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A Study In Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series) Paperback – October 18, 2016
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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.
An NPR Best Book of 2016
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBerkley
- Publication dateOctober 18, 2016
- Dimensions5.51 x 0.69 x 8.11 inches
- ISBN-109780425281406
- ISBN-13978-0425281406
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Clever historical details and a top-shelf mystery add to the winning appeal of this first volume in the ‘Lady Sherlock’ series. A must-read for fans of historical mysteries.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“RITA Award–winning romance writer Thomas has come up with a completely new, brilliantly conceived take on the iconic detective. She not only offers some clever changes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s cherished cast of characters, she also delivers a plot worthy of the master at his best.”—Booklist
“Clever and absorbing. Thomas’s gorgeous prose and expert characterizations shine in this new incarnation of Sherlock Holmes. Readers will wait with baited breath to discover how Thomas will skillfully weave in each aspect of the Sherlockian canon, and devour the pages to learn how the mystery unfolds.”—Anna Lee Huber, National Bestselling Author of the Lady Darby Mysteries
“Gender bending is just the first sign that unusual happenings are afoot in this origin story for a revamped Sherlock Holmes series by bestselling author Thomas...There is also a tantalizing, slow-burn love story between Holmes and a longtime friend befitting Thomas' skills as a romance novelist....The ground has been laid well for future incidents in the professional and intimate life of Charlotte Holmes.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Author Sherry Thomas didn’t just insert Charlotte into Sherlock’s area of expertise, she made a character completely different from the well-known man. Cute and blonde, Charlotte doesn’t have Sherlock’s scorn for everyone. And because she is a lady in Victorian England, Charlotte has to be creative in her investigation in order to preserve the illusion of Sherlock Holmes to the man on the street and the police. The various characters introduced are quite interesting and the plotlines are great. This is the first in the new Lady Sherlock series, and if this is any clue, Charlotte and her continuing adventures will be thrilling to read.”—Suspense Magazine
“Sherry Thomas is a master of her craft, and A Study in Scarlet Women is an unqualified success: brilliantly executed, beautifully written, and magnificently original—I want the next volume now!”—Tasha Alexander, New York Times Bestselling Author of A Terrible Beauty
More Praise for Sherry Thomas and her Novels
“Sherry Thomas has done the impossible and crafted a fresh, exciting new version of Sherlock Holmes. From the carefully plotted twists to the elegant turns of phrase, A Study in Scarlet Women is a splendid addition to Holmes’s world. This book is everything I hoped it would be, and the next adventure cannot come too soon!”—Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author
“Sherry Thomas…is a rebel, a rule-breaker, and, above all, a romantic…[Her] writing is nothing short of a revelation.”—Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
“Thomas is known for a lush style…[and] transporting prose even as [she] delivers on heat and emotion and a well-earned happily ever after.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Ravishingly sinful, intelligent, and addictive.”—Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2016 Sherry Thomas
Prologue
Devonshire, England
1886
Had anyone told the Honorable Harrington Sackville that the investigation into his death would make the name Sherlock Holmes known throughout the land, Mr. Sackville would have scoffed.
He had never heard of Sherlock Holmes. But more importantly, he despised the idea of death. Of his death, to be precise—others could die as they wished.
He loathed old age almost as much: that long, vile decline into helplessness halted only by the final breath, falling like a guillotine blade.
And yet his reflection in the mirror made it increasingly difficult to tell himself that he was still a young man. He remained a fit man, a handsome man, but the skin beneath his jaw sagged. Deep grooves cut into the sides of his mouth. Even his eyelids drooped, heavy from the passage of time.
Fear hooked through him, cold and sharp. Every man was afraid of something. For him, death had long loomed as the ultimate terror. A darkness with fangs.
He turned away from the mirror—and the unwelcome thoughts that always simmered these days a scant inch beneath the surface. It was summer. The glow of twilight suffused the house. From his perch on the headlands, the bay blazed with the flame of the setting sun. A hint of salt fragranced the breeze that meandered in; the top note of that perfumed air was tuberose, bulbs of which he had imported from Grasse, in the south of France.
But a storm was coming; inky clouds gathered at the edge of the sky . . .
He inhaled deeply. No, he must not let his mind wander to shadowy places. Recent weeks had been difficult—the events in London particularly distressing—but in time things would improve. He still had many good years left to relish life, and to laugh at death and its still distant grasp.
No premonitions crossed his mind that death was to have him by morning.
