An Art Heist in France

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoy these books, and I think they only get better. This is the 4th in the series, with each novel its own story while following a larger arc, and the twin paths work well.

Charlotte Holmes is a great character as well as a wonderful invention by Sherry Thomas. Of course, she owes a great deal to the original Sherlock, and Charlotte definitely follows in the Holmes tradition, but she's also her own person, making a wonderful MC. Of course she's intelligent, logical, inventive, confident, and socially awkward to a degree, but she's also loving (in her own way) and kind and vulnerable, with interesting and quirky traits that round her out to a whole person. Her relationship with Lord Ingram, who is himself complex and interesting, is a big part of the overarching story arc, which I find entertaining and appropriately frustrating. He assists Charlotte in solving crimes, and is capable in ways that complement her abilities, and though their partnership makes the story diverge quite a bit from the original Sherlock/Watson blueprint, it's a crucial part of the series and central to the success of the stories, IMO.

Book 4 is more of a heist or caper than a straight mystery, which is fun, and what makes it really come alive is the ensemble. In addition to Charlotte and Lord Ingram, we have Charlotte's sister, Livia; her love interest, Stephen Marbleton, who's on the run from Moriarty; Mrs. Watson, a well-off widow; an Indian noblewoman, who Mrs. Watson once had a long affair with; and Lieutenant Atwood, an intelligence officer friend of Lord Ingram's. These characters are not just present; they all take part in important ways, many of them serving as POV characters at different times, and their voices and distinct personalities are maintained in such a way that nobody fades into the background. No one is superfluous; no one is indistinguishable. It's really well done.

I'm eager to read the next. Recommended.

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