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Secret Letters

by Leah Scheier (Goodreads Author)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 567 ratings · 132 reviews

Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin's ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devast...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Disney-Hyperion

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My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

TO DIE FOR 2012 - 2013 STAND-ALONES continued

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Oct 31, 2012 Sheena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-2013

Dora dreams of escaping her rule filled society life. She dreams of traveling to London and working to help solve mysteries. Dora also has a secret, she is the daughter of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. She finds herself traveling to London to meet with him about a case involving her cousin, who is being blackmailed. When she arrives however she learns that Holmes has been killed in Switzerland. Now Dora must deal with the loss of a father she never knew and find her place in society. She...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Natalia Belikov rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult, received-won

Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

As a big fan of Y.S.Lee and The Agency series, I HAD to read Secret Letters by Leah Scheier as soon as I got it! With that said, I don't think I need to mention that Secret Letters is a Victorian mystery. So, let's jump into my thoughts about this novel right now!

Plot: The premise of a young girl whose father is the most remarkable detective in England immediately grabbed my attention. Secret Letters is in fact an intriguing Victorian mystery that hooked...more Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

As a big fan of Y.S.Lee and The Agency series, I HAD to read Secret Letters by Leah Scheier as soon as I got it! With that said, I don't think I need to mention that Secret Letters is a Victorian mystery. So, let's jump into my thoughts about this novel right now!

Plot: The premise of a young girl whose father is the most remarkable detective in England immediately grabbed my attention. Secret Letters is in fact an intriguing Victorian mystery that hooked me right from the first page. Dora and her cousin Adelaide travel to London looking for a detective who could help them in finding the mysterious person who's threatening Adelaide's reputation. However, for Dora, this is not the only reason she travels to London. In fact, she goes there not only to support her cousin but to have the chance to finally meet his illegitimate father and popular detective Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, the daughter-father relationship can never be explored, nor we can ever meet the great detective, because he dies in the very first chapter. I was a bit sad that Sherlock would not be a character in the story as I first thought but I dismissed that feeling at the very moment I knew of his death. Why? because at that very moment Peter Cartwright showed up. ❤

Characters: The characters is what I most liked about the book. Dora, the young girl whose deductive skills are worth of a daughter of Mr. Holmes, is a very strong and smart character. She can easily see through the surface. Her intuitive and deductive skills are certainly what I most like about her. I think that Scheier did a wonderful job showing-off Dora's detective potential. Then, there's Peter! Oh Peter! Here is the male character of the story, the hero, the kick-butt guy and the potential love interest. Peter is a young detective in London who meets Dora at the very beginning of the story. He offers Dora the services of his Mentor to help them solve the mystery that brought Dora and her cousin to London. Peter is just so charming and intelligent! Plus the dialogues between him and Dora are very interesting. Cleverness and chemistry at its best! Besides Dora and Peter there are many side characters but somehow I did not get too attached to them. For me, Dora and Peter are the stars of this novel.

Setting: As I previously mentioned, the setting is Victorian London, yet I did not feel myself transported to this particular time period. This is the one thing that didn't satisfy my reading experience which is a pitty, since the Victorian setting was one of the main reason I was dying to read this novel. I think that maybe more detailed description would have helped me. I love descriptions by the way, specially when it comes to historical settings. Unfortunately, I didn't get this from Secret Letter and I really missed the Victorian atmosphere that I am so in love with.

So, when it comes to the Victorian atmosphere I wish I could have had more. But regardless this, I enjoyed this novel and I'd like to know what happen next with Dora in another mysterious adventure. Overall, Secret Letters is a good mystery novel with charming main characters that I'd love to see again. (less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Arabella Adrienne rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars.

(The only reason I took off a half-star is because I'm not a huge fan of illicit love affairs. But as long as that's all there is, I can overlook that - and I have to LOVE everything else in the book, which indeed I did.)

