4 stars = Great!

This was a great series kick off. I really liked the characters. The family conflict felt realistic, and I loved how the kids learned and applied skills while working the case. Would definitely read more of these!

I absolutely love books like this. Love, Love, Love. This book is a middle grade triumph. I’m new to Ponti’s books and I will be seeking out more of his books as soon as I can.

This book has everything. Smart kids, a funny grandpa (I was laughing so hard at him), sassy, attorney mother, a marine biologist father (I love how involved the adults were in the story), clever plot, drones, notebooks, Roberta, and so much more. I enjoyed how the book was told. It starts off with a bang, and then the author brings in the backstory. Alex is a great narrator too.

Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yati are fantastic kids. They work well together and compliment each other’s strengths. How the Sherlock Detective Agency was formed was fun and the adventure that comes is even more so. I appreciate the turn the story takes, as the motives of the group changes. The who, what, where, and why that made me want to not stop listening/reading until I was done.

Huge thank you to the publisher for the NetGalley approval. I can't wait for more books in this series.

This was a great book to read with my little one who is in her mystery book phase.
we have devoured this book and can't wait for the next one.
This book is fast paced and easy to follow along.

For middle grade kids and kids around that age group (mine is soon to be 11) this is a great intro to mystery books if they have not dipped their toes in the mystery waters. This very much has a Scooby doo crew vibe with Nancy drew like clues and context. The bond between the main characters have you smiling and wanting to see them develop even more. It was refreshing to have a brother sister duo in a book that wasn't highlighting their dislike or jealousy of each other. The kids bring out the best in each other.

The world building itself is perfect for this age group. It's very descriptive without having to much fluff and filler that would cause them to bore easily.

My daughter gave this two thumbs up and is anxiously awaiting to see what happens next.

One of the favorites of the year! What a fun, unputdownable new series that I cannot wait to get more of. Loved that grandpa is involved and that the setting is Miami, since there aren’t many middle grade books set there, if any?

This novel has a great take on what qualifies as a mystery and how you should approach solving it. Additionally, with the setting of Florida and the Everglades there is real promotion of protecting the environment.

As a book for middle graders, I love that it addresses such concerns as popularity and friendship. It really looks at what truly matters when it comes to a person. There was a great deal of emphasis on the phrase “Do what is right, not what is easy” which I think is a wonderful message.

Lastly, the book has a great pace. It is easy to get into and really relate to the characters.

Summer vacation has just begun, and Alex and Zoe Sherlock are looking for a way to make some extra cash. The trouble is that there aren’t a lot of jobs available for kids aged 12 (Alex) and 13 (Zoe). During the school year, Alex and his friends Yadi and Lina make up the Sherlock Society, “the nerdiest club at Carver Middle” school in Miami, Florida.

Zoe decides that instead of mowing lawns or baby-sitting during the summer, the Sherlock Society should become real detectives and solve some mysteries. It will be interesting and put cash in their pockets. Their grandfather, a retired reporter, even has some unsolved cases in his files.

A search for Al Capone’s buried treasure takes them deep into the Everglades, where they discover evidence of an entirely different crime. As a team, they set out to trace a conspiracy to its source, determined to expose the criminals before it’s too late.

This is a fast-paced adventure that combines clever clue-solving with some dangerous activities in pursuit of those clues. A sequel is in the works, so keep an eye out for Sherlock Society 2.

Great book for the start of a new series. Took a little while to get to the actual story but that’s expected with building characters for a new series. Really enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to the next one!!

This book is super fun - I loved the intergenerational shenanigans that happened between the kids and the grandpa.
The pace was quick and the dialect was engaging.
I will recommend to fans of Stuart Gibbs series.

If you’ve read The City of Spies series or if your children love reading books full of investigations with mystery you and your kids will love this.
In this book author James Ponti brings us on a adventure in South Florida so come along and join the kids as they start a detective agency
This is a Nancy Drew meets Miami Vice it’s full of action and fun and exciting new adventures for middle grade ages. It’s also an easy fast read that will keep your children reading

Facing a long summer, the Sherlock kids team up with their grandpa and a pair of friends to form a detective agency to make money to fund some summer fun in James Ponti's THE SHERLOCK SOCIETY. Amid their initial plan to find money allegedly hidden in Miami by the legendary Al Capone, the group stumbles upon an unexpected discovery that leads them to change course and take on a new mystery. Under the guidance of their former investigative journalist grandpa, the kids apply the 5 W’s of journalism and tried and true research techniques to unravel the clues that will lead them to the perpetrators of a serious crime.

Like the kids in Ponti’s CITY SPIES series, each of the kids in the Sherlock Society brings their own personality and skill set to the team, which provides an engaging mix of characters and perspectives. The intergenerational relationship that the kids share with their grandpa is a centerpiece of the book and truly stands out. The message about environmental conservation is delivered in a natural way and does not come off heavy handed as sometimes happens. With plenty of action, humor, and some twists and turns along the way, this middle grade mystery will have lots of fans anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of the book to read.

