The Great Shelby Holmes and the Coldest Case

The Great Shelby Holmes #3

by Elizabeth Eulberg

Acclaimed author Elizabeth Eulberg continues her hilarious middle-grade twist on Sherlock Holmes as detective duo Shelby and Watson tackle their trickiest case yet--going undercover as figure skaters!

Being friends with a super sleuth isn't easy, especially when she's nine years old, four feet tall, and full of attitude. But for eleven-year-old John Watson, being friends with Shelby Holmes is just the adventure he's looking for.

After Watson's online journal chronicling his and Shelby's case-closing abilities attracts the attention of a newspaper reporter, the pair becomes a small "media sensation" in their Harlem neighborhood. So it's no surprise (at least, to Shelby!) when the article lands them a new client--a figure skating coach whose star athlete, Jordan Nelson, is receiving strange, threatening messages, written entirely in code.

There's no one better to crack the cipher than dynamic duo Shelby and Watson! But to gather information, Shelby decides that they'll have to go undercover . . . as an award-winning pair skating team. Can they use the laws of physics and their acting skills to maintain their covers and figure out who's sending Jordan such strange messages before it's too late?

Don't miss the rest of the Great Shelby Holmes
The Great Shelby Holmes
The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match
The Great Shelby Holmes and the Coldest Case
The Great Shelby Holmes and the Haunted Hound

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Classics, Juvenile, Fiction, Childrens

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2018

About the author

The short and sweet version:
Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the international bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, and Better Off Friends, along with the middle-grade series The Great Shelby Holmes and Scared Silly. She now lives in London where she spends her free time aimlessly wandering around historic streets and eating all the scones. ALL OF THEM.

To check out the long version, head over to my webpage: http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/bio/

Also, I'm not checking e-mails on my Goodreads, see my website for information on contacting me! http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/faq/

Happy reading!

Reviews

[Ella Storey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exciting and gripping. I never guessed who was sending Jordan mean messages and it was very clever how Shelby Holmes worked out and John finally went undercover...though, as a FIGURE SKATER!!! I was glad to finally meet his dad as well.

I recommend this book because it will inspire young people to become detectives. It is a joy to read and the tale is fascinating

[esther ⭐ (in school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was a short, sweet, and cozy mystery in which shelby and john try to find out why jordan has been receiving strange messages. it’s really interesting to see how shelby’s mind works, as well as follow them along their journey in solving the puzzling mystery. they have to decode ciphers and talk to many people, all of which added immensely to the story.

[BookChic Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great middle-grade mystery from Eulberg. I love this Shelby Holmes series so much!

[Eleanor Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eulberg continues to adapt Sherlock Holmes for middle graders, making her mysteries complex and compelling but set in situations relevant to modern middle schoolers.

http://www.pussreboots.com/blog/2018/...

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series! Sherlock Holmes adaptations are fun, but the twist of Sherlock being a little girl named Shelby is my favorite! Shelby and her 221 Baker Street neighbor, John Watson, are the perfect middle-grade crime-solving duo. John is steady and friendly, balancing out Shelby's social awkwardness. I really love them both, and Elizabeth Eulberg includes JUST the right amount of clever references to keep Sherlock fans laughing. (I won't spoil them, but you'll know when you find them!) I read the first book aloud to my 3rd grade students every year, and they are so excited to have more books to read when we finish! They are definitely meaty enough for 4th-6th graders too! I recommend reading the first two books as well - they have been favorites with my students!
Oh, and I almost forgot the ciphers! This case has a code to crack - and you can bet I worked hard to solve it before Shelby! (See kids, maybe I AM smarter than a 9 year old! LOL) I had high expectations after loving the first two books, and I was not disappointed. I really hope there will be more books in this series!

[SB Senpai Manga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson are back again with another adventure. Someone is threatening several competitive figure skaters with seemingly random ciphers and the young detectives are hired to solve it.
Right away this is definitely an homage to The Dancing Men story from Doyle, but just like with the past two books this one shows love to multiple versions of Holmes and Watson. In this book they go undercover as Roberta Downey and Julian Law (Get the joke?) to get as many clues as possible. This is clearly a nod to the fact that Holmes would often use disguises to get more info.
This book also features John’s dad and how they try to connect. This is particularly interesting since John is a child of recently divorced parents and it goes into the psyche of how children in this situation are affected yet still maintaining a balanced view of both parents. I think this was a good move to show this in a children’s book so that it can help children who are experiencing this to cope and understand what’s going on.
This is still another hit and great for fans both young and old of the great detective and doctor.

