e-ARC, 336 pages
Release Date: March 1, 2016Published by: Katherine Tegen BooksCharlotte Holmes, #1Source: Edelweiss (A huge thank you to Edelweiss and the Publisher for allowing me access to this galley. All opinions are my own and their permission to receive this did not sway my opinion in any way.)For fans of: Mysteries, Retellings, Romance, Thrillers, Contemporary, YA
The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John 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 enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.
Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.
Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I’m starting to think 2016 just isn’t my year. None of the books I’ve been most looking forward to have been exactly what I was looking for. And this one is just the same. I was intrigued by the amazing synopsis and the amazing cover, but when it came to the execution, I just wasn’t feeling it.
First off, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. There were too many instances where there was nothing happening and then all of a sudden “BAM” in your face. The problem was, there wasn’t enough “BAM” in my opinion. I’m a huge fan of thrillers and for this one I just couldn’t really find anything thrilling about it. (Well besides the death and the roommate drama.) But some of the “BAM stuff also had no meaning and it bogged the story down for me as well.
Next, I just wasn’t a fan of Charlotte. I know she was supposed to be the representation of Sherlock Holmes, but instead of just being sarcastic and a small touch rude, she was too busy doing drugs. And me personally, that’s what turned me off this book. I’m not a huge fan of YA and drugs (whether it happens in real life or not, I don’t have to read about it) so reading that they were talking about “the hard stuff” or “her money goes up her nose” or “in her arm.” I just realized this one wasn’t for me.
I’m disappointed because I really wanted to like this one. I love most Sherlock and Watson retellings but this one just fell short for me. As for the person who did it, I never did find out. I didn’t read long enough to form a real theory. But as usual, don’t forget that even though it wasn’t for me it doesn’t mean that it won’t be for someone else!
Overall, I give this