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

This is the only book that has ever made me laugh out loud while reading. It wasn't classified as a comedy, but a certain PETER CARTWRIGHT was hilarious at times. I definitely wasn't expecting that - an added bonus.

AND, I cried at the end. Not nece...more 4.5 stars.

(The only reason I took off a half-star is because I'm not a huge fan of illicit love affairs. But as long as that's all there is, I can overlook that - and I have to LOVE everything else in the book, which indeed I did.)

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

This is the only book that has ever made me laugh out loud while reading. It wasn't classified as a comedy, but a certain PETER CARTWRIGHT was hilarious at times. I definitely wasn't expecting that - an added bonus.

AND, I cried at the end. Not necessarily because of the sadness scale (even though some things did happen . . . ) but because I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END. I wanted to stay in that book and relive it, at least for a little while more. This was the first book that I had ever read that made me feel like that. I've cried at books before, but because they're heart-wrenchingly sad, not because I really, really don't want them to end. And then I found out Ms. Scheier is making a sequel . . . SQUEAL.

Sigh.

I loved the characters, I loved the mystery. Dora was a strong, respectable heroine, very relatable, who was controlled by circumstances she didn't want. Peter Cartwright. (I'm sorry, his mere name deserved a sentence all to it's self.) Peter Cartright was one of the most amazing heroes. I laughed out loud more than once while reading this because of him, and to know that all that time he was really hiding those terrible secrets, guilt-ridden?? I feel like I would like to know him better (wow. I'm talking about the book character. That is SAD.) Not because Ms. Scheier didn't do an excellent job expending his character, I just feel that there's still enough mystery shrouding him that a sequel wouldn't drag. I think this generation needs some mystery stories. I know, paranormal has it's time, but to be honest, I miss the mystery genre, with no ghost hunters or vampires showing up midway through. And this served the purpose very well. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the love affairs . . . It might be old-fashioned of me, but I do think marriage is important and the vows need to be kept . . . but as I said before, as long as it's not graphic and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE everything else about it, I can overlook it.

Most likely the best debut (and overall) novel I've read in a long, long while.

KUDOS, MS. LEAH SCHEIER.(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes retellings.
If they are done right.
Enola Holmes is a wonderful series. The Baker Street Irregulars amused me as a kid. The Sherlockians was full of entertaining short stories.
But Sherlcok Holmes as a Father? Really??
I just can't see it. I refuse to believe one of the greatest detectives in history was made into a melodramatic bachelor because the girl he loved married another man. No. It is to cliche.
Secret Letters really wasn't a bad book. In fact, as...more I love Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes retellings.
If they are done right.
Enola Holmes is a wonderful series. The Baker Street Irregulars amused me as a kid. The Sherlockians was full of entertaining short stories.
But Sherlcok Holmes as a Father? Really??
I just can't see it. I refuse to believe one of the greatest detectives in history was made into a melodramatic bachelor because the girl he loved married another man. No. It is to cliche.
Secret Letters really wasn't a bad book. In fact, as a mystery it was pretty good. I enjoyed it. As a Victorian mystery it was good - almsot always spot on historically correct.
The romance really wasn't that bad either. Peter and Dora's relationship is really snappy.
Buttttttttttt, even if I'm ignoring the whole Sherlock-Holmes-As-Absent-Dad-Of-The-Year, stuff about this book irritated me.
Like, mainly, Dora, our intrepid heroine. First off, she is way to modern. Why do people writing Victorian novels always seem to think their heroine must rebel against the norms of society? Why do they always dream of being equal and free from corsets? Every single one of them? Always? Its a pet peeve of mine, which might have been why I found it so irritating in Dora. If she had been properly brought up, I don't care if her genes run with genius, would she really have been so...modern?
The second thing that bugged me about this book was all the romances. Is there a single married female in the book who didn't love someone else before they got married? Oh, and how about this, is there a single female who was able to keep her legs crossed long enough to get married besides, like, Dora who I seriously doubt would have put up much of a protest? They're all carrying other men's kids! Gah!
And what point was there to refer to the maid planning to have an abortion? To be politically correct? To point out how modern Dora is, because she doesn't cling to the beliefs of her time?

