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A Conspiracy in Belgravia

(Lady Sherlock #2)

Sherry Thomas (Goodreads Author)

4.10 · Rating details · 17,067 ratings · 1,933 reviews

The game is afoot as Charlotte Holmes returns in the atmospheric second novel in New York Times bestseller Sherry Thomas's Victorian-set Lady Sherlock series.

Being shunned by Society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. As “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, she’s had gr ...more

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Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published September 5th 2017 by Penguin Group (USA) LLC

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Dec 29, 2020 MarilynW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hoopla-overdrive, audio

A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) by Sherry Thomas, narrated by Kate Reading

In book one of this series, I had mentioned that I hoped that the next book would focus on Charlotte more and I got my wish. Inspector Treadles played a big part in the first book, since he did a great deal of footwork for Charlotte. This second book starts just a few days after the last book ended and Inspector Treadles is in a snit towards both Charlotte and his wife, so he was off pouting about as he does A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) by Sherry Thomas, narrated by Kate Reading

In book one of this series, I had mentioned that I hoped that the next book would focus on Charlotte more and I got my wish. Inspector Treadles played a big part in the first book, since he did a great deal of footwork for Charlotte. This second book starts just a few days after the last book ended and Inspector Treadles is in a snit towards both Charlotte and his wife, so he was off pouting about as he does his job as Inspector, giving both women the cold shoulder. Instead, Charlotte, Mrs. Watson, and Mrs. Watson's niece do their own footwork. This made the story more fun and easier for me to understand, since there seemed to be fewer moving parts to be related by one character to another.

I won't get into the major mystery much except to say that it involves Lord Ingram's wife and the mention of the name Moriarty. I enjoy so many little things about these books, such as how names, places, items, cases, and more, from the original Sherlock Holmes stories, are used in this alternate tale of Sherlock (Charlotte) Holmes. Charlotte's sister, Livia, has decided to write stories very loosely based on Charlotte's cases, and in doing so, she is creating the Sherlock Holmes and male Dr. Watson of the classic novels. Not only that, she is funneling her own personality and thoughts into this fictional Sherlock Holmes, allowing him to be the person she would like to be if she wasn't totally shackled by society's expectations of her.

Because Mrs. Watson is worried that the work of Charlotte is leading them into danger, she has made one of her rooms into a "gymnasium" where she is training Charlotte in the art of fighting off attackers with a walking cane. Sometimes Mrs. Watson has a strong urge to just stick out her leg and trip Charlotte but so far she's held back on that kind of warfare. There are a lot of madeleines (French butter cakes) being scarfed in this book and Lord Ingram is very much present. Not only that, Lord Ingram's brother is making it hard for Charlotte to turn down his marriage proposal, not because she has any romantic feelings for him at all, but because he is willing to provide support for Charlotte's sisters. And then there is the chance that Charlotte's half brother is involved in very dangerous deeds or could even have been murdered recently. I have so much fun with these stories and I loved the very last line of this one. Once again, Kate Reading does a fantastic job of narrating the books and I was able to keep up with the complicated case better this time.

Published September 5th 2017 ...more

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Oct 06, 2021 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery, e-book, berkley, 2021

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas is a 2017 Berkley publication.

In this second installment in the Lady Sherlock series, Charlotte is approached by Lady Ingram, (awkward!), wishing Sherlock Holmes would help her discover the fate of her first love after he missed their annual meeting.

The assignment turns personal when Charlotte realizes the missing person is none other than her illegitimate half-brother. If that weren’t enough to challenge Holmes & Watson, Charlotte seriously mulls ove ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 Navessa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, favorites, all-time-favorite, romance, retelling, historical-fiction, mystery-thriller

With this second installment, the Lady Sherlock series officially becomes my favorite historical fiction series of all time.

Nothing else even comes close. Five stars are NOT ENOUGH. <— I have literally never said that in a review before.

*deep breath*

Sherry Thomas is a goddess. She has literally given me everything I have ever wanted from this genre.

Interesting take on a retelling: ✔
Compelling romantic sub-plot: ✔
Accurate depiction of a time period: ✔
Whip-smart female lead: ✔
Plots within plots: ✔ ...more

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Oct 08, 2017 Christina ~ Brunette Reader rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, historical-romance-victorian, historical-fiction-1800, mystery-historical, romantic-historical-fiction, victorian-late-1871-1901

Clever, devious and highly engaging sequel to A Study in Scarlet Women and picking the story up right after that one ended.
It would be impossible to discuss the plot without giving away too much of both book 1 and book 2, so I will only say that things get ever more tangled, layered and interesting and the unique female Sherlock spin Ms. Thomas offers on the original version staples is ever more convincing. And it is “technically” possible to read A Conspiracy in Belgravia without having read th ...more

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Dec 18, 2021 J.L. Sutton rated it really liked it

"A woman who has nothing left to lose can prove dangerous."

