A Twisted Mystery
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In Brittany Cavallaro’s A Study In Charlotte, main character Jamie and his new acquaintance, Charlotte, are smart, witty, and onto a murderer’s case. Even though they might’ve just met, their families have known each other for generations. This connection is all thanks to their famous ancestors, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor James Watson.
Throughout this first installment, readers follow Jamie Watson’s point of view. The first person narrative helps readers understand Jamie’s frustration and how he handles the whole scandal. Jamie initially thought that he was going to attend a boarding school in rural Connecticut for a rugby scholarship. But he’s quick to notice that the upcoming detective, Charlotte Holmes is attending the same school.
Is it coincidence that a Watson and a Holmes happen to be at the same place at the same time? Or is there something bringing them here? Jamie doesn’t consider the facts because it’s always been his dream to be like the famous duo. But someone lurking in the shadows decides that it’s the perfect chance to frame this new pair for murder.
Cavallaro draws readers in with stunning visuals, like the overwhelming postcard like campus, Jamie’s quiet childhood home filled with distant memories of being a kid, and Charlotte’s gloomy lab.
Jamie has many relationships that flourish and sputter out during A Study In Charlotte. He slowly reconnects with his father after moving to the Sherrinford boarding school near his childhood home. Even though, Jamie feels like he doesn’t fit into a particular crowd, his new friend and roommate, Tom, seems almost too eager to listen to Jamie’s encounters as he tries to solve the case with Charlotte. Although Jamie meets many people at school, his attention is always drawn back to Charlotte.
The novel’s main focus, though, is the murder at hand. The twists and turns of Jamie and Charlotte’s discoveries keep readers on the edge of their seats. The killer that they are after is taking some of the classic Sherlock stories and bringing them into gruesome reality. Since the murderer killed a person both Jamie and Charlotte had bad experiences with before, and is twisting their ancestor’s tales into the crime, the cops automatically target Jamie and Charlotte.
A Study in Charlotte has one theme that every murder suspect should understand, be careful who you trust. Charlotte was coldly trained by her parents on how to react in a situation like this, but Jaime doesn’t have a clue on what to do. He only knows that he needs to find the killer. Jamie becomes reliant on Charlotte and Charlotte on Jamie; because everybody else that they know are possible suspects. Still, this doesn’t keep Jamie as cautious as he should be.
Cavallaro’s thrilling, modern take on Holmes and Watson is sure to keep readers wanting a longer series. And that’s just what they’ve gotten. Brittany Cavallaro released a fourth book in the series, A Question of Holmes, this March. Check out A Study in Charlotte, and the rest of the series in a book store near you. You won’t be disappointed.