This book was fairly blah for me. I mean, there was some good stuff in it. I'm not writing it off completely, but it wasn't fabulous. The whole book is an episode of Who Is Your Daddy? and after a while, the same plot line over and over is irritating.
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Aug 17, 2012 Adrienne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four years ago, as her mother was dying, Dora Joyce found out that the man she thought was her father wasn't; her true father is none other than Sherlock Holmes. With this new knowledge, Dora read as much as she could about Sherlock Holmes and started acquiring some sleuthing skills of her own. Now, at age 16, Dora has the chance to go to London and seek out her father, since her cousin is being blackmailed over some love letters she wrote before she was married. However, when Dora goes to meet...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Chelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love this author! Leah is probably one of the kindest that I have run across since I have been blogging! Her writing is just as sweet as her nature. She took a storyline with a Sherlock twist and made it a masterpiece. When an author takes an already well known piece of literature like Sherlock Holmes or any fairy tale, they are taking a chance in retelling it. All of the classics are already great so to rewrite one with a modern day twist or even a spin off in any context or genre...more I absolutely love this author! Leah is probably one of the kindest that I have run across since I have been blogging! Her writing is just as sweet as her nature. She took a storyline with a Sherlock twist and made it a masterpiece. When an author takes an already well known piece of literature like Sherlock Holmes or any fairy tale, they are taking a chance in retelling it. All of the classics are already great so to rewrite one with a modern day twist or even a spin off in any context or genre is taking a huge risk. Leah, you did not disappoint, at least not in my opinion!

I have always wondered how authors go about writing mystery novels because they, of course, have to know the ending before they write it or at least have a good idea of where the story line is going to take them. Often times readers can pick up early what is going to take place in novels such as this. I was completely enthralled the entire time that I was reading this book. Even though I could guess which characters were involved I still was shocked and thrown off track by the end of the book. Leah added tiny little surprises that were waiting for readers within each chapter.

Dora is not your typical main female character. She is confident in herself but has a subtle way of showing it. This, again, is a time period when women were not meant to share the same professions or maybe even hobbies as men. Dora was a skilled investigator and she knew that, but she had to be careful as to how she let others on to her little secret. She is very inquisitive and like Sherlock, she does not give up when she knows there may just be a clue in her midst. Dora comes off as a mild mannered female lead and that is a nice change opposed to the attitude and sassy heroine that we are so used to reading about. Dora is a delicate character; however, she is also extremely clever but is not one to brag about any of her exquisite qualities. She allows her detective to do all the talking!

Peter Cartwright was the male opposite to Dora, as he was a young investigator as well. Peter was, at first, a quiet and cunning character. Later on readers learn that Peter’s past had a lot to do with shaping him into possessing a more harsh exterior than most young men his age. I loved the way that treated and valued Dora’s investigative skills. Even though she was a woman and most would have frowned upon him doing so, he allowed her to help him and trusted her judgment throughout the story. Sometimes the best characters have more depth to them than meets the eye. Writing characters like these two deserves an award or a freshly baked cake or something commendable!!
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Jun 26, 2012 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

For fans of historical mysteries, Secret Letters is an entertaining entry to the genre.

As Dora's mother was dying, Dora finds a letter written by her mother that says the great Sherlock Holmes is Dora's real father. Now Dora lives with her cousin who is being blackmailed about some old love letters. Dora decides to accompany her cousin to London to consult Sherlock Holmes. Dora also has plans to reveal herself to the legendary detective. Dora has always been interested in sleuthing, and she is s...more For fans of historical mysteries, Secret Letters is an entertaining entry to the genre.

