I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Some of the characters reactions and dialogue between each other just seemed a little... off. At least to me although a younger reader may not even notice. Not a fan of the italicized portions for dreams/internal character narrative only because all of the italicized words ran together making it harder to read and separate out. If the final novel has rectified the italicized portions then it would definitely be a non-issue and would not detract from the story. Some portions of the chapter don't have clean breaks between character groups - one paragraph to the next can be about an entirely different group. To me the book would flow better if there was clear definition between the two - even if the book was split into separate chapters for each group of characters.

Monster on the Moors reminds me of a gory supernatural British version of The Boxcar Children. The story is pretty clean other than gore/violence and the supernatural/paranormal aspects. Even for an adult to read it was a good story line and didn't take long to finish. I would recommend this book to readers on the older end of Middle-Grade Fiction and the younger end of Young Adult Fiction who enjoy mysteries, the supernatural/paranormal, murder mysteries and thrillers. Thank you to Black Château and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A little too much horror for me, but that might just be personal preference. Does have a good spooky vibe so those interested in the genre could appreciate that

I enjoyed reading this book, I didn't realize that this was a part of a series but it didn't hinder my enjoyment. Overall the writing was great and look forward to more in the series.

I was not a big fan of this one. I found the plot and characters to be a bit flat, and boring. It wasn't a book I was excited to finish.

This book was the perfect concoction of creepiness with spookiness mixed in. I'm not usually a big time reader of horror books typically, but thought I'd give this one a chance. And I am so glad that I did. This book didn't leave me afraid to read at night, but it did have me reading with all the lights on when I did read. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a spooky story that won't leave you scared after you finish the last page. The werewolf folklore was so interesting to read about and added the perfect amount of lore to the story. Loved the representation in this book as well! Thank you to net galley and the publishers for providing me an ARC of Monster On The Moors!

2.5/5
this is a really short and quick read. but, the cover can be misleading as it doesn’t present itself as a middle grade book which i wasn’t expecting because the cover along with the title does present the novel as more of a horror, which was present in some of the more gore-y and detailed descriptions in the novel.
it overall felt strange? in terms of writing. i guess what i mean is i feel like it sometimes fluctuated being between too old for its intended audience and too young or immature for its intended audience. the humor sometimes felt forced and stiff. and i had to suspend my disbelief for some things even though it was a supernatural novel. i am someone who enjoys middle grade but did not particularly enjoy this one. though maybe i’m not the specific targeted audience.

I did not realize this was the second book however I don`t think it is required to read book one to understand Bobby Holmes. I enjoyed the setting and think it was well written. I do get the feeling this is a little younger MG than what I expected. I will be recommending it to a group of younger kids that I work with. The mystery had a little Scooby-Doo vibe which was pretty awesome. The diversity of handicaps is well written and not thrown in your face or made to be the main focus.

DNF at 50%. This book had such a great premise, but right off the bat, the story failed to grab my attention. It was trying to do too much. I could tell the ending very clearly and at that point felt no need to continue with the story. This is a Bobby Holmes book. The Holmes immediately gave me a kid Sherlock Holmes vibe, but with the story so easily guessable, I was disappointed. This is obviously a sequel. Many mysteries, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, Boxcar Children, all never made you feel like you were missing something if you picked up a book in the middle of the series, They were episodic. This book kept trying to do that but I continued to feel lost in the character development. This book may be a good thriller or mystery for a young child but for me, it was just not cutting it.

In the North York Moors an ancient wolf-like being controlled by equally ancient witches is stalking Bobby, his cousin Brenda and their friends – Stevie and Michael. The creature manages to capture one their party the remaining group must use everything at their disposal to save their friend – Bobby’s prophetic visions, a mysterious librarian, a stranger at the center of it all, surprising gifts from a Traveler king and their own skills. Will the motley crew of friends be able to solve the mystery surrounding the werewolf, his masters and save their friend before becoming a casualty or part of the pack?

The Lost Treasure is actually the first book to feature Bobby and his friends although it is not imperative to read that book first. I personally have not read the first installment – the plot of Monster on the Moors is not dependent upon the events of the first book even though prior events/interactions are mentioned.

Some of the characters reactions and dialogue between each other just seemed a little… off. At least to me although a younger reader may not even notice. Not a fan of the italicized portions for dreams/internal character narrative only because all of the italicized words ran together making it harder to read and separate out. If the final novel has rectified the italicized portions then it would definitely be a non-issue and would not detract from the story. Some portions of the chapter don’t have clean breaks between character groups – one paragraph to the next can be about an entirely different group. To me the book would flow better if there was clear definition between the two – even if the book was split into separate chapters for each group of characters.

Monster on the Moors reminds me of a gory supernatural British version of The Boxcar Children. The story is pretty clean other than gore/violence and the supernatural/paranormal aspects. Even for an adult to read it was a good story line and didn’t take long to finish. I would recommend this book to readers on the older end of Middle-Grade Fiction and the younger end of Young Adult Fiction who enjoy mysteries, the supernatural/paranormal, murder mysteries and thrillers. Thank you to Black Château and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bobby Holmes is on vacation with his mother Melanie in North York Moors of England. His cousin Brenda and his two friends Stevie and Michael arrive several days later to join them on vacation. Arriving in England though they are met with warnings to stay indoors at night as a monster is loose in the moors. After one of the group members goes missing, it’s up to the group along with their caretaker James to find their friend and kill the monster.

