This series started out as a DNF for me. I couldn’t get into the first book when I picked it up the first time so I put it down as a DNF and almost wrote the series off all together. But it bugged me so bad that I didn’t like this series! So many of my friends around the blog-o-sphere loved it and honestly it SHOULD be a series that I love. So after some consideration, I picked up the first book and decided to try again. I am so glad I did because I loved it and binge read all the books that had some out at that point so I could be ready for more in the series!
Sometimes that happens with readers—it’s like the right book and the wrong time and it can be so hard to decide if it was that I wasn’t in the mood for that book or if I really just didn’t care for it. Some books I can absolutely tell that I just don’t like it but with others it could be that I am just not in the right headspace for a particular book, which is why this series needled me so bad! I am glad I decided to give it another go as it has been a very enjoyable series and this book was another great installment.
If you haven’t checked this series out yet it’s great for fans of Sherlock Holmes but with a feminine twist! Author, Sherry Thomas, does a great job staying true to the character of Sherlock Holmes but with a gender bender, but the methods and problem solving that Holmes is known for is seen reflected in these charming characters. If you love historical mysteries this is a great place to start! Both familiar but new!
Summary
Charlotte Holmes’s brilliant mind and deductive skills are pulled into a dangerous investigation at sea in the new mystery in the bestselling Lady Sherlock series.
After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking to recover, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.
Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence, sailing from Southampton for the eastern hemisphere. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder also takes place on the ship.
Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
I will say that this isn’t the book to randomly pick up in the series and expect to know what’s going on. I wouldn’t start this series here if you haven’t read other books in it. There are references to past cases and past enemies and I think at this point there is a larger established back story that I think new readers would find confusing and lost. I recommend starting at the beginning to fully understand the history of some reoccurring characters and plots. You definitely want the full experience by this book. There are a lot of characters from previous books that impact this one so do yourself a favor and go back to book one so you can appreciate all the nuances of this one.
This book also had a lot of new characters and relationships and motive to keep straight. While this murder mystery takes place on a boat, there are still a lot of characters with various motives to keep track of. Also Holmes and Mrs Watson are in disguise from Moriarty so they have alter-egos and names which add two additional characters to keep track of and remember who they were. That was a little difficult for me at the beginning of the story so I had to slow down and go back and be like ‘oh ya that’s Holmes!’. But once I got accustomed to it, I had no problem tracking. I loved the setting for this one too. I love lock room mysteries and this one had a great setting and a lot of twists that kept me on my toes and engaged in the story.
I have loved getting to know these characters in each of the books and see them grow and change in their narratives. Having the reappearance of characters from previous books really enhanced my reading experience and I loved the introduction of new characters as well. Lots of people had motive and the end was one I didn’t see coming. I think that was a great follow up book to book six and really sets the stage for upcoming mysteries in the series. As always Thomas stayed true to the Holmes character and methods and wrote with historical authority! Another great installment to a fantastic series and one I now can’t stop raving about!
Book Info and Rating
Format: 336 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2023 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593200605 (ISBN10: 0593200608)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: historical mystery
The Lit Bitch 