Miss Moriarty, I Presume?

June 1, 2021

Now this is unexpected: Criminal mastermind Moriarty himself wants Charlotte Holmes to find his missing daughter. It appears that she is somehow associated with a mysterious occult community, but perhaps this is just a trap. From a two-time RITA Award winner who has gone the mystery route; this is sixth in the "Lady Sherlock" series.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 4, 2021
In Thomas’s appealing sixth Lady Sherlock mystery (after 2020’s Murder in Cold Street), brilliant private investigator Charlotte Holmes, who acts as an “oracle” on behalf of her fictional brother, Sherlock, has an appointment with a potential client, James Baxter, at her office at 18 Upper Baker Street. When Mr. Baxter appears, Charlotte recognizes him as her nemesis, Moriarty, whom she last saw at a disrupted ball at Moriarty’s château outside Paris two months earlier. Moriarty doesn’t explain his alias when he requests her assistance in extracting his grown daughter, Marguerite, from a cult based in Cornwall known as the Hermetists, and Charlotte wonders what he really wants. After consulting with the ever-attentive Lord Ash Ingram, Charlotte takes the case, and she and her friend Mrs. Watson head to Cornwall in search of answers. The more she learns about Marguerite, the more she wonders why Moriarty hired her. Meanwhile, the romance between Charlotte and Ash heats up. The interactions among the characters matter more than the convoluted plot. Cozy fans will have fun. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary.

October 1, 2021

In this sixth entry in Thomas's historical mystery series (after Murder on Cold Street), archenemy Moriarty approaches Charlotte Holmes to ask for her help. His daughter took refuge in a remote religious commune, but no one has seen her in quite some time. Could Charlotte please investigate? Yes, and she'll need her entire team to assist, especially Mrs. Watson and Lord Ingram. Her sister Livia also gets some page time. Because this is at heart a Sherlock Holmes mystery, things are never quite as they seem, with lots of complicated maneuvers and strategizing involving ciphers and disguises. Not to mention dead bodies. However, even in the midst of great danger, interpersonal relationships remain center stage. One of the strengths of this series is its carefully drawn and appealing cast of characters. VERDICT Existing fans will appreciate the romantic plot developments, while new readers could treat this as a standalone but would be better served by starting with book one, A Study in Scarlet Women. Suitable for those who enjoy Deanna Raybourn's "Veronica Speedwell" mysteries.--Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.

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Starred review from September 1, 2021
The world's most famous detective must outwit her nemesis in Victorian Cornwall. Thomas' series continues with the life of Charlotte Holmes, the woman detective masquerading as her fictitious brother, Sherlock, shortly after the events of Murder on Cold Street (2020). While Charlotte; her lover, Lord Ingram; her companion, Mrs. Watson; and her sister, Olivia, are hoping they haven't riled Moriarty, the hope is soon dashed. The feared criminal mastermind, calling himself Mr. Baxter, wants Charlotte to take on a case involving his wayward daughter, who has secreted herself at a religious retreat in Cornwall. But is that all he has in mind? Left no real choice, Charlotte & Co. begin their investigations into Miss Baxter as well as into Olivia's sweetheart, Mr. Marbleton, whom Moriarty has coerced back into his web. Tense and atmospherically rich, particularly in the Cornwall chapters, the novel is interspersed with brief scenes of Charlotte and Ingram's new intimacy, including some chuckle-inducing letters. Thomas counts on readers being familiar with the way Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Holmes' confrontation with Moriarty in "The Final Problem," but she provides a new (female solidarity) twist to get to that point rather than keeping us guessing about how she's going to adapt the famous ending. It's an interesting application of the romance-genre structure, in which the predictable climax is less important than the journey toward it--something Thomas knows well as a romance author--but the way she sets up the twist and the ending by switching the point of view to a minor character is a bit clunky. Charlotte herself appears less like the neurodiverse character she's been established to be in previous novels, but her love for food and her loose allegiance to social mores and role-playing are still charming. An enjoyable jigsaw puzzle in the Holmes tradition, with gothic thrills and a dash of romance.

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