But have him it would—and the last laugh.
Chapter 1
London
On the day Mr. Harrington Sackville met his darkness with fangs, certain parties in the know were bracing for—and eagerly anticipating—a major scandal involving the youngest member of the Holmes family.
Lord Ingram Ashburton did not share in their anticipation. The idea that such a catastrophe could come to pass had haunted him for days. He did not yet know that Holmes was already doomed, but a sense of dread had been growing in him, a tumorlike weight on his lungs.
He stared at the envelope on the desk before him.
Mr. Sherlock Holmes,
General Post Office,
St. Martin’s Le Grand,
London.
Any idiot could see the frustration that seethed with every stroke of the pen—at several places the nib had nearly torn through the linen paper.
The writing on the note next to the envelope was equally agitated.
Holmes,
Don’t.
And if you must, not with Roger Shrewsbury. You will regret it relentlessly.
For once in your life, listen to me.
He dropped his forehead into his left palm. It would be no use. Holmes would do as Holmes pleased, carried along on that blitheness born of extraordinary ability and favorable circumstances.
Until disaster strikes.
You don’t need to let it happen, said a voice inside him. You step in. You give Holmes what Holmes wants.
And then what? Then I carry on and pretend it never happened?
He stared out of the open window. His unimpeded view of the sky appeared as if seen through a lens that had been smudged with a grimy finger—a polluted blue, a fine day for London. Peals of irrepressible mirth rose from the small park below—his children’s laughter, a sound that would have brought a smile to his face on any other day.
He picked up his pen.
Do not do anything without first consulting me again.
Please.
Was he acquiescing? Was he jettisoning all caution—and all principle as well?
He sealed the unsigned letter in the envelope and walked out of his book-lined study, envelope in pocket. He was scheduled to give an archeological lecture in the evening. But first he wanted to spend some time with his daughter and son, rambunctious children at the peak of their happy innocence.
After that he would decide whether to post the letter or to consign it to the fire, like the dozen others that had preceded it.
The front door opened and in came his wife.
“Afternoon, madam,” he said politely.
“My lord.” She nodded, a strange little smile on her face. “I see you have not heard about what happened to your favorite lady.”
“My favorite lady is my daughter. Is anything the matter with her?”
He kept his voice cool, but he couldn’t stop the hair on the back of his neck from standing up: Lady Ingram was not talking about their child.
“Lucinda is well. I refer to . . .” Her lips curled with disdain. “I refer to Holmes. Your Holmes.”
“How dare you humiliate me this way?” Mrs. Shrewsbury rained down blows on her husband. “How dare you?”
The painted French fan, folded up, made for a surprisingly potent weapon—a cross between a bolt of silk and a police baton. Roger Shrewsbury whimpered.
He didn’t understand the way her mind worked.
Very well, he had committed an unforgivable error: The night before he’d been so drunk he mistook his wife for Mimi, his mistress, and told the wife what he was going to do this afternoon with Charlotte Holmes. But if Mrs. Shrewsbury hadn’t wanted him to deflower Miss Holmes, why hadn’t she smacked him then and there and forbidden him to do anything of the sort? Or she could have gone ’round to Miss Holmes’s and slapped her for not having a higher regard for her hymen.
Instead she had mustered a regiment of sisters, cousins, and friends, set his mother at the helm of the entire enterprise, and stormed the Bastille just as he settled into Miss Holmes. So how could she accuse him of humiliating her, when she was the one who had made sure that a good dozen other women saw her husband in flagrante delicto?
He knew better than to give voice to his thoughts. After twenty-six years as Lady Shrewsbury’s son and three as Anne Shrewsbury’s husband, he’d learned that he was always wrong. The less he said, the better.
The missus continued to hit him. He wrapped his arms around his head, made himself as small as possible, and tried to disappear into a nice memory, a time and a place in which he wasn’t a bounder twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year.
Lady Shrewsbury frowned mightily at the young woman who sat opposite her in the brougham. Charlotte Holmes was still, her face pale but composed.
Eerily composed, given she was now ruined beyond repair.
So composed that Lady Shrewsbury, who had been prepared for any amount of hysterical sobbing and frantic pleas, was beginning to feel rattled—a sensation she hadn’t experienced in years.
