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Lady Sherlock #4
The Art of Theft
Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, is back solving new cases in the Victorian-set mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of The Hollow of Fear.
As "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing individuals. But she has never stolen a priceless artwork—or rather, made away with the secrets hidden behind a much-coveted canvas.
But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help her old friend recover those secrets and Charlotte finds herself involved in a fever-paced scheme to infiltrate a glamorous Yuletide ball where the painting is one handshake away from being sold and the secrets a bare breath from exposure.
Her dear friend Lord Ingram, her sister Livia, Livia's admirer Stephen Marbleton—everyone pitches in to help and everyone has a grand time. But nothing about this adventure is what it seems and disaster is biding time on the grounds of a glittering French chateau, waiting only for Charlotte to make a single mistake...
As "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing individuals. But she has never stolen a priceless artwork—or rather, made away with the secrets hidden behind a much-coveted canvas.
But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help her old friend recover those secrets and Charlotte finds herself involved in a fever-paced scheme to infiltrate a glamorous Yuletide ball where the painting is one handshake away from being sold and the secrets a bare breath from exposure.
Her dear friend Lord Ingram, her sister Livia, Livia's admirer Stephen Marbleton—everyone pitches in to help and everyone has a grand time. But nothing about this adventure is what it seems and disaster is biding time on the grounds of a glittering French chateau, waiting only for Charlotte to make a single mistake...
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2019
907 people are currently reading
9747 people want to read
About the author
Sherry Thomas
40 books7,471 followersUSA Today-bestselling author Sherry Thomas decided years ago that her goal in life is to write every kind of book she enjoys reading. Thus far she has published romance, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and three books inspired by the martial arts epics she grew up devouring. Her books regularly receive starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications, including such outlets as the New York Times and National Public Radio.
A Study in Scarlet Women, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, and The Hollow of Fear, the first three entries in her gender-bending Lady Sherlock historical mystery series, are all NPR best books of the year. The Magnolia Sword, her 2019 release, is the first young adult retelling of the original Ballad of Mulan in the English language.
Sherry emigrated from China at age 13 and English is her second language.
“Sherry Thomas has done the impossible and crafted a fresh, exciting new version of Sherlock Holmes. From the carefully plotted twists to the elegant turns of phrase, A Study in Scarlet Women is a splendid addition to Holmes’s world. This book is everything I hoped it would be, and the next adventure cannot come too soon!” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author
“Thomas weaves a lush, intricate fantasy world around a gorgeous romance that kept me riveted until the very last page. What a breathtaking journey!” (Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend series )
"Sherry Thomas is the most powerfully original historical romance author writing today."—Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
Visit Sherry at her website
Follow Sherry on twitter
Find Sherry on Facebook
A Study in Scarlet Women, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, and The Hollow of Fear, the first three entries in her gender-bending Lady Sherlock historical mystery series, are all NPR best books of the year. The Magnolia Sword, her 2019 release, is the first young adult retelling of the original Ballad of Mulan in the English language.
Sherry emigrated from China at age 13 and English is her second language.
“Sherry Thomas has done the impossible and crafted a fresh, exciting new version of Sherlock Holmes. From the carefully plotted twists to the elegant turns of phrase, A Study in Scarlet Women is a splendid addition to Holmes’s world. This book is everything I hoped it would be, and the next adventure cannot come too soon!” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author
“Thomas weaves a lush, intricate fantasy world around a gorgeous romance that kept me riveted until the very last page. What a breathtaking journey!” (Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend series )
"Sherry Thomas is the most powerfully original historical romance author writing today."—Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
Visit Sherry at her website
Follow Sherry on twitter
Find Sherry on Facebook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,488 reviews
October 1, 2023
The Art of Theft (Lady Sherlock #4) by Sherry Thomas (Author), Kate Reading (Narrator)
Sherlock (Charlotte) Holmes most recent job involves infiltrating a French chateau, during a Yuletide ball, in order to steal material that is being used to blackmail a dear old friend of Mrs. Watson. The skills and talents of many will be needed to carry off this feat during the glamorous ball, where precious artwork will be bought and sold. An already dangerous job is made more dangerous when it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem and that this organized crime of blackmailing goes so much deeper than it first appeared.
Livia, Charlotte's sister, is close to finishing her first Sherlock Holmes book and Mr Marbleton will be on this adventure with Charlotte and company, giving Livia her one glimpse of a loving relationship, if only life were different for both him and her. Lord Ingram has recruited a good friend to help with this endeavor and everyone will be employing a variety of disguises before and during the ball. As always, there is so much going on in the story, so many moving parts and changing motives, that I'd be hard pressed to really relate what actually happens throughout the retrieval of the blackmail material. But I enjoyed spending time with this group and look forward to spending more time with them in book #5.
Pub October 25th 2019
Sherlock (Charlotte) Holmes most recent job involves infiltrating a French chateau, during a Yuletide ball, in order to steal material that is being used to blackmail a dear old friend of Mrs. Watson. The skills and talents of many will be needed to carry off this feat during the glamorous ball, where precious artwork will be bought and sold. An already dangerous job is made more dangerous when it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem and that this organized crime of blackmailing goes so much deeper than it first appeared.
Livia, Charlotte's sister, is close to finishing her first Sherlock Holmes book and Mr Marbleton will be on this adventure with Charlotte and company, giving Livia her one glimpse of a loving relationship, if only life were different for both him and her. Lord Ingram has recruited a good friend to help with this endeavor and everyone will be employing a variety of disguises before and during the ball. As always, there is so much going on in the story, so many moving parts and changing motives, that I'd be hard pressed to really relate what actually happens throughout the retrieval of the blackmail material. But I enjoyed spending time with this group and look forward to spending more time with them in book #5.
Pub October 25th 2019
November 18, 2019
The Art of Theft sees the return of one of my favorite heroines, Charlotte Holmes, who had opened a consulting business under the fake name of Sherlock Holmes, whom she pretends is her brother. In this book, an old friend of Mrs. Watson's is in trouble. She's being blackmailed, and our heroine must steal a priceless artwork in order to safeguard her secrets.
This series just keeps getting better and better. All my favorite characters are back, including Lord Ingram, as proper and stick-in-the-mud as ever while tortuously pining after Charlotte; and Livia, Charlotte's lovable but full of self-doubt sister. And all these characters rally around Charlotte. They must all work together to steal the artwork, which makes for an interesting and unusual dynamic this time around.
Charlotte is as sharp and in command of her acumen as ever. It's just so much fun to follow along as she smartly lays out their plans and deduces what's going on. Her competence and wit is brilliant and entertaining, especially when juxtaposed against the Victorian time period of this story when women are valued more for their looks than their brains.
This book picks up pretty much where the last one left off, and it references things that have happened in the previous books, so this is probably a series best read in order. The mystery in here is fun, though don't expect any Agatha Christie-level "aha" moments or anything like that. Still, I adore this series and am already eagerly waiting for the next book.
This series just keeps getting better and better. All my favorite characters are back, including Lord Ingram, as proper and stick-in-the-mud as ever while tortuously pining after Charlotte; and Livia, Charlotte's lovable but full of self-doubt sister. And all these characters rally around Charlotte. They must all work together to steal the artwork, which makes for an interesting and unusual dynamic this time around.
Charlotte is as sharp and in command of her acumen as ever. It's just so much fun to follow along as she smartly lays out their plans and deduces what's going on. Her competence and wit is brilliant and entertaining, especially when juxtaposed against the Victorian time period of this story when women are valued more for their looks than their brains.
This book picks up pretty much where the last one left off, and it references things that have happened in the previous books, so this is probably a series best read in order. The mystery in here is fun, though don't expect any Agatha Christie-level "aha" moments or anything like that. Still, I adore this series and am already eagerly waiting for the next book.
December 24, 2019
*happy sigh*
There are few things you can count on in life. For me, one of those things is this series. I know that whenever I pick up the latest release in it, I’m in for a five-star worthy read.
This installment only serves to reinforce this as my favorite ongoing series. If you’re worried that this makes me a biased reader, fear not. Kate Daniels is another of my favorite series, and I one-starred one of the books in it. Because WTF, Curran?
In The Art of Theft, Sherry Thomas takes all the characters we’ve grown to know and love and places them in immense danger. One of the chief complaints from other readers of this series is that it’s “too slow”. Which, fine, I get that. In this day and age of 80k books with zero downtime, I can understand why a book with longer sentences and a sharper focus on the minutiae of the time period it’s set in might seem a little long-winded.
Not so much with this installment. Thomas has already set the scene for us. The past worldbuilding is expansive. Now, she sheds some of the scenes others thought extraneous and gets down to the fine art of terrifying her devoted readers.
Seriously. Sherry, you trying to kill me?
There were scenes in this that were nothing short of hair-raising. The danger to these characters I’ve grown so fond of was palpable throughout.
By now you’re probably wondering about the plot, and while I can’t get into too much because of the spoilers for the rest of the series, I can instead give you an overview.
