On This Page
Description
The game is afoot as Charlotte Holmes returns in USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas' Victorian-set Lady Sherlock series.Being shunned by Society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. As "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, she's had great success helping with all manner of inquiries, but she's not prepared for the new client who arrives at her Upper Baker Street office.
Lady Ingram, show more wife of Charlotte's dear friend and benefactor, wants Sherlock Holmes to find her first love, who failed to show up at their annual rendezvous. Matters of loyalty and discretion aside, the case becomes even more personal for Charlotte as the missing man is none other than Myron Finch, her illegitimate half brother.
In the meanwhile, Charlotte wrestles with a surprising proposal of marriage, a mysterious stranger woos her sister Livia, and an unidentified body surfaces where least expected. Charlotte's investigative prowess is challenged as never before: Can she find her brother in time—or will he, too, end up as a nameless corpse somewhere in the belly of London?
. show less
Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This series continues to evolve nicely as Charlotte and her team set up their detective business under a male nom de plume: Sherlock Holmes. Much intrigue and complex ciphers to be challenged as affairs of state intrude in their work for Lady Ashton. Another proposal of marriage, from Lord Bancroft, is accepted with conditions and Charlotte seeks a lost brother who may be the perpetrator or victim of a homicide. The good news is that the game remains afoot and there is a third installment in this enjoyable series.
Disgraced Charlotte Holmes has found a home with the widowed Mrs Watson and an income under the persona of “Sherlock Holmes”. Her latest case sounds simple -- a married woman seeks assurances that the man she loves is still alive and well -- but raises a lot of questions. The married woman is Lady Ingram, the wife of Charlotte’s closest friend, and the man she wants found is Charlotte’s half-brother. Meanwhile, Charlotte has a marriage proposal to consider and ciphers to crack, there’s a murder victim to identify and her sister Livia is charmed by a stranger in a bookshop.
I like the way certain qualities of Doyle’s characters have been assigned to different characters -- so Livia is writing stories about Sherlock Holmes, and show more Mrs Watson’s niece has medical training.
I enjoyed reading this and immediately embarked on the next book.
“To be thought of as the perfect woman for a man isn't a compliment to a woman, it's more about how a man sees himself -- and what he needs.” Miss Holmes sighed. “Should we marry, either I will be exhausted trying to keep his illusion intact -- or Lord Bancroft will be severely disappointed in his choice. Likely both.”
Mrs Watson couldn’t help herself. “What does Lord Ingram think of you?”
“Lord Ingram?” The movement of Miss Holmes’ lips could either indicate a smile or a moment of ruefulness. “He has always understood that I am one of the most imperfect women alive. Thank goodness.” show less
I like the way certain qualities of Doyle’s characters have been assigned to different characters -- so Livia is writing stories about Sherlock Holmes, and show more Mrs Watson’s niece has medical training.
I enjoyed reading this and immediately embarked on the next book.
“To be thought of as the perfect woman for a man isn't a compliment to a woman, it's more about how a man sees himself -- and what he needs.” Miss Holmes sighed. “Should we marry, either I will be exhausted trying to keep his illusion intact -- or Lord Bancroft will be severely disappointed in his choice. Likely both.”
Mrs Watson couldn’t help herself. “What does Lord Ingram think of you?”
“Lord Ingram?” The movement of Miss Holmes’ lips could either indicate a smile or a moment of ruefulness. “He has always understood that I am one of the most imperfect women alive. Thank goodness.” show less
This is an outstanding, excellently written, well plotted, well-paced mystery populated with equally outstanding characters. This author has taken Sherlock Holmes and turned him inside out and made him her own. I want to tell you everything – because everything is so good – but I also don’t want to spoil the mystery for you. My advice – skip this review, go out and buy it right now and read it immediately – you won’t be sorry. One thing I will suggest though – read the first book first because it explains exactly who Charlotte Holmes is – her history, her family and her beginnings as Sherlock.