Lady Shrewsbury had been the one to throw a sheet over the girl. She had then ordered her son to go home with his wife, and the rest of the women to disperse. Miss Holmes had not trembled in a corner, her hands over her face. Nor had she stared numbly at the floor. Instead she had watched the goings-on as if she were a mere bystander, one whose own fate had not in the least taken an unthinkable turn. As Roger was shoved out by his wife, Miss Holmes glanced at him, without anger, loathing, or any reflection of his helplessness.
It had been a sympathetic and apologetic look, the kind the ringleader of a gang of unruly children might give one of her followers, after she had got the latter into unlimited trouble.
Lady Shrewsbury had fully expected this bravado to disintegrate once the others had gone. She was famous for her sternness. Roger, whenever he found himself alone with her, perspired even when she hadn’t planned to inquire into what he had been doing with himself of late.
But her formidableness had no effect on Charlotte Holmes. When the gaggle of eyewitnesses departed to spread the salacious story in drawing rooms all over London, Miss Holmes, instead of dissolving into tears, dressed and ordered a considerable tea service.
Then, under Lady Shrewsbury’s increasingly incredulous gaze, she proceeded to polish off a plate of plum cake, a plate of cherry tartlets, and a plate of sardine and toast. All without saying a single word, or even acknowledging Lady Shrewsbury’s presence.
Lady Shrewsbury controlled her vexation. Silence was one of her greatest weapons and she would not be goaded into abandoning that strategic advantage. Alas, her magnificent silence had no effect on Charlotte Holmes, who dined as if she were a queen and Lady Shrewsbury a lowly lackey, not worthy of even a spare glance.
When the girl was ready to leave, she simply walked out, forcing Lady Shrewsbury to catch up. Again, as if she weren’t a strict moral guardian escorting a fallen woman to her consequences, but a simpleminded maid scampering behind her mistress.
The silence continued in the brougham. Miss Holmes studied the carriages that clogged the street—shiny, lacquered town coaches jostling for space amidst long queues of hansom cabs. From time to time her gaze fell on Lady Shrewsbury and Lady Shrewsbury had the distinct sensation that of the two of them, Miss Holmes considered Lady Shrewsbury the far stranger specimen.
“Have you nothing to say for yourself?” she snapped, unable to stand the silence another second.
“For myself, no,” Charlotte Holmes said softly. “But I hope you will not be too harsh on Roger. He is not to blame for this.”
Inspector Robert Treadles of the Metropolitan Police always enjoyed an outing to Burlington House, especially to attend Lord Ingram’s lectures. They had met via a shared ardor for archeology—Lord Ingram had sponsored Treadles’s entry into the London Society of Antiquaries, in fact.
But this evening his friend was not himself.
To the casual observer, his lordship would seem to command the Society of Antiquaries’s meeting room, thorough in his knowledge, eloquent in his presentation, and deft with a touch of dry humor—his comparison of the ancient family strife caused by variation in size and ornateness of each member’s jeweled brooches with the modern jealousy aroused by the handsomeness of a sibling’s new brougham drew peals of laughter from the audience.
To Inspector Treadles, however, Lord Ingram’s delivery had little of its usual élan. It was a struggle. A futile struggle, moreover: Sisyphus pushing that enormous boulder up the hill, knowing that it would roll away from him near the top, condemning him to start all over again, ad infinitum.
What could be the matter? Lord Ingram was the scion of a ducal family, an Old Etonian, and one of the finest polo players in the world. Of course Inspector Treadles knew that no one’s existence was perfect behind closed doors, but whatever turbulence Lord Ingram navigated in his private life had never before been made visible in his public demeanor.
After the lecture, after the throng of admirers had dispersed, the two men met in a book-lined nook of the society’s soaring library.
“I’d hoped we could dine together, Inspector,” said Lord Ingram. “But I’m afraid I must take leave of you very soon.”
Treadles was both disappointed and relieved—he didn’t think he would be able to offer Lord Ingram much consolation, in the latter’s current state.
“I hope your family is well,” he said.
“They are, thank you. I’m obliged to pay a call on short notice, that is all.” Lord Ingram’s words were calm, yet there was a hollowness to his tone. “I trust we shall have the pleasure of a more leisurely meeting in the not too distant future.”
“Certainly, my lord.”
Inspector Treadles did not mean to delay his friend, but at that moment he remembered his other purpose for being at Burlington House this evening. “If it isn’t too much trouble, sir, may I ask you to convey a note to Holmes? I’m most grateful for his assistance on the Arkwright case and wrote a few lines to that effect.”
“I am afraid that would be impossible.”
