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A review by ashwaar
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I have not had much luck when it comes to retellings of classic books and historical fiction. I'm unsure what compelled me to start a Sherlock Holmes gender-bending series. I've never been a big fan of the novels, but I was obsessed with the BBC series as a teenager.
This retelling hinges on Sherlock being a woman, which is challenging to pull off in Victorian England because, of course, women couldn't do much of anything. The start of the novel focuses on our main character's origin story and their struggle to start a detective business in the face of many, many obstacles. It is significant that even once Charlotte (our version of Sherlock) appears to have succeeded, she is still, inevitably, supported in many ways by the men she has tried to avoid relying on.
It was also refreshing that Charlotte is the opposite of everyone's expectations. She is a plump, round-faced, well-mannered society woman with a penchant for cakes, sweets and anything frilly. The author rejects the traditional expectations of what a great mind looks like and instead gives us a character far more realistic and relatable.
Despite the noticeable differences, A Study in Scarlet Women still reads much like the original novels. However, this makes it so incredibly boring to try and get through. The original books were also quite dull, and although I like the idea of writing the Lady Sherlock novels in this style, they are not getting read by a Victorian audience. It's also very long as Charlotte's background is told alongside a mystery story, which in the end, is solved with a letter and Charlotte's sentiment of 'knowing all along.
Despite trying to do something different, this ends reading like a traditional Arthur Conan Doyle novel, and I was bored. At several points, I didn’t understand what was happening in the investigation, and too many threads were left unexplained, resulting in me feeling a bit stupid for not following along.
Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/
This retelling hinges on Sherlock being a woman, which is challenging to pull off in Victorian England because, of course, women couldn't do much of anything. The start of the novel focuses on our main character's origin story and their struggle to start a detective business in the face of many, many obstacles. It is significant that even once Charlotte (our version of Sherlock) appears to have succeeded, she is still, inevitably, supported in many ways by the men she has tried to avoid relying on.
It was also refreshing that Charlotte is the opposite of everyone's expectations. She is a plump, round-faced, well-mannered society woman with a penchant for cakes, sweets and anything frilly. The author rejects the traditional expectations of what a great mind looks like and instead gives us a character far more realistic and relatable.
Despite the noticeable differences, A Study in Scarlet Women still reads much like the original novels. However, this makes it so incredibly boring to try and get through. The original books were also quite dull, and although I like the idea of writing the Lady Sherlock novels in this style, they are not getting read by a Victorian audience. It's also very long as Charlotte's background is told alongside a mystery story, which in the end, is solved with a letter and Charlotte's sentiment of 'knowing all along.
Despite trying to do something different, this ends reading like a traditional Arthur Conan Doyle novel, and I was bored. At several points, I didn’t understand what was happening in the investigation, and too many threads were left unexplained, resulting in me feeling a bit stupid for not following along.
Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide