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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved this book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
DNF
For a retelling of Sherlock Holmes as a woman, I was expecting more mystery. I just can't keep reading about well nothing. At about 50 pages in MC Charlotte Holmes should actually be investigating, let alone having more of a narrative.
For a retelling of Sherlock Holmes as a woman, I was expecting more mystery. I just can't keep reading about well nothing. At about 50 pages in MC Charlotte Holmes should actually be investigating, let alone having more of a narrative.
adventurous
mysterious
While definitely not one of the greatest books I've read, I did really enjoy reading it. One thing I did take issue with, though, was that the reveal for the big mystery was far, far darker than and didn't fit in with the rest of the book.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This was such a delightful mystery/romance! The slow burn was simply impeccable. And the mystery had me guessing until the very end (although I'm a horrible sleuth, so that probably doesn't say much). Loved that the protagonist was super super femme, and unapologetically so. The last few chapters had me gasping in shock several times!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Incest, Pedophilia, Suicide
Check out my full review on my Lisa Latte Booktube Channel at https://youtu.be/I9LVNQ1OKZE?t=1015
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I finished this because I really love the idea of a female Sherlock. But I should have DNF'd at 15%.
The writing was hard to follow. It switches between slow dialogue and very fast between scene action, so if I read fast I missed what happened but if I read slow I got bored. Also there's an overuse of pronouns so the author can go pages and pages without reminding the reader who "he" referred to. I once put the book down and when I came back, had to go back at least 10 pages to figure out the scene's characters.
SPOILERS
Plot was meh. It went for pure shock value in the end which I don't enjoy. I want the mystery to be nuanced, not just depraved.
And Charlotte is no Sherlock. This was a big disappointment. She solved puzzles for her clients but never seemed to apply her mind to harder questions or problems she faced. She goes into near-poverty and comes up with literally zero solutions on her own and it's ultimately saved through the Mrs Watson character. And it turns out that character was actually sent by a love interest. * eye roll *
The writing was hard to follow. It switches between slow dialogue and very fast between scene action, so if I read fast I missed what happened but if I read slow I got bored. Also there's an overuse of pronouns so the author can go pages and pages without reminding the reader who "he" referred to. I once put the book down and when I came back, had to go back at least 10 pages to figure out the scene's characters.
SPOILERS
Plot was meh. It went for pure shock value in the end which I don't enjoy. I want the mystery to be nuanced, not just depraved.
And Charlotte is no Sherlock. This was a big disappointment. She solved puzzles for her clients but never seemed to apply her mind to harder questions or problems she faced. She goes into near-poverty and comes up with literally zero solutions on her own and it's ultimately saved through the Mrs Watson character. And it turns out that character was actually sent by a love interest. * eye roll *
After DNFing this book at about 50% a few months ago, I decided to toggle between listening to and reading the second half. It was much better…but I’m still a little hesitant about the long stretches where Charlotte (and her sister) were missing. While I liked how the connections between the murders were revealed, I was a little disappointed that a letter revealed the motive. No confrontation? No accountability?
**Original Review**
My first DNF. What started as an exciting story became a complete slog after about 70 pages. I made it to around 150 and surrendered. There are other reviews that lay out the issues in extreme detail, but the biggest one is that the women you think are your main characters, Charlotte and Livia, completely disappear for giant chunks of the book.
To flip the genders and make Sherlock a woman is an awesome premise. To then make that woman a background character and have men do all the investigating is maddening. So much for having a female-centric series!
There is one particularly rough patch where a policeman is interviewing the staff of a house in which someone died. The interviews go on and on and on. An enormous chunk could have been edited down to a couple pages.
I’m out.
**Original Review**
My first DNF. What started as an exciting story became a complete slog after about 70 pages. I made it to around 150 and surrendered. There are other reviews that lay out the issues in extreme detail, but the biggest one is that the women you think are your main characters, Charlotte and Livia, completely disappear for giant chunks of the book.
To flip the genders and make Sherlock a woman is an awesome premise. To then make that woman a background character and have men do all the investigating is maddening. So much for having a female-centric series!
There is one particularly rough patch where a policeman is interviewing the staff of a house in which someone died. The interviews go on and on and on. An enormous chunk could have been edited down to a couple pages.
I’m out.
3.5Stars not quite sure if I’m rounding up or down yet