A brilliant way of retelling Sherlock Holmes for children, and even adults can enjoy. Great versions and highly enjoyable.

Working to aide an old friend, Sherlock attempts (and succeeds!) in solving the case of a missing butler and maid. Under a variety of layers of intrigue, Holmes comes through in the end. I LOVE these youthful adaptations of Sherlock Holmes and think they could have many classroom applications. Also, I truly love the illustrations. They really add to the enjoyment of the tale. Excellent!

Alex Woolf does it again! Another wonderful adaptation of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories. In this one, an old school chum asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate his missing butler and housemaid.

I don’t remember reading the original version of “The Musgrave Ritual,” but I did see the episode on the Granada TV series starring the late, inimitable Jeremy Brett when it was on PBS here, across the pond; that version ended just as tragically but differently, if I remember correctly. I think Woolf’s ending, if it differs from the original Conan Doyle version, is a better one for young readers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I am a very big fan of Conan-Doyle and this series is such an easy way to connect with younger fans. Perfect for the 5-8 age range alongside 9-12 for the not so confident readers! If these come into paperback I certainly would want them in my store

This is an excellent retelling of a Holmes short stories and it's for younger readers. Even if I'm well over the target age I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling and the story kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’m loving this easy to read Holmes series, and I have to say that this one may be my favourite so far!

A ritual passed down from generation to generation and a treasure hunt…what’s not to love?! It’s a bit spooky and a bit sinister especially towards the end but it’s brilliantly retold in an easy to understand format, with wonderful pacing and perfect illustrations!

** “Holmes, I remember back at university being amazed at the way you could deduce things from tiny clues. I’ve heard you’ve started using these methods to help out some of your old chums.” **

Alex Woolf retells one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes short stories, “The Musgrave Ritual,” a story of revenge and greed that is also illustrated by Eve O’Brien.

As Holmes and Watson are reminiscing about some of Holmes’ old cases, he shares the story of an old friend, Reginald Musgrave, and an odd occurrence that happened at his estate. When both the butler and maid go missing, Musgrave relies on Holmes to help him with a mystery that ends up having historical signficance.

Filled with delightful illustrations, “The Musgrave Ritual,” which is due out July 1, is told in a fun and easy way kids of all ages will understand. This series is a great way to introduce young readers to Doyle and the great Sherlock Holmes, but adults will also enjoy these short stories. The story slowly lays out the clues, allowing the reader to solve the mystery alongside Sherlock.

Five stars out of five.

Arcturus Publishing provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This is a good adaption of a classic for young readers. A early case told from Sherlock point of view. I enjoy this quick and easy read. I wish the illustrations were a little better.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.

Reginald Musgrave is baffled by the disappearance of his butler and maid. Where did they go and does it have anything to do with the mysterious, ancient "Musgrave Ritual?" Only one man may be able to solve the mystery: Reginald's crime-fighting friend, Sherlock Holmes.
This is a retelling from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, a great way to introduce this clever characters to kids in a simplified plot! The illustrations are lovely, I totally recommand.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion from NetGalley and Acuturus Publishing.

I love the Musgrave Ritual. A sinister little story about a ritual handed down over the generations, which gets demoted to myth over time until it seems of little importance to the most current member of the Musgrave family. It only takes one particularly clever butler to figure it out and then a mystery ensues…

This is a great little story as Sherlock Holmes reminisces about one of his earlier cases. Telling the story to Watson, we find out how this case gets solved through the ingenuous of Mr Holmes.

A greatly disseminated story from the original into a format for a young audience. With great illustrations and a great way to turn a classic into a fun little reading adventure.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love reading the original Sherlock Holmes stories and was therefore excited to read this new Addison series meant for kids! Its a great take with a simplified plot but it's still very enjoyable and true to the original. 100% recommend for kids and adults alike!

Thank you so much to Arcturus and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Watson is fed up with the mess of Holmes and asks him to clean up a bit, this leads Holmes to reminisce about his first big case he did for a friend. His suspicious butler goes missing then his deranged maid also goes missing but Holmes figured everything out.

This was really fascinating because it was one of his first cases but also with the ritual that he had to use to solve the case it was really interesting how he used it to track backwards and solve the case.

