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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this. Like someone else posted, it's a slow burn. Almost zero romance. Just an engaging story. The narration on the audiobook is outstanding.
I think, perhaps, mysteries like this aren't for me. Still, I enjoyed this book and seeing a version of Sherlock hemmed in by historical societal expectations of womanhood. I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good little mystery draped in history. Plus this Holmes, while certainly capable of vast feats of deduction, is not infallible.
I picked up this book from the library via Overdrive because of the beautiful cover and I found the concept of a lady Sherlock intriguing.
My initial thought on the title goes something like this, "Oh cool, a wordplay between A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne". I was right but didn't realize how much the story embodied the spirit of both books until later. So many of the female characters are "fallen women", much like Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. They form the backbone of the story and drive the plot with their motives, desires, thoughts, and actions.
Each character possesses a complex inner world, like actual human beings and most of the POV is female. The only male character who gets a substantial page space is Inspector Treadles and his investigation provides the necessary legwork that enables Charlotte to make her deductions.
The highly interconnected plot kept me guessing as the author threw in clues by connecting it to previous investigations, casual conversations, and newspaper headlines mentioned in earlier chapters. The romance reader in me loved the interactions between Charlotte and Lord Ingram, with its undeclared feelings and simmering sexual tension.
There were so many thought-provoking ideas on women and society, and I'd like to see more of it in the series.
Favourite quotes:
1) "I do not like the idea of bartering the use of my reproductive system for a man's support - not in the absence of other choices."
2) "Do not make that mistake, my dear. Do not undervalue what you are ultimately worth because you are at a momentary disadvantage."
3) "But romantic love is...I don't wish to say that romantic love itself is a fraud-I'm sure the feelings it inspires are genuine enough, however temporary. But the way it's held up as this pristine, everlasting joy every woman ought to strive for-when in fact love is more like beef brought over from Argentina on refrigerated ships: It might stay fresh for a while under carefully controlled conditions, but sooner or later its qualities will begin to degrade. Love is by and large a perishable good and it is lamentable that young people are asked to make irrevocable, till-death-do-we-part decisions in the midst of a short-lived euphoria."
My initial thought on the title goes something like this, "Oh cool, a wordplay between A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne". I was right but didn't realize how much the story embodied the spirit of both books until later. So many of the female characters are "fallen women", much like Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. They form the backbone of the story and drive the plot with their motives, desires, thoughts, and actions.
Each character possesses a complex inner world, like actual human beings and most of the POV is female. The only male character who gets a substantial page space is Inspector Treadles and his investigation provides the necessary legwork that enables Charlotte to make her deductions.
The highly interconnected plot kept me guessing as the author threw in clues by connecting it to previous investigations, casual conversations, and newspaper headlines mentioned in earlier chapters. The romance reader in me loved the interactions between Charlotte and Lord Ingram, with its undeclared feelings and simmering sexual tension.
There were so many thought-provoking ideas on women and society, and I'd like to see more of it in the series.
Favourite quotes:
1) "I do not like the idea of bartering the use of my reproductive system for a man's support - not in the absence of other choices."
2) "Do not make that mistake, my dear. Do not undervalue what you are ultimately worth because you are at a momentary disadvantage."
3) "But romantic love is...I don't wish to say that romantic love itself is a fraud-I'm sure the feelings it inspires are genuine enough, however temporary. But the way it's held up as this pristine, everlasting joy every woman ought to strive for-when in fact love is more like beef brought over from Argentina on refrigerated ships: It might stay fresh for a while under carefully controlled conditions, but sooner or later its qualities will begin to degrade. Love is by and large a perishable good and it is lamentable that young people are asked to make irrevocable, till-death-do-we-part decisions in the midst of a short-lived euphoria."
Very enjoyable twist on Sherlock Holmes. I love the gender bending of many characters. I did find parts of the story VERY slow. I think this was due to the nature of setting the story, but it did make it a bit of a trial at times. The audio is wonderful. I'm excited to see where the series goes next!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Study in Scarlet Women started a bit slowly for me, and the jumps in points of view can be, well, jumpy on occasion, but overall this is a solid first book in the series, introducing us to the world (a well done brushstroke rendering of late Victorian England) and the main characters. Even as a longtime reader of cozy mysteries, the ending surprised me, and looking back on the plotting, it is masterful without being obviously manipulated at any turn. There are adult themes in the book, but it's a working combination of dark and light. I've already checked out the next book in the series.
It took almost half the book to get going and then too much happened too fast in the 2nd half. Still, though, it was pretty enjoyable.
Mixed feeling about this one. It was enjoyable enough... but I was a bit disappointed. Characters were not particularly well developed and some of the plot twists seemed forced. That said, I listened to the audiobook and it was a pleasant enough listen while I was doing chores, errands, etc.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No