Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Lady Sherlock #8
Publication Date: 6/25/24
Period: Victorian Paris and London
Number of Pages: 368

When I purchased the first book of this series eight years ago, I knew I liked the author, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about the description given for Charlotte Holmes or even the series. OMGoodness! There is nothing to worry about there – I still love the author – and absolutely adore Charlotte and the series. Charlotte is smart, quirky, cunning, and brave with few of the social ‘graces’, but everybody comes to love her. Well, everybody except those she outsmarts and brings to justice. I just looked back and I have given every book a 5-star rating so far – and this will get one as well.

I was fully engaged and invested in this story from the very first page and stayed that way until I let out a huge sigh at the last word on the last page. There is never a dull moment as Charlotte masterminds a massive blow to Moriarty and he never sees it coming! While she’s doing that, she’s solving a decades-old case for Inspector Treadles and outwitting Lord Bancroft Ashburton who rears his ugly head again. What does she do in her spare time? She shows some phenomenal character growth from the woman (girl really) we met in that first book.

I thought the author’s way of telling this story was interesting because I could see the events unfolding almost as if it were a movie or an old newsreel. We begin with Charlotte being interrogated by Chief Inspector John Talbot who believes she murdered Lord Bancroft Ashburton. The story alternates between the interrogation with her answers and the actual events that took place. That was an intriguing way to put the timeline together and to help us easily follow all of the events – even though the reader won’t really have it all pieced together until the end.

There is the full complement of recurring characters with integral parts to play and a couple of new characters that we may or may not see again. All of the unique parts of the story work seamlessly together to present the reader with an unforgettable reading experience. If you love complex mysteries with equally complex characters, you will love this book and this series. I can highly recommend this book – especially if you love books by Anna Lee Huber, Andrea Penrose, Ashley Weaver, Will Thomas, or C.H. Harris. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.