"Here is the summary of our task:"
A blackmailed Maharani. Letters hidden in the back of a priceless Van Dyck. A breathless race across the continent. An ominous mansion rumored to contain a den unspoken sins. And, at the very heart of everything, their greatest enemy lurks, unseen.
Aaaaaand that’s about all I can tell you.
One of the things I love most about this series is that I never really know what the hell is going on. Oh, I think I do. But Thomas’ plots are like onions. They are so layered that by the time you get ‘to the bottom of it’ you realize that everyone is in way over their heads and no one remembered to pack the life raft.
Paired with this masterful plotting is a cast of characters that only grows more diverse and nuanced with each installment. This is my very favorite kind of retelling. One that expands upon the foundation of the original tales. Adds more depth. Makes it feminist.
The thing about most historical romances that I have trouble stomaching these days is that a lot of the authors in the genre skip over the more troubling aspects of the time periods they set their books in. They don’t talk about slavery. Or the fact that women were basically treated as chattel.
And while this series is definitely more in the realm of historical fiction, there are several central romances unfolding within it. Sherry Thomas looks a lot of the truths I just mentioned in the eye and writes about them in a way that is still (sadly) so relevant today.
"…fundamentally, this is about the imbalance of power between the sexes. As long as women’s primary access to power is via access to men, and as long as men value women primarily as either carriers of their bloodline or vessels for their carnal desires, both men and women will be commenting on women’s youth and beauty – or lack thereof – ad naseum, the former group as they would appraise any other interchangeable commodity, and the latter as assessment of competitive advantages and disadvantages."
So, again, I cannot recommend this series enough for anyone with a longer attention span who loves a well-researched, well-written retelling.
And now my long wait begins for the next installment.
That cliffhanger…
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January 21, 2022
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas is a 2019 Berkley publication.
This is the fourth book is the Charlotte Holmes series.
Unfortunately, this chapter in the series, didn't quite measure up the previous installments. I did like the premise, which involved the art world- always a favorite for me- and political secrets, which added some intrigue, which I also enjoyed.
I wasn't a fan of playing around with the characterizations, which, as it turned out felt stilted and forced- and just a temporary means to an end.
The pacing was a little skewed as well, though, finally, the Lord Ingram/Holmes interactions enjoyed some splendid back and forth dialogue. The mystery very nearly went off course, as this was not the best executed chapter in the series, in my opinion.
I have already read book five- as it was assigned to me a while back and it was so good, I decided to start this series from the beginning to get caught up on the whole story- so thankfully, I know how things proceed next, and don't need to worry about the series going off course.
Now I get to read the sixth book, which will get me caught up, and I am very ready to dive back in, in what I hope will be a strong addition to the series.
3 stars
This is the fourth book is the Charlotte Holmes series.
Unfortunately, this chapter in the series, didn't quite measure up the previous installments. I did like the premise, which involved the art world- always a favorite for me- and political secrets, which added some intrigue, which I also enjoyed.
I wasn't a fan of playing around with the characterizations, which, as it turned out felt stilted and forced- and just a temporary means to an end.
The pacing was a little skewed as well, though, finally, the Lord Ingram/Holmes interactions enjoyed some splendid back and forth dialogue. The mystery very nearly went off course, as this was not the best executed chapter in the series, in my opinion.
I have already read book five- as it was assigned to me a while back and it was so good, I decided to start this series from the beginning to get caught up on the whole story- so thankfully, I know how things proceed next, and don't need to worry about the series going off course.
Now I get to read the sixth book, which will get me caught up, and I am very ready to dive back in, in what I hope will be a strong addition to the series.
3 stars
November 13, 2019
I've given this an A- at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars rounded up.
The Art of Theft is the eagerly awaited fourth book in Sherry Thomas’ superb series of historical mysteries starring Charlotte Holmes, a most unusual young woman whose keen, logical mind and incredible deductive skills would have been completely disregarded in Victorian England had she not invented the infirm but brilliant brother Sherlock who is – in name only of course – the greatest detective the nation has ever seen. While each book in the series has a central mystery that is solved by the end, there are a number of overarching plot-threads and recurring characters which mean it’s probably not the best idea to pick up The Art of Theft without having read the other novels in the series; readers will get much more out of the wonderfully intricate characterisation and the various relationships between the characters by starting at the beginning with book one, A Study in Scarlet Women. Because of the way the books are interlinked, there will be spoilers for the rest of the series in this review.
The aftermath of the tumultuous events of The Hollow of Fear sees Lord Ingram Ashburton in the country looking after his children, Mrs. Watson in Paris with her niece, Miss Olivia Holmes nearing the completion of her Sherlock Holmes story, and Miss Charlotte Holmes helping to settle her eldest sister, Bernadette, whom she removed from a home, into her new surroundings. It’s a brief period of quiet that is broken when Charlotte receives a request for help from someone identifying themselves only as A Traveler from Distant Lands.
Deciding she needs a distraction – from caring for her sister and from pondering the shifting nature of her relationship with her long-time friend (and now, former lover) Lord Ingram – Charlotte arranges to meet this traveler, correctly assuming the request for help to have come from a woman in need. Her visitor proves to be none other than an Indian maharani, who also turns out to be the first client ever to decline to use Sherlock Holmes’ services. Charlotte immediately deduces that this is because the maharani needs someone who is able to do more than investigate; and her supposition is borne out not long afterwards when she and Mrs. Watson – who has confessed to Charlotte that she and the maharani had been lovers once upon a time – visit the maharani at her hotel to offer their assistance.
The lady is still resistant, but when Charlotte most ably demonstrates that she does indeed possess the skills the maharani needs to help with her current predicament, she explains that she is being blackmailed, and that she has been given specific instructions as to what to do in order to receive a packet of letters she does not wish seen by unfriendly eyes. Every yuletide, an exclusive and extravagant art sale is held at Château Vaudrieu, just outside Paris. The cream of French society flocks there, as do art connoisseurs, manufacturers, millionaires and princes from around the world – and the maharani’s letters are hidden in the back of a painting by Van Dyck. She needs someone to steal the painting in order to retrieve the letters – and given the château’s location and the amount of security that surrounds the event, it will be no easy task.
Charlotte is certain that the maharani has not told them everything, but even so, she enlists the help of Lord Ingram and Mr. Stephen Marbleton, and soon they, together with Mrs. Watson and Olivia are crossing the channel and travelling to Paris, where they will meet up with one of Lord Ingram’s friends and allies, Lieutenant Attwood. An initial reconnaissance mission of the château undertaken by Mr. Marbleton and Lord Ingram reveals that there Is much more going on there than preparations for a masquerade ball and grand art sale. Before long our intrepid band is plunged into something that goes far beyond simple blackmail – and which will once again see them pitting their wits against the mysterious Moriarty, the shadowy criminal mastermind whose very existence has slowly become irrevocably intertwined with that of our protagonists.
If you’ve followed the series – and have followed my reviews of it – you may be asking yourself why I’ve not graded this book quite as highly as the last couple. I did struggle with the grading because this whole series is more than a head and shoulders above almost every other similar series out there, and Sherry Thomas’ writing is so wonderfully clever and precise. I liked pretty much everything about the book – the developments in the relationship between Stephen Marbleton and Olivia, which is plagued by seemingly insurmountable difficulties; the inclusion of a past, lesbian love affair for Mrs. Watson and the subtle discussions of colonialism and the British Raj; and I was pleased to see Charlotte starting to face up to the truth of her feelings for Lord Ingram, and the uncertainty she’s feeling as to how they can return to their old, comfortable association now they’ve been (albeit very briefly) lovers. The mystery is as detailed, complex and well-executed as ever, and I enjoyed the ensemble nature of the story – including the appearance of Lieutenant Leighton Attwood from the author’s My Beautiful Enemy (and a nice nod to that novel’s heroine). But after the drama of The Hollow of Fear and its late-book revelations about Lord Ingram’s (soon-to-be ex-) wife, his brother’s betrayal, and the steps forward and steps back in the complicated relationship between Lord Ingram and Charlotte, The Art of Theft sometimes felt as though it was treading water somewhat. The characters face physical danger, for sure, but the stakes simply don’t seem as high for them personally as in the previous book and I wasn’t as completely gripped by this story as I was by previous instalments. I suspect Ms. Thomas is keeping her powder dry, though. Looking at the bigger picture; with the middle book (The Hollow of Fear) of a five book series reaching a high point in the story arc, it makes sense that following book (The Art of Theft) would be a kind of ‘interlude’ or transition before heading into the finale, which I am sure is going to be a corker, given the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter of this one!**
Still, with all that said, The Art of Theft is a cracking tale, a sophisticated, fantastically well-conceived mystery featuring richly-detailed settings and fully rounded, multi-faceted characters whose relationship are drawn with considerable skill and insight. It may not be my favourite of the series, but it’s still a terrific read, and one I’m more than happy to recommend.
