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A review by annamickreads
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
3.0
3.5! One day Goodreads will let us add the very important and specific half stars.
So perhaps this is a result of my terrible eyesight, but I was originally under the impression this was a sapphic retelling of Holmes & Watson--not that I can hold that against this book, but it was a little bit of a shock 2 pages in.
I appreciate any Holmes & Watson retelling that updates the stories people know and love for modern audiences, and I think Charlotte's voice especially has all the key elements of a great Holmes. I also appreciated the nuances to Jamie's character, giving Watson a bit of an upgrade (as Jamie himself points out, Watson is typically allotted the character trait of "oblivious scribe"). I love the idea that Holmes and Watson were once real people that have since trickled down into descendants with messy family histories, including links to the Moriarty family.
SPEAKING of the Moriarty family, no spoilers, but I will say the sort-of plot "twist" didn't catch me at all by surprise, and was maybe a tiny bit of a let down. What I honestly found more enjoyable was the lead-up, watching Watson AND Holmes cracking clues together rather than Holmes dragging Watson along for the ride (although let's be fair, there was some of that too, so Jamie's frustration was incredibly understandable)
Regardless, it was a fun book and I already have the next one in hand!
So perhaps this is a result of my terrible eyesight, but I was originally under the impression this was a sapphic retelling of Holmes & Watson--not that I can hold that against this book, but it was a little bit of a shock 2 pages in.
I appreciate any Holmes & Watson retelling that updates the stories people know and love for modern audiences, and I think Charlotte's voice especially has all the key elements of a great Holmes. I also appreciated the nuances to Jamie's character, giving Watson a bit of an upgrade (as Jamie himself points out, Watson is typically allotted the character trait of "oblivious scribe"). I love the idea that Holmes and Watson were once real people that have since trickled down into descendants with messy family histories, including links to the Moriarty family.
SPEAKING of the Moriarty family, no spoilers, but I will say the sort-of plot "twist" didn't catch me at all by surprise, and was maybe a tiny bit of a let down. What I honestly found more enjoyable was the lead-up, watching Watson AND Holmes cracking clues together rather than Holmes dragging Watson along for the ride (although let's be fair, there was some of that too, so Jamie's frustration was incredibly understandable)
Regardless, it was a fun book and I already have the next one in hand!