The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle

by Catherine Webb

Book Overview

In Victorian London at the height of the industrial revolution, Horatio Lyle is a former Special Constable with a passion for science and invention. He's also an occasional, but reluctant, sleuth. The truth is that he'd rather be in his lab tinkering with dangerous chemicals and odd machinery than running around the cobbled streets of London trying to track down stolen goods. But when Her Majesty's Government calls, Horatio swaps his microscope...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1904233619
• ISBN13: 9781904233619
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Atom Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Utterly delightful.

The Horatio Lyle series is my favorite series that no one else has ever heard of. Sherlock Holmes collides with Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the middle of a science fair in Victorian London. Mystery, unique uses for everyday science, and evil supernatural creatures lurking in fog-shrouded streets. What more could you ask for? Horatio is smart, occasionally sarcastic, and far braver than he thinks (though he's still sensible enough to run away when it's clearly the best course of action). His affection for his young sidekicks - the hilarious pickpocket Tess and the charmingly brilliant-but-awkward Thomas - is touching and makes for a strong emotional core to the books. Webb's prose is experimental, but almost always a delight. She settles down in the next two books of the series and her writing becomes even stronger. The most amazing thing is that she was only 19 when she wrote this first book. I'm excited to see where she goes in her career. There are two more books in the series after this one - two more unusual and extraordinary adventures - and they just get better. I can't praise this series highly enough, and I can't wait for book four.

Doctor Who Meets Sherlock Holmes

"When mystery beckons, he gathers his courage, sharpens his wits and fills his pockets with things that explode." How could you not enjoy a book with that as the back cover copy? Catherine Webb's brilliant world of Horatio Lyle, special constable and inventor, is the intersection of Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and Harry Potter. Full of sly wit, adventure, and well, things that explode, The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle is quite likely to be the best book no one will hear of this year. When a culturally significant artifact, the Fuyun Plate, is stolen from the Bank of England and the theives that stole it are murdered, Constable Lyle is called in to solve the mystery. Assisted by his loyal dog Tate, the reformed (read: caught) theif Tess and the amiable Thomas, son of Lord Elwick, the plate's guardian, Lyle matches wits with a very odd group of people who need the plate for a special ritual. Will Horatio save the day or will the menacing Lord Moncorvo have his wicked way? Beyond the highly enjoyable story, Webb's characters are just as vivid as the world they inhabit. In fact, it is easy to see the book becoming a BBC miniseries staring David Tennant (although Johnny Depp could certainly pull off the role with panahe) Biting wit will keep adults entertained - not that they need to be with the extraordinary and unusual adventures going on - as children will cheer Lyle and his associates on. Read this, and you'll be impatiently waiting for the next book in Webb's series to be released. Read it. Now.