Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC! Great series for younger readers and the illustration are wonderful. A great series to introduce children to Sherlock Holmes for them to understand.

I really enjoyed the books in this series and this is no exception!

I love the Sherlock stories and this was a great adaptation. Wonderful for younger readers and the illustrations are brilliant.

An easy and comforting read for days when you just want to chill.

Really good way to get reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery that’s easier to understand and great for kids too.

I love this series so much and I know we have a lot of customers who’ve been looking for something like this! I can’t wait to recommend these books, each and every one has been excellent with wonderful illustrations. The essence of the stories has been retained and they keep you just as hooked as the full book!

Additionally, I reread a few of these as the audiobooks popped up on Scribd and the narrator was wonderful!

With thanks to the author, publishers Arcturus Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I have been a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series since I was young, and this series of abridged versions aimed at young readers is a welcome addition to the multitude of other editions of the stories already out there, with these books being written in language specifically aimed at readers aged 7-11.

This is only the third in the series that I have read but, as with the others, despite the relatively short length of the book, the author of this particular edition has done a great job in capturing the nuances of the plot and staying true to the original work, while the cartoonish illustrations enhance the reading experience even more.

I hope and fully expect that this book and others in the series will inspire younger readers to seek out the original versions by Arthur Conan Doyle. Recommended.

The sign of four is one of the more complex stories of conan doyle and this one was executed very well indeed!

A missing treasure, a bunch of curious clues, and some beautiful pearls. This book is another fabulous retelling of a classic Sherlock Holmes story with younger readers in mind. I particularly love the representation of Sherlock taking the time he needs to do things the way he needs to, with zero apologies for it! As always, I think these books are fantastic and would make a wonderful addition to a literary circle or classroom library. I love them all!

An excellent easy read version of The Sign of Four. This is a classic read at GCSE level but which Alex Woolf and the illustrations of Eve O'Brien have made accessible to younger children. If you like mystery books then this has enough to keep the brain ticking without being too complicated. What's also great is the retelling had made reference to the context of the book and had subtly kept the tone of the characters.

A great children’s book for Sherlock Holmes fan! The author has done a great job in staying true to form on the original work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These books are a fast read and the mystery is sure to keep their attention! A great series of books to read for all ages.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

This was a complex case of a hidden treasure, a pact made years ago, money and wrong doings and murders of people involved. Holmes gets involved in this case and helps an officer who begrudges his help.

As always the instant Holmes starts to investigate he is able to piece together almost all of it and just drags everyone else along to solve it themselves rather than share what he has figured out. This case was so odd and it kept getting so many twists within it that it was almost hard to follow at times.

The case went from a young woman being owed money and riches to the bad guy actually being the true one connected to the riches and money. I didn’t piece together any of this and it was a really interesting and complicated read. How Holmes solved this one so quickly I will not know even after reading it.

Another wonderful addition to this Sherlock Holmes series, the easier to read stories, the condensed down mystery and the added illustrations throughout the story. I do enjoy reading books like this that tell a classic story or mystery but are much easier to follow.

** “Your friend Holmes may be unusual in his methods, and a little quick to form his theories, but I’ve never known a case he hasn’t shed light on.” **

Alex Woolf retells “The Sign of Four,” an intriguing Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes short story about loathing and revenge.

The lovely Mary Morstan brings Sherlock and Dr. Watson an intriguing mystery — her father has been missing for the past 10 years, and for the past six years she has anonymously received one pearl a year. When the son of her father’s friend comes forward to offer a solution, Holmes jumps into trying to solve the mystery — and how it involves a murder and a missing treasure.

“The Sign of Four” is a thrilling story featuring poison-tipped thorns, a chase on the River Thames and an Indian Rajah, all leading to an exciting ending.

Filled with delightful illustrations by Eve O’Brien, “The Sign of Four” 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 the notorious detective.

Five stars out of five.

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

I really enjoyed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of the Four. As much as A Study in Scarlet or The Hound of the Baskervilles? No, but I did love Conan Doyle’s second novel.

I didn’t enjoy Alex Woolf’s adaptation nearly as much. Perhaps because too much had to be excised to turn a 200-page novel into a slender chapter book. Perhaps because the cruelty of the conditions in India under British colonial rule had to be whitewashed for youngsters. Perhaps because turning a novel like this into fodder for small fry would have been impossible for anyone. Still, while I can’t recommend it for adults, it still would probably make thrilling reading for tweens and younger.

