When the great-great-great grandson of Dr. Watson ends up at an American private high school with the great great great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, murderers don't stand a chance.
Deductive reasoning clearly got passed down through the generations and found an excellent chalice to land in when it found Charlotte Holmes. It's highly entertaining to read how her mind works, how quickly she can deduce information and insights about people's personality and behaviors. She's so dang smart it's amazing. You want to be her.She also appears to have inherited the drug addiction from her famous forbearer, Sherlock.
Dr. Watson's descendant, Jamie, is less impressive in the brains department but has a fascination for Charlotte and is excited to meet her and get to know her. He's heard about her all his life.
Jamie arrives at this American private school, Sherringford with a reputation for playing a mean game of rugby. He's actually earned a scholarship to play there. No matter how he got there, what matters to Jamie Watson is Charlotte Holmes. In a matter of days there is a murder and the two are under suspicion as being involved.
The relationship between Charlotte and Jamie is the real focus here as they team up to solve one murder and then another. Do they have the right stuff between them? Can they solve the crimes as deftly as their ancestors might have?
The realization slowly comes to them that the crimes being committed are patterned after the notorious crimes solved by Holmes and Watson a century ago. For the purpose of this story, Watson and Holmes are written as having truly lived as opposed to having been characters in the imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
For those put off by drug use and the mention of a rape that occurred before this story begins, you may want to pass on this.
For those who love a brilliant heroine with a mind like a steel trap and a fumbling but worthy friend who join forces to take on evil in their own school community, this is a fast-paced, plot-driven story that will satisfy.
321 pages 978-0062398901 Ages 14 and up (drug abuse and rape)
Sequel: The Last of August (February 2017)
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
