Level: Teen
Recommended Age: 15+
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Tags: Murder Mystery, British, Disguise, Crime, Romance
Mature Content:

  - Mature sexuality: Kissing scenes and descriptions of sexual abuse/rape.

  - Mature language: Some swearing and F bombs.

  - Mature violence: Physical attacks, attempted murder, self-abuse, and drug use.

Jamie Watson, descendent of the famous John Watson, has always been fascinated by the Holmes family. Their families were once close friends, but time has pulled them apart although Jamie would love nothing more than to join them on their investigations. But then he goes to boarding school in Connecticut where a mysterious fan of Sherlock and Holmes recreates one of their murder scenes and frames Jamie and his new classmate Charlotte Holmes. The two are forced to work together to prove their innocence while struggling with difficult family members and all the joys of high school.

Review:

Sherlock Holmes is such a fascinating character, and this is a really fun modern version that brings those same personalities and puts them in a younger setting.

Jamie has always been fascinated by his Watson heritage, but after his father leaves him and his sister with their mother, Jamie resigns himself to living a mystery free life despite his childhood dream to solve mysteries with Charlotte Holmes. He focuses on his dreams of becoming a writer, and figuring out how to avoid rugby while being on a rugby scholarship. Charlotte’s upbringing was a bit different, with her parents demanding constant vigilance to build upon the Holmes’ name through mastery of all skills. Together, Jamie and Charlotte are able to use their combined skills (mostly Charlotte’s science experiments and deduction skills and Jamie’s ability to get into trouble and win fistfights) to get in and out of trouble.

Charlotte is every bit as intense as her ancestor, proving to be the most Holmes of all the Holmes, though her parents would strongly disagree. Her bizarre upbringing both baffles Jamie and fuels their experiments. Despite her similarities with the beloved British detective, Charlotte is refreshingly unpredictable. Jamie follows her down the rabbit hole of mystery and crime, never stopping to consider his own safety.

Jamie’s father and Charlotte’s uncle are best friends, and thrilled at the two teen’s connection. It’s entertaining to read about a modern recreation of Sherlock’s famous mysteries while two of the characters act as spectators watching events unfold with the morbid fascination of true fans. On the other end of the spectrum is Charlotte’s incredibly rich and trustworthy roommate, Lena, who seems to stick around out of relief for a break from the sheer monotony of life. Her inability to be fazed by Charlotte Holmes’ antics (and occasional explosions and/or crimes) is just as amusing as a couple of middle-aged men fangirling over murder.

Jamie Watson is our reliable narrator, deeply fascinated by his partner in crime (or innocence, depending on the day). Charlotte has a dark history of abuse, fueling some mature themes throughout the story. The content is written with purpose, showing the importance of awareness and support in this meticulous and heart pounding teenage mystery.