Review - Tempest at Sea

 I have been a fan of this series that re-imagines the Sherlock mythos since the debut: 

1) A Study in Scarlet Women (click here)  

2) A Conspiracy in Belgravia (click here) 

3) The Hollow of Fear (click here) 

4) The Art of Theft (click here) 

5) Murder on Cold Street (click here)  

6)  Miss Moriarity, I Presume (click here) 

Author: Sherry Thomas

Copyright: March 2023 (Berkley) 364 pgs

Series: 7th in Lady Sherlock Mysteries

Sensuality:  Innuendo and mild violence

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Private Investigator & Intrigue

Main Character: Charlotte Holmes, disgraced upper class woman who creates the Sherlock Holmes identity

Setting: 1886 Cornwall and on board RMS Provence

Obtained Through: Publisher (NetGalley) for honest review

Book Blurb: "After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.

 Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder takes place on the ship.

 Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive."

My Thoughts:  This series has become an automatic read because every book in the series is well crafted and intricately plotted.  This seventh book is no exception.  I wasn't sure where the series would go after the last book, "Miss Moriarity I Presume" had Charlotte fake her own death.  I am happy to report Charlotte/Sherlock is back and what a come back it is.

I want to give particular attention to two aspect of this book.  Although this is most definitely a murder mystery, the glimpses into Lord Ingram Ashburton and Charlotte's growing love affair are pure gold and even humorous. Also of note, Charlotte's sister, Olivia, takes a stand for herself so that readers will be cheering out loud as I did.

The murder mystery is a winding and twisting road, a trademark of this series that takes the reader on a cleaver journey of intrigue.  Most of the regular supporting cast are present.  

I know there will be comparisons to Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile due to the similarities of murder on board a ship and the cloistered investigation while on board.  Sherry Thomas gives a tip-of-the-hat to Christie but puts her own flare and signature on this story as only she can, while finding the dossier and solving the murder. 

If you haven't read the prior books, this is a safe point to jump into the series.  Although much will be gained by starting at book one, A Study in Scarlet Women (check out my review).

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.