"A well-paced, exciting story in which stalwart heroes attempt to outwit inscrutable villains...Readers who love mysteries and adventure stories are sure to enjoy the experience." —ALA Booklist (starred review)
"A tantalizing playground for inquisitive minds." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A bold and thrilling reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle’s early life, filled with students and teachers who the world would later come to know so well, including Dr. Watson, James Moriarty, and, of course, Sherlock Holmes.” —The Conan Doyle Estate
From the acclaimed author Ali Standish of The Ethan I Was Before comes a thrilling middle grade tale with hair-raising adventures, new friendships, secret societies, and the mind behind one of the greatest detectives of all time: Sherlock Holmes. Now in paperback!
When young Arthur Conan Doyle is offered a spot at Baskerville Hall, a secret school for extraordinarily gifted children, he is elated at being chosen—and being given a chance to turn his family’s fortunes around. There, Arthur makes quick friends with Irene Eagle, a girl who boldly strides into action, and Jimmie Moriarty, a boy whose brilliance rivals Arthur’s own. Together, they discover that their new school is a peculiar place, home to leaning towers and unexplained explosions, prowling wolves and extinct birds.
Arthur quickly makes enemies, too— deadly foes who wants him expelled . . . or worse. When Arthur and his friends are invited into a powerful secret society called the Clover, they must pass three challenging tests to be accepted. But along the way, Arthur uncovers a mystery that will lead to grand adventure . . . and even greater danger.
An Amazon Best Books of the Month pick for September!
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection pick!
Ali Standish is the award-winning author of books for the young and young at heart, including the Carnegie-nominated The Ethan I Was Before, August Isle, Bad Bella, The Climbers, How to Disappear Completely, The Mending Summer, and Yonder. Her books are Junior Library Guild Selections, have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, and School Library Journal, have been named as Indie Next titles and nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards. During her years living in a tumbledown Victorian cottage in the UK, she obtained a master’s degree in children’s literature from the University of Cambridge. She now resides in North Carolina with her husband and sons. You can visit her online at alistandish.com.
