A Beautiful and Terrible Murder

Irene Adler #1

by Claire M. Andrews

Irene Adler is no ordinary young lady. She's at the top of the ranks in the All Souls cohort, a competitive preparatory class reserved for Oxford's brightest minds. But her peers and professors don't know she's a lady at all. To them, she is Isaac Holland.

Keeping up her disguise gets trickier when All Souls students start dying, one by one. Determined to find out who's responsible for the deaths, Irene—as Isaac—teams up with fellow classmate and roommate Sherlock Holmes to track down clues. Their mission grows more dangerous by the day as someone tries to frame Isaac for the murders, and Irene's own father, Dean Moriarty, begins to threaten her seat in school.

Readers will love following these classic and beloved characters through the twists and turns in the dark halls of Oxford, and discovering what secret lies behind the glitz and glamor of the elite.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Retellings, Victorian, Thriller

Unknown Binding

First published August 5, 2025

About the author

Claire was raised in both Alaska and Scotland, but currently lives in Vermont; when not writing, she can usually be found outside swimming, skiing or hiking across the state’s famous green mountains.

If you want to learn more about Claire, you can find her here -
https://www.instagram.com/cmandrewslit/
https://www.twitter.com/cmandrewslit
https://www.pinterest.com/cmandrewslit/
https://www.clairemandrewsbooks.wordp...

Feel free to ask her questions! She would love to hear from you!

Reviews

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Our hearts are not born black. They are made that way."

4.25 stars

An entertaining murder mystery with some beloved characters.

A big fan of Irene getting to be the star of the show and this book delivered that in spades. She's such a great character to follow, though she seemed to be a little muted for my tastes here, but this is the first book of a series so I'm sure she'll blossom even more as we go.

Holmes was also a great character, though I would have liked a little more of him here. He's also not quite the Holmes most of us are used to but again, I think we're gonna have another book or more to watch him grow into it.

Definitely recommend for those who enjoy murder mystery with a splash of romance thrown in. This is also young adult, though it didn't feel overly young and was easy to get through ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! What a great Sherlock Holmes retelling that focused on Irene Adler. I loved the spin on each of the original characters.

I would definitely continue reading this series (it looks like a series in Goodreads but no second book has been announced yet). I started the author’s DAUGHTER OF SPARTA series but haven’t finished it yet but I must say, I liked this story a lot more.

The one thing that had me deciding between four and five stars was the romance element. I wanted a touch more romance. The slow burn and banter were so good I just wanted a smidge more to happen between Sherlock and Irene.

Lastly, the mystery element was really well done. I didn’t figure out who the killer was until very late into the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

England has yet to see the last of Irene Adler

Pitched as for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper which I have never read but can see the similaritires, I think it's also for fans of Enola Holmes because those are the vibes I got! A quite enjoyable read, if you consider reading about death enjoyable (apparently I do) with plenty of tension and stakes to keep you going. I enjoyed the likeable characters (aka Sherlock and Irene) but that's about it!

Not sure if I like that cover...it is giving AI but who am I to judge 😭 All in all, I enjoyed this and found myself binging through it in two hours! Thank you again to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

[Hayley Hoerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win an ARC from the author on an Instagram giveaway! I loved Andrews' Daughter of Sparta series, so as soon as I heard about this one, I knew I needed to read it.

I loved this story so much and can't wait to see where it goes next!😍 One thing about Andrews' writing that I love is that she always has a strong female protagonist. I absolutely adored Irene and her strength and ability. When it came to Sherlock, all I could picture was Benedict Cumberbatch. I'm not mad about it😂.

The vibes for this one were similar to Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, and I devoured that series.

[* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
this was like if enola holmes 2 was made into a book, except the main character is irene adler pretending to be a man as she works with sherlock holmes to solve a murder. need i say more?

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given how many authors have tread this ground before, it feels somehow mean to say that A Beautiful and Terrible Murder feels like Sherlock Holmes fanfiction. But the way that Holmes, Irene, Watson, and Moriarty are portrayed really invokes that sense, and it certainly doesn't help that there are some distinct and distracting historical inaccuracies. (Hopefully those will be fixed when the book goes to print.)