**Note: Since this review was posted, the author has informed me that she has plans for more than five books in total, and that “book 3 isn’t the middle of the arc, but more like the turning point at the end of act 1.”
The Art of Theft is the eagerly awaited fourth book in Sherry Thomas’ superb series of historical mysteries starring Charlotte Holmes, a most unusual young woman whose keen, logical mind and incredible deductive skills would have been completely disregarded in Victorian England had she not invented the infirm but brilliant brother Sherlock who is – in name only of course – the greatest detective the nation has ever seen. While each book in the series has a central mystery that is solved by the end, there are a number of overarching plot-threads and recurring characters which mean it’s probably not the best idea to pick up The Art of Theft without having read the other novels in the series; readers will get much more out of the wonderfully intricate characterisation and the various relationships between the characters by starting at the beginning with book one, A Study in Scarlet Women. Because of the way the books are interlinked, there will be spoilers for the rest of the series in this review.
The aftermath of the tumultuous events of The Hollow of Fear sees Lord Ingram Ashburton in the country looking after his children, Mrs. Watson in Paris with her niece, Miss Olivia Holmes nearing the completion of her Sherlock Holmes story, and Miss Charlotte Holmes helping to settle her eldest sister, Bernadette, whom she removed from a home, into her new surroundings. It’s a brief period of quiet that is broken when Charlotte receives a request for help from someone identifying themselves only as A Traveler from Distant Lands.
Deciding she needs a distraction – from caring for her sister and from pondering the shifting nature of her relationship with her long-time friend (and now, former lover) Lord Ingram – Charlotte arranges to meet this traveler, correctly assuming the request for help to have come from a woman in need. Her visitor proves to be none other than an Indian maharani, who also turns out to be the first client ever to decline to use Sherlock Holmes’ services. Charlotte immediately deduces that this is because the maharani needs someone who is able to do more than investigate; and her supposition is borne out not long afterwards when she and Mrs. Watson – who has confessed to Charlotte that she and the maharani had been lovers once upon a time – visit the maharani at her hotel to offer their assistance.
The lady is still resistant, but when Charlotte most ably demonstrates that she does indeed possess the skills the maharani needs to help with her current predicament, she explains that she is being blackmailed, and that she has been given specific instructions as to what to do in order to receive a packet of letters she does not wish seen by unfriendly eyes. Every yuletide, an exclusive and extravagant art sale is held at Château Vaudrieu, just outside Paris. The cream of French society flocks there, as do art connoisseurs, manufacturers, millionaires and princes from around the world – and the maharani’s letters are hidden in the back of a painting by Van Dyck. She needs someone to steal the painting in order to retrieve the letters – and given the château’s location and the amount of security that surrounds the event, it will be no easy task.
Charlotte is certain that the maharani has not told them everything, but even so, she enlists the help of Lord Ingram and Mr. Stephen Marbleton, and soon they, together with Mrs. Watson and Olivia are crossing the channel and travelling to Paris, where they will meet up with one of Lord Ingram’s friends and allies, Lieutenant Attwood. An initial reconnaissance mission of the château undertaken by Mr. Marbleton and Lord Ingram reveals that there Is much more going on there than preparations for a masquerade ball and grand art sale. Before long our intrepid band is plunged into something that goes far beyond simple blackmail – and which will once again see them pitting their wits against the mysterious Moriarty, the shadowy criminal mastermind whose very existence has slowly become irrevocably intertwined with that of our protagonists.
If you’ve followed the series – and have followed my reviews of it – you may be asking yourself why I’ve not graded this book quite as highly as the last couple. I did struggle with the grading because this whole series is more than a head and shoulders above almost every other similar series out there, and Sherry Thomas’ writing is so wonderfully clever and precise. I liked pretty much everything about the book – the developments in the relationship between Stephen Marbleton and Olivia, which is plagued by seemingly insurmountable difficulties; the inclusion of a past, lesbian love affair for Mrs. Watson and the subtle discussions of colonialism and the British Raj; and I was pleased to see Charlotte starting to face up to the truth of her feelings for Lord Ingram, and the uncertainty she’s feeling as to how they can return to their old, comfortable association now they’ve been (albeit very briefly) lovers. The mystery is as detailed, complex and well-executed as ever, and I enjoyed the ensemble nature of the story – including the appearance of Lieutenant Leighton Attwood from the author’s My Beautiful Enemy (and a nice nod to that novel’s heroine). But after the drama of The Hollow of Fear and its late-book revelations about Lord Ingram’s (soon-to-be ex-) wife, his brother’s betrayal, and the steps forward and steps back in the complicated relationship between Lord Ingram and Charlotte, The Art of Theft sometimes felt as though it was treading water somewhat. The characters face physical danger, for sure, but the stakes simply don’t seem as high for them personally as in the previous book and I wasn’t as completely gripped by this story as I was by previous instalments. I suspect Ms. Thomas is keeping her powder dry, though. Looking at the bigger picture; with the middle book (The Hollow of Fear) of a five book series reaching a high point in the story arc, it makes sense that following book (The Art of Theft) would be a kind of ‘interlude’ or transition before heading into the finale, which I am sure is going to be a corker, given the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter of this one!**
Still, with all that said, The Art of Theft is a cracking tale, a sophisticated, fantastically well-conceived mystery featuring richly-detailed settings and fully rounded, multi-faceted characters whose relationship are drawn with considerable skill and insight. It may not be my favourite of the series, but it’s still a terrific read, and one I’m more than happy to recommend.
**Note: Since this review was posted, the author has informed me that she has plans for more than five books in total, and that “book 3 isn’t the middle of the arc, but more like the turning point at the end of act 1.”
October 21, 2019
So who stole Sherry Thomas's wonderful craftsmanship when she was writing this fourth installment of her Lady Sherlock series? Where's the superb writing? Where's the great character development? Where's the sparkling, interesting dialogue? Where's the clever interaction among the characters? Where, oh, where? I dunno. Not here in this book, for sure.
If you like capers or heists, you will like this story. I much prefer my stories to revolve around the characters and their relationships and interactions, rather than on an Ocean's Eleven type plot, with chasing around here and there, putting on disguises, infiltrating a chateau, planning theft of artwork, or breaking into safes.
This book could have been written by any competent author imaginative enough to think up a good, ensemble-cast caper/adventure, with most emphasis on the action and very little on the characters. So I guess you can tell that I'm disappointed. I looked in vain to find Thomas's creative genius, excellent writing, and clever characters. This was just an okay read. Nothing wowed me. As a matter of fact, I was looking forward to being done with it all.
The basic plot here has Charlotte et al (that would be Mrs. Watson, Olivia Holmes, Lord Ingram, Stephen Marbleton, and a cohort of Lord Ingram) off to a chateau in France in aid of an old friend of Mrs. Watson: the maharani of a minor Indian kingdom who is being blackmailed. The terms of this blackmail require the theft of a large Van Dyck painting which is one of several works of art to be auctioned off during a large house party at this chateau.
Naturally Charlotte intuits much more about the case than any reasonable human could and it all makes for a reasonably interesting heist story, but it is not an inspired or inspiring read, just a rather prosaic account of events. If you read THE HOLLOW OF FEAR and then follow it up with this one, you may feel disappointment. Personal relationships had started moving ahead well in that book. In this one, I felt as if we were taking a few steps back.
Nothing new here. There's some reference to Charlotte and Ash's romance, also to that of Livia and Stephen. Lady Ingram makes an appearance. There's reference to Moriarty, but really nothing much that's new or advances the series story arc.
About the only bits in this that were not part of the caper but rather attempts at human interaction were just some moments when characters in the book "school" Livia and, hence, Thomas "schools" her readers about certain social issues or problems: (1) Who you love does not alter who you are. One's sexual orientation should not matter in a friendship. (2) Don't allow yourself to be bullied. Never let others make you feel less than you are. (3) Do worthwhile things (such as writing Sherlock stories) for yourself, not to impress others. (4) Women have it tougher in life than men, always having to prove themselves. (5) Colonialism, not good.
Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the lessons, Ms Thomas. Words to live by, but just tossed into a book incidentally and superficially, they don't mean that much. I would have preferred more of an in-depth look at the characters and their relationships. And talking about Charlotte's chins does not count.
If you like capers or heists, you will like this story. I much prefer my stories to revolve around the characters and their relationships and interactions, rather than on an Ocean's Eleven type plot, with chasing around here and there, putting on disguises, infiltrating a chateau, planning theft of artwork, or breaking into safes.
This book could have been written by any competent author imaginative enough to think up a good, ensemble-cast caper/adventure, with most emphasis on the action and very little on the characters. So I guess you can tell that I'm disappointed. I looked in vain to find Thomas's creative genius, excellent writing, and clever characters. This was just an okay read. Nothing wowed me. As a matter of fact, I was looking forward to being done with it all.
