Sherlock Bones and the Mystery of the Vanishing Magician Book Review
- Sarah Ickes
- Nov 6
- 3 min read
Despite this book as being listed for 7 - 9 year olds, all ages can truly enjoy this story.
This book is the third in the “Sherlock Bones Mystery Series” and, in my opinion, was just as good as the first two. As with any sequel, there is a certain amount of expectation for the next to be just as good, or even better, than the first in a series. And I think that all of us can relate to the joyous feeling we get when our favorite authors have a new release, and we look forward to reading more of what we loved in their prior novels. So when an author continues to deliver well-developed and thoughtfully-written books, it becomes a “go-to” at the top of my recommendations list for anyone in search of a reading suggestion (no matter the age).
Sherlock Bones is the best detective in the world, and Dr. Jane Catson is his able-bodied feline assistant. After having just solved a crime in Germany, the pair find themselves on a delayed train ride to Paris and Catson sees a magician onboard named Otto the Great. They had witnessed his act the night before, but no one believes that Catson saw the famed showman on the train when he appears to have vanished the following morning…except for Sherlock Bones. It takes the crime-fighting duo an exhaustive search to uncover a shred of evidence in order to convince the guard of the train; but even that lead falls quickly dead. And when they do manage to locate Otto, they soon learn from him the knowledge of an upcoming robbery he is trying to stop. The problem is…they only have his word and no proof for the authorities. Will Bones, Catson, and Otto successfully stop the thieves in time?
Despite this being in a series, I find that each book can be read as a standalone thus far. Author Tim Collins has vivid characters who continue to delight in their attitudes and individual characteristics. He does a great job at merging an animal’s normal attributes into their human-like forms inside the book, and the drawings done by John Bigwood adds that perfect touch to this fun story. There are also a number of puzzles scattered throughout the pages for the reader to flex their brain muscles. And they are not just meant for younger readers either! Overall, this novel is a terrific read that I would highly suggest to anyone who enjoys fun mysteries with a solid plot and a few twists/turns along the way.
Looking forward to the next one!
Just a Side Note: Some websites have this title listed as being the second in the series, but the second installment is actually Sherlock Bones and the Curse of the Pharaoh's Mask. If you would like to read over my review of that book, please click here.
Want to buy your own copy of the above-mentioned book? While I picked mine up at an indie bookshop, and would normally recommend heading to your local stores, this book series is rather difficult to find. In this case, I would have to suggest purchasing it through Amazon.
But don't forgot about Bookshop.org for all of your other bookish needs. It is a great website where you can buy any genre book and a portion of the sale goes to whichever bookshop you choose.
Thanks for reading my reviews and see ya next time!
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