Paperback ©2016 | -- |
Place and culture assume prominent roles in this series kickoff starring a 10-year-old sleuth in Singapore. Samuel Tan Cher Lock's main interests are food and solving mysteries, so when his Peranakan (i.e., of Chinese descent) auntie Kim Lian's treasured volume of family recipes goes missing, he's immediately on the case. Accompanied by his annoying but useful homemade robot Watson, he gathers clues, makes deductions, and, amid frequent references to Chinese foods us fart jokes and snarky repartee roes in on a thief who has taken the book in an effort to rescue her mother's failing restaurant. On the side, Sam also deductively tracks down his excitable cousin Jimmy's (supposedly) escaped hamster. Both the clever detective work and the fart jokes continue in the copublished sequel, Sherlock Sam and the Ghostly Moans in Fort Canning. Both episodes feature occasional monochrome cartoon vignettes of the chubby gumshoe on the trail, plus glossaries and cast lists at the end. The setting adds rich flavor to these easily digestible capers.
Kirkus ReviewsA new kid-detective series offers a cross-cultural twist.Samuel Tan Cher Lock is a Chinese boy growing up in Singapore. He prefers to go by Sherlock Sam after his hero, Sherlock Holmes. While ever hungry narrator Sam will be familiar to many food-crazy Singaporeans, American readers may get frustrated at the numerous unfamiliar terms such as kaya toast and Khong Guan biscuits ("biscuits" actually refers to cookies); the lengthy and informative glossary will help. Hopefully Sam's knack for digging up details and smart deductions will keep readers flipping the pages. Regardless, this food-related mystery is a perfect introduction to the series. Auntie Kim Lian has promised to cook Sam's favorite dish, ayam buah keluak (chicken cooked in black nut sauce), but her family cookbook is missing and she can't make it without the recipe! Sam is determined to find the cookbook and have ayam buah keluak for dinner. Together with his crew—wisecracking robot Watson, big sister Wendy, and classmate Jimmy—Sam retraces Auntie Kim Lian's steps all over the Katong neighborhood. After a day of sleuthing, everyone is ready to give up. However, Sherlock Sam has a stroke of genius and solves the mystery—at a restaurant no less! In addition to a smattering of black-and-white line drawings that liven up the story, the glossary in the back explains both the Singapore slang and foods mentioned in the book. The sequel, Sherlock Sam and the Ghostly Moans in Fort Canning, publishes simultaneously. A funny, fast-paced mystery with many Singapore-specific details that provide cultural flavor. (list of characters) (Mystery. 7-9)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Aspiring 10-year-old detective Samuel Tan Cher Lock, who prefers to go by Sherlock Sam, and his robot sidekick, Watson, prove that the promise of food is a great way to solve a mystery in this series opener from Low, a pseudonym for the husband-and-wife writing team of Adan Jimenez and Felicia Low-Jimenez. Auntie Kim Lian-s heirloom recipe book is missing, and it-s up to Sherlock Sam to find it so that Auntie can make her famous
ALA Booklist (Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
An exciting new update of the classic Sherlock Holmes detective stories in which Sherlock is a 10-year-old kid living in Singapore and Watson is his trusty robot companion!
Introducing the Sherlock Sam series by A.J. Low—a fresh, cross-cultural twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, tailored for middle-grade readers. Set in iconic Singapore locations, the series follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving 10-year-old Samuel Tan Cher Lock (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam), Watson, his reluctant robot sidekick, and the rest of the Supper Club (a “Scooby Doo gang,” of sorts) as they prove that mysteries are best solved through teamwork.
In Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong, Auntie Kim Lian’s precious Peranakan cookbook disappears, and Sherlock Sam cannot eat her delicious ayam buah keluak anymore! Will Sherlock Sam be able to use his super detective powers to find this lost treasure?
Praise:
“A promising adventure series with Super Sleuth Sherlock Sam! His insatiable appetite to sample Singapore’s popular foods and never-give-up attitude to solving mysteries will keep readers glued till the last page.”
—Adeline Foo, author of the bestselling series The Diary of Amos Lee
“A thrilling kid’s detective romp in the grand tradition of Famous Five, with a lovable robot and delicious Peranakan food!”
—Otto Fong, author of Sir Fong’s Adventures In Science
“Sherlock Sam and Watson are set to become one of Singapore’s favourite detective duos! Sam’s preoccupation with food struck a familiar chord with the Singaporean in me and Watson’s deadpan one-liners had me laughing out loud. What afun-filled, food-filled adventure story! This is a delicious read that will certainly warm your heart like a good serving of ayam buah keluak!”
—Emily Lim, award-winning author of Tibby, the Tiger Bunny and Prince Bear & Pauper Bear
“Watson is a delightful creation. He follows a rich line of great robot companions from Star War’s R2D2 to Star Trek’s Data; no detective should leave home without one!”
—Sonny Liew, Eisner-nominated author of Malinky Robot
“A genius kid detective would be good. A genius kid detective with a wise-acre robot sidekick is even better. Add a wicked sense of humor and you’ve one of the sharpest, funniest books you’ll read all year.”
—Hal Johnson, author of Immortal Lycanthropes
“This book will definitely draw you in with its twists and turns that will leave you guessing with each turn of the page who the culprits are. There are also many funny lines from Watson that will cause you to burst out in laughter.”
—Seow Kai Lun, ?Singapore's Child
“A clever, entertaining and funny children's novel...a promising start to a new book series [with] bold and whimsical illustrations by drewscape”
—Tina Gan, Red Dot Diva
“This debut local novel is rich (in local references) and satisfying (as a mystery story).”
—Stephani Yeo, Young Parents
“BOTH boys were clamouring to read the book first, so I was left with no choice but to read the book TOGETHER with the both of them...I found it to be utterly captivating enough to make me want to complete the book in one sitting...the localized dialogue is hilariously tongue-in-cheek and the book's subtle appeal to a child's instinct for the mysterious proved to be just what kept both Ash and Ayd deeply intrigued.”
—Kelvin Ang, Cheekiemonkies
“A.J. Low have created an intriguing tale which would keep young readers eager to find out what happens next, while subtly documenting old-school landmarks such as Chin Mee Chin Confectionery and Katong Antique House. Looks set to be a betseller.”
—Clara Chow, My Paper
“I like this book because it leaves you with questions in your mind which make you want to keep reading.”
—Greta Roberts, 9, in Expat Living Singapore