The basic plot here has Charlotte et al (that would be Mrs. Watson, Olivia Holmes, Lord Ingram, Stephen Marbleton, and a cohort of Lord Ingram) off to a chateau in France in aid of an old friend of Mrs. Watson: the maharani of a minor Indian kingdom who is being blackmailed. The terms of this blackmail require the theft of a large Van Dyck painting which is one of several works of art to be auctioned off during a large house party at this chateau.
Naturally Charlotte intuits much more about the case than any reasonable human could and it all makes for a reasonably interesting heist story, but it is not an inspired or inspiring read, just a rather prosaic account of events. If you read THE HOLLOW OF FEAR and then follow it up with this one, you may feel disappointment. Personal relationships had started moving ahead well in that book. In this one, I felt as if we were taking a few steps back.
Nothing new here. There's some reference to Charlotte and Ash's romance, also to that of Livia and Stephen. Lady Ingram makes an appearance. There's reference to Moriarty, but really nothing much that's new or advances the series story arc.
About the only bits in this that were not part of the caper but rather attempts at human interaction were just some moments when characters in the book "school" Livia and, hence, Thomas "schools" her readers about certain social issues or problems: (1) Who you love does not alter who you are. One's sexual orientation should not matter in a friendship. (2) Don't allow yourself to be bullied. Never let others make you feel less than you are. (3) Do worthwhile things (such as writing Sherlock stories) for yourself, not to impress others. (4) Women have it tougher in life than men, always having to prove themselves. (5) Colonialism, not good.
Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the lessons, Ms Thomas. Words to live by, but just tossed into a book incidentally and superficially, they don't mean that much. I would have preferred more of an in-depth look at the characters and their relationships. And talking about Charlotte's chins does not count.
Read
March 14, 2021Highly enjoyable fourth outing for this series, which combines slow burn romance, ensemble soap, and detective mysteries. There's a lot of backstory by now, and the specific mystery element is subordinate to the ongoing plot, so don't start here. Charlotte, Livia and Mrs Watson make a lovely set of strongly individual leads.
October 21, 2019
I think I expected way too much from this book. And that's a me problem.
I've had a pretty up and down experience with this series but it had all really started to turn around by book three. However I should've known that the things I wanted from this series, particular after that last installment, wouldn't happen so soon. Or the way I wanted.
I didn't mind the mystery of the week, and there was both an appropriate amount of character growth and/or realization, as well as reluctance, both of things I can't really disclose this far into the series, but I guess I still expected things to come to a head? Which they almost did? Just to get foiled at the very last paragraph.. literally. That said, the way the conflict tied into the bigger picture, even though it meant reuniting us with certain characters I would've preferred not to see again, was pretty clever.
Also, I'm happy that the rest of this plucky ensemble Scooby Doo cast gets more and more spotlight each book. It isn't just the Charlotte/Sherlock show. Even if their own storylines didn't get quite the HEA wrap-up that they deserved. But there's still more (how many?) books to go, so. Maybe.
I will continue to read on but I'm sad this didn’t overtake my love for book three. I guess here's hoping, once again, for book five.
** I received a ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
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This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
I've had a pretty up and down experience with this series but it had all really started to turn around by book three. However I should've known that the things I wanted from this series, particular after that last installment, wouldn't happen so soon. Or the way I wanted.
I didn't mind the mystery of the week, and there was both an appropriate amount of character growth and/or realization, as well as reluctance, both of things I can't really disclose this far into the series, but I guess I still expected things to come to a head? Which they almost did? Just to get foiled at the very last paragraph.. literally. That said, the way the conflict tied into the bigger picture, even though it meant reuniting us with certain characters I would've preferred not to see again, was pretty clever.
Also, I'm happy that the rest of this plucky ensemble Scooby Doo cast gets more and more spotlight each book. It isn't just the Charlotte/Sherlock show. Even if their own storylines didn't get quite the HEA wrap-up that they deserved. But there's still more (how many?) books to go, so. Maybe.
I will continue to read on but I'm sad this didn’t overtake my love for book three. I guess here's hoping, once again, for book five.
** I received a ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
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This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
June 28, 2021
Alas, this is the first book in the series that didn’t work for me.
Trademark great and atmospheric writing notwithstanding, I found the second half of the mystery rather convoluted and though the characters were multidimensional and their interactions layered and complex as always, the romance department felt lacking (and not because of the limited quantity time it was given as usual, I’m talking about the quality)... I’m really starting to think that dear Ingram, Charlotte’s love interest, deserves better.
Hoping the next one will be a winner again for me.
October 26, 2025
Charlotte Holmes takes on a new case, a woman who once meant very much to Mrs Watson. This friend needs information hidden within a valuable painting. Soon, Charlotte and her sister Alivia, Mrs Watson, Lord Ingram, and Stephen Marbleton are off to France, trying to infiltrate a chateau there.
This book continues with Charlotte’s extraordinary crime solving, but relationships deepen as well. I’m looking forward to following these characters in future stories.
This book continues with Charlotte’s extraordinary crime solving, but relationships deepen as well. I’m looking forward to following these characters in future stories.
December 22, 2019
18 October 2019
Brava Sherry Thomas! Brava Kate Reading!
18 August 2019
Huzzah! I got an ARC from Edelweiss. I shall wait, however, until I read it to give it five stars.
I must take a moment to share my pleasure at finding that this quote from my review of A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) was selected by the publisher to appear at the front of this book.
I haven't the talent or imagination to be a published author, but at least somebody found merit in my Goodreads review. 😊
18 October 2019
Sherry Thomas's Lady Sherlock series just keeps getting better. This volume sees Charlotte and the gang in Paris to steal some letters being used for blackmail. After getting us all excited in the last book, there was a bit less romance than I had hoped for, but that just means there is more to come in the next installment.
Brava Sherry Thomas! Brava Kate Reading!
18 August 2019
Huzzah! I got an ARC from Edelweiss. I shall wait, however, until I read it to give it five stars.
I must take a moment to share my pleasure at finding that this quote from my review of A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) was selected by the publisher to appear at the front of this book.
I am breathless. Not to mention sleepless . . . . Sherry Thomas is simply a genius – twisting classic Sherlockian memes into complicated knots and then gradually untying them so that we’re left with a beautiful seamless ribbon of an adventure tinged with romance.
I haven't the talent or imagination to be a published author, but at least somebody found merit in my Goodreads review. 😊
18 October 2019
Sherry Thomas's Lady Sherlock series just keeps getting better. This volume sees Charlotte and the gang in Paris to steal some letters being used for blackmail. After getting us all excited in the last book, there was a bit less romance than I had hoped for, but that just means there is more to come in the next installment.
October 15, 2019
The Lady Sherlock series has been a loved series from the very beginning. In fact, I would even go as far as to say it is one of my most, if not my most, favorite series in the genre. It is just so much fun, always entertaining, so well written and I love the growth and mystery of all the characters.
The mystery is always center stage but the relationships and love interest are a close second and I love that, especially after book three were we get just a little bit more of it all.
And with the way book three went, I was honestly expecting this one to run along the same lines relationship wise and sadly, it just didn't. It seemed for every step forward the characters made with each other there was always two steps back that lead them even further away from one another, which was disheartening and honestly, made the story seem less some how. I was really looking forward to the romance becoming more and in almost all cases, it didn't.
However, the mystery and characters themselves were outstanding and once again Thomas' writing is enchanting and you can't help but get sucked right into the story and left wanting more.
I can only hope with that ending, that we will get more of that little extra something so many of us are rooting and hoping for in book five.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
The mystery is always center stage but the relationships and love interest are a close second and I love that, especially after book three were we get just a little bit more of it all.
And with the way book three went, I was honestly expecting this one to run along the same lines relationship wise and sadly, it just didn't. It seemed for every step forward the characters made with each other there was always two steps back that lead them even further away from one another, which was disheartening and honestly, made the story seem less some how. I was really looking forward to the romance becoming more and in almost all cases, it didn't.
However, the mystery and characters themselves were outstanding and once again Thomas' writing is enchanting and you can't help but get sucked right into the story and left wanting more.
I can only hope with that ending, that we will get more of that little extra something so many of us are rooting and hoping for in book five.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
January 6, 2021
As I’m about to delve into the next installment of this clever mystery series which continues to delight (and occasionally confound) this reader, I figured I should review book four.
I remain a fan of the cast of characters in this non-traditional and occasionally quirky Holmes-inspired series. The plot does thicken as does our knowledge of the beloved Mrs Watson. Her storyline shines and serves as the main mystery.
Maybe because it was too long of a rest between books but there are some complicated relationships clashing while at the same time there are loads of references (both true and rumored) to Moriarty and his criminal friends. By the end I think it felt like a transition was taking taking place, otherwise this would have been rated three stars for too many potential plot holes.
That said, I’m really looking forward to the next book which is cued up and ready to read on my cherished kindle. I remain hopeful that a certain sister will finally find a way to break free. Though I’m not holding my breath!!
I remain a fan of the cast of characters in this non-traditional and occasionally quirky Holmes-inspired series. The plot does thicken as does our knowledge of the beloved Mrs Watson. Her storyline shines and serves as the main mystery.
