Published: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Series: Charlotte Holmes #1
Pages: 321 (Hardcover)
My Rating: 4.0/5.0
Synopsis:
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.
So, I guess I should start out by saying that I’m a big fan of Sherlock Holmes – from the BBC show, to the movies, to the Wishbone episode about the Hound of the Baskervilles. I haven’t actually read the original stories though they’ve been languishing on my Kindle for years now. I will say that A Study in Charlotte has inspired me to read them because it practically wrung the curiosity out of me. Or into me. Whatever.
A Study in Charlotte is basically Sherlock for teenagers. Its main characters are the descendants of the famed detective duo and share many of their characteristics and vices. Charlotte’s a brilliant, strung out, disappointment to her family. James Watson is loyal, supportive, and has a flash pan temper. Together they have to solve a murder that they appear guilty of committing before they’re thrown in jail. Both characters as well as the mystery they must solve are an excellent nod to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work.
I liked the private school setting for this story and found Charlotte’s lab to be reminiscent of the atmosphere at Baker Street without trying to do something a million other reimaginings have done. The fact that these are children that still have to deal with the pressures of their age as well as their families added a bit of additional drama/conflict as well. James has an estranged father that he is forced to reconnect with upon crossing the Atlantic and Charlotte must live with the fact that she has failed to live up to her family’s expectations. For those thinking that this couldn’t be a Sherlock retelling without a Moriarty, never fear for there will be just enough Moriarty ego to whet your appetite.
I’m really looking forward to checking out the next installment when I have time and Audible credits to spare. I think The Last of August will have plenty of Moriarty to satisfy me (hopefully) and I hope it’s just as entertaining as this book was. I would definitely recommend this for YA readers who are also fans of Sherlock. If YA isn’t your thing, then this probably won’t be either simply because of its nature.
Powder & Page 
What a clever updating of the classic characters!
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