This begins more like a second standalone book and rolls back a lot of the character development I have seen in the first book. Especially holmes has gotten more gimmicky than ever and lost a lot of what made him interesting not only as comedic relief but also as a genuine character.
This reads a bit like the author went into this with the goal of just trying to repeat whatever made the first book successful and not like an actual continuation.
This might not be entirely fair as there are a few changes to the formula like a female potential love interest as well as more gimmicky holmes stuff.
But holmes just got on my nerves instead of being funny or entertaining so I ended up dropping the audiobook after a bit under 2 hours.
I liked him as a character. He developed from a gimmick into a character in the first book which I enjoyed but I am not willing to go through that process yet again. Sure, he can be eccentric and difficult, that is fine, but this is just tacky. ( )

This is the second book in Drew Hayes' Sherman Holmes series. The characters in this book are much better developed than in the first book which makes it more entertaining. Like the other Drew Hayes books, this one is light and entertaining. ( )

The World's Greatest Detective and his Watson take on their very first case, The Case of the Haunted Haunted House, the second book in the 5-minute Sherlock series by Drew Hayes. The two are hired by a young lady to investigate a local "haunted" house attraction where some of the haunts have gone off script and the otherworldly interference is suspected. Sherman and Watson are on the case!

This was a fun, quirky caper. It gave me a sort of Scooby-Doo vibe as Sherman and Watson began their investigation. The manor was built by a genius and is rumored to contain a hidden treasure for any who can survive and solve the traps that guard the house inside and out. I wonder if the author was inspired by the Winchester Mystery house at all. It was great to get to know the supporting cast and it even looks like Watson could have a potential romantic interest in the future. Best of all is how Sherman and Watson's friendship and understanding of each other grow throughout the book.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Scott Aiello. Again Aiello does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.

I'm looking forward to the next case that Sherman and Watson take on. ( )