Maybe because it was too long of a rest between books but there are some complicated relationships clashing while at the same time there are loads of references (both true and rumored) to Moriarty and his criminal friends. By the end I think it felt like a transition was taking taking place, otherwise this would have been rated three stars for too many potential plot holes.
That said, I’m really looking forward to the next book which is cued up and ready to read on my cherished kindle. I remain hopeful that a certain sister will finally find a way to break free. Though I’m not holding my breath!!
November 3, 2019
One of the best aspects of my 2019 summer reading list (The Summer of Sherlock) was the discovery of this charming series, the Lady Sherlock series. I’m really enjoying a lot of these feminist revisionist Victorian adventures! The Victorian age as it should have been.
I love Charlotte Holmes as a character and I relate to her when she would rather be at home with a cup of tea and a pastry than out in the world pursuing criminals! I rather favour coffee and popcorn, but it’s the same idea. I have to laugh at her concept of Maximum Tolerable Chins, which is the point at which she restricts her pastry consumption until her clothing fits more comfortably. Been there, done that, my dear Charlotte!
My only disappointment with this book was that it did not deal with the Treadles’ plot line until the very last pages! I really want to know what happens between Inspector and his wife, but it seems that I must wait for the next book.
In the meanwhile, I have to applaud the author for being able to bring Charlotte and Lord Ingram together and then separate them so skillfully, retaining the romantic pursuit and it’s accompanying plot tension into the fourth book of the series. Of course I am also interested in the Livia and Stephen Marbleton situation, but it is Charlotte & Ash who command my attention in terms of relationships.
Ms. Thomas also uses the Maharani’s character deftly as a way to explore colonialism and to introduce a person of colour into the very white, upper-class world that the main characters inhabit.
All in all, I will be very excited when Book 5 is published, hopefully next year.
I love Charlotte Holmes as a character and I relate to her when she would rather be at home with a cup of tea and a pastry than out in the world pursuing criminals! I rather favour coffee and popcorn, but it’s the same idea. I have to laugh at her concept of Maximum Tolerable Chins, which is the point at which she restricts her pastry consumption until her clothing fits more comfortably. Been there, done that, my dear Charlotte!
My only disappointment with this book was that it did not deal with the Treadles’ plot line until the very last pages! I really want to know what happens between Inspector and his wife, but it seems that I must wait for the next book.
In the meanwhile, I have to applaud the author for being able to bring Charlotte and Lord Ingram together and then separate them so skillfully, retaining the romantic pursuit and it’s accompanying plot tension into the fourth book of the series. Of course I am also interested in the Livia and Stephen Marbleton situation, but it is Charlotte & Ash who command my attention in terms of relationships.
Ms. Thomas also uses the Maharani’s character deftly as a way to explore colonialism and to introduce a person of colour into the very white, upper-class world that the main characters inhabit.
All in all, I will be very excited when Book 5 is published, hopefully next year.
January 19, 2022
The Art of Theft is the fourth installment of the Lady Sherlock series.
In this, you are following the gang trying to steal certain blackmail material. Honestly, I was kind of excited to see what a Yuletide ball would look like. Also, I was happy to see Livia tagging along. Mostly because I wanted to her more about her book and to see if she was actually going to finish it. She's close and I'm hoping in the next book it's completely done.
Besides that, we get the dangerous job that kept everyone on their toes. Okay, mostly me but still. It was pretty hard for me to narrow down my suspect pool. Mostly because I didn't trust anyone when it came to this blackmail. Oh, and who was actually behind it because it could be anyone. Ya know?
In the end, everything happened at a fast pace. I also enjoyed the heart to heart from Charlotte to Livia about her book. Definitely enjoyed this book and I'm excited for the next one after that epilogue.
In this, you are following the gang trying to steal certain blackmail material. Honestly, I was kind of excited to see what a Yuletide ball would look like. Also, I was happy to see Livia tagging along. Mostly because I wanted to her more about her book and to see if she was actually going to finish it. She's close and I'm hoping in the next book it's completely done.
Besides that, we get the dangerous job that kept everyone on their toes. Okay, mostly me but still. It was pretty hard for me to narrow down my suspect pool. Mostly because I didn't trust anyone when it came to this blackmail. Oh, and who was actually behind it because it could be anyone. Ya know?
In the end, everything happened at a fast pace. I also enjoyed the heart to heart from Charlotte to Livia about her book. Definitely enjoyed this book and I'm excited for the next one after that epilogue.
April 4, 2020
I don’t know what to do with this series.
I struggled with the first one in the series - ended up enjoying it on a reread, liking the second one and then adoring the third. I did refer to one of these books as similar to a time-lapse photo. Where that’s been elegant before it was excruciating here.
I guess my review comes down to this - what was the point of this book? How did it further the series? There’s an argument to be made that that’s a ridiculous way to read. What’s the point of any book? And I could agree with you.
Here, though, book four of a series...I don’t know. Shouldn’t something be happening to move the series forward? I hate to bring up Sebastian St Cyr again (no I dont) but in every book our characters developed in their relationships.
We did have some action here. In the last twenty pages or so. My goodness. And all it did was pique desire to read the next one.
Will they or won’t they loses it’s charm when the impediments are wholly internal or manufactured. And after the deliciousness that was the last book this felt a let down all the way around.
I struggled with the first one in the series - ended up enjoying it on a reread, liking the second one and then adoring the third. I did refer to one of these books as similar to a time-lapse photo. Where that’s been elegant before it was excruciating here.
I guess my review comes down to this - what was the point of this book? How did it further the series? There’s an argument to be made that that’s a ridiculous way to read. What’s the point of any book? And I could agree with you.
Here, though, book four of a series...I don’t know. Shouldn’t something be happening to move the series forward? I hate to bring up Sebastian St Cyr again (no I dont) but in every book our characters developed in their relationships.
We did have some action here. In the last twenty pages or so. My goodness. And all it did was pique desire to read the next one.
Will they or won’t they loses it’s charm when the impediments are wholly internal or manufactured. And after the deliciousness that was the last book this felt a let down all the way around.
August 2, 2021
Did Not Finish-10 percent.
It did not help that I could not read this via my Kindle, but only using my browser. I just could not get into it. I felt like I needed to re-read Lady Sherlock #3 cause I didn't recall half of the stuff that was being referred to here. Just think that the book ended quite well after the last book and am baffled this one and another one is out there.
It did not help that I could not read this via my Kindle, but only using my browser. I just could not get into it. I felt like I needed to re-read Lady Sherlock #3 cause I didn't recall half of the stuff that was being referred to here. Just think that the book ended quite well after the last book and am baffled this one and another one is out there.
November 1, 2019
I really enjoy this series. Fast paced with characters full of eccentricities, this series is full of romantic (clean) tension and twists and turns. Another fun installment, and already looking forward to her next.
October 2, 2019
With each new installment in this series, I have come to highly anticipate the clever cases, the Victorian Era ambience, and most of all, the characters peopling these books. This author's Lady Sherlock isn't just a wink and a nod at the venerable detective, but a classy tribute that Sherlockians cannot help but approve.
The Art of Theft is fourth in the Lady Sherlock series and is part of a series with not just a few series arcs though each mystery is new, making it a series that is best appreciated in order.
The Yuletide approaches and Sherlock Holmes gets a visit from a dignified Maharini no less. And, shock of all, she keeps her problem to herself and chooses to dismiss the great detective or his clever 'sister'.
But soon, Mrs. Watson gets a visit from her past and she learns her former lover, the older Indian Queen who went to Sherlock, is in trouble. For her feelings and her guilt over saying no years ago, she accepts the case with Charlotte's approval even though it is likely to tax them to the limits.
Charlotte doesn't hesitate to round up Ash, Livie, and Mr. Marbleton to round out their team headed to France. They must break into a nearly impregnable chateau and steal back what was taken from the Maharini. Naturally, things get complicated even further and it will take all of their brains and abilities to get through this unscathed.
Like the rest of the series, this one pulls in narration from all the key players and it starts rolling slowly as the intro to the case and their earlier planning and work transpires. It never felt sluggish or unnecessary because there are the personal interactions and complicated relationships that kept it interesting beyond the moments of great action and suspense. There are a few twists and turns particularly in the latter half that had me flipping pages rapidly. Did we get some good moments with Lord Ingram and Charlotte? You bet! Are there hints of further dastardly deeds from Moriarity? Oh man, are there... We must wait until the next installment for developments.
The series is for anyone who adores a good historical mystery series, but fans of Sherlock will not feel insulted to give this series a go.
My thanks to Berkley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review.
The Art of Theft is fourth in the Lady Sherlock series and is part of a series with not just a few series arcs though each mystery is new, making it a series that is best appreciated in order.
The Yuletide approaches and Sherlock Holmes gets a visit from a dignified Maharini no less. And, shock of all, she keeps her problem to herself and chooses to dismiss the great detective or his clever 'sister'.