This book begins the day after the first book, A Study In Scarlet Women, ends. In that book, Charlotte, along with Lord Ingram show more Ashburton and Inspector Treadles solved a triple murder. Inspector Treadles of the Criminal Investigation Division of Scotland yard is having a very, very hard time dealing with the fact that Sherlock Holmes, a male, is actually Charlotte Holmes, a female. Turns out Treadles may not be as accepting as he thought himself to be. He’s also learned that his wife has aspirations in addition to just being his wife. He’s begun to separate himself from his wife and has no desire to consult with Sherlock any longer. He’s also being cool toward his esteemed friend Lord Ingram. I have a feeling that Inspector Treadles has a grand epiphany coming up in a future book.
Mrs. John Watson and Charlotte have devised a way for Charlotte to act as Sherlock Holmes, consult with clients and actually make a living from it. It works out wonderfully well and they are off to a really good start with a profitable business. Mrs. Watson has a unique set of household employees and we meet them in this book. We also meet Mrs. Watson’s niece, Penelope Redmayne, and you will love that young lady. I hope she becomes a regular, recurring character.
Charlotte is astonished when she receives an envelope addressed to Sherlock Holmes – and it has been typed on Lord Ingram’s typewriter. Charlotte knows it can’t be from Lord Ingram because he has no reason to request an appointment – he could just come to see her. So, Charlotte deduces that it has to be from Lady Ingram. Uh-Oh. Should Charlotte refuse to see her? Well, to Charlotte’s logical mind, she thinks she should see her and help if she can.
These stories are all fast-paced, exciting and they have a lot going on – so – settle in, put your seatbelt on and prepare for the ride! We learned in the last book that Lord and Lady Ingram share nothing except the same address. In this book, we learn so very much more – and we learn what a perfidious woman Lady Ingram is.
Lady Ingram has a case for Sherlock and it is a doozie. When she was younger, she was desperately in love with a young man her family deemed unsuitable. She was then forced to marry the wealthy lord who had proposed to her. Her parents knew that he loved her so they couldn’t understand what her problem was. She and her young man made a pact that they would never, ever have contact again after she married, but once a year, at an appointed time, they would each walk past the Albert Memorial, just so they could each assure that the other was well. This year, he didn’t show up and she’s frantic with worry for him. Did he lose interest after all these years? Is he hurt or sick? Has he died? She just has to know. The name of this long ago love? Myron Finch. That is also the name of Charlotte’s illegitimate half-brother. – the plot thickens.
Charlotte and Mrs. Watson set about their investigation of the lost love and at the same time, Charlotte is dealing with the second proposal of marriage from Lord Bancroft. He had proposed before and she’d turned him down. This time though, she’ll give it some thought. She’s afraid that she won’t have enough to do to keep her mind occupied if she marries. Bancroft has a solution for that – he starts giving her some very, very difficult ciphers to solve – and some of those lead to even bigger mysteries – such as an address where a murder has just occurred and she encounters a very aloof Inspector Treadles. Is the victim the missing Myron Finch? Then – who is the Moriarty that even Bancroft seems to be wary of? Is either of them – or both – related to the murder victim? Well – you’ll just have to read the book to see.
The end – the wrap-up – of this very creative and exciting book will not only surprise you – it will shock you. I usually have the whole thing figured out very early on, but I sure didn’t see that one coming. Well done Ms. Thomas!
There is a budding romance for Livia and I’m excited to see where that goes. What happens so far is really sweet. There isn’t any ‘advancement’ of the romance between Lord Ingram and Charlotte because – well – he’s married and Lord Ingram is much too honorable to do anything outside the bounds of his vows. We do learn more about him and the relationship that he and Charlotte have. He even encourages her about Bancroft’s proposal – not happily, but he does encourage her.
I love historical mysteries, but, for me, they have to have a wonderful love story included. So, I’ll be interested to see if this author delivers that. If she does, it will be interesting to see how she has non-sentimental, touch-averse, logical Charlotte handle it. We are well aware that Charlotte loves Lord Ingram and that he loves her – the interesting part will be how Charlotte handles anything that happens. If it doesn’t work out for them, I’ll probably soon lose interest in the series no matter how interesting the mysteries are.
