Review: Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

LETTERS TO THE LOST is a compelling, emotion-filled read, maybe better read by more mature YA. However, even while the letters started because Juliet lost her mother, this book doesn’t only deal with death and the resulting grief, but also the wider themes of fate and choice.

The first few chapters were raw with emotion, especially the letters, and especially where Juliet used photographs to convey certain thoughts or feelings. The main characters are not your usual teens; having lost people important to them, they’re deeper, weightier, sounding almost like mature grown ups (because there are immature ones), especially in their letters where they’d discuss fate and choosing paths. I thought there was a bit of disparity in their real selves and the selves in their letters, but I suppose that’s only to be expected because somehow it’s easier to let a stranger see your real self without the barriers and prejudices of a lot of things that come with knowing who the other person is. (You’ll understand what I’m talking about when you read the book)

Review: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN is a breath of fresh air in the market of historical romances, where one story tends to blend into another. A phenomenal read, and by the time I reached the end, I wanted more! I can’t wait for the next book, which comes out in 2017!

Anyway, my review: I became interested in all things Sherlock due to the BBC show Sherlock. That’s why I was intrigued when I read the blurb. I wanted to know if Sherry Thomas, whose historical romances I loved, could pull it off. And she did!

I don’t read a lot of mysteries, but I thought the mystery here was well done and logical. There are enough red herrings to keep you guessing, and there are also lots of surprising twists and turns in the story–both in Charlotte’s life and in the mystery–that would keep you involved until the very end.

For me, one of the factors of this novel’s success is the heroine–Charlotte Holmes. She’s a very unusual heroine, strong, very smart, her mind runs on a different plane than ours, and I guess it’s reasonable to assume that she’s modeled after Sherlock Holmes. However, the way the author presented her, Charlotte is not a sociopath. She’s just…different, and her powers of observation are top-notch. She’s also empathetic, enough that I was rooting for her until the end.

New series I think I’m gonna be in love with!!

And the author and publisher has to thank Sherlock (BBC) for that.

You know I’ve never been one for reading mysteries that had not a drop of romance. I mean, of course I’ll still read it, because my brain (for some reason) loves them. But if they had some romance to them, I’ll probably love them better.

So, even though I’ve heard of Sherlock Holmes, I’ve never been motivated enough to pick up the books.

Robert Downey Jr. piqued my interest a bit, but…not enough.

Then came Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock and I was hooked! Maybe because the series is only 3 episodes each. Maybe it’s the superb acting from all the cast. Maybe it’s because I’ve become a Sherlock/Molly shipper. Whatever it is, I now love everything Sherlock! (Well, not everything.)

Anyway, when I saw this book about a Lady Sherlock, I just have to grab it, right???? Though it’s mainly mystery, the author promises a strong romantic element. And I’ve read some Sherry Thomas’s books before, so I’m sure this will be a story worth reading!

With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society.  But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.
 
When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.