But soon, Mrs. Watson gets a visit from her past and she learns her former lover, the older Indian Queen who went to Sherlock, is in trouble. For her feelings and her guilt over saying no years ago, she accepts the case with Charlotte's approval even though it is likely to tax them to the limits.
Charlotte doesn't hesitate to round up Ash, Livie, and Mr. Marbleton to round out their team headed to France. They must break into a nearly impregnable chateau and steal back what was taken from the Maharini. Naturally, things get complicated even further and it will take all of their brains and abilities to get through this unscathed.
Like the rest of the series, this one pulls in narration from all the key players and it starts rolling slowly as the intro to the case and their earlier planning and work transpires. It never felt sluggish or unnecessary because there are the personal interactions and complicated relationships that kept it interesting beyond the moments of great action and suspense. There are a few twists and turns particularly in the latter half that had me flipping pages rapidly. Did we get some good moments with Lord Ingram and Charlotte? You bet! Are there hints of further dastardly deeds from Moriarity? Oh man, are there... We must wait until the next installment for developments.
The series is for anyone who adores a good historical mystery series, but fans of Sherlock will not feel insulted to give this series a go.
My thanks to Berkley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review.
February 17, 2020
I had a hard time getting into book one the first time I read it. On a subsequent reading (or actually listening) I came to appreciate Sherry Thomas’ interpretation of Sherlock and Watson, by changing Sherlock’s gender and making the stories into that of women sleuthing, scheming and supporting one another, despite the restrictions of the time.
This time around, Holmes is roped into committing a theft to aid an old friend and love of Mrs. Watson. The Maharani of a small kingdom is being blackmailed, and she enlists Mrs. Watson and company to retrieve incriminating letters for her.
This time around, Livia gets to be part of the planning and action as she and Mr Marbleton convince her parents to let her spend time in France, ostensibly with the Marbletons (who are pretending to be the Openshaws for their safety), through the use of a Lord Ingram-forged letter. This allows Livia to go with Holmes and company without arousing her parents’ suspicions.
We see Livia out of her usual element, and though still wracked by anxiety, begin to relax and become excited at the prospect of more adventures, while also spending time with a rapt and clearly adoring Stephen Marbleton.
The case itself is complicated and turns out to be something very different by the time Charlotte Holmes finally figures her way through many contradictory and confusing details.
I enjoyed this instalment, and tore through it, as I have the previous few books. I enjoy the mysteries in each, but more importantly, I’ve come to care a lot about Livia, Charlotte and Mrs Watson, and love watching how the friendship between these women has grown and evolved with each case.
This time around, Holmes is roped into committing a theft to aid an old friend and love of Mrs. Watson. The Maharani of a small kingdom is being blackmailed, and she enlists Mrs. Watson and company to retrieve incriminating letters for her.
This time around, Livia gets to be part of the planning and action as she and Mr Marbleton convince her parents to let her spend time in France, ostensibly with the Marbletons (who are pretending to be the Openshaws for their safety), through the use of a Lord Ingram-forged letter. This allows Livia to go with Holmes and company without arousing her parents’ suspicions.
We see Livia out of her usual element, and though still wracked by anxiety, begin to relax and become excited at the prospect of more adventures, while also spending time with a rapt and clearly adoring Stephen Marbleton.
The case itself is complicated and turns out to be something very different by the time Charlotte Holmes finally figures her way through many contradictory and confusing details.
I enjoyed this instalment, and tore through it, as I have the previous few books. I enjoy the mysteries in each, but more importantly, I’ve come to care a lot about Livia, Charlotte and Mrs Watson, and love watching how the friendship between these women has grown and evolved with each case.
October 21, 2019
Last year I devoured the first three audiobooks and was delighted to listen to The Art of Theft. This delivered a different flair, although it still had some mystery and required cunning skills, disguises and observation.
Mrs. Watson accepts an case from a old lover whom she feels some guilt over leaving. This particular case involves recovering or should I say stealing a priceless artifact for the Dowager Maharani of Ajmer.
Ash, Livie, and Mr. Marbleton accompany them to France. What an adventure! They needed access to an impenetrable chateau, from invitations to jobs. Carefully laid out plans must be made. It was clever, with plenty of twists and anxious moments. Of course, Sherlock had questions that needed to be answered. All of this kept me listening.
Now as for the romance… between one Lord Ingram and our Lady Charlotte..Eep! So many developments from maids to moments that made my heart flutter or had me stopping my foot. It was all rather delightful, but I still suggest locking them in a closet for a spell.
Kate Reading is such a delight as the narrator for this series. She brings these characters and their personalities to life. I giggled aloud and becoming quite caught up in the thick of it all. She even enhanced secondary characters through tones and mannerisms. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Mrs. Watson accepts an case from a old lover whom she feels some guilt over leaving. This particular case involves recovering or should I say stealing a priceless artifact for the Dowager Maharani of Ajmer.
Ash, Livie, and Mr. Marbleton accompany them to France. What an adventure! They needed access to an impenetrable chateau, from invitations to jobs. Carefully laid out plans must be made. It was clever, with plenty of twists and anxious moments. Of course, Sherlock had questions that needed to be answered. All of this kept me listening.
Now as for the romance… between one Lord Ingram and our Lady Charlotte..Eep! So many developments from maids to moments that made my heart flutter or had me stopping my foot. It was all rather delightful, but I still suggest locking them in a closet for a spell.
Kate Reading is such a delight as the narrator for this series. She brings these characters and their personalities to life. I giggled aloud and becoming quite caught up in the thick of it all. She even enhanced secondary characters through tones and mannerisms. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
October 17, 2019
I'm not sure what happened here. I enjoyed Thomas's previous romances and Lady Sherlock books, but this was dull filler that was devoid of tension. You'd be fine skipping until the last 10% and reading the next book if you care about the characters. I felt like no one moved forward in character development at all, which can be a problem in a long series.
Also, liking sweets is not a personality trait. Thomas has always mentioned Charlotte being dessert-obsessed, but it got to a ridiculous point in this book. If I never read about her diet or her chins again, it will be too soon. When I was finished, I ran a particularly annoying phrase-"maximum tolerable chins" through my Kindle search. It appeared TEN times. What may have been cute in the first book is now grating. I pray that Sherry Thomas sees the light and retires this phrase before I retire this series.
Also, liking sweets is not a personality trait. Thomas has always mentioned Charlotte being dessert-obsessed, but it got to a ridiculous point in this book. If I never read about her diet or her chins again, it will be too soon. When I was finished, I ran a particularly annoying phrase-"maximum tolerable chins" through my Kindle search. It appeared TEN times. What may have been cute in the first book is now grating. I pray that Sherry Thomas sees the light and retires this phrase before I retire this series.
October 30, 2019
I found the fourth book in the Lady Sherlock series quieter than the others given its focus on the interrelationships in Charlotte's inner circle. I have thought quite a bit about the role of community in this book and series because I was not initially sure about the expanding role of Charlotte's friends and family into her investigative work. I've concluded that I do like Charlotte & co. rather than Charlotte-as-individual solving cases, and I think this theme is important to the development of this series. The Lady Sherlock books upend many tropes and stereotypes, and the upending of Sherlock as rugged Individual Man who alone can solve any problem has to be debunked in a feminist retelling. Sure, Charlotte is still undeniably brilliant and intellectually heads above all humans, but she often needs help, and more importantly, she embraces it and uses collaboration as a strength rather than weakness. The more I think about the theme of community and collaboration, the more I love it, and it reminds me fondly of the power Buffy the Vampire Slayer found in her Scooby gang. Thus, in this fourth book, as Charlotte sets out to retrieve blackmail materials on behalf of her dear friend's lover and knowing that cat burglary is not her strength, she doesn't hesitate to pull in her talented cohorts. Her sister Livia, Livia's adoring suitor and talented cross-dresser Stephen Marbleton, the devoted Ash, the middle-aged Watson, Watson’s lesbian Indian former lover, and the welcome addition of Leighton Atwood -- all transport willingly to Paris to engage in some espionage/art theft/cat burglary.
I love the diversity of people who fill the pages of this series, as it adds to the richness of the world Charlotte is deliberately creating for herself now that she has successfully separated from her repressive parents and their stifling middle class values. This book also reveals that Charlotte's mentally challenged sister, Bernadette, is living with her permanently, much to Charlotte's increasing satisfaction with her private world-building. Ash, however, remains one of the most irksome aspects of Charlotte's existence, and this book slows their relationship trajectory down as both contemplate life with as well as life without the other. From a romance standpoint, I ended up feeling satisfied with the more contemplative pace of their relationship and enjoyed the internal reflection on both of their parts.
