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lightreads) wrote2021-06-02 07:49 pm
lightreads) wrote2021-06-02 07:49 pm
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Lady Sherlock by Sherry Thomas
A Study in Scarlet Women, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, The Hollow of Fear, The Art of theft, Murder on Cold Street
4/5. Series of historical mysteries featuring Charlotte Holmes, brilliant lady detective who solves crimes on behalf of her bedridden brother Sherlock whom no one ever actually sees, hm, mysterious.
I never intended to read these because (1) I give few fucks about Holmes stuff to start with and definitely got overdosed in the past decade; and (2) I thought Sherry Thomas wrote fluffy tawdry nonsense? Look. In my defense, she has horrible titles. Lady Sherlock Series? And another one of her books is literally called His at Night.
But the right mood struck, and I read them, and you guys. You guys. (1) These are Holmes nonsense, but only in the loosest, most delightful way. Charlotte is a cherubically-curled, extravagantly dressed, cake-loving delight. These books scramble the Holmes canon without mercy, and thank God for that. And (2) Sherry Thomas is great, and also really really mad about misogyny. These books are just furious, about misogyny in general and about promiscuity double-standards in very specific.
Oh, the mysteries? I mean, they're Holmes stuff so they're fundamentally unfair and not particularly satisfying, but I don't care. I love this chubby Holmes, and her deep bond with her sister, and how much they both care about another profoundly disabled sister, and Mrs. Watson who made her name on the stage, and the slow slow evolution of the Scotland Yard detective who relies on her and resents her and has a whole lot of sexist baggage to work through, and oh yeah there's an unusual romance where the guy is married and they are both quite honorable about it but it's way more complicated than that.
Anyway, yes. These brought me a great deal of unexpected pleasure, and showed me unanticipated depths, even though they feature my least favorite plot (falsely accused) repeatedly (seriously, get another plot), so there, that's me told.
Content notes: Yeah crimes and stuff, but mostly I wanted to note that Charlotte spends the first four books eating anything she wants, then goes on a diet in the fifth book and there is a lot of talk about that and it is exhausting and obnoxious.
4/5. Series of historical mysteries featuring Charlotte Holmes, brilliant lady detective who solves crimes on behalf of her bedridden brother Sherlock whom no one ever actually sees, hm, mysterious.
I never intended to read these because (1) I give few fucks about Holmes stuff to start with and definitely got overdosed in the past decade; and (2) I thought Sherry Thomas wrote fluffy tawdry nonsense? Look. In my defense, she has horrible titles. Lady Sherlock Series? And another one of her books is literally called His at Night.
But the right mood struck, and I read them, and you guys. You guys. (1) These are Holmes nonsense, but only in the loosest, most delightful way. Charlotte is a cherubically-curled, extravagantly dressed, cake-loving delight. These books scramble the Holmes canon without mercy, and thank God for that. And (2) Sherry Thomas is great, and also really really mad about misogyny. These books are just furious, about misogyny in general and about promiscuity double-standards in very specific.
Oh, the mysteries? I mean, they're Holmes stuff so they're fundamentally unfair and not particularly satisfying, but I don't care. I love this chubby Holmes, and her deep bond with her sister, and how much they both care about another profoundly disabled sister, and Mrs. Watson who made her name on the stage, and the slow slow evolution of the Scotland Yard detective who relies on her and resents her and has a whole lot of sexist baggage to work through, and oh yeah there's an unusual romance where the guy is married and they are both quite honorable about it but it's way more complicated than that.
Anyway, yes. These brought me a great deal of unexpected pleasure, and showed me unanticipated depths, even though they feature my least favorite plot (falsely accused) repeatedly (seriously, get another plot), so there, that's me told.
Content notes: Yeah crimes and stuff, but mostly I wanted to note that Charlotte spends the first four books eating anything she wants, then goes on a diet in the fifth book and there is a lot of talk about that and it is exhausting and obnoxious.
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