But the best fanfiction is a lot of fun, and this does mostly fit that bill. The mystery is entertaining and the characters are as well, while the writing is generally polished and very readable. I'm not sure I'll pick up a sequel, but this was a good rainy day read.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun mystery

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and immersive book that imagines new adventures in the Sherlock Holmes universe. Think of it like an alternate universe prequel in which Sherlock is exactly the same and Irene Adler is, um, very different.

Though the solve wasn’t great (to be fair, that’s very much in line with most Conan Doyle stories, in my opinion), it’s the getting there that matters in this one, and I love this as an origin story for the standard Conan Doyle characters. The author cleverly finds a way to make Irene not just a far more important character but a major player in the mystery, and it makes for a great tale.

The use of Oxford here as a setting was surprisingly good. This version of All Souls is fictional, but you always feel like you’re on the Oxford campus, rooting the story in excellent sense of place. I’m really disappointed that given where the story is going at the close of this installment, it’s likely the last we’ll see if the characters in this setting. I hope I’m wrong about that, as this is a less appealing concept if it’s set in London like most Holmes reimaginings and retellings.

In all, this was enjoyable and I loved the tone. Depending on where the author decides to take the ongoing story, I’d definitely read another.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genres: Historical Ficiton/Mystery/Retelling

This is yet another young Sherlock Holmes retelling. And tbh, I don't mind at all. I'll read every single one. I love Sherlock Holmes. I love Watson, and in this one I absolutely loved Irene. She was a strong MC, with a story all her own. She was perfectly capable of carrying the entire story, leaving plenty of mystery and room for the next installment to develop.

The mystery itself took a back seat, which was surprising (in a good way) and it worked. The author let the characters shine, weaving in other threads that added rich detail and it gave the story depth. That is what I enjoyed the most.

My only negative is that the plot felt a bit predictable. Several elements were easy to see coming. This wasn't a deal breaker by any means. I hope the next book reigns that in a bit. Overall though, I liked this one....so 4 stars.

[Aislinn Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book - I would have loved it in high school and I love it now in my 30s. The writing was excellent and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very fortunate to read a late-stage draft of this book. I am writing this review of my own volition and without compensation. HUGE thanks to Claire Andrews for the draft to read!

Fresh off of the success of her Daughter of Sparta trilogy, Andrews turns her attention to another much maligned figure in literature; Irene Adler. She's been a long time nemesis and occasional love of Sherlock Holmes, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never provided much of a backstory for Irene. How did she become who she was? What prompted her actions?

Andrews provides us answers and more in this rollicking good time of a murder mystery in, A Beautiful and Terrible Murder.

Taking place during Sherlock Holmes' Oxford days, Andrews weaves a complex and delicious web of intrigue and mystery, all set in the gorgeous backdrop of Victorian era Oxford. Her lush descriptions of both people and place enchant the reader and keep the pages turning. She continues to delight with her characters, and where we fell in love with Daphne, Apollo, Lykou and Hippolyta, in ABaTM, we'll meet Gerry, Edgar, Watson (yes, THAT Watson!) a mysterious Isaac and Irene herself.

I devoured A Beautiful and Terrible Murder and was left satisfied, but always with room for desert. Lucky me it seems like Claire Andrews herself isn't quite finished with Irene Adler either......

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Beautiful and Terrible Murder is a Sherlock Holmes retelling with Irene Adler as the main character.

Irene is a young woman simultaneously taking finishing school-esque classes for young ladies and (in the disguise of a young man named Isaac) taking classes with men at Oxford. She is determined to be the best in her class and beat the boys. Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty are her classmates, and when young men in the class are murdered, she decides to find out who did it.

The story had an intriguing premise and I am always down for a YA mystery, especially one set in a boarding school. However, you're kind of thrown into the story since the first murder happens really early on. The character was barely introduced and he was killed off. The other murders were confusing as well. Since the characters were introduced all at once, it was kind of hard to keep them all straight, especially as they started getting killed off.

I also found it really hard to believe that NO ONE suspected Irene’s secret identity. She's constantly walking between the two campuses, taking her fake moustache on and off and no one can piece it together? There's a decent amount of suspension of disbelief required here, but if you're able to do that, it's a fun and engaging story.

[Susy]

3.5 women unite! Stars

Well, make that, woman, unite. This is the story of Irene Adler, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and of course, James Moriarty as young adult students at Oxford.