Cross-dressing as a theme still intrigues me in the series and gives me much to consider. Charlotte, to my mind, performs gender roles for the same reason she performs many other social expectations; she knows she is expected to behave like a genteel woman but she doesn't understand the logic behind the rules. And doesn't that say so much about gender? As a gender performer, Charlotte is extreme in her appearances - all flouncy bow ties, hour-glass figure, big breasts, and constrained manners. When she cross-dresses as a man, which she engages in frequently, she is portly, gregarious, assertive, and comfortable taking up lots of physical space. Which is the "real" Charlotte? In this book, she does seem more intuitive and empathetic towards others than in previous books, and I’m not sure why that’s the case. Nevertheless, I don't feel closer to knowing who she is or if there is a Charlotte Holmes beyond performativity. I'm so curious to see how Thomas continues to address her characterization. I'm also not sure why men in this series comfortably cross dress as women and with regularity, other than because disguise helps in their secretive word of spying and crime solving. Maybe that's all it is, but I think more is going on.
Having said all of this, I didn't love this book nearly as much as the previous two. The Parisian heist didn't sufficiently grab my interest and the reduction of the story to this one geographic site and plot felt a little narrow in comparison. All of the other elements work well though, and I found this an ultimately satisfying addition to the series. I'm overjoyed to learn too that there will be many more Lady Sherlock books. Thomas has created such a wonderful and complex world that I can't picture this series coming to an end anytime soon.
I love the diversity of people who fill the pages of this series, as it adds to the richness of the world Charlotte is deliberately creating for herself now that she has successfully separated from her repressive parents and their stifling middle class values. This book also reveals that Charlotte's mentally challenged sister, Bernadette, is living with her permanently, much to Charlotte's increasing satisfaction with her private world-building. Ash, however, remains one of the most irksome aspects of Charlotte's existence, and this book slows their relationship trajectory down as both contemplate life with as well as life without the other. From a romance standpoint, I ended up feeling satisfied with the more contemplative pace of their relationship and enjoyed the internal reflection on both of their parts.
Cross-dressing as a theme still intrigues me in the series and gives me much to consider. Charlotte, to my mind, performs gender roles for the same reason she performs many other social expectations; she knows she is expected to behave like a genteel woman but she doesn't understand the logic behind the rules. And doesn't that say so much about gender? As a gender performer, Charlotte is extreme in her appearances - all flouncy bow ties, hour-glass figure, big breasts, and constrained manners. When she cross-dresses as a man, which she engages in frequently, she is portly, gregarious, assertive, and comfortable taking up lots of physical space. Which is the "real" Charlotte? In this book, she does seem more intuitive and empathetic towards others than in previous books, and I’m not sure why that’s the case. Nevertheless, I don't feel closer to knowing who she is or if there is a Charlotte Holmes beyond performativity. I'm so curious to see how Thomas continues to address her characterization. I'm also not sure why men in this series comfortably cross dress as women and with regularity, other than because disguise helps in their secretive word of spying and crime solving. Maybe that's all it is, but I think more is going on.
Having said all of this, I didn't love this book nearly as much as the previous two. The Parisian heist didn't sufficiently grab my interest and the reduction of the story to this one geographic site and plot felt a little narrow in comparison. All of the other elements work well though, and I found this an ultimately satisfying addition to the series. I'm overjoyed to learn too that there will be many more Lady Sherlock books. Thomas has created such a wonderful and complex world that I can't picture this series coming to an end anytime soon.
October 3, 2019
Series: Lady Sherlock #4
Publication Date: 10/15/19
Number of Pages: 304
Sherry Thomas has done the impossible as far as I am concerned. I am never a fan of re-worked, re-vamped, reimagined lives of fictional characters – except – this author has created a clever, absorbing, fast-paced, interesting newly imagined Sherlock Holmes and I am in awe. The series maintains the shadowy, misty, shivery mood of the original Sherlock series while imbuing it with a bit of humor and showing how women chafe under the societal strictures of the times. The series is filled with mysteries that are filled with unexpected twists and turns, vile villains and yes, of course, romance.
As with all of the earlier books, there are a lot of people populating this book as well as a lot going on. Several romances at different stages, several mysteries and many people at different stages of life and choices. As always, Moriarty is the overarching villain of the book and the series. For me personally, I hope Moriarty is wrapped up fairly quickly and doesn’t haunt all of the books, characters and romances. Yes, I know he was the original Sherlock Holmes nemesis, but since this is a reimagined Sherlock, why can’t he be resolved within the first five or six books?
Sherlock Holmes received a request for a consultation from “A Traveler From Distant Lands”. However, once the person appears for the consultation and realizes that Sherlock is bedridden, she declines to employ him. Later, we discover that the person was a very close friend from Mrs. Watson’s past and she’s really desperate. The client, the Maharani of Ajmer, is being blackmailed by someone who is holding letters that could cause her and her small kingdom a lot of trouble and embarrassment. The letters are hidden behind a Van Dyck painting in the French chateau, Vaudrieu. It seems that the Maharani needs a cat burglar rather than a mystery solver. However, no matter the risk, Mrs. Watson cannot refuse her old friend.
As Charlotte and company investigate, they learn there is much more to the Chateau Vaudrieu than they originally thought. There are plots within plots and very real danger to Charlotte and her friends. When Lady Ingram shows up, we add yet another layer of intrigue to the mystery – not to mention the nasty Moriarty making an appearance. There are so many twists and turns that your head will spin, but our intrepid Charlotte is, as always, up to the challenge.
When we closed the last book, I thought things with Charlotte and Ash would be moving forward quickly, but in this book, they seem to have regressed and are sort of each in their own little worlds again. We also see the romance between Livia and Stephen grow, but it is going to be a very rocky road for the two of them I’m sure.
The set-up for the next book was well done and leaves you breathlessly waiting for the next episode. Excellently done!
BTW -- I would recommend reading the series in its entirety rather than reading this book as a stand-alone. If not the entire series, then at least read the first book in the series prior to this one. Otherwise, you just won't understand - and probably won't like -- Charlotte.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication Date: 10/15/19
Number of Pages: 304
Sherry Thomas has done the impossible as far as I am concerned. I am never a fan of re-worked, re-vamped, reimagined lives of fictional characters – except – this author has created a clever, absorbing, fast-paced, interesting newly imagined Sherlock Holmes and I am in awe. The series maintains the shadowy, misty, shivery mood of the original Sherlock series while imbuing it with a bit of humor and showing how women chafe under the societal strictures of the times. The series is filled with mysteries that are filled with unexpected twists and turns, vile villains and yes, of course, romance.
As with all of the earlier books, there are a lot of people populating this book as well as a lot going on. Several romances at different stages, several mysteries and many people at different stages of life and choices. As always, Moriarty is the overarching villain of the book and the series. For me personally, I hope Moriarty is wrapped up fairly quickly and doesn’t haunt all of the books, characters and romances. Yes, I know he was the original Sherlock Holmes nemesis, but since this is a reimagined Sherlock, why can’t he be resolved within the first five or six books?
Sherlock Holmes received a request for a consultation from “A Traveler From Distant Lands”. However, once the person appears for the consultation and realizes that Sherlock is bedridden, she declines to employ him. Later, we discover that the person was a very close friend from Mrs. Watson’s past and she’s really desperate. The client, the Maharani of Ajmer, is being blackmailed by someone who is holding letters that could cause her and her small kingdom a lot of trouble and embarrassment. The letters are hidden behind a Van Dyck painting in the French chateau, Vaudrieu. It seems that the Maharani needs a cat burglar rather than a mystery solver. However, no matter the risk, Mrs. Watson cannot refuse her old friend.
As Charlotte and company investigate, they learn there is much more to the Chateau Vaudrieu than they originally thought. There are plots within plots and very real danger to Charlotte and her friends. When Lady Ingram shows up, we add yet another layer of intrigue to the mystery – not to mention the nasty Moriarty making an appearance. There are so many twists and turns that your head will spin, but our intrepid Charlotte is, as always, up to the challenge.
When we closed the last book, I thought things with Charlotte and Ash would be moving forward quickly, but in this book, they seem to have regressed and are sort of each in their own little worlds again. We also see the romance between Livia and Stephen grow, but it is going to be a very rocky road for the two of them I’m sure.
The set-up for the next book was well done and leaves you breathlessly waiting for the next episode. Excellently done!
BTW -- I would recommend reading the series in its entirety rather than reading this book as a stand-alone. If not the entire series, then at least read the first book in the series prior to this one. Otherwise, you just won't understand - and probably won't like -- Charlotte.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 10, 2020
Take Two Review
Original Rating: 3.5 stars
I read this book last October and at that time, I was not really into the Lady Sherlock series. I just couldn’t get into the first book but then this one came up and I was intrigued and wanted to give it another go.
When I read it, I really enjoyed it much more than the first book. While I hadn’t read the other books in the series, I didn’t feel overly lost and thought it was a fun diverting mystery.
I ultimately decided to go back and re-read the series, but it wasn’t too high up on my reading priority list but then I read the fifth book this year and was compelled to go back and start the series from the beginning. So as we go into the holiday season, that was exactly what I did, read the books from beginning to end.