Inspector Treadles almost took a step back at his friend’s expression: a flare of anger that bordered on wrath.
“I understand that you are engaged this evening, my lord,” Treadles explained hesitantly. “My note requires no haste and needs be relayed only at your lordship’s convenience.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t make myself clear,” said Lord Ingram. All hints of rage had left his countenance. His eyes were blank, the set of his jaw hard. “I can’t—nor can anyone else—convey any notes to Holmes. Not anymore.”
“I—I don’t—that is—” Treadles stuttered. “Has something terrible happened?”
Lord Ingram’s jaw worked. “Yes, something terrible.”
“When?”
“Today.”
Inspector Treadles blinked. “Is . . . is Holmes still alive?”
“Yes.”
“Thank goodness. Then we haven’t lost him completely.”
“But we have,” said Lord Ingram, slowly, inexorably. “Holmes may be alive, but the fact remains that Holmes is now completely beyond my reach.”
Treadles’s confusion burgeoned further, but he understood that no more details would be forthcoming. “I’m exceedingly sorry to hear that.”
“As am I, to be the bearer of such news.” Lord Ingram’s voice was low, almost inaudible.
Treadles left Burlington House in a daze, hounded by dozens of unhappy conjectures. Had Holmes leaped from a perilous height armed with nothing but an unreliable parachute? Had he been conducting explosive experiments at home? Or had his brilliant but restless mind driven him to seduce the wrong woman, culminating in an illegal duel and a bullet lodged somewhere debilitating but not instantly lethal?
What had happened to the elusive and extraordinary Sherlock Holmes?
Such a tragedy.
Such a waste.
Such a shame.
Product details
- ASIN : 042528140X
- Publisher : Berkley; Later Printing edition (October 18, 2016)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780425281406
- ISBN-13 : 978-0425281406
- Item Weight : 10.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.51 x 0.69 x 8.11 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #92,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #683 in Cozy Culinary Mysteries
- #1,389 in Historical Mystery
- #4,057 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Sherry Thomas writes both historical romance and young adult fantasy.
On the romance side, she is one of the most acclaimed authors working in the genre today, her books regularly receiving starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.
On the young adult fantasy side, there isn’t much to report yet, her debut book, THE BURNING SKY, book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy, has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and been named to the Autumn ’13 Kids’ Indie Next List.
Sherry writes in her second language. She learned English by reading romance and science fiction—every word Isaac Asimov ever wrote, in fact. She is proud to say that her son is her biggest fanboy—for the YA fantasy, not the romances. At least, not yet…
Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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"Holmes wants only an occupied mind. Everything else is secondary."
FINAL DECISION: An intriguing book which is uneven in parts and not as mystery intense as I expected but which turns the Sherlock Holmes mythology on its head in a fascinating way. This book clearly is setting up future stories which I have much potential. I can't wait to see how this series develops.
THE STORY: Charlotte Holmes is a woman with a unique brain who doesn't fit in a society that only values a woman's looks, marital prospects and breeding potential. Charlotte plans her own ruination to gain her freedom and independence.
OPINION: What would happen if Sherlock Holmes was a young woman in Victorian England? That is the question this book begin with. This is Sherlock's origin story and as such is much more focused on the characters and the setup of the series rather than being devoted to the mystery. There is enough mystery here for interest but the focus is on how Charlotte truly becomes Sherlock Holmes
Charlotte is an incredibly intelligent woman who is out of step with the roles allowed women in Victorian England. She miscalculates in trying to determine her own fate which leaves her vulnerable in ways she didn't expect. While her unorthodox behavior and way of looking at the world initially makes her difficult to know, it is clear that she does have feelings even though she wishes to think them away. Her relationships are what bring out her humanity.
Livia is Charlotte's older sister cares deeply for Charlotte and her devotion is returned. Livia has taken care of her sister and when Charlotte is on her own, her sister fears for her. Charlotte realizes that her situation has damaged her sister and works to repair the situation. The ending leaves interesting possibilities for Livia's future.
Lord Ingram is Charlotte's romantic interest although the two have a long history together and he is now married. There is clearly something between these two that compels them together even though they do not have a future. Ingram operates as an intermediary for Charlotte in her investigations.
Inspector Treadles and his wife Alice are a genuinely happy couple. Treadles is the police investigator who seeks assistance from Holmes and is also given information by Holmes. He is married above his station and works with Sherlock Holmes in an attempt to better his professional prospects. Treades and his wife operate as a truly happy couple amongst all the disfunction.