This is a very busy book. I believe that is probably a hallmark of this author and her writing style and I really like that about the books. You definitely won’t get bored and start skimming pages because if you do, you’ll miss something really important.
I very highly recommend this book because it is excellently done. I do, however, recommend reading the first book in the series before you read this one. show less
This book begins the day after the first book, A Study In Scarlet Women, ends. In that book, Charlotte, along with Lord Ingram show more Ashburton and Inspector Treadles solved a triple murder. Inspector Treadles of the Criminal Investigation Division of Scotland yard is having a very, very hard time dealing with the fact that Sherlock Holmes, a male, is actually Charlotte Holmes, a female. Turns out Treadles may not be as accepting as he thought himself to be. He’s also learned that his wife has aspirations in addition to just being his wife. He’s begun to separate himself from his wife and has no desire to consult with Sherlock any longer. He’s also being cool toward his esteemed friend Lord Ingram. I have a feeling that Inspector Treadles has a grand epiphany coming up in a future book.
Mrs. John Watson and Charlotte have devised a way for Charlotte to act as Sherlock Holmes, consult with clients and actually make a living from it. It works out wonderfully well and they are off to a really good start with a profitable business. Mrs. Watson has a unique set of household employees and we meet them in this book. We also meet Mrs. Watson’s niece, Penelope Redmayne, and you will love that young lady. I hope she becomes a regular, recurring character.
Charlotte is astonished when she receives an envelope addressed to Sherlock Holmes – and it has been typed on Lord Ingram’s typewriter. Charlotte knows it can’t be from Lord Ingram because he has no reason to request an appointment – he could just come to see her. So, Charlotte deduces that it has to be from Lady Ingram. Uh-Oh. Should Charlotte refuse to see her? Well, to Charlotte’s logical mind, she thinks she should see her and help if she can.
These stories are all fast-paced, exciting and they have a lot going on – so – settle in, put your seatbelt on and prepare for the ride! We learned in the last book that Lord and Lady Ingram share nothing except the same address. In this book, we learn so very much more – and we learn what a perfidious woman Lady Ingram is.
Lady Ingram has a case for Sherlock and it is a doozie. When she was younger, she was desperately in love with a young man her family deemed unsuitable. She was then forced to marry the wealthy lord who had proposed to her. Her parents knew that he loved her so they couldn’t understand what her problem was. She and her young man made a pact that they would never, ever have contact again after she married, but once a year, at an appointed time, they would each walk past the Albert Memorial, just so they could each assure that the other was well. This year, he didn’t show up and she’s frantic with worry for him. Did he lose interest after all these years? Is he hurt or sick? Has he died? She just has to know. The name of this long ago love? Myron Finch. That is also the name of Charlotte’s illegitimate half-brother. – the plot thickens.
Charlotte and Mrs. Watson set about their investigation of the lost love and at the same time, Charlotte is dealing with the second proposal of marriage from Lord Bancroft. He had proposed before and she’d turned him down. This time though, she’ll give it some thought. She’s afraid that she won’t have enough to do to keep her mind occupied if she marries. Bancroft has a solution for that – he starts giving her some very, very difficult ciphers to solve – and some of those lead to even bigger mysteries – such as an address where a murder has just occurred and she encounters a very aloof Inspector Treadles. Is the victim the missing Myron Finch? Then – who is the Moriarty that even Bancroft seems to be wary of? Is either of them – or both – related to the murder victim? Well – you’ll just have to read the book to see.
The end – the wrap-up – of this very creative and exciting book will not only surprise you – it will shock you. I usually have the whole thing figured out very early on, but I sure didn’t see that one coming. Well done Ms. Thomas!
There is a budding romance for Livia and I’m excited to see where that goes. What happens so far is really sweet. There isn’t any ‘advancement’ of the romance between Lord Ingram and Charlotte because – well – he’s married and Lord Ingram is much too honorable to do anything outside the bounds of his vows. We do learn more about him and the relationship that he and Charlotte have. He even encourages her about Bancroft’s proposal – not happily, but he does encourage her.