In my original reading of this book, I was a lot more focused on the central mystery rather than the complexity of the character relationships. I didn’t necessarily feel lost in the story itself but I did feel lost in the character relationships having not read the other books. At the time I didn’t think that it overshadowed my feelings on the central mystery but now that I have gone back and read the other books, I feel that perhaps it did.
This time around I felt much more connected to the characters and their stories and how that related and played out in the over all mystery. I enjoyed this book so much more this time around. So far I think my favorite book is the third one, but this one was a nice follow up and it was also fun getting out of London and into France. Though I do think that the author could have really played up the setting a little more but in the end it wasn’t necessary to the overall story but in my opinion, it would have been a nice touch.
I also enjoyed seeing how the author’s style has evolved and changed from the first book to this one. Having read these books essentially back to back the shift is noticeable and I have enjoyed watching her writing mature and change. While the fundamental style is still the same, I have enjoyed how Thomas has subtly broken through Holmes’ tough exterior revealing a real and complex character underneath.
My original review of this book was 3.5 stars but I feel confident in bumping up that rating to a solid 4 stars. I am now at an impasse. I have read the fifth book in the series back in the early fall, but now I am wondering if I should go back and re-read that one now that I have read the other books in the series and see how I feel about it now? But then again I just read it so perhaps it’s unnecessary? I am going to think about that and see if I might be able to fit in a re-read in the future.
See my full review here
Original Rating: 3.5 stars
I read this book last October and at that time, I was not really into the Lady Sherlock series. I just couldn’t get into the first book but then this one came up and I was intrigued and wanted to give it another go.
When I read it, I really enjoyed it much more than the first book. While I hadn’t read the other books in the series, I didn’t feel overly lost and thought it was a fun diverting mystery.
I ultimately decided to go back and re-read the series, but it wasn’t too high up on my reading priority list but then I read the fifth book this year and was compelled to go back and start the series from the beginning. So as we go into the holiday season, that was exactly what I did, read the books from beginning to end.
In my original reading of this book, I was a lot more focused on the central mystery rather than the complexity of the character relationships. I didn’t necessarily feel lost in the story itself but I did feel lost in the character relationships having not read the other books. At the time I didn’t think that it overshadowed my feelings on the central mystery but now that I have gone back and read the other books, I feel that perhaps it did.
This time around I felt much more connected to the characters and their stories and how that related and played out in the over all mystery. I enjoyed this book so much more this time around. So far I think my favorite book is the third one, but this one was a nice follow up and it was also fun getting out of London and into France. Though I do think that the author could have really played up the setting a little more but in the end it wasn’t necessary to the overall story but in my opinion, it would have been a nice touch.
I also enjoyed seeing how the author’s style has evolved and changed from the first book to this one. Having read these books essentially back to back the shift is noticeable and I have enjoyed watching her writing mature and change. While the fundamental style is still the same, I have enjoyed how Thomas has subtly broken through Holmes’ tough exterior revealing a real and complex character underneath.
My original review of this book was 3.5 stars but I feel confident in bumping up that rating to a solid 4 stars. I am now at an impasse. I have read the fifth book in the series back in the early fall, but now I am wondering if I should go back and re-read that one now that I have read the other books in the series and see how I feel about it now? But then again I just read it so perhaps it’s unnecessary? I am going to think about that and see if I might be able to fit in a re-read in the future.
See my full review here
July 11, 2019
I have been impatiently waiting for this book and was so excited to get the opportunity to review it. I first went back and reread the first three in the series. A lot goes on in these books and I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything. These books were just as good the second time as they were the first. And I think that the Art of Theft is the best so far in a really spectacular series. Here we have an old lover of Mrs. Watson’s that needs help retrieving letters from a home outside of Paris. So Charlotte, Mrs. Watson, Lord Ingram, Mr Marbleton and Livia plan to infiltrate this house during a ball. This book added a new character of Leighton Atwood, Lord Ingram’s cousin and a fellow operative for the crown. This book we see Charlotte in a more active role. She has dressed and played the part of a man before but we have never seen the group truly go into a dangerous situation before. I liked the more adventurous plot and I really liked Charlotte and Lord Ingram working together as a team. They had worked for the same goal before but never truly together. They work well together each deferring to the others expertises. From the cliffhanger at the end I expect them to work even more together in the next book. As for their personal relationship , after the intimacy of the last book. They have both stepped back and seem to be trying to figure out what they each want from the other. I love them together! As much as I like the tension between them I really want them to be together in a committed relationship. I love how he humanizes her and her love for him makes her more vulnerable. Hopefully in the next book they will finally get together for good! The writing was excellent, the mystery was interesting. The only problem is that I have to wait a year for the next book.
October 19, 2019
Not as much romantic development as I would’ve liked but I am an impatient romance reader. This series is going to be the death of me.
I don’t love the constant references to Charlotte’s dieting and refraining from desserts. It adds nothing to the books. Just sigh. I love these books to death, and the repetition of this topic makes me cringe. On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised and ecstatic at how Indian colonialism was discussed. It was nuanced and brilliant.
I was very happy to see Leighton Atwood (from MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY) as a secondary character.
I don’t love the constant references to Charlotte’s dieting and refraining from desserts. It adds nothing to the books. Just sigh. I love these books to death, and the repetition of this topic makes me cringe. On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised and ecstatic at how Indian colonialism was discussed. It was nuanced and brilliant.
I was very happy to see Leighton Atwood (from MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY) as a secondary character.
February 3, 2021
⭐️3.5 stars⭐️
Everyone is imperfect to someone. And even the impossibly beautiful ones grow old and are pitied for not being as beautiful as they once were.
For that reason, I learned to heed my own opinion of myself more than anyone else's.
A woman who allows the disdain and casual callousness of strangers to make her feel less worthy can have nothing but a difficult time, and I am well past that phase in my life.
Everyone is imperfect to someone. And even the impossibly beautiful ones grow old and are pitied for not being as beautiful as they once were.
For that reason, I learned to heed my own opinion of myself more than anyone else's.
A woman who allows the disdain and casual callousness of strangers to make her feel less worthy can have nothing but a difficult time, and I am well past that phase in my life.
April 27, 2023
This isn't my favorite series of all time or anything, but it is so consistent, and I really think that's a trait we don't talk about enough in books and authors. There is nothing worse than loving a book to pieces, and then it becomes a series and each book goes down the hill of quality and fun a little further until you just wish it would just die, and your love maybe curdles into hate. That has not happened here! Sherry Thomas knows what she is doing, and she does it well. I know when I open one of these books exactly what I'm going to get, which is Charlotte Holmes aloofly solving crimes with her neurodivergent brilliance, her sometime lover Lord Ingram pining after her, and some intricate mystery or other to keep your attention. Plus fun side characters and stories that fit in very nicely with the main plot, and fun references to Sherlock Holmes canon.
And here, we have a heist plot!
Mrs. Watson's former lover approaches Charlotte because she is being blackmailed, and she needs Charlotte and co. to steal the blackmail material for her. It's all very secretive what she's being blackmailed for and who she is (someone very important). This means Charlotte and co. end up going to France so they do heisty stuff at a chateau where an infamous annual art auction is held. And when I say "and co." I mean pretty much everyone. We've got Mrs. Watson, Charlotte, Charlotte's sister Olivia (who is almost finished with her Sherlock Holmes novel!), Olivia's beau whose name I have temporarily forgotten but who is probably Moriarty's son, and some other new characters. Things get elaborate, but it's always fun, and very atmospheric.
I'm excited to see where this is going! But I do hope she has an endgame in mind.
And here, we have a heist plot!
Mrs. Watson's former lover approaches Charlotte because she is being blackmailed, and she needs Charlotte and co. to steal the blackmail material for her. It's all very secretive what she's being blackmailed for and who she is (someone very important). This means Charlotte and co. end up going to France so they do heisty stuff at a chateau where an infamous annual art auction is held. And when I say "and co." I mean pretty much everyone. We've got Mrs. Watson, Charlotte, Charlotte's sister Olivia (who is almost finished with her Sherlock Holmes novel!), Olivia's beau whose name I have temporarily forgotten but who is probably Moriarty's son, and some other new characters. Things get elaborate, but it's always fun, and very atmospheric.
I'm excited to see where this is going! But I do hope she has an endgame in mind.
May 3, 2024
4.8 stars
The plot in this 4th instalment was just *chef's kiss* 😍!!
The intricacy of the storylines and their masterful execution through the out-of-this-world prose of ST was fascinating to read. I was already impressed by her pen in this series, but for this one, I am really, really bowled over! So many things happening, so many layers of complexity added to the overarching plot, so many thought-provoking elements, so much brain-twisting....🥴💫!!
Random fangirling:
Whenever a book has me with a silly grin throughout the read, interspersed with ooh-ing and aah-ing at each slap-in-the-face twist, I know that I have struck gold. Kudos, Sherry Thomas, I am deeply grateful to you!!
(I am such a greedy biatch that I just want to say: Gimme, gimme more! 😅😅)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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