When London is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and father, Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. This suspenseful, humorous, and engaging book offers an intriguing reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes story. Whether you read it for personal interest or for book club, this novel has a variety of thought-provoking themes that are topics for great discussion. ( )

Recommended by Ella S.
Narrated by Kate Reading.

A marvelous twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes character and tales! "Sherlock" is Charlotte Holmes, the brilliant and observant youngest daughter of her family. She wishes to live independently, and so she wants to become headmistress of a boarding school, but she needs her father to foot the bill for her education. He promises to do so, but goes back on his word, so Charlotte takes a drastic step that backfires, effectively ejecting her from society. Fortunately (well, with a bit of machination on Lord Ingram's part), Charlotte meets "Mrs. Watson," a well-off widow who asks Charlotte to be her companion.

Meanwhile, three apparently unrelated deaths may be connected, and Charlotte/Sherlock works to solve what she believes are murders. She is partly motivated by the puzzle, but partly motivated by her desire to clear her beloved sister Livia's and her father's names of possible blame - for one of the dead is Lady Shrewsbury, who Livia fought with (on Charlotte's behalf) the night before her death.

Steeped in period detail and period methods of murder (chloral, laudanum, and arsenic were all in ready supply), this woman-centered mystery is richly satisfying and immensely clever. Kate Reading's performance is perfection. ( )

In order to avoid being subjected to the fate of a proper lady of her station (i.e., being married off to a man for whom she has no affection), Charlotte Holmes devised a plan that most assuredly prevented that scenario. Unfortunately, it also rendered her a social outcast. Now on her own in London seeking lodgings and employment under an assumed name, she perceives that her unique skillset surrounding attention to detail may be of service to a criminal investigation, as well as her own salvation.

I wasn't sure I wanted to get into a new mystery series without having finished Flavia de Luce (just two left to go!), but I'm glad I did. This is a delightful twist on classic Sherlock Holmes, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The characters and their backstories were interesting and intriguing, and I appreciated identifying the parallels among the characters, their relationships, and the traditional cases the "real" Sherlock worked on. Looking forward to the next book, as there is lots of potential and even a few unresolved subplots. ( )

"Do not undervalue what you are ultimately worth because you are at a momentary disadvantage."

Charlotte Holmes's older sister Livia has had 8 seasons with no wedding proposals, and Charlotte, who would prefer not to marry, has tried to comfort her sister that she has a plan. A plan that would benefit them both, giving them independence and financial freedom to enjoy life together. Livia wants details, but Charlotte thinks it best if Livia learns the details after success. Livia has every confidence in her sister but can't imagine her life if Charlotte's plan fails.

I didn't know what to expect, and it was a creative delight! The story started slowly, and for some of the scenes, I began to enjoy picturing them in my mind with the actors and actresses from "Bridgerton." Then all at once, thoughts of "Bridgerton" were far from my mind as the story picked up from the moment Charlotte Holmes met Mrs. John Watson. Inspector Treadles and Sergeant MacDonald from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Metropolitan Police Department have been quite successful in completing their investigations. Will they be successful in achieving the latest case involving upper-class society? And then there's Lord Ingram. Oh, Lord Ingram Ashburton. The banter between Charlotte and Lord Ingram adds the perfect sparks that twinkle and dazzle their conversations and musings.

I look forward to reading more of the series! ( )

Somewhat hard to keep everyone and their relationships straight. ( )