[Victoria Vivente · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Great Shelby Holmes and the Coldest Case, the brilliant, pint-sized detective and her loyal friend Watson are back for their most hilarious and high-stakes undercover mission yet. After their sleuthing skills land them a newspaper feature, they attract a new client: a figure skating coach whose star athlete is receiving bizarre, coded threats. To crack the case, Shelby decides she and Watson must go deep undercover… as an award-winning pairs skating team.

Elizabeth Eulberg delivers another pitch-perfect mystery that is equal parts clever, funny, and heartwarming. The dynamic between the fiercely intelligent Shelby and the good-hearted, often bewildered Watson is the series’ secret weapon, and their foray into the competitive world of figure skating provides endless laughs and genuine suspense. The coded messages are a satisfying puzzle, and the icy setting adds a fresh, fun twist.

A delightful, fast-paced read that proves this dynamic duo can solve any mystery, even if it requires a triple axel.

[Mísee J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another book that I got from my school. Being a teacher is fun when free books are involved. It was a more involved mystery than I originally thought. & yes, I did try to figure out the cyphers on my own before continuing the story. Mind your business... I loved it! It gave the book an interactive feel that you don't often get. I felt that I was a part of the mystery instead of just passing through. If I were still teaching forensic (high school) we would definitely have this on our list for this year.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main thing I want to comment on is Shelby's choice of undercover names for her and Watson. While I thought it was cute what the author did for I really enjoy the Sherlock Holmes movie remake with these actors, I also did mental face-palm, because it was borderline corny! I wonder what the actors thought about their names being loosely used in this Sherlock Holmes retelling. I think one of them would get a kick out of it. Overall, this book was a nice edition to the series.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A twist on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle characters, as these detectives are nine and eleven year old respectively and live in New York's Harlem. Hired to find out who is leaving coded messages, Shelby Holmes and John Watson find themselves in the world of competitive figure skating to crack this mystery. Shelby still enjoys a sweet treat, and John has to accept the realization of his current lifestyle. An enjoyable read.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson are at their sleuthing escapades again. A fun mystery with relatable characters and lighthearted plot and themes. I especially appreciate the way Eulberg touches on divorce from a kid’s perspective. It’s a side story, but really allows readers to connect with Watson at a deeper level. I recommend the whole Shelby Holmes series to kids and adults alike. Adults need more KidLit to brigthen the spirit.

[KP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so charming and sweet. But my favourite bit in this book is Shelby realizing she has been a bit of a bully and saying that she'll try to do better. I don't like it when Holmeses are mean and awful and cruel, and while Shelby is no where near the worst Holmes I've ever read in terms of that, I'm glad the author had Shelby think on her behaviour.

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t have much hope for this book. It was a mystery series book, the third book.I couldn’t solve the mystery. Usually, I can figure it out in a couple of chapters. This book had all the elements of a mystery, suspects, clues, red herrings. There were also other issues, divorce, diabetes, interracial friendships. Not bad at all. I might even read another book in this series.

[Katie Merkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! I meant to only read a chapter or two and finish the book over the next evenings, but I ended up reading the entire book that day. It's fun seeing how Eulberg weaves Sherlock trivia into her novels, like Easter eggs for Sherlock Holmes fans. I also love watching Shelby and Watson grow both as people and friends. I cannot wait to read the next book!

[Cate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cool middle grade mystery. Recommended for all Sherlock fans, young and old. There are also some really funny references from the Sherlock movies (featuring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law) and the BBC Sherlock Tv series.

[Deb Aronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

These characters are great fun and the cipher is a very clever device.

[David Fandel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to Lily

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good third novel in the series.

[Alice Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprised! I actually didn't guess the culprit.

[Jen Petro-Roy]

These books are so cute and so well done.