A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Series: Charlotte Holmes Novel
On Sale Date: March 1, 2016,
Young Adult \ Mysteries & Detective Stories
Katherine Tegen Books, 336 pages
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4 Stars
The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.
From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.
A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy.
A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE takes a creative spin with the notorious Holmes and Watson crime-solving duo and brings readers an updated mystery with their descendants, teenagers Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson.
One of the main reason I decided to read A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE was the twist given to the traditional Holmes character, now given the voice of his great-great-great-granddaughter Charlotte Holmes. I wanted to know what would happen when Charlotte comes face-to-face with James, the great-great-great-grandson of Dr. Watson.
The story takes place on American soil at the Sherringford prep school in Connecticut where our two hero-sleuths in the making meet and not long after, murder, mayhem and mystery follow.
A suspenseful mystery is threaded throughout with plenty of fun references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work that I enjoyed but honestly, it was the slow building friendship between Jamie and Charlotte that I loved reading about. These two dynamic characters are built upon Doyle’s original beloved ones with many of the familiar traits fans of the classic pair will recognize and enjoy while adding a new, edgier take on them.
Charlotte Holmes is brilliant, anti-social and all-around prickly yet there is this well-hid softer side, the wounded hero that draws Jamie to her. A perfect foil to her, Jaime narrates the story and readers are treated to a wonderful perspective of their building friendship and possible romantic feelings. If you enjoy banter between your characters then you're sure to enjoy Jamie and Charlotte's verbal sparring. I love how the relationship builds and it just feels right. Like two sides of a coin Jamie and Charlotte complement each other.
Bombs, arch-enemies, and murder make for an entertaining mystery while A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE gave me what I was hoping for: an exciting heroine-Holmes to follow. I'm looking forward to reading more adventurous stories featuring this new crime-fighting duo and more Sherlockian good times.