As Dora's mother was dying, Dora finds a letter written by her mother that says the great Sherlock Holmes is Dora's real father. Now Dora lives with her cousin who is being blackmailed about some old love letters. Dora decides to accompany her cousin to London to consult Sherlock Holmes. Dora also has plans to reveal herself to the legendary detective. Dora has always been interested in sleuthing, and she is sure that she can work with and learn from Holmes.

However, when she arrives in London, she finds out that Sherlock Holmes has been killed. As she is recovering from the news, she is assisted by Peter Cartwright, who used to apprentice for Holmes, but now works for another detective in London. Dora decides to take her cousin to see Cartwright and his boss. They accept the case, but Dora isn't at all pleased. She thinks they have given up before they've even started, so Dora decides to help with the case on her own. Peter discovers her activities, and they end up working together on another case of a missing young woman which may be linked to Dora's cousin's letters.

Dora runs into the expected difficulties being a woman in a man's world, and although she's brave and daring, she does get rescued by men quite a bit.

The mystery is really interesting in Secret Letters. Things twist and turn, and I really didn't figure it out until it was revealed. However, even though Dora ends up in some danger, I didn't really get the heart-pounding suspense that I enjoy in my mysteries. I never really felt the danger was serious, and I'm not sure why. I think I always felt like someone was close by to save Dora (and, of course, they were.)

I enjoyed the story. Secret Letters is easy and quick, and I would enjoy reading more of Dora's and Peter's adventures. I'm sure there's going to be a much more prevalent romance in the episodes to come. I hope there's more to the Sherlock Holmes' daughter aspect too, since that was kind of dropped after the beginning of this book. Secret Letters reminded me a lot of The Agency Series, by Y. S. Lee.
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Jun 11, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an exciting and entertaining historical mystery. Dora Joyce is sixteen and being raised in the house of an aunt. Her parents died of cholera but, before she passed away, her mother confessed that her father was the famous Sherlock Holmes. Dora became fascinated by the stories about him in the newspaper and became interested in meeting him and becoming a detective herself. Unfortunately, well-bred Victorian girls didn't have that as a career option. Her interest in detection just made he...more This was an exciting and entertaining historical mystery. Dora Joyce is sixteen and being raised in the house of an aunt. Her parents died of cholera but, before she passed away, her mother confessed that her father was the famous Sherlock Holmes. Dora became fascinated by the stories about him in the newspaper and became interested in meeting him and becoming a detective herself. Unfortunately, well-bred Victorian girls didn't have that as a career option. Her interest in detection just made her odd. But, when an older cousin confesses that she is being blackmailed because of some indiscreet letters she wrote before her marriage, Dora seizes the opportunity to meet Sherlock Holmes and investigate.

Cousin Adelaide and Dora travel to London but Dora meets a severe setback. As soon as she arrives she learns that Sherlock Holmes has perished in an accident in Switzerland. She almost faints and is rescued by seventeen-year-old Peter Cartwright who knew Holmes and who now works for another detective. Cousin Adelaide consults with the new detective and Dora is determined to be part of the investigation. When she "accidentally" leaves her purse behind she has an excuse to visit again. During that visit she overhears Lord Hartfield consult with the detectives about his missing daughter.

Things happen and Dora finds herself at Hartfield's home posing as a scullery maid to try to find out who is blackmailing her cousin and what happened to Hartfield's daughter. There are lots of exciting happenings and lots of banter between Peter Cartwright and Dora. Peter and Dora work together and manage to solve both cases.

I think what I liked most about this mystery was to whole setting. I was really immersed in the Victorian mindset. Watching Dora try to work within the system made me immensely glad that I live in the 21st Century. Watching women hide their real selves from men and watching men treat women as rather helpless children was realistic to the time period but annoying to this modern woman.

