Charlie Higson has given a thumbs up to Andrew Lane’s new Young Sherlock Holmes series. On the Amazon pre-order page for the U.S. edition of Death Cloud, there is a featured quote from the Young Bond author:

“What a blast. Weird murders, creepy villains, fiendish puzzles, non-stop action. What more could you want from a book?” -Charlie Higson, author of the internationally bestselling Young Bond series.

I agree. I think the first book is quite a “blast” and even makes for an acceptable Young Bond substitute (until we get news on whether Charlie will come back for a Series 2).

The first Young Sherlock Holmes book, Death Cloud, is out now in the UK. Book 2, Red Leech, will be released in November. Author Lane says the series will run for “possibly nine books” and will take Holmes right up to the moment he meets Dr. Watson.

Limited signed hardcover editions of both Death Cloud and Red Leech are available exclusively from Goldsboro Books.

More information on the series can be found at the official Young Sherlock Holmes website.