J.M. Kelly did a great job building up the eeriness of North York Moors. The descriptions of the fog mixed with the subtle noises in the darkness sure added to the scariness factor of the book. The mix of Werewolves of Witches was an interesting take but I think it did fall short for me. There was more story around the mystery of how the ancient wolf came to the Moors rather than scenes with the wolf itself present. The characters of Bobby, Brenda, Stevie, and Michael are supposed to be kids but I never really thought of them as such. Their dialogue with Melanie and other townsfolk was very adult like, I had trouble remembering they were kids. Some of the decisions of the group were more annoying rather than suspenseful; we know it’s dark and there’s a monster about but let’s split up. WHY?!?!?! I did enjoy the actual hunt for the wolf and liked how Bobby’s supernatural sight played into the storyline.

There was some challenges with the Kindle version. Anything that was italicized was just one long run-on sentence. Also I think I was missing a page in there; it went from talking to a townsperson who had been attacked to the next page of Bobby with his friends. It wasn’t enough to take much away from the reading experience but just enough to confuse me.

Thank you to Publications, Ltd. for providing a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun werewolf novel, spooky and suspenseful enough to keep you reading, but never so scary it’s unbearable! The plot was fast-paced, but the characters sometimes fell a bit flat for me, keeping me from getting absolutely invested in the book.

This has been one of my fave books this year! I love how pragmatic and open BIlly and his friends are and I wish more adults would be as open-minded as James.. This was a wonderfully intriguing, yet slightly creepy mystery that I'd definitely recommend to others! Absolutely fantastic novel!

A cute episodic group adventure in the style of Sherlock Holmes set in the English countryside. It was a cute read with satisfying unexpected twists and turns to stave off predictability.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. I didn't get but half way through the book.

Monster on the Moors was an entertaining and engaging read, even if I'm "too old" for the book. I loved the descriptions, the plot was interesting and the characters had depth to them, one of them even had Aspergers (yay for diversity). The only downside is that I felt the paranormal aspect was a bit brushed over and I would have loved to know more about that aspect.

I wasn't aware that the book was part of a series when I requested it. It had a slow start and for being a short novel, it really felt uber long because it was so slow. I was expecting something else from this. It really wasn't my cup of tea.

J. M. Kelly’s Monster On The Moors is a decently spooky and thrilling werewolf read. I love the setting and the mystery but I wish the characters and dialogue were better written. This is the second book in the series but it works as a standalone.

Clairvoyant Bobby Holmes, his cousin Brenda Watson and their friends Stevie and Michael are in the middle of a horrifying mystery. The friends are vacationing in the spooky North York Moors of England when they find themselves being stalked by an ancient werewolf. With the help of some surprising allies, the friends uncover the depths of this mystery and must save one of their own before more fall victim to the werewolf!

I enjoyed this fast-paced and surprisingly creepy read! I love werewolves and Kelly did a great YA take on the theme. I love the well-written and eerie setting. The opening is wonderfully spooky. There are several surprisingly gory scenes but it should be manageable for teen readers. The book features some good twists. Although some are predictable, they are still enjoyable. I also like the werewolf’s history as well as the other supernatural elements which I really wasn’t expecting. I also like the interesting and mysterious allies.

I didn’t even realize that the book is a modern-day YA spin on Sherlock Holmes. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing! While I like the characters well enough, I wish they were much better written. They often act very stereotypically and I couldn’t connect with them. Protagonist Bobby is smart and has visions, Stevie is obnoxious, and token girl Brenda is clever. However, I do like that there is some diversity as Michael has Asperger’s. The other characters are kind and respectful of him. However, the characters often acted very implausibly, especially the adults. Even the werewolf sometimes acted too improbably!

Additionally, I know that the children are probably young teens but their dialogue varies between sounding too mature or too childish. The overall dialogue also could have been better written. The characters’ conversations are often stilted, unnatural, and there is a fair bit of info dumping.

Monster On The Moors is a great and creepy YA read. I am not the intended audience but I enjoyed this novel. This is a good introduction to horror reads for young teens. It will also work for adults looking for a quick atmospheric Halloween read. I would definitely read more in this series!



🐺 🐺 🐺 ½ werewolves out of 5!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this novel. It's a short one at around 250 pages, but it took me a while to read. This is part of a series. I haven't read the first novel, but the author did a good job of giving you enough backstory where you felt like you weren't missing anything.

There was autism rep in this book, so that was nice to see.

I may have misunderstood, but I thought this was ya. The language used and the conversations felt much more childish than ya. THere were also over-wordy descriptions that were hard for me to get through.

Sadly, I can't say I'll be continuing this series.

I enjoyed this YA mystery with a modern day spin on Sherlock Holmes. It started slowly, but eventually picked up. I was not aware that this was part of a series when I requested it. There is a bit of the backstory, but I still felt somewhat lost throughout, so just a fair warning.
**I received an advanced copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.**