I recommend this story to both mystery readers and readers who enjoy historical fiction. I don't know if a sequel is planned but, if not, I will still be thinking about a possible future for both Peter and Dora.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Chelsea rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: unfinished-previewed-arcs

As a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel. I want to be honest in saying that I did not finish it. Of what I did read, I found the writing to be very heavy-handed (lots of telling rather than showing). The first chapter, in particular, felt very rushed - with little introduction to the protagonist as a character, readers are swept up to Baker St., awkwardly dumped with all sorts of background information that would have been more interesting if it had bee...more

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May 02, 2012 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to review. Second...I absolutely loved this book!

The story is basically a Sherlock Holmes tale for a younger demographic and aimed more at the girl side of things. While told in a classic mystery style, the main character, Dora, is a young woman. Though it takes place in Victorian London, Dora defies society's norms to help a fellow detective catch murderer. The style of the Holmes novels is kept throughout the story. Secret Letter...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Cristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love a good who done it! Add in the fact that this book takes place in the victorian era, and you have a total recipe for success! I absolutely adored this book. It is as cute as it is cunning. It was such a cute and fun read, and I adored every minute of it! If your a fan of Nancy Drew books, you will love this one!

Dora has some crazy detective skills and an eye for detail. She is plucky, full of life, adventure, and just a tad bit nosey! She is also a bit midguided at times, and totally acci...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, arc-books, around-the-world-arc-tours, may-2012

I would like to Thank Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to read Secret Letters. I am a huge fan of SHerlock Holms and growing up I would sneak copies of his stories from my cousin. I told my uncle when I was ten I was going to be a Detective just like SHerlock Holms and he laughed.

This story is set in The Victorian London Era and I just love that time period. Dora is on a mission to help her cousin out and along the way she wants to meet Sherlock Holms. She is so anxious about meeting h...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-borrowed

I picked this one up while I was putting away some library books at work because the premise sounded promising: A young girl wants to be like Sherlock Holmes, who is a real life person in the story, and solve mysteries in old-time London. This wasn't a bad read, it just fell a bit flat. In my opinion, if you're going to involve Sherlock Holmes in the story as a character (or his "children") it better be very well done to be believable. For me there was just something lacking and I can't quite pu...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 12+

Shelves: young-adult, mystery, historical-fic

I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the premise that Dora, the protagonist, is traveling to London to look up her possible biological father, Sherlock Holmes. I love Sherlock Holmes and a good Victorian mystery, but unfortunately, several pages into the book Dora learns that Sherlock Holmes has died (drowned by a waterfall, no less), and then the reader never hears mention of him again throughout the rest of the book. That was disappointing.

This novel started out strong, but lost st...more I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the premise that Dora, the protagonist, is traveling to London to look up her possible biological father, Sherlock Holmes. I love Sherlock Holmes and a good Victorian mystery, but unfortunately, several pages into the book Dora learns that Sherlock Holmes has died (drowned by a waterfall, no less), and then the reader never hears mention of him again throughout the rest of the book. That was disappointing.

This novel started out strong, but lost steam by the end. I liked the character of Dora, who admits that she has always been seen by her family as a little bit quirky because of her observational nature (which she no doubt inherited from Detective Holmes). She was confident while simultaneously insecure, and at times brazen--all of these traits being an obvious challenge to the time period and the notion that girls should be seen and not heard. I enjoyed her Holmes-esque observations and descriptions, even if they were totally derived from a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel.

What I did not enjoy about this book was the totally disjointed plot. Dora and her cousin originally go to London hoping that Sherlock Holmes will be able to locate a man who is blackmailing her cousin. Because Holmes is now dead, the girls hire a second-rate detective, Mr. Porter, who works with an assistant named Peter Cartwright. To cut to the chase, Peter enlists Dora to help him solve a different mystery that might also involve her cousin's blackmailer. This is when the whole story goes off onto a completely different tangent with a new set of characters and the initial problems (Sherlock Holmes's death and the blackmailing) are totally shoved aside. The author is barely able to wrap things up by the end.