Murder, mayhem and drugs are plaguing Oxford. The sons of the elite are being picked off one by one, but by whom? Our illustrious heroine Irene is on the case! But she has a lot to overcome and conceal. Irene is intimately connected to these young men because they are all in the same high academic class called The All Souls class. And here’s the kicker; Irene is posing as a young man! She must navigate the hallowed halls of Oxford as a man and then scurry over to the women’s college to take classes there.

It was very entertaining to listen to how Irene manages keeping her male alter ego alive, as well as living and studying as herself and solve the mysterious murders in and around Oxford. But the most chilling, treacherous balancing act is actually closer to home - how to stay alive and control her own family…her half brother James Moriarty and her father, an academic Dean Robert Moriarty. Enjoy!

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. This was fun and I loved all the tie-ins with the characters and how everyone from Sherlock Holmes was college-aged.

Sherlock and Irene always had the best chemistry and I’m happy to say this was no different. Unfortunately while a good story, and a good twist on the good Sir’s adventures, it was very skimmable. I skipped a lot of the memories and just focused on what was happening with the murders and the banter but I don’t feel like I missed anything.

It doesn’t need to be a series, or even a duology, and it could’ve been about a hundred pages shorter, but if you love these characters I’d recommend it.

[Jessica Ferreras · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little whodunit. I really liked how the author introduced the characters and their connections. Because even though we are well acquainted with these characters, the author used some shock factors which was really fun.

[Emmaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll never miss a Sherlock Holmes retelling 🙂‍↕️

[frogreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
I loved this book so much. It was witty and full of such sharp twists and turns. The romance, complex characters, and plot were amazing.

[Heather Brew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Rachel Figueroa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little predictable but a great read. The plot was well paced, and I love the setting for this Sherlock reimagining. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Shaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Claire Andrews for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Beautiful and Terrible Murder coming out August 5, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read a couple books by this author. I was excited for the Sherlock Holmes Irene Adler adaptation. I really enjoyed it. I’ve read similar stories before, so it wasn’t completely new to me. But the characters were interesting. I’d read more if it’s a series.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Following her Daughter of Sparta trilogy, Claire M. Andrews turns her sharp eye for myth and reinvention toward a new legend; this time, the world of Sherlock Holmes. “A Beautiful and Terrible Murder” reimagines the Holmesian universe through a fresh lens, putting Irene Adler at the center of a dark academia murder mystery set in Victorian-era Oxford.

Here, Irene is no mere muse or rival. She’s a young woman leading a dangerous double life, attending finishing-school classes by day and disguising herself as “Isaac Holland” to secretly study alongside Oxford’s elite men by night. Her ambition is simple yet radical: to prove she’s the best; she wants to prove that she is smarter, sharper, and more capable than any of her male peers. But when her classmates begin turning up dead, Irene’s quest for excellence becomes a deadly game of deduction. Teaming up with a brilliant but socially awkward classmate named Sherlock Holmes, she plunges into a world of secrets, class privilege, and danger where intellect is both weapon and shield.

Andrews’s Oxford is vividly drawn; the setting is moody, rain-soaked, and atmospheric, pulsing with gothic charm. Andrews captures the allure of academia and the claustrophobia of a campus where murder lurks behind ivy-covered walls. While the mystery itself isn’t the most complex, the real pleasure lies in the journey: the witty banter between Irene and Holmes, the tension between identity and expectation, and the sharp gender commentary threaded throughout the story.

Irene herself is a formidable protagonist; she is ambitious, cunning, and delightfully impulsive. I enjoyed watching her juggle her two identities and defy societal rules, though I did have to suspend my disbelief a bit like with her ability to switch disguises unnoticed. Still, her drive and defiance make her easy to root for. Holmes, meanwhile, appears as a younger, more human version of his iconic self; he is brilliant yet flirtatious, observant yet fallible. Their chemistry crackles on the page, promising more intrigue (and maybe romance) in future installments.

Stylistically, Andrews balances fast pacing with lush description, though there are a few uneven moments like how the early murders arrive before the characters are fully established, and the final revelations unfold a bit too quickly. Yet, despite occasional rushed beats, the book delivers a clever and entertaining origin story for two of literature’s most enduring figures.