I enjoyed this book because the series has a great deal of promise. There are some slow points in the book and I don't think the mystery is as well integrated or as interesting in its solution as I would have hoped. I think that now that the parameters of the series have been outlined, however, there is much to look forward to.
WORTH MENTIONING: This series is intended to be an ongoing one. The mystery is resolved but there are numerous overarching character stories which remain unresolved.
CONNECTED BOOKS: A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN is the first book in the Lady Sherlock series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
Beau
Top reviews from other countries
What I loved about this book:
+ The characters. This book is all about amazing women (and some men who are also pretty cool, but the ladies really steal the show). We have our main character Charlotte, who is not especially emotional, wants to make her own living and has the ability to read people like books (in the true Sherlockian fashion), which does put some people off. She doesn't want to marry but to work, but her father and mother don't accept this, so this book is all about her journey to find her place in the world that doesn't allow a lot of freedom for unmarried women. She's such an amazing, strong character. I also really loved her misanthropic sister who's afraid of ending up miserable and alone forever (but who's also not that interested in marrying) and Mrs Watson, who's an eccentric widower who takes Charlotte in. All of these characters are so complex and flawed, but also resourceful and fierce and loyal and I fell in love with them.
+ The mystery. It was a bit slow, but I love a good whodunit and enjoy a bit of police procedural, so this hit the spot. And who doesn't love it when Sherlock points out some clever little detail that everyone else missed?
+ set up for some romance - which seems very loaded with emotion and interesting to see where it goes.
This was a brilliant stsrt to a series which mostly set a lot of things up. We got to see glimpses of Sherlocks brilliance and some potential romance, we got to know all these amazing characters, and we got an interesting mystery to top it off. I'm really looking forward to reading the next one. If you think the premise sounds good, you should definitely give this a go!
Non che sul mercato non manchino altri sforzi letterari in questo senso, ma questo è senza dubbio uno di quelli globalmente meglio riusciti.
Lo stile narrativo è insolito e questo potrebbe spiazzare: al lettore vengono servite molte scene apparentemente slegate dal quadro generale ed il loro significato viene capito solo dopo, cosicché ci si trova a fare avanti e indietro fra le pagine per capire in quale punto stava il riferimento.
Il libro si apre con la presentazione di una famiglia della piccola aristocrazia con quattro figlie femmine, di cui solo la prima è un perfetto prodotto dell'epoca. Le altre tre sono invece quelle strane, e in cima a tutte sta Charlotte Holmes che sin da piccola esibisce doti di deduzione e memoria sorprendenti.
Da qui in poi la vicenda procede, come avevo detto, in modo non lineare, presentando dialoghi e fatti all'apparenza insignificanti ma la cui importanza sarà capita molti capitoli più in là.
L'autrice mette molta carne sul fuoco, salvo poi stringere i fili facendoci capire che le diverse trame in effetti confluiscono in un unico caso; e questo è un andamento che rimanda fortemente ad alcune delle avventure del vero Sherlock Holmes.
Anche le descrizioni dei paesaggi inglesi e londinesi è ben fatta e rimanda in modo corretto al periodo storico di fine Ottocento in cui è vissuto Sherlock Holmes.
E ora veniamo alle parti che ho gradito meno.
Il personaggio principale è una donna, Charlotte Holmes, che del celebre investigatore ha la stessa mente distaccata, analitica e diabolicamente agile, in grado di ragionare fuori dagli schemi consueti e fin qui, tutto bene. Solo che il cambio di genere, in un'epoca come quella vittoriana, ha penalizzato molto la protagonista la quale, stretta fra la rigida morale e i diktat della sua classe sociale, assume tratti a volte caricaturali, compiendo azioni che non rendono omaggio né alla sua intelligenza, né ai suoi principi (ma ne ha?).
E' come se la scrittrice, nello sforzo di offrire al lettore un personaggio originale e superiore rispetto ai suoi tempi, le abbia dato un assoluto sprezzo per l'onore, il rispetto degli altri e di sé stessa, al punto che le ho di gran lunga preferito tutti gli altri personaggi a cominciare da Lord Ingram (che le sta quasi alla pari, quanto ad intelletto, ma è di gran lunga superiore in tutto il resto - senza dire che dimostra, alla fine, di essere in grado di progettare ed agire sulla lunga distanza in modo molto efficace).