This book wasn't bad, and some of the writing was very beautiful, but an advanced reader would be able to pick apart its flaws. I would, however, recommend this book to anyone looking for a Victorian mystery or a strong female lead. There was very little romance and no cursing, so this novel is appropriate for young YA readers.(less)

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Apr 23, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction

Overall, I really enjoyed this historical mystery, and if the author's intention was to interest readers in reading some classic Sherlock Holmes, it worked on me, because now I want to read some Sherlock Holmes stories. For those readers who prefer their books to have some romance in them, there's plenty of flirting to keep them satisfied as well.

I did have a few issues with the book, the main one being that it felt like Dora forgot about her cousin's blackmail problem for the bulk of the book a...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2012

Wow. I really enjoyed this book! Not only do I love Sherlock Holmes, but I especially enjoyed this new take on it. Dora, a girl from a well off English family, learns that she is actually the illegitimate daughter of the Sherlock Holmes. When Dora finds out, she begins to notice all the minuscule details that she was looking past before. She gains an interest in solving crimes to the dismay of her family. Dora and her cousin then travel to Baker Street to ask Sherlock for help because her cousin...more Wow. I really enjoyed this book! Not only do I love Sherlock Holmes, but I especially enjoyed this new take on it. Dora, a girl from a well off English family, learns that she is actually the illegitimate daughter of the Sherlock Holmes. When Dora finds out, she begins to notice all the minuscule details that she was looking past before. She gains an interest in solving crimes to the dismay of her family. Dora and her cousin then travel to Baker Street to ask Sherlock for help because her cousin is being blackmailed and Dora secretly wants to meet the man that is her father; however, when Dora arrives she finds Sherlock dead and meets Peter Cartwright another private investigator. Soon Dora is caught up in Peter's case, as well as her cousin's and she must decide how far she is willing to go to uncover truths and solve mysteries, while also exploring the pull that she feels for this new and dangerous world that seems destined for her through blood.

I was caught up almost immediately. I love mystery and intrigue, and Secret Letters was not lacking. I found myself trying to solve to crime with Dora, which I think I did for the most part. I really enjoyed her flirtation with the hot and cold Peter Cartwright. I loved that he actually gave her the opportunity to explore her Holmes' like traits, but challenged her also. I also really liked that Scheier didn't super slutty Dora up. It was clear that Dora and Peter had feelings for each other, but I thought it was very fitting of the times that they didn't even kiss. I think that most period pieces like to forget or gloss over the strictness between genders when writing. Just having Dora around Peter without a chaperone would have gotten her into a lot of trouble, so I really like that nothing that they did ever crossed another line. While saying that, I do like that the story showed that some people of the novel broke the rules of celibacy. I think that without showing both sides it would not have been as believable. I would definitely read this again!(less)

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May 09, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It was a great first book by the author Leah Scheier. I look forward to the next one. This book is an intriguing and interesting mystery about a girl name Dora who goes off to London with her cousin. She and her cousin are off to see Sherlock Holmes to have him help solve a mystery for each of them. Dora has been reading and following Sherlock Holmes mysteries and has become a little bit of a detective herself. She is interested in learning from Sherlock Holmes tips and furthe...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Colleen Fauchelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a lovely Y.A book. It has no zombies, no vampires no witches.
Set in the time of Sherlock Holmes. Dora (Which by the way was the name of my Godmother) wants to escape her aristocratic life to solve mysteries. When she find out her cousins love letters are held for ransom. It becomes the perfect chance to go to London to met Sherlock Holmes, who could be her real father. She discovers on the Doorstep of Sherlock's home that he is dead. That is when she meets the Young detective Peter Cart...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let's be honest: if you picked up this book, it's because of the awesome cover. That being said, I'm glad I picked it up. It's not my new favorite SH spin-off, but I very much enjoyed it. Now, for some pros and cons. Pros!
- clever protagonist
- personal mysteries (such as peoples histories) are hidden and then revealed (in a good way!)
- use of SH stories (a.k.a. incorporation of Recienbach (sorry if I butchered that spelling))
- great male involved - I'd date him!
- hints of romance, but no actual...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, historical-fiction, mystery, ya

Thank you to NetGalley for making this book available.