The case was unique, a little simple but still really unique in that a man who had worked there for years had figured something out that for centuries none of the family had solved.

I really enjoyed this one, it was different to some of the other cases. It had great illustrations throughout the pages which I love, they add a great effect to the story.

'Whose was it?'
'His who is gone.'
'Who shall have it?'
'He who will come.'
'Where was the sun?'
'Over the oak.'
'Where was the shadow?'
'Under the elm.'
'How was it stepped?'
'North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, south by two and by two, west by one and by one, and so under.'

Such is the strange 'Musgrave Ritual', an old question/response tradition passed down through generations of the Musgrave family. Long thought to be meaningless, it is not until Reginald Musgrave catches his butler furtively poring over the ritual along with a map of the estate that it appears there may be more to the ritual than meets the eye. Even more strangely, the subsequent disappearances of the butler and the housemaid alarm Reginald and baffle the police, so Reginald asks his friend Sherlock Holmes for help. Can Holmes find a connection between the ritual and these sudden disappearances? Kids will love the simple prose style and illustrations of this book and will enjoy going on a literal treasure hunt to unearth the secret behind the Musgrave Ritual. A must-have addition to any school/children's library!

An excellent series suitable for all of the family. A great length for a bedtime story. Keeps the essence of the original story but simplifies it for a younger audience.

Reginald Musgrave is baffled by the disappearance of his butler Brunton and maid Rachel Howells and Sherlock Holmes tells Dr Watson all about the Musgrave ritual the story of a missing butler and the strange ritual that’s handed down to each generation and how Holmes help his friend
Another great book really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing
I just reviewed The Musgrave Ritual by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alex Woolf. #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

tl;dr
An easily readable adaptation of one of the lesser-known Sherlock Holmes mysteries, including a very adventurous treasure hunt.

About
Watson discovers a collection of souvenirs from some of Holmes' old cases and asks him to recount one of them - in this case, the story of a missing butler and a strange ritual handed down over generations. Conan Doyle's "The Musgrave Ritual" adapted for young readers complete with illustrations.

Thoughts
Reviewing one of the original Sherlock Holmes stories feels weird at this point, as most of them are probably already in the cultural zeitgeist. But since this one is probably a little less well known, I'll give it a quick review: This one bears markers of Edgar Allan Poe's influence, reminiscent of The Gold Bug and the rather famous Cask of Amontillado, to make a thrilling treasure hunt/murder mystery that might be one of the darker tales in the Sherlock Holmes canon. The actual solution to the mystery is much simpler than a real-world version of the same puzzle - which might be a good talking point to discuss with brighter young readers afterwards, as an introduction to some basic astronomy, nature, and math. In terms of adaptation, the writing is very accessible. The story is broken up into short, digestible chapters, that make for easy reading. Illustrations, of which there are many, are cartoony and charming, although the murderer is certainly drawn with a bit more terrifying of a look. Overall, a good starting point for young readers, or a good addition for anyone wanting to read beyond the more famous Holmes adventures.

A wonderful abridged version of the classic Sherlock Holmes short story The Musgrave Ritual, capturing the narrative and spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work brilliantly. The Musgrave Ritual is unique among the short stories in that it is narrated from Holmes' point of view in the first person, as he takes a trip down memory lane to a case he solved long before he even met Dr Watson. Holmes narrates to Dr Watson the exciting tale of how he once helped his old friend Reginald Musgrave uncover the truth behind the sudden disappearance of his butler and maid by solving the clues of the Musgrave Ritual -- an apparently nonsensical set of questions and answers handed down through generations of the Musgrave family -- and discovering a thrilling family secret. This book includes cartoonish illustrations that capture the plot and characters nicely and will be sure to an extra layer of entertainment for young readers as they follow Sherlock Holmes in unravelling the mystery of the cryptic Musgrave Ritual. This entire series will be an excellent introduction for kids to Conan Doyle's classic stories, and will hopefully inspire them to read the originals as well! I will certainly be recommending this series to my young mystery-loving students as a next step from the Famous Five and Secret Seven books.

In this installment of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, they work on figuring out where a butler & maid disappeared to. The illustrations were really cute and will keep kids interested in the story. This is perfect for young readers who are looking for a thrilling mystery to keep their minds busy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.