Since we are celebrating Children’s Day this month in India, I am tempted to select books which we enjoyed reading in our school and college days. And I am sure, we can read them again with the same amazement as we did back then.

I start with the classic book, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book which I read during my school days, became my favourite and created a special place in my mind for The Detective, Sherlock Holmes.

The story revolves around the curse that is supposed to be on the Baskerville family and the sinister events which take place on the “melancholy moor” of Devonshire. The descriptions of the moor and tor are certainly evocative and help create the eeriness.

I loved reading this book from start to finish without getting bored as, it’s not just the mystery but the notion that there might be something supernatural as well, pushes us to read further.

Small sub-plots, like Henry falling in love, or what was going on Charles Baskerville’s life before his untimely death, add to our interest and open possibilities for the sleuths in us to solve the case along with Holmes and Watson. A vivid reader possibly can guess the culprit before it is revealed. 😃

“The Hound of the Baskervilles”, is certainly entertaining and captivating. The story has everything, a legend, a mysterious death and a very eerie setting. The author has set up the mystery very nicely. The ending is no doubt very good, sound, and very clever.

Anyone, especially, children who enjoy mysterious, slightly spooky crime novels are bound to love this book.

©️✍️Sheetal Pradhan Deshpande