Somewhere in a pile, I have A Study in Scarlet Women, the first Lady Sherlock book by Sherry Thomas. But, I started it, and didn’t care for the predicament Charlotte Holmes was in. However, when I finished A Conspiracy in Belgravia, I could see why others liked the character and the set-up.

Charlotte Holmes is a disgraced gentlewoman who uses her intelligence and the assistance of a widow, Mrs. John Watson, to take on cases under the guise of “Sherlock Holmes”. This time, the case could be a little awkward. Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte’s close friend and benefactor, asks Holmes to find the man she loved when she was young and single. The two had agreed to pass each other at a specific location once a year just to show they still remembered, and this year, Myron Finch didn’t show up. Myron Finch is also the name of Charlotte’s illegitimate half brother.

Actually, I found that particular case to be the least interesting of the cases in the book. Lord Bancroft, Ingram’s brother, proposes to Charlotte, and to show he respects her mind, he presents her with a set of challenges. One of them leads Charlotte and Ingram to a house where the police are about to investigate a murder. Bancroft’s clues and the suspicion that Charlotte and Ingram are followed is a tantalizing aspect of the story.

Then, there’s Charlotte’s sister, Livia, who is trying so hard to write Sherlock Holmes adventures. Although Charlotte may have Sherlock Holmes’ intelligence, Livia has a few of his traits. She has her own adventures in this book, ones suitable for the bookworm she is.

It’s the characters and the setting that will bring me back to the next Lady Sherlock book. I enjoy Charlotte’s personality, and her relationship with Mrs. Watson and Lord Ingram. She’s courageous, independent as she can be during the Victorian age, and truly cares about her sisters. It will be interesting to see where Sherry Thomas takes her, and a few other characters, in future books.

Sherry Thomas’ website is www.sherrythomas.com

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas. Berkley. 2017. ISBN 9780425281413 (paperback), 336p.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.