E' poi stata una delusione il modo in cui, dopo aver messo in piedi una scenografia teatrale per farsi passare per un uomo, il modo in cui un altro personaggio capisce la copertura è banale e la questione non viene quasi neppure affrontata (se non in modo concettuale).
Pure, con tutti i limiti del caso, non mi è affatto spiaciuta questa prova. Anzi, alcuni delicati riferimenti al romanzo cui fa riferimento il titolo, mi hanno fatto sorridere con nostalgia.....
I read Doyle decades ago and always found Holmes fascinating, albeit the sort of smugly superior upper-crust Englishman I wouldn't want to know personally. Although I enjoyed them, I have never been tempted to re-read the Doyle stories and find the recent Benedict Cumberbatch TV depictions mannered and boring. And yet I loved Thomas' story. I would want to meet her Sherlock Holmes. Despite her being from the British gentry of the Victorian era, I would definitely want to meet her.
Some die-hard Thomas fans may be disappointed with A Study in Scarlet Women. I agree that it is not in the style of her previous works and, to an extent, I regret that. I will be surprised, for example, if the upcoming series ever delivers the romantic intensity of her earlier works - but, hopefully, the laugh will be on me, and I will be surprised.
In any event, authors can't keep regurgitating the same storylines and characterisations (and even the same sort of angst) and stay ahead of the pack. And Thomas has always, in my view, either been way ahead of the HR pack, or firmly ensconced with the leaders.
So I applaud her move to create a female Sherlock Holmes. I loved the story, the missives, the main mystery, the two sisters (Charlotte and Olivia - and, in the future, maybe Bernadine?) Lord Ingram (Ash), the many side characters and the many mini-mysteries. I appreciated the gentle love story of Treadles, especially when his bourgeoning insecurities are exacerbated - he has married "up" and is shaken when the identity of Holmes makes him realise he has underestimated his intelligent, capable and loving wife, Alice.
Charlotte dominates this story - as she should. She is a mix of genius and stubbornness, with an extraordinary capacity to read others (although this often deserts her when it involves herself). She is by no means perfect. She is burdened by impulsiveness that limits her from seeing past her own nose. When it suits her purposes (for example, refusing to acknowledge that Olivia better understands her father) she can be intransigent.
Charlotte has grown up in a house with a father who despises his wife (some of the saddest scenes in the book dwell on what that does to every member of the family) a mother who hates her father, is lonely and reliant on laudanum, a women to be pitied until one realises that she is a hateful bully to her daughters.
Despite this awfulness (which, in many ways has helped make her the extraordinary person she has become) Charlotte is the indulged and cosseted and favourite daughter of her father. She is voluptuous (her double chin/s are almost a character on their own, as is her chest, which is always bursting out of her clothing) men adore her and she dresses herself in so many frills and bows that she has (almost all of) them fooled into thinking she is an eccentric "sweetie pie".
Not so. She is formidably intelligent and can be as hard as nails When her father breaks his word to her, and Lord Ingram refuses to accept the offer she makes to him, Charlotte decides on an action that becomes scandalously public and proves disastrous to her plans (that impulsiveness again - admirable, but not well planned and humiliating/hurtful to people she loves in ways she hadn't foreseen).
Of course, it is also liberating - even though she eventually realises the extent (and source) of the assistance she has relied on to become liberated.
Another reviewer has pointed to what she sees as a drawback to this story. The romance. Fair enough. A Study in Scarlet Women is no swoon-worthy angst-fest. Thomas is now exploring a different path, one I'm prepared to follow with interest and, to date, enjoyment (albeit not wild enthusiasm).
My lack of wild enthusiasm is because I don't like stories when one is forced to wait years and years for the HEA. And I don't like the HEA happening when inconvenient spouses are created by an author, made look bad and then conveniently eradicated. But because it is Thomas, it seems likely that she will overcome my objections to these stratagems. To a degree, she has already done so. Why? Because I enjoyed the twist on the "usual" HR set-up, with Lord Ingram denying Charlotte's assertive advances, for reasons ( Honour? Victorian notions of restraint? Fear of what it would unleash? Love?) that are gradually revealed as the rest of the story rolls on around them. I suppose we will have to wait until 2018 before he succumbs. Drat. One of the other reviewers suggests waiting until the series is completed before reading it in one hit. Ha! A good idea, maybe, but I don't have that degree of self-discipline.
Despite this minor reservation, I give this story five stars.