On the Case with Holmes and Watson, Graphic Novel Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes Stories

When we were putting together our list of new children and young adult mystery and suspense books for November, we came across a new series of "On the Case with Holmes and Watson" graphic novel adaptations of Sherlock Holmes stories that we wanted to learn more about.

"Are you a detective?" Get on the case with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to solve an impossible mystery. See if you can figure out how Holmes pulls the facts together so quickly. Clues at the back of the book will reveal his process of reasoning and how he solved the crime.

There are currently six titles in the series, adapted by Murray Shaw and M. J. Cosson and illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach; three were published last August, three this month.

The titles are:

A Scandal in Bohemia: Has Sherlock Holmes met his match? (Cover illustrated above right.)

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are asked to help the King of Bohemia find a very important photograph. It won’'t be easy. The King's former love, Irene Adler, has hidden the photograph. Holmes must don a clever disguise, stage a brawl, and even fake a house fire to find the mysterious image! But has Holmes underestimated Irene Adler?

The Adventure of Abbey Grange: After a murder, lies run wild at the Abbey Grange. Will the truth be told?

Scotland Yard calls in Holmes and Watson to investigate the murder of Sir Eustace Brackenstall. But the evidence doesn't match up with the witnesses' stories. Holmes knows foul play is afoot. Will he find the killer? Or is this one mystery too difficult to solve?

The Adventure of the Blue Gem: A hat, a goose, and a priceless blue gem ... Can Sherlock Holmes add up the clues?

When countess's blue gem is stolen and winds up inside a goose, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson jump on the case. But will they ever find the thief? Or is it just a wild goose chase?

The Adventure of the Dancing Men: Can Holmes decode the message of the dancing men?

When Hilton Cubitt finds strange messages around his house, he is puzzled. When his wife sees them, she is terrified! Cubitt turns to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for answers. Will the duo be able to crack the case before disaster strikes?

The Adventure of the Speckled Band: "It was the band. The speckled band!"

After her sister Julia dies suddenly, Helen Stoner worries that she is the killer's next target. With her last words, Julia insisted that the "speckled band" murdered her. Can Holmes and Watson discover the identity of the speckled band before Helen falls victim as well?

The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire: A mother sucks the blood from her baby's neck! Could she be a vampire?

Do vampires really exist? Robert Ferguson thinks so. In fact, he believes his wife is one! He calls upon Holmes and Watson to solve the case. Will they find an explanation for the wife's strange behavior? Or are they facing a real vampire?

All books are in trade paperback format, are 48 pages in length, and have a list price of $6.95 each. See below an example of some of the pages from The Adventure of the Dancing Men:

It's not clear from the publisher's website if there are more titles to come, but this looks like an interesting series of adaptations of the stories from the Sherlock Holmes canon that would appeal to a wide range of readers ... ourselves included!