USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down in the first novel in this Victorian mystery series…. 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 … 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.
An NPR Best Book of 2016
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Fantastic, unexpected twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes story. Great characters, detailed and compelling plot, excellent writing – I loved it! I’ve read all three books in the series and am anxiously awaiting book 4 (next month)!
An interesting change on the idea of Sherlock Holmes. Characters were interesting and entertaining. This book clearly sets characters up for more books to follow, which could be more entertaining. Overall a solid entertaining read.
Good idea but quite slow and too long. Interesting ending but seemed almost to just be slipped in.
Review I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan and I loved this book. I have already pre ordered the second book which will be out in September.
I have found I really like books with female sleuths who are declaring their independence in an age where women were to be good little wives and run the household and keep their thoughts to themselves. There are several great series in this vein and this is a really good addition to this genre.
Always enjoy a mystery with a strong female lead. This is a clever take on the Holmes theme, with a female Holmes.
This book was amazing. It started out sort of slow, but quickly pulls you in. And as a Holmes purist I love Conan Doyle’s stories, but rarely do I like other authors who imitate him. This is one series based on Sherlock Holmes that I will enjoy reading.
If you like books like Sherlock Holmes you may like this one. I listened to this story on an audio book and it’s about a female version of Sherlock Holmes in the same time period. Charlotte Holmes lives with her parents (awful mother; less overtly awful father), and two of three sisters (the oldest is married): Livia, whom she’s very close to, and Bernadine, who appears to be developmentally disabled in some way. We first see Charlotte through Livia’s eyes, and learn that she didn’t talk until a very late age but when she did her observations were unusually sophisticated. As Charlotte grew, she developed an angelic appearance with blonde ringlets, big eyes and a rounded figure (Charlotte likes to eat; I liked that about her). Her personality is eccentric; like the Doyle Holmes she could be viewed as perhaps being on the autism spectrum. She sometimes appears not to understand or relate well to human emotion, but she’s very, very good with logic.
Charlotte has been helping her childhood friend Lord Ashburton, occasionally giving him insights into cases she hears of; Ashburton passes these tips on to a friend, Inspector Robert Treadles of the Metropolitan Police. But now Charlotte (or “Sherlock”) is lost as a source to Treadles. Charlotte has decided to ruin herself with Roger Shrewsbury. She doesn’t plan to get caught, but caught she is and now she’s not just ruined but disgraced. Charlotte leaves the family home in the middle of the night with a plan to get a job and work her way towards an independent life for herself and her sisters Livia and Bernadine. Charlotte seems to me has a lack of common sense and street smarts.
Anyway, just as Charlotte is finding that life in a boarding house and looking for a job without legitimate references are not all they’re cracked up to be, a series of deaths draws her back into detective mode. I did enjoy listening to how Charlotte solved the mystery.
I was surprised at how Thomas crafted a female Sherlock. A complexly layered character study that leaves you wanting more.
Loved this first book in this series. A woman Sherlock Holmes. Quite entertaining. Will continue series.
I adore Sherry Thomas and just began reading her Lady Sherlock series. Book 1 introduces the premise — think that old ’80’s TV show “Remington Steele,” but historical! This series is a feminist’s dream.
I love this book so much I literally force it into people’s hands!
And it’s only the start to an amazing series…
Brilliant take on the Sherlock Holmes trope. Sherlock has been redone so many times, it might seem that yet another adaptation is unnecessary. This book, however, is so well done you should read it whether you are new to Holmes or a diehard fanatic.
Brilliant a new Sherlock Holmes and in a series! Love the intelligence and wit of the characters. They grow continually adapting quickly to any situation. The story is fast paced with many twists and turns. I just finished this first book in the series and starting the second in series ˋA Conspiracy in Belgravia ´ today. Looking forward to the third book ˋThe Hollow in Fear´in this series due in October 2018.
Thanks to Sherry Thomas for a great new series.
I loved the twist on Sherlock Holmes. This is a well written book and I look forward to more.
Absolutely loved it. Can hardly wait for more in the series. This author and series are now on my auto-buy list.
I really enjoyed this. It was very clever. A Victorian female Sherlock Holmes. She’s an eccentric spinster with amazing deductive powers . Twisty plot but if you pay attention to characters and dialog, it’s a good read.
Loved this first book in the Lady Sherlock series. If you like Sherlock, historical mystery, romance, and a wide cast of well-drawn characters, this is a great pick.
The first third of the book is a little slower paced giving details that are important later but can be a bit maddening. Yet, when the action begins you understand the need for all that has come before. As a fan of Conan Doyal’s Sherlock Holmes, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a female Sherlock. Sherry Thomas did an excellent job of staying true to certain aspects of the original and still managed to give us a new twist. Very well done and I hope to find more of her Sherlock Stories!
I love the premise of this book. Without giving spoilers, I can say that I loved the way Sherlock Holmes evolved and the steps along that path. The world of Victorian London is painted beautifully.
As for the romantic elements, it was fascinating to consider how someone with a mind like Charlotte’s would approach both the physical act of love (which read as both sad, funny for me, and painful to all those around her who could not begin to understand her at all) and the way actual affection pricked through occasionally and was difficult to process. Brilliantly written. I listened to this on Audible but will probably buy the series in book form once it is complete just to have the set.
I’m a teacher who works daily with students within the autism spectrum and my nephew is more like a Bernadine than Charlotte, so it is all very real to me and I respect the honesty and many facets of the author’s portrayal in this series.
Boring