Anyone who loves mysteries and Victorian England will love this book.(You know who you are.)

Dora believes that her biological father is Sherlock Holmes. She finally travels to meet him at the exact time that his death is announced. She has always loved the art of observation and detecting. She begins working with a young man that she meets in front of Sherlock Holmes' home to find the person who stole love letters from her cousin and is now...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review:

This debut novel shows so much potential through its gorgeous and expert diction, animated characters, and overall great sense of pacing. Dora is seemingly so plain, but holds a fiery personality in side her that will make you smile in adoring amusement. Dora's surroundings hold only a couple more characters who present themselves convincingly, but it feels enough.

One major strong point for this debut work is definitely Ms. Scheier's elegant and vivid prose, executed like a pro, I must s...more Review:

This debut novel shows so much potential through its gorgeous and expert diction, animated characters, and overall great sense of pacing. Dora is seemingly so plain, but holds a fiery personality in side her that will make you smile in adoring amusement. Dora's surroundings hold only a couple more characters who present themselves convincingly, but it feels enough.

One major strong point for this debut work is definitely Ms. Scheier's elegant and vivid prose, executed like a pro, I must say! The writing itself served as a wonderful foundation and medium for the creation of Dora and the storyline, however in all its fluidity and grace, it missed out on presenting a couple of very important factors of a 4-star novel, and this was what I thought to have weighed this book down.

Firstly, main characters were memorable and agile but the entrance of Peter Cartwright was stiff and confusing. To bring a new character to light takes a smooth but definite transition in the writing (well, depending on the premise), and Peter's entrance was the opposite of that. He appeared too suddenly, with little explanation that made for a rocky entrance.

Secondly, although the plot and pacing were steady and propelling for the most part, there were certain sections where the feeling of time and detailed, inner pacing was very uneven, resulting in the occasional back track read of that section for me as a reader.

Thirdly, and very importantly, there lacked a bolstered feeling of connection throughout the entire novel. Vital scenes and smaller parts as well have a bit of a disconnected feel to it overall. Being majorly based on a mystery, the uncovering of evidence and the linking was done well technically, but beneath the thin surface, it did not feel supported and therefore did not, unfortunately, give a "punch". This resulted in a slow leak of momentum that finally proved to make a mediocre sense of unity by the end of the novel.

Nevertheless, this was not a disappointing read in the least. I really did like Dora and she grew on me, as did Peter, though not as much. Even though the romance was only very (veeeeery) slightly developed for a YA novel, the relationships between the two main characters were strong and the plot itself, all smaller holes and confusions aside, was enjoyable as well. If you like a Victorian historical, I think you'll find this to be a satisfying read. However, major mystery fans looking for a strong mystery as the major backdrop may not have it live up to expectations.

Ratings: ✰✰✰ 3.5 Sleuthing Hoots

Final Notes: Ack, this came out rather harsh, didn't it? >_< I really did like this book. It wasn't amazing for me in terms of the mystery itself, but it definitely was a strong debut work, and the writing was absolutely lovely! I hope you guys might decide to give it a chance because it really is a pretty good read with all stronger aspects in consideration!

Thanks for reading!
♡ Vivian (less)

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Jul 06, 2012 Suz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012

Secret Letters is a beautifully written Victorian historical novel, filled with mystery, intrigue, and the right amount of suspense. It's beautiful atmospheric imagery brings this wonderful tale of mystery and delight to life on the old cobblestone streets of London and spins an extraordinary take on Sherlock Holmes. Readers will find themselves amazed by the gorgeous imagery Leah Scheier has brought to life vividly and will be swept up inside the adventures of love, heartache, and daring intrig...more

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May 15, 2013 Ardemment_Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dora has a secret, Sherlock Holmes is her father. After finding the right moment to introduce herself to the infamous detective, Dora finds out a horrible event had occurred, Holmes died in Switzerland. After the hearing the bad news, Dora goes off to find her own adventure and comes across a detective Peter Cartwright who leads her in on a mysterious crime that had occurred. Dora now has to go and experience the real world and all the dark secrets that lie below the surface.

