An Awesome new Holmes and Watson

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a sucker for Sherlock Holmes stories and adaptations, including the BBC's Sherlock, CBS's Elementary, the Guy Ritchie movies with Robert Downey, Jr., and all kinds of books, including a very enjoyable novel by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called Mycroft Holmes.

I've found my new favorite.

All of the adaptations try to update the stories, showing proper respect for the original, and meet with varied success. The mystery aspect is important, of course, and so is a knowledge of the stories, but the key is Holmes, and I adore this particular heroine.

This series supposes that the Holmes family and the Watson family stay connected over the generations, with many partnerships similar to the first. The dynamic remains the same, passed on to each successive generation. The newest such partnership is Charlotte Holmes and James Watson, who meet in an American boarding school. She is the socially isolated detective, and he's the rugby-playing average guy who wants to write. Or be a doctor. Or both.

There is a lot to like about the high school mystery story, and the use of pop culture is fitting and appropriate, and Watson is a good character--but Holmes is the star. She's what makes this adaptation memorable.

In this incarnation, Holmes is a gifted high school student, a descendent of Sherlock, trained by her parents to have all his skills and knowledge. She has, of course, Sherlock's failings as well, and though all of this is conventional and expected, it's still well done, and the way it's presented is fresh. This Holmes is wonderful--independent, difficult, brilliant, brash, confident, and damaged--but somehow still a young woman in the modern world. The combination really works.

I recommend the book. Highly, in fact, in case that tips the scales for anyone.

This is not just for fans of Sherlock. With a strong teen heroine and a familiar setting, it works well as a YA novel, if somewhat edgy, as the story deals frankly with some difficult issues and contains a bit of language. Mystery fans in general and many others would find a lot to admire in this novel.

I am eager to get ahold of the sequel.

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