Overall, “A Beautiful and Terrible Murder” is an engaging, atmospheric YA mystery. It’s a story about intellect, identity, and the danger of wanting too much in a world that insists you settle for less.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Irene Adler is living a double life; she's attending All Souls College in Oxford as Isaac Holland while attending Lady Margaret College as herself. It requires frequent changes of costume, including a fake mustache when she is Isaac. Her courses are similar, but the men's science classes are much more informative and demanding. She is in classes with Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty... who is also her half brother. Their father, a professor at Oxford, was a customer of Irene's mother, a courtesan, and while James doesn't care for Irene, her grandmother Augusta is very supportive. Irene is good friends with Geraldine, but doesn't care much for the popular and snotty Ermyntrude who looks down on people who are not from refined backgrounds. When Irene is the first to discover the body of Bertram, she talks to John Watson, who is on the police force. When Isaac is suspected by the police, it's clear that "he" is being framed, and Irene sets out to investigate, even after the police rule the death a suicide. It's clearly not, since several other young men are killed. She partners with Sherlock over their shared hatred of James, and clues take them to the Bullingdon Club. When several more young men, including Geraldine's brother, are killed, it becomes even more imperative to solve the crimes. Sherlock is framed for one of the murders, and James eventually figures out Irene's alter ego. Will Irene and Sherlock be able to figure out the murderer before they both land in jail?
Strengths: This was an interesting twist on the Sherlock Holmes' stories: the main characters as college students. I had to look up Irene Adler to find out that she was in the story "A Scandal in Bohemia". Her relationship with Moriarty is an interesting one. This read rather like classic Christie or Sayers books, and seeing college life at Oxford in the Victorian era was fun. The murders aren't too bloody, and the real draw of the book is the relationship between the characters. That, and watching Irene going back and forth between being Isaac and being herself.
Weaknesses: This is more of a young adult book; it's on the long side, very descriptive, and mentions a few things like courtesans and brothels. I was a bit unclear how Irene could manage two enrollments at college, but that's kind of a boring detail.
What I really think: This would be an intriguing choice for readers who loved Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes series (starting with Death Cloud) or Lee's The Agency: A Spy in the House, also from 2010.

[Rachel Feeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark academia take on the core Holmesian cast, starring one spunky Irene Adler, who’s leading a double life as Isaac Holland in order to prove she’s better than all the privileged young men vying for the top academic position. When her classmates start turning up dead, Irene finds an unlikely detective partner in Sherlock Holmes, the other social outcast of their class. With the murders isolated to Oxford, it’s only a matter of time until they catch the killer, but only at the cost of many secrets, and as the bodies pile up, it may already be too late.

Irene is one hundred percent drive and ambition, and between her dual academic schedule (Irene and Isaac both have grades to maintain), frequent disguise changes, and determination to leap into any investigations herself, the pace is non-stop. While the focus is on her life as Isaac, where most of the murder investigation occurs, the time she spends as herself in the nursing program and at social activities is also full of intrigue, especially as her less-than-positive familial relationship is revealed.

Stylistically, the narrative has a fun way of springing little surprises on the reader, even with facts about Irene that she herself obviously already knows. The tension between Alder and Holmes is electric from the off, and they both delight in going toe-to-toe. Later in the book, I would have liked to see more reflection on the weightier subjects, such as the looming presence of death (Irene remains pretty cavalier in the face of most gruesome incidents). Also, I was looking forward to the inevitable moment when Irene’s true identity became revealed, but in those instances, it’s met with almost universal nonchalance and not revisited. A few other things are similarly downplayed, which certainly keeps things moving but made it hard to fully connect.

As a retelling, I don’t know that there’s a particular connection between these characters and the originals, apart from the names and basic friendships. Here we have a younger Holmes - observant as ever, yet fallible, flirtatious, and not having the urge to torture a violin. There’s also diligent Watson, scheming Moriarty, and secretive, coy, Irene Adler (although, I won’t pretend to have enough knowledge of the original to draw any comparisons there). They’re a fun cast, but if the names were changed, I think the story would have worked just as well as an entirely original story.

This can be read as a standalone, but there is a sequel ahead.

**Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review with YA Books Central. See YABC for more reviews!**

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! 4.75 stars!
This is a historical fiction mystery with our main character Irene Adler. She is going to Oxford as both herself and masquerading as a boy - Isaac Holland. She wants to prove she is better than her brother James Moriarty, but the women's classes are absolutely lame compared to the men's classes. As the school year progresses, someone starts to murder the students in Isaac's All Souls class. Irene must team up with classmate Sherlock Holmes to figure out who the killer is.
I really loved Irene. She was extremely independent despite living in a time where women were not seen as equal to men. She wanted to earn her own accomplishments. I loved her relationship with Sherlock as both Irene and Isaac. Sherlock was a great character as well. He was the typical genius, but had a unique flare in this book. This took place before Sherlock and Watson obviously as they are in school, but Watson is in the book too. The family dynamics for Irene are also very interesting. Her and her brother do not get along, nor do her and her father. Irene was brought over from France against her will as a child so seeing that abuse was heartbreaking and made me root for her all the more.
The plot was so intriguing. I was always curious what was going to happen on the next page and while life got in the way of me really devouring it, I was always excited to pick it up when I had the time. I really love a good murder mystery and this one just hit all the right notes for me. There was a great pool of viable suspects and so many clues that Irene had to put together. Things we thought were true turned out to be wrong and there were so many twists and turns.
The writing style was great. I loved Irene's inner voice and her banter, especially with Sherlock. I was really transported into this historical England through the writing.
I really can't wait for the sequel even though the first book isn't out yet!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Sara Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

First of all I would like to thank NetGally, the publisher, and the author for sending me the ARC for A Beautiful and Terrible Murder. The following is my honest review:

This book was good and entertaining for what it was. I enjoyed this retelling of a Sherlock Holmes story but from Irene Adler's perspective. I don't know a ton of the lore for Sherlock Holmes so if I don't understand something that is obvious to those who know more, I am sorry ahead of time. With that being said the following are my thoughts about the book.




Spoiler Warning*************************




- I did not see the twist coming at the start of the book of Moriarty and Irene being half-siblings. It definitely made the story line more interesting.

- It was also a fun turn of events when they revealed that Sherlock was the roommate of Irene's alter ego

- One fatal flaw when I read is that I tend to get bored with descriptions in books and will skip over paragraphs to get to dialogue, however this book had me rarely skipping paragraphs which is a feat in itself.

- I really did not enjoy Edgar getting killed off, I really liked his character even though he wasn't in the book a whole lot

- Irene did annoy me more and more as the book progressed (mostly the decisions she kept making)

- The romance in this book was definitely slow burn

- I do think the book could have been shorter and still been good. In the later half of the book the story felt like it was dragging

- I was skeptical going into this book and didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did

Overall the book was a decent spin on Sherlock Holmes and I would recommend people try it if the synopsis sounds interesting to them

[Emmy Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are my own.

DNF'd at 65%

From the description alone, 𝘈 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 seemed like the perfect book for me. I just finished the 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 series, and was looking for something similar. 𝘈 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 is a novel about Irene Adler, who disguises herself as a boy (Isaac Holland), in order to attend classes in the All Souls cohort, a group of students at Oxford. It becomes harder for her to keep up her disguise when her classmates begin getting murdered one by one, and someone tries to frame Isaac for the murders. Irene (as Isaac) teams up with her fellow classmate, Sherlock Holmes, to try and solve the mystery.

Plot-wise, there was nothing wrong with this story at all. The concept was thrilling, and the setting of the boarding school made for an interesting closed system. Irene herself was an excellent character, with a strong personality (something that some side characters lacked). I especially enjoyed her struggles to keep up her charade as Isaac, while balancing her classes as Irene, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 solve a murder at the same time!

However, the reason I just couldn't finish this book was because of the writing itself. Despite being over halfway into the story, it still hadn't grabbed my attention. I felt like I was just waiting and waiting for the story to really start, but it just never happened.

If you liked 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 or even 𝘌𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘴, and don't mind slower pacing, chances are you'll enjoy this book as well!

[GiovannaReads_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful and Terrible Murder
Inglés
432 páginas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Make them regret the day they made Irene Adler do anything she didn’t like.”

¿Han viviendo ese momento de absoluta paz cuando tienes altas expectativas de un libro que asusta que no las cumple, pero, termina cumpliéndolas y excediendolas? Bueno, eso me pasó con A Beautiful And Terrible Murder. Yo esperaba que me gustara, porque ¿Cómo podía esperar menos de la autora que me dio una de mis trilogías favoritas de la vida Daughter of Sparta? Y no me decepcionó.

