Reviewed by Elizabeth Bush (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Oct. 2007, Vol. 61, No. 2)
'No previous familiarity with Conan Doyle's stories is needed to enjoy this tale, but those who already know Holmes will appreciate allusions to coming attractions that flash through the boy's experience'

Reviewed by Jeffrey Canton (Quill & Quire, July/Aug. 2007, Vol. 73, No. 6)
'stunning new mystery series'

Reviewed by Shelle Rosenfeld (Booklist, Nov. 1, 2007, Vol 104, No. 5)

Reviewed by Sheila Fiscus (School Library Journal, Nov. 2007, Vol. 53, No. 11)

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As a long-time fan of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes, I thoroughly enjoyed Eye of the Crow, by Shane Peacock, a book written for young readers.

The author, Shane Peacock, creates a delightful and easily plausible backstory for the original, adult Holmes, describing his "first case" as an awkward young boy of thirteen years. Much of the book focuses on how, as a poor half-Jew in Victorian London, he lives the life of a child outcast. More than a compelling coming-of-age story, Eye of the Crow is a thrilling murder mystery that the young Holmes must solve before he himself becomes one of the accused --- or a victim. In some ways, this is an even better story than most of the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The plot is much less obvious, and the tension is more skillfully wrought. Moreover, the author paints an absolutely vivid description of 19th century London.

Much of the fun reading this book was, for me, seeing the seeds of Sherlock Holmes the man being planted in Sherlock Holmes the boy. We see, especially, how his parents had a profound influence on the development of the mature character. Because the book is written for young readers, and because many young readers would not, I suspect, be very familiar with the adult Holmes, these jewels may be lost on the target audience. Nevertheless, even readers lacking comprehension of this foreshadowing will enjoy this great mystery and period novel. ( )

Eye of the Crow tells the story of the 13-year-old Sherlock Holmes's first case and shows how his origins lead to his developing into Arthur Conan Doyle's famous character. Fans of the original Sherlock Holmes will likely not be disappointed. Peacock does an excellent job of developing an interesting plot, forming a faithful characterization of the young Sherlock Holmes, and recreating the atmosphere of 19th century London.

Those who are not already familiar with the Sherlock Holmes character will probably enjoy this introduction to the detective as well. My daughter read this book as part of the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading program, which selects outstanding Canadian books as finalists for its yearly awards program. Even though it did not win in the end, Eye of the Crow was enthusiastically received by my daughter and her classmates. However, she did find several of the scenes quite frightening, so I would recommend the book for ages 11 and up. ( )

A woman is found stabbed to death in London. A young boy is drawn to the scene to investigate the murder and becomes a suspect himself.

Tells the story of Sherlock Holmes as a teen and his first case. When a woman is found murdered, Holmes becomes a suspect and is thrown in jail. Aided by a girl who does charitable works, he is able to escape and hide out in her father's house while he tries to solve the mystery and clear his name. Addresses several peculiarities of Conan Doyle's character. ( )