I really liked the t...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Valia Lind rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was so adorable! I loved all the "sherlock holmes" aspects!!! Full review to come!

Review at http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com

I was very interested in reading this book because I love mysteries and Sherlock Holmes. Recently, I haven't read a lot of historical fiction so this was a bit new for me. Secret Letters follow the story of Dora, a girl living in the country, dreaming of becoming a detective. When she learns that Sherlock Holmes is her biological father, she can't wait to g...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, adventure-ya, adventure, ya, victorian-england

Dora Joyce, who loves to observe and deduce, manages to get herself and her older married cousin to London to consult with the great Sherlock Holmes. Cousin Adelaide is being blackmailed, but Dora has an ulterior motive: she has learned that her real father is none other than Holmes himself, and she longs to meet him, even work with him. Arriving at Baker Street, Dora is shattered by the news that Holmes has fallen to his death at Reichenbach Falls. Who will take her cousin's case? Romance, dang...more

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May 12, 2012 Kim McGee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received an advance of Secret Letters. Imagine you are in Victorian England and as a female you are hemmed by society at every turn. There are more things you cannot do than can and all things violent, adventurous or intelligent are off limits - for everyone other than Dora. Dora has discovered at her mother's death that her real father is not who has raised her and goes off to confront the great Sherlock Holmes only to discover that he has passed away before she can announce that she is his d...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kelli Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

i just finished this book and was completely blown away. To be honest I wasn't expecting much, I've read more than one take on desendents of Sherlock Holmes before and none of them have been even close to this intelligent. Though Dora is not my favorite name as it makes me picture a small Spanish-speaking cartoon, this character truly lives up to the role of Holmes daughter. I especially enjoyed the honesty of the book, meaning you could feel what Dora did and didn't at any point want to scream...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a major Sherlock Holmes fan, I was so pleased to start this book and find out it was about Holmes' illigetimate child. What an incredible idea, but how do you pull it off? Well Scheier succeeded in spades! Another problem was how do you work with a heroine as an adventurer in the proper world of Victorian England? Again Scheier solved the problem with aplomb! The mystery is compelling and reminded me of Doyle's stories, but was not a rip off. Dora Joyce is a sixteen year old character you can...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Karen Arendt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, mystery, historical-fiction

This was an interesting story. Dora is spirited and ahead of her time, eager to solve mysteries after she learns that her real father could be Sherlock Holmes. In her effort to meet Holmes, she meets Peter Cartright, a mysterious detective, who enlists her aid to solve a mystery. Dora poses as a maid to uncover the secrets and help Peter solve a crime that appears to be connected to her cousin's plight of being blackmailed. While there is some romantic tension between Dora and Cartright, it does...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Maria Haile rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this Victorian mystery! A YA book that I would recommend to all lovers of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlocke Holmes. A tale of a young aristocratic girl who just might be the natural daughter of Sherlock Holmes seeks to expand her life by meeting her father only to find that he has died on a case in Switzerland! In London, with her cousin on a mission to find some missing love letters, she is shocked at the news. She then meets a young handsome detective who had actually worked for Holmes an...more

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About Leah Scheier

Leah Scheier was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. As a child, she was inspired by her favorite authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lloyd Alexander, and C.S. Lewis to dream up tales of adventure and romance. Now grown up with daughters of her own, Leah works as a pediatrician and continues to create new stories. Leah and her family divide their time between Atlanta, Georgia and Modiin, Israel.
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