The Extraordinary & Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle: Number 1 in series

I'm always suspicious when introductions mention the age of the author. Sigh. This is indeed written by and for a (young) teenager. I couldn't make it more than 3 chapters in so take my review with a grain of salt. As another reviewer suggested, try Pullman or Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix if you want something in this genre that doesn't seem like a series of trite cliches.

If I had to sum up the book in one sentence it would be, “Doctor Who without the time travel.” Charming, funny, original, I really couldn’t find a flaw. Despite the infusions of magic and steampunk elements, the really standout feature of the book was the way Webb wove the historical details into her flawless prose. Evil fae folk aside, she has her history down pat. She brings it out in the little details of everyday life; weaving them in through what Tate smells and tastes as he walks on and under the streets of London. One particularly nice detail was Inspector Vellums’ methods of deduction. Vellums’ methods were considered groundbreaking in the field of police work during the Victorian era. Makes one wonder what innovations we will look back and shudder at.I do not understand why Horatio Lyle has such a bad rating on Amazon. Well plotted, dynamic three dimensional characters, with a charming cover… this book deserves so much better. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle is the first book in the Horatio Lyle series by British author, Catherine Webb. The scene is London, 1864. Horatio Lyle, son of Harry and Milly Lyle, is an enthusiastic inventor and occasional sleuth. Shortly after he catches young pick-pocket and thief, Teresa Hatch leaving the scene of her latest break-in (his house), he is called to the Palace by Lord Lincoln to temporarily resume his position as Special Constable. He is needed to investigate the theft from the Bank of England of, among other valuables, the Fuyun Plate, a Tibetan artefact made by a powerful race of angel-demons. He decides to take Tess along with him, as well as, of course, his faithful and very useful hound, Tate. At the Bank they encounter Master Thomas Edward Elwick, heir to the Third Baron of Elwick; Thomas is keen to be useful in the investigation, and this team of four soon find themselves involved in all sorts of escapades as they try to solve the robbery and find the Fuyun Plate before it falls into the wrong hands. While the details of the character backgrounds are sparse, their dialogue, their resourcefulness and their sense of adventure will certainly appeal to young readers, as will the myriad of inventions (dynamos, flash bombs, tasers, chemical explosives) and the non-stop action (abseiling down buildings, zip-lining, roof-top chases, sliding down bannisters, fights with evil beings wielding crossbows). Webb has fun with character names (Tate and Lyle, Inspector Vellum, Miss Mercy Chaste, the vicar’s daughter, Mr Dew) in this fight between inventive, scientific Londoners and a decidedly malevolent army of a quite different sort of greenie. Young fans will look forward to the second book in the series, The Obsidian Dagger. A fun read.

"When mystery beckons, he gathers his courage, sharpens his wits and fills his pockets with things that explode."How could you not enjoy a book with that as the back cover copy? Catherine Webb's brilliant world of Horatio Lyle, special constable and inventor, is the intersection of Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and Harry Potter. Full of sly wit, adventure, and well, things that explode, The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle is quite likely to be the best book no one will hear of this year.When a culturally significant artifact, the Fuyun Plate, is stolen from the Bank of England and the theives that stole it are murdered, Constable Lyle is called in to solve the mystery. Assisted by his loyal dog Tate, the reformed (read: caught) theif Tess and the amiable Thomas, son of Lord Elwick, the plate's guardian, Lyle matches wits with a very odd group of people who need the plate for a special ritual. Will Horatio save the day or will the menacing Lord Moncorvo have his wicked way?Beyond the highly enjoyable story, Webb's characters are just as vivid as the world they inhabit. In fact, it is easy to see the book becoming a BBC miniseries staring David Tennant (although Johnny Depp could certainly pull off the role with panahe) Biting wit will keep adults entertained - not that they need to be with the extraordinary and unusual adventures going on - as children will cheer Lyle and his associates on. Read this, and you'll be impatiently waiting for the next book in Webb's series to be released.Read it. Now.

The Horatio Lyle series is my favorite series that no one else has ever heard of. Sherlock Holmes collides with Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the middle of a science fair in Victorian London. Mystery, unique uses for everyday science, and evil supernatural creatures lurking in fog-shrouded streets. What more could you ask for?Horatio is smart, occasionally sarcastic, and far braver than he thinks (though he's still sensible enough to run away when it's clearly the best course of action). His affection for his young sidekicks - the hilarious pickpocket Tess and the charmingly brilliant-but-awkward Thomas - is touching and makes for a strong emotional core to the books.Webb's prose is experimental, but almost always a delight. She settles down in the next two books of the series and her writing becomes even stronger. The most amazing thing is that she was only 19 when she wrote this first book. I'm excited to see where she goes in her career.There are two more books in the series after this one - two more unusual and extraordinary adventures - and they just get better. I can't praise this series highly enough, and I can't wait for book four.

I haven't quite finished reading this book, however it is surprising that I have managed to get this far with only 21 pages left to read. I always understood that the first chapter in a book was supposed to hook the reader in to reading more. This book started most peculiarly, no hook and I nearly deleted it from my kindle. However as I persevered it did become more interesting and towards the end quite exciting- so don't let the first few chapters put you off.

At first I wondered if the author had written this under the influence of a witching moon or magic mushrooms. One feels, often, as though one is overhearing a patchy conversation without the benefit of observing what is happening, but it does hang together and work. A fun read.

This reminded me of Ben aranovicth . same kind of style but not as good. All similar characters right down to the dog

Recommended. First of this series I have read and found it a good read.

Excellent read