I love historical mysteries, but, for me, they have to have a wonderful love story included. So, I’ll be interested to see if this author delivers that. If she does, it will be interesting to see how she has non-sentimental, touch-averse, logical Charlotte handle it. We are well aware that Charlotte loves Lord Ingram and that he loves her – the interesting part will be how Charlotte handles anything that happens. If it doesn’t work out for them, I’ll probably soon lose interest in the series no matter how interesting the mysteries are.
This is a very busy book. I believe that is probably a hallmark of this author and her writing style and I really like that about the books. You definitely won’t get bored and start skimming pages because if you do, you’ll miss something really important.
I very highly recommend this book because it is excellently done. I do, however, recommend reading the first book in the series before you read this one. show less
I had high hopes going into this book because I had enjoyed the first book so much; I was even a bit nervous, wondering if I'd be let down by the second book in the series. I shouldn't have worried. This book was just as good, if not better, than the first in the series. It was engrossing from the start, and I found it hard to pry myself away from the characters or the mysteries that Charlotte is trying to solve.
I love how the author isn't afraid of making you see a character a different way and being unapologetically feminist about it.Lady Ingram wasn't well-liked by many, including myself, after the first book. She was portrayed as cold and the "impediment" between Ash and Charlotte being together. But in this book, at least in the show more first half, Lady Ingram is portrayed as a much more sympathetic character and makes you feel sorry for her in a way that surprised me, at least. Of course, she is much more than that, but I kind of found myself liking her badassery. And Charlotte never hesitates to assign blame for the Ingrams' unhappy marriage to Ash equally, which is SO legit and SO refreshing.
There were plenty of twists and turns that left me surprised, and I am not used to being surprised when reading mysteries. Perhaps I wouldn't be so surprised if I had read the Sherlock Holmes stories before these books; I'm really not sure.
And ummLivia and Stephen? I'm shipping it hard and hoping he doesn't turn out to be a dick.
On to book three soon! It will be SO HARD to wait a month for the fourth book to come out, and then to presumably wait a YEAR for the fifth book - but definitely worth the wait. And the slow burn is so, so good. MOAR PLZ. show less
I love how the author isn't afraid of making you see a character a different way and being unapologetically feminist about it.
There were plenty of twists and turns that left me surprised, and I am not used to being surprised when reading mysteries. Perhaps I wouldn't be so surprised if I had read the Sherlock Holmes stories before these books; I'm really not sure.
And umm
On to book three soon! It will be SO HARD to wait a month for the fourth book to come out, and then to presumably wait a YEAR for the fifth book - but definitely worth the wait. And the slow burn is so, so good. MOAR PLZ. show less
This second Charlotte Holmes novel continues on from the first with Charlotte making her home with Mrs. Watson and continuing to solve problems as the assistant for the reclusive "Sherlock Holmes" whose existence is fabricated. Her next case seems simple enough: find a missing man. But it quickly becomes quite complex.
Lady Ingram, the estranged wife of Charlotte's good friend and mentor, comes to her to find a man that she loved before she married. She tells a story of how they meet once a year in a public place and then go on with their lives. He missed this year's meeting and she is convinced that something bad happened to him. The story becomes more complex when Charlotte learns that Lady Ingram's lost love is her illegitimate show more brother Myron Finch.
Charlotte begins her investigation which quickly raises more questions than it answers and involves her with old enemies. Meanwhile, Lord Ingram is still living with a wife he no longer loves or respects but can't divorce for a number of reasons. And Lord Bancroft has renewed his proposal to Charlotte and is offering her codes and ciphers as incentives to accept his proposal.
Meanwhile Inspector Treadles is trying to solve the murder of a man found in a seldom used house and grateful that it is a straight-forward case that needn't involve Sherlock Holmes. Treadles is also dealing with a wife of his own who isn't quite fitting into the box he has built for her in his mind.
