Reynie is an intelligent eleven-year-old orphan who reads in the paper that someone is looking for gifted children in search of special opportunities. Reynie wouldn't mind finding a special opportunity in life, as he's very much an outsider and alone. It is in this way that he and three other gifted loner-children meet the mysterious Mr. Benedict, a cheerful narcoleptic who has an important, dangerous mission for them to accomplish--- a mission that can only be accomplished by children.

One of my favorite things about this book is how the children are... intelligent. :o) It's nice to read about smart-yet-believable kids. They're not two-dimensional characters who are limited and defined by their intelligence; rather, they're children who also happen to be smart, each in their own way. Another fun part of this book was its dependency upon puzzles, especially in the early chapters. The characters have to pass a series of tests, and the reader has a lot of fun trying to figure things out before the characters do. This book has wit and humor to spare. If you're daunted by the thickness of the book, don't worry; it's a fast, enjoyable read.

Ever since Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his fans have been writing their own stories--- called Sherlockian pastiche, rather than fanfic--- regarding his adventures, and this anthology continues that tradition. Here, ten original stories and a handful of essays by fifteen authors have been compiled for the benefit of the reader who can't get enough of the world's most famous detective.

The essays were a little flat, but the majority of the stories were very enjoyable. There were occasions when Americanisms seeped through the supposed British flavor of the stories--- but for the most part, they did a good job of mimicking Doyle's stylistic elements. Mysteries lend themselves very well to the short-story format, so in addition to recommending this book to those who already love Sherlock Holmes, I would also suggest it to a reluctant reader who is looking for bite-sized, easily digestible mysteries.