The Case of the Scarlet Snakebite by Christyne Morrell

This Sherlock Holmes adventure plunges the legendary detective and Dr. Watson into a chilling triptych of mysteries, where a haunted house and a poet's demonic visions converge with the sinister world of black magic. The narrative cleverly weaves together a kidnapping with a confrontation against the infamous occultist Aleister Crowley and his scorned associate, promising a gothic thriller that tests the boundaries of logic and the supernatural. Young readers who relish classic detective stories with a dark, historical twist will find the atmospheric tension and intellectual puzzles utterly absorbing.

What makes this particular mystery distinctive is its framing as a suppressed case, one so terrifying that Watson allegedly chose not to publish it, hinting at a fear that even Holmes could not fully rationalize. This premise elevates the stakes beyond a typical whodunit, inviting middle-grade readers to ponder if some enigmas defy pure deduction. The book is an excellent choice for children fascinated by spooky tales, historical fiction, and complex plots that challenge the protagonist's core beliefs, leaving them with a lingering sense of eerie possibility long after the final page.