Monday, September 18, 2017

Book Review: A Study In Scarlet Women

A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock, #1)Author: Sherry Thomas
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Series: Lady Sherlock #1


With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.

But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.
 

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

“Worrying about outcomes over which I have no control is punishing myself before the universe has decided whether I ought to be punished.”

“That the loss of a man, even if he had been the love of her life, was not the end of a woman's existence.” 


A gender bender Sherlock Holmes retelling? Sign me up! Everything that I love about literature is in this book: Victorian London, ladies in beautiful dresses, mystery and intrigue, and a heroine that defies the rules society has laid out for her. While this story is primarily a historical fiction novel, Sherry Thomas also weaves in some appealing romantic undertones as well. The writing is eloquent and the descriptions are so vivid that you might find yourself stopping to reflect over the beauty of the lines you have just read. Charlotte is just like the famed Sherlock Holmes with highly impressive deduction skills and odd social habits that makes her all the more endearing. In the opening pages, Charlotte Holmes does something quite scandalous that hooked me and kept me waiting around to see just how fleshed out her character would be.

The writing/narration was difficult to follow in the very beginning, but I quickly attributed that to plot/background building. This is the first book in the series, so a little bit of background is necessary in setting the stage for the brave Miss Charlotte “Sherlock” Homes. Charlotte is a bit of a snarky character and I absolutely adored seeing and reading her interactions with other characters. The dialogue and witty banter was the best part of this book, aside from seeing Charlotte defy the odds for women during this time period. The chapters moved quickly and the mystery was solid all the way through. I am surprised it has taken me a year to read this book, but the second in the series was just released and I am so anxious to read it next.

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for an honest review***

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