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

Arcturus Publishing has adapted 16 tales from Sherlock Holmes for young readers. The Sign of Four relates an adventure concerning the loss of a huge treasure hoard of gems and precious goods taken from a rajah in India. With help from Wiggins and the Baker Street Irregulars, Holmes helps a heiress betrayed by her father's partner, who in turn betrayed the original thieves.

Great work! Will recommend for Elementary and Middle School libraries

We love these Sherlock Holmes books. They are written with the younger members of the family in mind with super illustrations. Great length for a bedtime story, but suitable for all ages.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I grew up reading mystery hotels for kids and am so excited to add these beautifully redone Sherlock Holmes stories to my collection to share with the kids in my life! They are just like the originals but intended for a juvenile audience.

Another thrilling Sherlock Holmes story in this series, abridged by Alex Woolf! Mary Morstan's father disappeared mysteriously a few years ago on the day he arrived back in England from military service in India. Since then, Mary has been receiving a single valuable pearl from a mysterious benefactor each year. But now, that benefactor has asked Mary for a secret meeting, and Mary asks Holmes and Watson to accompany her. What will they learn about Mary's father and his past activities? What strange inheritance could Mary have landed into, and is she safe from those who wish to keep her from it? This is an exciting, tightly-woven tale that will leave young readers on the edge of their seat!

The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alex Woolf.
Captain Arthur Morstan has vanished. Where is he, and does his disappearance have anything to do with the six pearls sent to his daughter Mary? Our crime-fighting sleuth decides to investigate.
A great read for Adults and children. I love sherlock. Great for any age. Loved the illustrations. 5*.

Perhaps one of the most mysterious and intriguing of Sherlock Holmes’ cases, the Sign of Four sees Holmes & Watson following stories of hidden treasure and murder.

Mary Morstan receives a Pearl every year from a mysterious benefactor but one day, this Pearl comes with a letter. She takes the detective and his companion with her, and from there unfurls a drama and adventure, the likes of which none could have imagined. A great tale and story for any young reader! It’s exciting, told well and greatly adapted from the originals.

It’s one of my favourites and a perfect addition to any little readers bookshelf who wants a bit of adventure and detective action.

Here is another in a series of Sherlock Holmes stories for beginning chapter book readers. I find these stories to be good retellings of the canon. The cartoon like illustrations will add to young readers pleasure in these titles.

The Sign of the Four draws the reader right in. There are mysterious pearls, a missing father, a seeming pact among four adults, hints of doings in India and more. Just think, this all happens in the first chapter! I do think that readers will want to keep turning the pages to discover the case’s solution along with Holmes and Watson.

Children may enjoy these books just as they are. I imagine that some will go on to be curious about the originals.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

I love Sherlock Holmes mysteries and I would be delighted if an appreciation for these stories could pass down the generations to todays early readers.
These are adapted versions but true to the text rather than a modern re-working. Award-winning children's fiction author Alex Woolf would seem to be a safe pair of hands.
They can be embraced with some enthusiasm by our 7 plus kids and grandchildren as they also have telling illustrations which convey the story and bring everything to life.
The sign of the four is an unusual tale of greed, betrayal and revenge. A clever mystery that unfolds with suspicious deaths, strange notes and illusive figures from a former time.
A stolen hidden treasure has got to be an exciting yarn in any timeframe but this is a story with its roots in Empire and the rebellion in India in the 19th century.
A chase along the dark and forbidding river Thames also adds to pleasure of reading this book.
I think this is a terrific collection of books but fear this one, as a story set within colonial times may not be so appealing.
I would suggest introducing it after the other more relatable mysteries have won a ready audience.
The writing is very well paced and with a easy vocabulary to help in the process of developing reading skills. Books have to be both fun and interesting. However, the stories need to fire the imagination and I think between them Wollf and Doyle get it right.
Not too complicated, with touches of humour and the expected characters of Holmes and Watson preserved. There is nothing for purest to fear or parents to be uncertain about allowing their children to read these accounts.
Ultimately, I believe this story may become a favourite of many young readers within the collection for the reasons mentioned. The history, the mystery, a lost treasure and suspicious deaths. The dash along the river however marks this out as a timeless classic.