Review: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
(Lady Sherlock #1)
Historical Fiction, Mystery
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Synopsis
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.

What I thought
So I might be a little biased since Sherlock Holmes-esque reads are comfort reads for me. So it is no surprise that I really liked this twist on Sherlock Holmes. This is a classic woman in Victorian England taking control of her life no matter how society/her family wants to use her for. I live for these types of books.

I liked how the Author swapped the gender of Sherlock but still found a way to incorporate the classic characters that we all associate with Sherlock Holmes stories. They don’t reside in their classic roles which I enjoyed rather than the author trying to force them in there. For example, Charlette has sisters, not a brother named Mycroft, but Mycroft still shows up as he should just in a different place. Yes, I am being purposefully vague so as not to spoil anything. Everyone you need for a classic Holmes esque story comes together nicely.

One of the things that I adored about the character Charlotte was her relationship with her sister Bernadette. Even though she was a classic Holmes character (very offish to everyone) her relationship with her sister Bernadette is a very sweet one. Charlotte seemed to be the only person that understands her and you can tell she truly cares for her.

There is the possibility of a love story brewing and I am curious to see how it plays out. The “love interest” seems to be a man of high morals so I am interested to see how this all plays out in the other books.

My Rating: /5

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