A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN is the first in a new series,
Lady Sherlock by the redoubtable Sherry Thomas. I
love a well-done Sherlock riff, and Thomas tells this
tale with great panache. The story has rich prose and
beautiful characterization, and the mystery in
engrossing.
Charlotte Holmes is an unconventional young lady.
Struggling to evade a forced society marriage, Charlotte
is cast out of the bosom of her family and has to fend
for herself in a suddenly inhospitable London. When
Charlotte's beloved older sister is suspected of several
recent murders, Charlotte figures out not only how to
support herself, but how to defend her family from the
unwarranted accusation of harboring a killer. Charlotte,
with the help of Mrs. John Watson, masquerades as a male
detective with the sobriquet of Sherlock Holmes. What
fun!
Thomas manages to instill some feminist themes into
the story, unsurprising given Thomas' prior works and
given the lively conceit of a female Sherlock Holmes.
These feminist themes are never overbearing, though, and
I find myself cheering for Charlotte and crowing over her
successes. Charlotte is brilliant but socially awkward,
and she's a very endearing character.
I love the interweaving of bits from the original Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle into the story. Holmesian fans will
be happy at the repeated tipping of the hat to the great
Victorian detective. A STUDY IN SCARLET was the first
story where Doyle introduces the reader to detective
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, and so I love the
clever incorporation of this for the title of Thomas'
first book of the series.
Sherry Thomas' A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN has a little
something for everyone. Mystery, romance, history, and a
lovely retelling of our beloved Sherlock Holmes. This is
a wonderful start to what is sure to be fantastic series,
and my only difficulty is in having to wait for the next
book in the series to be released.
USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the
story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down…
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, 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.
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