A Study in Charlotte

A smart, suspenseful reimagining of Sherlock Holmes. The mystery - a whodunit in which the killer's elaborate murders grotesquely reference classic Sherlock tales - will satisfy the detective's fans. But the story's strong characterizations and clever, creative turns will hook those unfamiliar with the Sherlock canon as well. Jamie Watson, a new student at a well-heeled Connecticut academy, is an endearing protagonist. His narrative has the air of a classic, coming-of-age prep school story, which lends the novel an appropriate literary depth. Jamie's opening line sets the mood deftly: "The first time I met her was at the tail end of one of those endless weekday nights you could only have at a school like Sherringford." Charlotte is a compelling, complex Holmes. She's a chemist, a card shark, and of course a master investigator, but her self-destructive tendencies make Jamie a crucial crime-solving partner. A romantic edge to their relationship adds intrigue, but it's their unusual yet complementary friendship that anchors the book. Brittany Cavallaro skillfully repurposes the Holmes mythology not only to construct an engaging mystery, but to build a convincing and unique fictional world. Readers will be pleased that several signs, including the involvement of an enigmatic older Holmes brother, point toward a sequel.

Connecticut boarding-school students Charlotte Holmes and James Watson, descendants of Sherlock and Dr. Watson, are framed for a murder that's staged with clues straight out of their ancestors' "Speckled Band" case. The teens navigate their own muddled relationship while racing to find the real killer. Complex characters and a dark, twisty-turny plot (involving drugs, rape, revenge, and Moriartys) make for an above-average Holmes-Watson reboot.