Shane Peacock Books In Order

Publication Order of Adam Books

Publication Order of The Boy Sherlock Holmes Books

Publication Order of The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim Books

Publication Order of The Dylan Maples Adventures Books

Publication Order of Northern Gothic Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Children's Books

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Seven Books

Publication Order of Seven Prequels Books

Publication Order of Seven Sequels Books

Shane Peacock is a Canadian author who has written a number of books, articles and plays both for adult and young readers. Shane is best known for his novel series Dylan Maple Adventure and Boy Sherlock Holmes. Shane was born in 1957 in Port Arthur, Canada before the Ontario city was conglomerated with Fort William to form Thunder Bay City. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Trent University and a Master’s in Literature from the University of Toronto. At Toronto, he passed through the hands of legendary novelist Robertson Davies. His extraordinary imagination was apparent from a young age, developing a fascination with eccentric events, places and people. This has come to reflect in the nature of his works, which typically feature unusual subjects. In the hassle of researching for his novels, he has picked up some not so conventional hobbies and skills like sumo eating, rope walking, trapeze flying and silent killing. He also enjoys some more conventional pastimes like hockey and quite naturally, reading. He lives in Cobourg, Ontario with his wife and three children.

Shane’s first successful work was the novel “The Mystery of Ireland’s Eye” from the series Dylan Maples Adventure having been published in 2000. The novel narrates the dangerous adventures of an 11-year-old Dylan on an abandoned Island, Ireland’s Eye in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. The young Dylan develops a strange craving to accompany his parents to Ireland’s Eye on sea kayaking trips. In order to actuate his dream, Dylan takes swimming and kayaking lessons over the course of a year until his parents allow him to accompany them. When he is finally ready to set off, he receives an ominous warning from an old man against setting foot on the island. Dylan is shaken but the beauty of the trip and his desire to figure out the supernatural call is too much to resist so he proceeds on. When his parents are captured by a gang led by the old man amid a plethora of strange happenings, Dylan has to show maturity and courage beyond his years to rescue them. The quest sends Dylan on a dangerous path that ultimately yields impressive transformation for the young boy and a coming to terms with the death of his grandfather years before. He uses vivid narration to immerse the reader into the events and sceneries of the story, which have a complicated mix of dread, suspense and humor. Ultimately, the book reads like an authentic story for young readers with some hard-to-believe events that will nonetheless placate young minds.

The “Eye of the Crow,” the first book in the Boy Sherlock Holmes series, came out in 2007 and is arguably Peacock’s most revered work. The book introduces the adapted story of revered fictional detective Sherlock Holmes as a young boy growing up in 19th century London. Holmes is the product of a taboo union between a poor Jewish dad and an aristocratic mom. Holmes finds himself castigated in society alongside his family, but he has a rare gift that helps make up for the social rejection. His unrivalled power of observation and induction become a subject of fascination for him and his acquaintances. He amuses himself by constructing the history of his subjects, which he induces from small details he observes. Soon he decides to try out his skills on a murder, a decision that plunges headlong him into trouble when he finds himself accused of the murder and faces the death sentence at thirteen. While he previously used his skills for fun, he now has to apply them to disentangle himself from the deadly web of confusion and save his neck. The Eye of the Crow, a recipient of the Junior Library Guild of America Premier Selection Awards, is a clear indication of Peacock’s literary prowess. This time, Peacock corrects the deficiencies of his previous work and delivers a masterpiece that is at home on middle school class tables as on the shelves of sophisticated adult readers.

Peacock continues Sherlock Holmes’ adventure with “Death in the Air,” the second novel in the series. The young Holmes has just solved his first case, the murder in East London but at a great personal cost. His mother is killed as retribution for his role in uncovering the killers. This only strengthens his resolve to use his extraordinary abilities to fight crime. He visits his estranged father in Crystal Palace in an attempt to reconnect with him and while there, he chances on his second case. While watching a perilous trapeze performance by the famed aerialist Monsieur Mercure, the performer plunges from the trapeze bar and lands with a horrifying thud a few feet from Holmes. While everyone around him loses their senses, Holmes observes the scene and notices that the trapeze bar is broken. He immediately senses foul play and is determined to find the perpetrator. Using his now fully developed inductive capabilities, he follows the killers on a dangerous trail that puts him at loggerheads with a deadly London gang. This action packed installment screams typical Shane Peacock. It is a high-adrenaline read with seldom slowing action, but he manages to take the reader on a violent rollercoaster of emotions; sadness, dread, laughter and triumph interchange in aggressive twists that few authors are capable of orchestrating.

When Peacock took on the challenge of delivering Boy Sherlock Holmes, he would have been forgiven for shuddering at the monumental task of doing justice to Arthur Conan Doyle’s own masterpiece that is staple of millions across the world. Yet, Peacock delivers a product that Doyle would be proud of. The young Sherlock Holmes mannerisms and shenanigans are very relatable to fans of the original work. This shows a very comprehensive construction process on the part of Peacock, which takes rigorous research and interest. His other works show the same level of commitment and talent. Generally, Peacock shows a leaning for “feel-good” narration, which is characterized by multiple instances of triumph, all working towards a final win for the protagonist. This is particularly popular with young male readership, the undoubted target of Peacock’s work.