On the domestic front, Charlotte's sister Livia is attempting to write a novel about Sherlock Holmes which is starting to sound a lot like Arthur Conan Doyle's version. Livia has also met a man in the park who shares her love of literature but who is completely unsuitable to know because they haven't been introduced.
This was an engaging story that managed to braid all of these varied plot threads into an engaging and twisty mystery set in Victorian times. show less
Lady Ingram, the estranged wife of Charlotte's good friend and mentor, comes to her to find a man that she loved before she married. She tells a story of how they meet once a year in a public place and then go on with their lives. He missed this year's meeting and she is convinced that something bad happened to him. The story becomes more complex when Charlotte learns that Lady Ingram's lost love is her illegitimate show more brother Myron Finch.
Charlotte begins her investigation which quickly raises more questions than it answers and involves her with old enemies. Meanwhile, Lord Ingram is still living with a wife he no longer loves or respects but can't divorce for a number of reasons. And Lord Bancroft has renewed his proposal to Charlotte and is offering her codes and ciphers as incentives to accept his proposal.
Meanwhile Inspector Treadles is trying to solve the murder of a man found in a seldom used house and grateful that it is a straight-forward case that needn't involve Sherlock Holmes. Treadles is also dealing with a wife of his own who isn't quite fitting into the box he has built for her in his mind.
On the domestic front, Charlotte's sister Livia is attempting to write a novel about Sherlock Holmes which is starting to sound a lot like Arthur Conan Doyle's version. Livia has also met a man in the park who shares her love of literature but who is completely unsuitable to know because they haven't been introduced.
This was an engaging story that managed to braid all of these varied plot threads into an engaging and twisty mystery set in Victorian times. show less
5 "Ciphers, Marriage Proposals & True Allegiances" Stars!
Wow! Lovers of mysteries and strong & smart heroines will not want to miss A Conspiracy in Belgravia! This book blew me away with its cleverness and intrigue as well as the incredible attention and detail paid to character development and the continued flirtation with the possibility of a romance.
Two notes of caution should be noted though. First this book is best enjoyed after A Study in Scarlett Women (book 1 of the Lady Sherlock Series). Both the mystery as well as the character development, including the interrelationships between the main characters feed off of developments in the first book making it crucial that you read the debut of this series first for maximum show more understanding of the setting and to best be able to pick-up on subtle clues and potential angles. Additionally as I mostly read romances, I feel compelled to note that while there is definitely a possibility of romance in this series over its entire arc, Books 1 and 2 love to dangle the possibility of such an occasion without much progress on this front. This book is primarily and almost entirely a historical mystery. Nonetheless for those historical romance lovers, the romantic tension, indeed even the possibility of a love triangle, are very much at play in A Conspiracy in Belgravia.
The twistier and better the book, the harder I find it to provide any sort of a book description in my review. This book is certainly no exception. So as not to inadvertently potentially reveal any spoilers, I will keep my story description brief and primarily limited to what is already revealed in the blurb with my own slight gloss.
Namely, A Conspiracy in Belgravia picks up shortly after the point in time at which A Study in Scarlett Women concludes. Charlotte Holmes has just recently sleuthed her first big case as "Sherlock Holmes." Now its time to move on to another case, and quite surprisingly her next client turns out to be none other than Lord Ingram's wife--though Lady Ingram never meets Charlotte in her quest. Instead, given that Lady Ingram might recognize Charlotte, Charlotte and Mrs. Watson stage a new medium for the reclusive and "sick" Sherlock Holmes to communicate through. This new medium turns out to be Mrs. Watson's niece. And the case that Ms. Ingram asks Sherlock Holmes to solve nearly causes Charlotte to choke on one of her many delicious pastries: namely Lady Ingram wants Holmes to find her first love who neglected to show up at their annual meeting.
