravediggers’ Club and what nefarious business do they have in the city’s graveyards? Why do so many ghostly beings suddenly seem to be on the prowl? And how does the young medical student who lodges with Artie’s family fit into things?

Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers’ Club is a great book that promises to be the start of a really good children’s detective series. Young Artie unsurprisingly takes on the Sherlock Holmes role in this story; he is intelligent, insightful and always on the hunt for a good mystery. He might perhaps be a little more sentimental than the great detective, but his powers of deduction are already pretty finely tuned and he’s certainly willing to dash headfirst into danger. Ham is well-suited to acting as the Watson to his friend’s Sherlock. He is a loyal companion and, while he may well prefer to spend his evenings at home eating cake, he never lets Artie down, even if that means confronting crooks, cops and potentially non-corporeal entities. The two boys form a great crime-fighting duo; Artie is clever and quick to act, while Ham is more cautious and reasoned. Discovering the secret of the Gravediggers’ Club will certainly require both their skillsets, as well as a good deal of bravery and more than a hint of luck.

Artie Conan Doyle is 12 years old and while in the future he will write the great Sherlock Holmes for now he has to deal with the mystery before him. When sneaking out with his best friend, Ham, to explore Greyfriars Kirkyard, the two spot a woman in grey walking through a cemetery and footprints of enormous hound.

Not one to look past questions, Artie, with the reluctance of Ham, follow clues to discover a series robberies that will lead to a villain that Artie may not be able to defeat.

Jumping right in, I would recommend this read to children who have not been introduced to Sherlock Holmes. It is a really creative spin to focus on the author as a child. Yes, it has been done with Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland) but only to a certain extent.

What I liked about this book is how the author was able to show the reader glimpse of Sherlock, without actually mentioning it. I enjoyed the personal struggle Artie goes through, although it is not the full focus it is a starting point in the book and a good one I might add. It shows, for a lack of better term, a human emotion/reaction other than curiosity and the need to solve something. I appreciated that. I also loved how the story was told through Artie and not by his friend Ham or some random voice. It was a better read because of that.

The pace of the novel was acceptable. At one point, it did feel like the book was going nowhere but with the turning point(s) it added more depth to the novel. Character development was non-existing but I didn't have an issue with this. The way the author wrote this book, there wasn't any real need for it. Did some things change? Yes. Did any characters change? Kind of. One character, side character, a fairly key character experienced a significant change but it didn't really apply to the mystery.

Overall, I would recommend this to my nieces and any child that wants a good mystery. As an adult I am glad I found this series.

4 Pickles

We are immediately plunged right into the middle of this mystery as Artie and his friend and sidekick, Ham, have a spooky encounter in a churchyard, which persuades Artie that the young trainee doctor lodging at their house is up to no good. Harris has managed to layer the character rather effectively. While watching Artie in action, I’m forcibly reminded of a juvenile Benedict Cumberbatch – opinionated, bossy and invariably convinced he is superior to those around him. More endearingly, Artie is prone to make more mistakes and go blundering more haphazardly into situations than his supercilious sleuth.

The historical feel of the period is effectively depicted with the occasional old fashioned word, such as ‘kirk’ instead of church, for instance but reading the context, I think most young readers could work out what the word means. We also have a number of interesting characters. I like the fact that Artie’s family is rather dysfunctional, with a father suffering depression in a time when there is no sickness benefit or safety net for those struggling on the poverty line. Ham also has a difficult background, with a father who has died and a widowed mother trying to cope.

There is plenty of banter between the two boys, as Ham is reluctantly dragged along in Artie’s wake. Most of the time he goes along with it – but just occasionally his pointed remarks regarding Artie’s tendency to go crashing into a situation make him pause and reconsider. I was pleased it is Ham’s contribution to the adventure that is the major gamechanger during the climactic final flurry of action.

Any niggles? I could have done without Artie’s jabs about Ham’s size. This is particularly unfortunate, I feel, in a book aimed at the children’s market when there are now significant numbers of youngsters heavier than is healthy. Surely, in an escapist adventure overweight children are also entitled to be able to enjoy the fun without such reminders of their problems?

That apart, I enjoyed this romp and I think many youngsters will do, too. There is plenty of action and some creepy moments without slipping into anything too horrific for newly independent readers, or those having this one read to them.

While I obtained the arc of Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers’ Club from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.
8/10

I wanted to check this book out because I’m always looking for something new for my son and I figured since he enjoys watching Sherlock with me then he might get a kick out of this.

After reading it for myself I think he’d enjoy it. It’s a new imagination of Sherlock as if he was a kid just learning to test out his investigative skills. Like his adult counterpart he has a helpful sidekick who adds an additional level of humor.

Harris did a great job in describing and setting his scene so you could feel like you are there. His dialogue, particularly between the kids, is well thought out and realistic. It was easy to imagine Artie as the young version of the adult we’ve all come to know and love. Ham reminded me a bit of Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings.

Even as an adult I liked this story and hope more will be coming out. I’m particularly looking forward to getting my son to read this so we can talk about the story. It was just very refreshing to be able to find something for my son that he can read which is both fun and has an educational tone to it by teaching kids to be more observant.