With summer vacation upon them, Alex Sherlock and his friends, Yadi and Lina, devise a plan to make some money: solve mysteries (Alex's last name is Sherlock). Alex's mom is not thrilled with the plan (hanging posters and being contacted by total strangers) and quickly puts the kibosh on it. With their detective agency on hold, Alex's grandfather, a retired journalist, shows Alex, Yadi, Lina, and Zoe, Alex's older sister who is sulking because her parents wouldn't let her go to summer camp with her "besties", his "unsolved" files from his time as a journalist. Each friend (and Zoe) proposes a different unsolved case to investigate further. Soon, the legend of Al Capone's million-dollar buried treasure and the Lost City of the Everglades are all the friends can talk about. Grandpa teaches them the five-Ws of journalism: who, what, where, when, and why. Each friend takes a W, and soon the Sherlock Society and Grandpa (their adult chaperone and taxi driver) are in the Everglades looking for Capone's treasure. After days of searching, the group is about to give up when they find an access road not on their map. Following the access road soon turns their search for Al Capone's treasure into a quest for justice.

I really enjoyed The Sherlock Society and look forward to more titles in this series. Everything that occurred was very believable (even Grandpa). The change in focus for the friends shows the impact that middle-grade students can have even when they don't have all of the support they are looking for or need. I highly recommend this title for middle-grade readers and middle-grade libraries.

Really loved this. Well developed mystery with wonderful characters and character development.
Reading books like this almost makes me want to come out of retirement to teach and build up my classroom library with books like this.

This is one of my favorite middle grade books of the year! James Ponti is brilliant -- this is a fast-paced mystery set in Miami and the Everglades. Two siblings and their grandpa and two friends set up a detective agency and set out to solve mysteries. This had me guessing until the very end. I cannot wait to recommend this to students -- it will fly of the shelves in my library!

This book is excellent. I enjoyed the pacing of it and the storyline. Two siblings and their friends facing the prospect of a boring summer decided open their own detective agency so that they can solve mysteries all summer. Thanks to their cool grandfather who is a retired reporter for the Miami Herald who happened to keep a file of all his old articles and research the options for mystery-solving are endless. Though initially deciding to search for Al Capone's lost treasure their focus shifts when they notice shady happenings in an everglade slough (a marshy area) that needs attention asap.
This story has some subtle twists and turns that will keep middle grade readers engaged in the mystery. Age-appropriate friendship drama adds to the storyline nicely rather than overpowering the mystery that our team of sleuths must solve.
The character of Grandpa is well developed and adds humor and the right touch of resourcefulness to the story.
I am confident that Sherlock Society will solve more mysteries in the future and I cannot wait to read them.

This was fun! I enjoyed the characters but felt it took a little longer than necessary to get to the primary mystery plot. Once that part got going, I really enjoyed it.

James Ponti delivers another win for the world of middle grade mystery fiction. I loved The Sherlock Society. I especially enjoyed the Al Capone connection. Grandpa's help in aiding the sleuth duo was priceless. Old fashioned research and digging through old newspapers clearly was a big advantage in solving this mystery. I will be purchasing my own deerstalker hat to wear when I read any future sequels. I highly recommend for 4th grade and up.

James is a wonderful author. I love how he makes you feel like you are one of the characters. I enjoy his writing style very much. And his stories are so well thought out. He’s a personal favorite of mine. I would highly recommend him always.
10/10

I love a good mystery. And one that includes some old-fashioned journalistic research is even better. Add in themes of family, friendship and independent and group thinking, and you’ve got the recipe for a page-turning read.

The Sherlock Society is one such book.

The story is told from Alex’s point a view, but Zoe, Lina, Yadi and Grandpa are equally as well realized. Each has their own quirks and talents, and Grandpa is a hoot.

The thing that makes The Sherlock Society really work is author James Ponti’s story feels completely realistic. His use of history, geography, science, technology and the five Ws (who, what, when, where and why) is compelling. And it’s not inconceivable that a grandparent would foster this kind of summer project.

The book is set in South Florida, and offers a wealth of information along with adventure, making kids want to keep reading. It’s fast-paced and engaging from beginning to end. This would make a fun classroom read and will appeal to a large cross-section of readers. I look forward to more books in this series.

I have absolutely loved the City Spies Series, so when I saw Sherlock, I knew I was going to be hooked. So much good stuff!! First, the kids learning old school reading notes, taking notes, writing things down, not totally relying on their phone for an answer. And then all the nuggets thrown in, some history, some biology, environmental awareness, and even a little bullying lesson. I can't wait for the next one!!

This is the beginning to another fantastic series for middle-grade students by James Ponti. I love the nods to Sherlock Holmes and Al Capone. This book is action-packed and is one of those books that students won't want to put down. Siblings, Zoe and Alex Sherlock, along with two of their friends and their lovable grandpa make the best team. I can't wait for the next booK!