Of course, this case ends up really trying Charlotte's loyalty. On the one hand, Charlotte would love nothing more than to be able to provide the stimulus for the end to Lady Ingram's and Lord Ingram's marriage (afterall there has been an undeniable attraction between Charlotte and Lord Ingram that began well before his marriage to Lady Ingram). On the other hand, she owes her client her loyalty as a professional detective. Of course, I'm sure you're wondering why not just refuse the case outright then? Well, it turns out that one more fact that Lady Ingram reveals causes Charlotte to want to find the missing man almost as much as Lady Ingram: the missing lover's name is Myron Finch (Charlotte's illegitimate half-brother).
There are so many fascinating things about this story. And my description only scratches the surface. From Charlotte's sister Livia to Lord Ingram's brother, Lord Bancroft, interesting sub-plots plentifully emerge to entertain the lucky reader of this spell-binding story. If I had to narrow it down though I'd say that the evolution of the continuing theme of a woman's "rightful" place in society in Victorian London and a wife's dutiful station (at least in the eyes of her husband) as it relates to her ability to work and run a business and ultimately what's really important in selecting a spouse provide the most fodder for entertainment. Moreover, these aspects of A Conspiracy in Belgravia are so wittingly written that they provide the reader with plenty of opportunities for introspection and contemplation. And then there is the mystery itself and its intersection and neatly woven interconnections which are simply amazing and provide great mental gymnastics for puzzle lovers. And then that ending, and all the possibilities yet to come! I simply can't wait to get my hands on the next installment of this series!
Source: Paperback giveaway copy. Thank you Berkley Publishing! show less
Wow! Lovers of mysteries and strong & smart heroines will not want to miss A Conspiracy in Belgravia! This book blew me away with its cleverness and intrigue as well as the incredible attention and detail paid to character development and the continued flirtation with the possibility of a romance.
Two notes of caution should be noted though. First this book is best enjoyed after A Study in Scarlett Women (book 1 of the Lady Sherlock Series). Both the mystery as well as the character development, including the interrelationships between the main characters feed off of developments in the first book making it crucial that you read the debut of this series first for maximum show more understanding of the setting and to best be able to pick-up on subtle clues and potential angles. Additionally as I mostly read romances, I feel compelled to note that while there is definitely a possibility of romance in this series over its entire arc, Books 1 and 2 love to dangle the possibility of such an occasion without much progress on this front. This book is primarily and almost entirely a historical mystery. Nonetheless for those historical romance lovers, the romantic tension, indeed even the possibility of a love triangle, are very much at play in A Conspiracy in Belgravia.
The twistier and better the book, the harder I find it to provide any sort of a book description in my review. This book is certainly no exception. So as not to inadvertently potentially reveal any spoilers, I will keep my story description brief and primarily limited to what is already revealed in the blurb with my own slight gloss.
Namely, A Conspiracy in Belgravia picks up shortly after the point in time at which A Study in Scarlett Women concludes. Charlotte Holmes has just recently sleuthed her first big case as "Sherlock Holmes." Now its time to move on to another case, and quite surprisingly her next client turns out to be none other than Lord Ingram's wife--though Lady Ingram never meets Charlotte in her quest. Instead, given that Lady Ingram might recognize Charlotte, Charlotte and Mrs. Watson stage a new medium for the reclusive and "sick" Sherlock Holmes to communicate through. This new medium turns out to be Mrs. Watson's niece. And the case that Ms. Ingram asks Sherlock Holmes to solve nearly causes Charlotte to choke on one of her many delicious pastries: namely Lady Ingram wants Holmes to find her first love who neglected to show up at their annual meeting.
Of course, this case ends up really trying Charlotte's loyalty. On the one hand, Charlotte would love nothing more than to be able to provide the stimulus for the end to Lady Ingram's and Lord Ingram's marriage (afterall there has been an undeniable attraction between Charlotte and Lord Ingram that began well before his marriage to Lady Ingram). On the other hand, she owes her client her loyalty as a professional detective. Of course, I'm sure you're wondering why not just refuse the case outright then? Well, it turns out that one more fact that Lady Ingram reveals causes Charlotte to want to find the missing man almost as much as Lady Ingram: the missing lover's name is Myron Finch (Charlotte's illegitimate half-brother).
