Review: A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

A Study in Charlotte

(Charlotte Holmes #1)
by Brittany Cavallaro

March 1, 2016

336 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

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.

 

Review

I don't think I've ever read something quite like A Study in Charlotte. It was riveting. I highly recommend watching the book trailer because I did that just before I started reading the book and it added that much more interest and excitement to my experience.

I trust Sherlock Holmes and John Watson need no explanation. In A Study in Charlotte, we follow their descendants, Charlotte and James, as they put their genetics and training to work and solve a murder case. One where they've been implicated as the killers. Their investigation had its ups and downs and just when things couldn't seem bleaker, new and personal discoveries propel them forward again. The pacing was excellent. The plot was engrossing. I had a burning need to just know.
 

The gender flip of Holmes was fabulous. I loved it. For anyone who knows Sherlock, you'd know he pretty much lives in his own world and moves at his own pace (a very fast one). Charlotte was no different. She's intelligent, logical and methodical. Having such a family name she's pushed to train at a very young age. But with that she seems to have lost her innocence. Dark secrets plague her and I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping when I heard of some of her transgressions. Do I feel bad for her or do I feel angry towards her? Really, I couldn't decide. Charlotte can be fun and sarcastically witty when she chooses to be. So it killed me to see her having to put on a brave face in situations where any normal teen girl would've just broken down.

James Watson wasn't smart but he was an open-book. A little impulsive and slightly nutty in the mental department, he offset Charlotte well. Unlike her, he grew up relatively normally. Sure he had some father issues but it didn't affect his caring nature. He was honest, loyal- the best partner in crime anyone could ask for. Not to mention despite his confusion and hurt, he always had Charlotte's best interest at heart. Oh and his dad has some of the best reactions in the book. So comical~

While the focus of the story was on Holmes and Watson's friendship I couldn't help cheering for more. I thought it might be weird seeing as they're Holmes and Watson but some scenes between them were surprisingly gentle and sweet. No matter how ugly the past was or that it's catching up, they have each other. Though it may be complicated the possibilities were there. Let's just say I definitely see the room for more ;)

The Sherringford murder case was expertly and in some ways extravagantly solved. A good old chase, some powerful explosion and deadly poisoning could not stop this duo. It's obvious the danger is far from over but I say bring it on because they're Holmes and Watson!

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.