The Beast of Blackslope

The Sherlock Files #2

By: Tracy Barrett

Narrated by: John Allen Nelson

Xena and Xander Holmes are back . . . and so is a mysterious beast from Sherlock’s casebook!

Xena and Xander have been looking forward to their vacation in the peaceful country village of Blackslope. But when a huge monster begins to terrorize the town, the young detectives are faced with a mystery that seems impossible to solve.

Sherlock Holmes, Xena and Xander’s famous ancestor, investigated the case of a horrible beast in Blackslope, but that was nearly a hundred years ago. It couldn’t be the same creature after all this time—or could it?

Bring back Mr. Pittu, please.

The book may have been good, but the narrator can't carry it off. Little distinction among characters, and much of it sounds like a first read-through with no directorial reflection or correction. Children's voices are not whiny, and boredom doesn't pervade their inflection patterns all the time, and yet that's what it seems this narrator is doing. The narrator on Book 1, David Pittu, was excellent, with good characterization and appropriate vocal subtlety for the story-line. I see this current narrator is also on board for book 3. I guess I'll not be listening to any more of these.