There are so many fascinating things about this story. And my description only scratches the surface. From Charlotte's sister Livia to Lord Ingram's brother, Lord Bancroft, interesting sub-plots plentifully emerge to entertain the lucky reader of this spell-binding story. If I had to narrow it down though I'd say that the evolution of the continuing theme of a woman's "rightful" place in society in Victorian London and a wife's dutiful station (at least in the eyes of her husband) as it relates to her ability to work and run a business and ultimately what's really important in selecting a spouse provide the most fodder for entertainment. Moreover, these aspects of A Conspiracy in Belgravia are so wittingly written that they provide the reader with plenty of opportunities for introspection and contemplation. And then there is the mystery itself and its intersection and neatly woven interconnections which are simply amazing and provide great mental gymnastics for puzzle lovers. And then that ending, and all the possibilities yet to come! I simply can't wait to get my hands on the next installment of this series!
Source: Paperback giveaway copy. Thank you Berkley Publishing! show less
This is the second Lady Sherlock book by Sherry Thomas. You should naturally expect spoilers for the first book, A Study in Scarlet Women in this review. If you haven’t yet read the first book, stop what you’re doing and read it now. I’ll wait.
________________________________________________________________________________
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first book featuring Charlotte Holmes. Rather than the trite gender-swapped rehashing of the well-trod Sherlock Holmes stories, I found a smart, witty, and wonderfully realized mystery featuring not Sherlock Holmes, but a woman whose brilliant deductive mind is trapped in the body of a Victorian society lady,mwith all the attendant limitations and societal entrapment.
The show more second book in the series does not disappoint. Taking place shortly after the first book leaves off, we find Charlotte settling into the life of a social pariah, and enjoying the freedom that comes with being “Sherlock Holmes.” Things go a bit sideways when she is approached by the wife of Lord Ingram, her childhood friend, who is trying to track down her first love. Beyond the obvious conflicts of investigating the case without the knowledge of Lord Ingram, the further Charlotte digs into the identity and history of Lady Ingram’s former paramour, the more strangely complicated matters become. Soon Charlotte finds herself embroiled in hidden ciphers, codes within codes, blackmail plots, poisoning, and espionage. Weaving these disparate threads into a resolution will tax even her brilliant mind.
Charlotte Holmes is simply a great character. She is by no means a female stand-in for the great detective, rather it’s as if Thomas grew her from scratch; a brilliant and analytical mind on par with Sherlock Holmes, but within a person who has had to grow up adhering (to a greater or lesser degree) the societal expectations for a nineteenth-century lady of breeding. Thomas also continues to develop the characters of Mrs. Watson, Lord Ingram, Inspector Treadle, and Charlotte’s older sister, Livia. Though the supporting characters don’t get as much attention as Charlotte, there were several excellent subplots throughout the book. I was especially impressed with the characterization of Inspector Treadle, an honorable and forthright man, trying to come to grips with the existence of women who seek a measure of independence. This could easily have turned into some cliche or overdone condemnation of weak-minded men, but instead we see Treadles honestly wrestling with himself and his preconceptions.
Fans of historical mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, and the like should check out this series. If you enjoyed A Study in Scarlet Women you will likely enjoy this book as well. I cannot wait to see what Thomas does in future books in this series.
An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less
________________________________________________________________________________
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first book featuring Charlotte Holmes. Rather than the trite gender-swapped rehashing of the well-trod Sherlock Holmes stories, I found a smart, witty, and wonderfully realized mystery featuring not Sherlock Holmes, but a woman whose brilliant deductive mind is trapped in the body of a Victorian society lady,mwith all the attendant limitations and societal entrapment.
The show more second book in the series does not disappoint. Taking place shortly after the first book leaves off, we find Charlotte settling into the life of a social pariah, and enjoying the freedom that comes with being “Sherlock Holmes.” Things go a bit sideways when she is approached by the wife of Lord Ingram, her childhood friend, who is trying to track down her first love. Beyond the obvious conflicts of investigating the case without the knowledge of Lord Ingram, the further Charlotte digs into the identity and history of Lady Ingram’s former paramour, the more strangely complicated matters become. Soon Charlotte finds herself embroiled in hidden ciphers, codes within codes, blackmail plots, poisoning, and espionage. Weaving these disparate threads into a resolution will tax even her brilliant mind.