Irene Adler es todo lo que está bien, es una mujer brillante, sarcástica, divertida, con una lengua afilada que no está dispuesta a dejarse de nadie y que va a hacer todo por conseguir lo que quiere, claro que hubieron momentos donde me desesperó, pero esos momentos eran los que más me hacían conectar con ella, porque al final del día es una mujer atrapada en un mundo en el que, literalmente, se tiene que vestir de hombre para poder acceder a estudios de calidad.

Holmes me hizo cantar en mi cabeza Tears de Sabrina, hermanas es que qué hombre 🥵 tan listo, tan brillante, tan deductivo, tan educado, tan todo y la mancuerna que hace con Isaac Holland lo es todo, porque se complementan tan bien 🫶🏻

El libro te tiene enganchado de principio a fin, todos son posibles sospechosos, lo que crees que es puede no serlo y el peligro se siente cada vez más cerca. La ambientación, la investigación, los personajes. Es que este libro me enamoró por completo.

Así que, si pueden acompañen a Irene en su camino de autoconocimiento, crecimiento, aprendizaje e investigación de asesinatos 💁🏻‍♀️ No se van a arrepentir.

“Desperation makes monsters of us all.”

[pdarnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the ebook via NetGalley for review.

I read through this rather quickly for me. I'm usually a slower reader, reading when I get the chance. The story is a fun look at what Sherlock, Irene, Watson and Moriarty might have been like during their college years. I did find it somewhat doubtful as to how long it took Sherlock to figure out the secret behind Isaac Holland or so it seemed until nearly the end of the book. Also, Watson is a policeman at this time in his life, not the doctor we know - yet.
There's a bit too much "heat" flowing from/to "name appendage" and the "dark locks dropping down over his face", but yeah, I can let go of that since this seems to be geared towards the young adult audience. There is no actual sexual acts described, just the warming of body parts. Which I appreciated. The mystery was a good one, it had me guessing all over the place... and honestly I never did guess it until the murderer was revealed. However, holy crap! The one who tried to murder Irene!!! Not at all the one I would have thought.
I look forward to more Irene Adler stories!!! A solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.


Content covering subjects of:
Leading a double life, hiding in plane sight, murder, Sherlock, friendship, school, enquity, Victorian era, and sleuthing among others.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragedy strikes when members of the All Souls cohort are being vicously murdered and Isaac is being framed for those murders. To get to the bottom of the case, Irene works with Sherlock to search for clues. At the same time, her brother is also looking for clues. Irene must maintain both her identities to solve the case to solve the mystery before she gets caught by the Scotland Yard and her reputation becomes tarnished.

This book is very face-forward when it came to the mystery and who the characters were prior to who they were in the original books. That being said, for how "genius" these characters are, the book moves awfully slow in some areas. There were several times where the same inforamtion felt like it was being repeated over and over again. I wouldn't mind if the mystery part was thought over so much, but the basic facts were the thoughts that were brought up the most (Irene and James's rivalry, Irene despising her dad, and Irene is Isaac).


Overall, this was a solid read with some confusing moments but the overall gothic atmosphere made up for its flaws, earning four out of five stars.

I recommend this book to fans of Sherlock Holmes, mystery fanatics, or Victorian Era lovers. Read my full review here: https://bellaandbooks5.wordpress.com/...

[Ema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1872, this story takes us to Oxford University, divided into two colleges: All Souls, reserved for the most brilliant men chosen once a decade to compete for Queen Victoria’s favor with Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty among them. And Lady Margaret, where women finally gain a foothold in academia.

At the center is Irene Adler, living a double life as Isaac Holland. The illegitimate daughter of opera singer and courtesan Elena Adler, Irene is unwillingly brought from France by her father into the shadow of the Moriarty name. Despite the suffocating misogyny of the era, she rises as one of Oxford’s sharpest minds.

But brilliance soon gives way to horror. Students begin to die one by one, their deaths increasingly suspicious, rattling Oxford to its core and casting a heavy fog of dread. Someone is framing both Isaac and Holmes, and Irene suddenly finds her every move under scrutiny. Red herrings abound so many that at times I felt overwhelmed, even as the pacing kept me turning the pages. Holmes doesn’t stand out much here, but that’s understandable given the focus.

Overall, A Beautiful and Terrible Murder delivers atmosphere, suspense, and intrigue in abundance. Though the sheer number of red herrings may test your patience, the tension of Irene’s double life and the gothic Oxford setting kept me hooked until the end.