A Study in Scarlet Women

Even my rough treatment of this book can't diminish how gorgeous this cover is!

Several months ago, I listened to an interview with Leah and Bea Koch on the Smart Podcast, Trashy Books podcast.  If you haven't listened to this podcast yet, stop what you are doing and go listen.  It's fantastic. 

I'll wait.

Leah and Bea own an independent bookstore in Los Angeles called The Ripped Bodice.  It's on my bucket list to visit but in the meantime, I can order from them online and pretend to give Fitzwilliam Waffles snuggles.  He has an Instagram account-check it out.

While browsing their signed  books section I stumbled across Sherry Thomas' book, A Study in Scarlet Women.  It's a gender-flipped Sherlock Holmes retelling.  I had to have it.  

This book was everything that I was hoping it would be.  Charlotte Holmes has no desire to marry, but instead wants to become the Headmistress of a school and live her life on her own.  As one can imagine, these plans did not sit well with her parents.  Charlotte's plans for independence lead to a family scandal, a string of mysterious murders, and an interesting new friendship.  

I really loved this book.  The characters were so well developed and the story flowed so well that I was able to finish it only two nights.  At one point, I had to stop and pick up something else just so I wouldn't have to end the book so soon.  Book 2 in this series, A Conspiracy in Belgravia,  is available now.