Charlotte Holmes is simply a great character. She is by no means a female stand-in for the great detective, rather it’s as if Thomas grew her from scratch; a brilliant and analytical mind on par with Sherlock Holmes, but within a person who has had to grow up adhering (to a greater or lesser degree) the societal expectations for a nineteenth-century lady of breeding. Thomas also continues to develop the characters of Mrs. Watson, Lord Ingram, Inspector Treadle, and Charlotte’s older sister, Livia. Though the supporting characters don’t get as much attention as Charlotte, there were several excellent subplots throughout the book. I was especially impressed with the characterization of Inspector Treadle, an honorable and forthright man, trying to come to grips with the existence of women who seek a measure of independence. This could easily have turned into some cliche or overdone condemnation of weak-minded men, but instead we see Treadles honestly wrestling with himself and his preconceptions.
Fans of historical mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, and the like should check out this series. If you enjoyed A Study in Scarlet Women you will likely enjoy this book as well. I cannot wait to see what Thomas does in future books in this series.
An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Top Five Books of 2019
387 works; 107 members
mom
729 works; 1 member
Author Information
33+ Works 10,068 Members
Sherry Thomas is an American author, born in China in 1975. She writes contemporary and historical romance novels. Her work includes the series The Fitzhughs, Heart of Blade Duology, The London Trilogy, The Marsdens, and The Lady Sherlock Series. Two of her titles have won the RITA award, Not Quite a Husband in 2010, and His at Night in 2011. She show more also wrote a young adult fantasy series, The Elemental Trilogy. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Sherry Thomas is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Conspiracy in Belgravia
- Original publication date
- 2017-09-05
- People/Characters
- Charlotte Holmes; Olivia Holmes; Mrs. John Watson; Lord Ingram Ashburton; Alexandra Ashburton, née Greville, Lady Ingram; Penelope Tremayne (show all 15); Bancroft Ashburton, Lord Bancroft; Richard Treadle; Alice Treadle; Myron Finch; Stephen Marbleton; Mrs. Burns (Housekeeper to Dr. Swanson); Mott (Holmes' coachman); Dr. Swanson; Clarissa Morris, née Swanson
- Important places
- London, England, UK
- Dedication
- To Kerry, who has been a true champion for these books
- First words
- Thank goodness for a blatantly obvious murder.
- Quotations
- She, Livia, merely wished the world would be served up on a platter, cut to bite size and seasoned exactly to her liking. (Chap. 1)
Charlotte had not been to church since she ran away from home. God likely wouldn't mind if she stepped inside His house—Jesus voluntarily associated with women of less-than-pristine repute—but His followers tended to be l... (show all)ess magnanimous.
(Chapter 1)
“So many novels about women either feature stupid women who make bad choices and then commit suicide when it all goes awry, or subject virtuous women to terrible misfortunes and then, to add insult to injury, have them die ... (show all)of consumption anyway.” (Chap. 2)
“God gives us only one life. But with good books, we can live a hundred, even a thousand lives in the time we are allotted on this earth.”
(Chapter 2)
“I am not saying that he is a completely draconian man who will always put his principles above the people in his life. Only that for him, questioning what he believes—what he believes so deeply he doesn't even think abou... (show all)t—would be more painful than breaking his own kneecaps with a sledgehammer.”
(Chapter 8)
“To be thought of as the perfect woman for a man isn't a compliment to a woman, it's more about how a man sees himself—and what he needs.”
(Chapter 16) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)She allowed him to help her down and studied him as if seeing him for the first time. "Hello, brother."
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PS3620.H6426
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 775
- Popularity
- 35,904
- Reviews
- 40
- Rating
- (3.98)
- Languages
- Chinese, English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 15
- ASINs
- 7
