Women of her class are molded to be ornaments

At this point, I think enough Cannonballers have written rave reviews about Sherry Thomas’ “Lady Sherlock Series”.  Just read these books if the subject matter appeals to you at all. They are a treasure and I think that each one is better than the last.

“The Hollow of Fear” is the third book in the series. I have to admit, again, that my Sherlock Holmes background is via Madonna’s ex husband and Benedict Cumberbatch. I, therefore, come at these books without a reference point for the mysteries that lie within them. I am told that they mirror the mysteries in the originals to some degree, but I can’t really address that.  Maybe I will FINALLY, remedy that over the course of CBR11 and read some actual Sir Arthur Conan Doyle originals.

Charlotte and her childhood friend, Lord Ingram, are involved in yet another murder mystery. This time, however,  the stakes are a bit higher when Lord Ingram’s estranged wife ends up dead in the ice house and he is the prime suspect. Wrap that up with Jane Eyre jokes, a missing institutionalized sister, fake moustaches and much discussion about pastries and you have another winner!

The plot here is a particularly messy one and I have to say that I often got a bit lost in the shuffle. Again, that may be because I am operating with no familiarity with the original Sherlock Holmes stories. It required a little flipping back for re-reads, but I got there.

While the mysteries are intriguing, I come for the sexual tension and the gender politics. There. I said it. My love for these books comes from Charlotte Holmes finding a way to circumvent Victorian social mores AND the smoldering corset/cravat burning want between her and Lord Ingram. I know that those two points may seem at war with one another, but I don’t care. The way that those two admire, exasperate and NEED one another is a delight. Read the books!