Sherry Thomas Is Our Lady of Crime Solving: The game's afoot in a very different way in this Austin author's spin on Sherlock Holmes - Arts - The Austin Chronicle

Sherry Thomas Is Our Lady of Crime Solving: The game's afoot in a very different way in this Austin author's spin on Sherlock Holmes - Arts - The Austin Chronicle

The second installment in the Lady Sherlock Series, Sherry Thomas's A Conspiracy in Belgravia continues to deliver on the atmospherics and intrigue of Holmes' Victorian London. Charlotte Holmes, taking on the role our iconic detective, is drawn in to what seems a fairly mundane case; however, it quickly takes an interesting turn or two and becomes an interesting challenge. Another enjoyable read. ...more

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Jan 21, 2017 Caz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, mystery-thriller, aar

I've given this an A at AAR

Reviewing mysteries is always a challenge as anyone who’s tried it will know. And with one of this calibre, it’s even more difficult, because I want to tell you just how GOOD this book is, but I can’t tell you too much for fear of giving too much away and spoiling your enjoyment. I could just say a) “Sherry Thomas is a genius – go buy this book!”, or b) “Don’t waste time here - go buy this book!”, but that isn’t much of a review, so I will attempt – somehow – to do ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Alyssa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas
Book Two of the Lady Sherlock series
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

The game is afoot as Charlotte Holmes returns in the atmospheric second novel in New York Times bestseller Sherry Thomas's Victorian-set Lady Sherlock series.

Being shunned by Society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordina ...more

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Sep 25, 2017 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2017

I totally love this book. Charlotte Holmes is such a fabulous character and I enjoyed the book so much that not even half-way through did I order the first book in the series. I had no problem whatsoever getting into this book. However, I'm deeply curious to learn more about Charlotte's past transgressions that made her being shunned by her family and society. And, most of all I want to know more about her "creating" Sherlock Holmes. And, the case she was involved in the first book.

The story sta ...more

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Oct 17, 2018 K.J. Charles added it

Shelves: feminist, victorian, murder-mystery, detective, 1890s

Another brilliant installment in this intensely enjoyable series. This is extremely character-led murder mystery, where a huge part of the pleasure and indeed plot hangs on the interactions of Charlotte Holmes and her close family and companions in detection.

It starts the day after book 1 ends and I'm glad I read them back to back as I suspect it might have been a tad hard to follow otherwise. These definitely need to be read in order to grasp the interwoven threads, which are done magnificently ...more

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Feb 14, 2017 Lady Wesley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fave-reviews, playing-chess-not-checkers, 2017-faves

I am breathless. Not to mention sleepless, as I had to stay up late to finish this amazing book. Sherry Thomas is simply a genius – twisting classic Sherlockian memes into complicated knots and then gradually untying them so that we’re left with a beautiful seamless ribbon of an adventure tinged with romance. A Conspiracy in Belgravia is most definitely going on my “playing chess not checkers” shelf.

This is the second Lady Sherlock book, and as we learned in the first, Miss Charlotte Holmes has I am breathless. Not to mention sleepless, as I had to stay up late to finish this amazing book. Sherry Thomas is simply a genius – twisting classic Sherlockian memes into complicated knots and then gradually untying them so that we’re left with a beautiful seamless ribbon of an adventure tinged with romance. A Conspiracy in Belgravia is most definitely going on my “playing chess not checkers” shelf.

This is the second Lady Sherlock book, and as we learned in the first, Miss Charlotte Holmes has set herself up as the supposed sister of an invalid brother, Sherlock, who is brilliant at solving baffling mysteries and who occasionally assists Inspector Treadles of Scotland Yard. Charlotte is estranged from her aristocratic parents and lives with Mrs. John Watson, the colorful widow of an Army officer. Together, they maintain the facade of an ailing Sherlock living at 221B Baker Street. Charlotte interviews the clients while ‘Sherlock’ listens from his bedchamber. Only a few people know that Sherlock does not exist, including Charlotte’s sister Livia, Inspector Treadles, and Lord Ingram Ashburton – Ash – Charlotte’s closest friend since childhood.

Shortly before our story begins, Charlotte had helped expose a triple murderer, and here I must offer a suggestion: read A Study In Scarlet Women first. While this book could be read as a standalone, I think that a reader’s understanding and enjoyment would be enhanced by reading them in order.

Charlotte receives a note requesting an appointment from a Mrs. Finch, but Charlotte immediately recognizes the notepaper and realizes that the letter comes from Lady Ingram Ashburton. The situation is rather tricky, as Ash and his wife are not a happy couple, living virtually separate lives under the same roof for the sake of propriety and their two young children. Moreover, Ash and Charlotte are secretly in love with one another, although they would never admit it or act upon it. Ash is too honorable, and Charlotte is too unromantic to think of love. There is a palpable undercurrent of attraction though.

Charlotte accepts Lady Ingram’s request, but to avoid being recognized by her, Mrs. Watson’s niece Penelope poses as Sherlock’s sister. It turns out that Lady Ingram is looking for help in locating a young man, Myron Finch, with whom she fell in love before marrying Ash. For financial and social reasons, they could not marry but they agreed to meet once a year at the Albert Memorial, not speaking or acknowledging one another but merely passing to see that each was still alive and well. This year, however, Mr. Finch did not appear, and Lady Ingram wants Holmes to locate him and discover the reason. Imagine Charlotte’s surprise when Penelope repeats this story to her, for Myron Finch is Charlotte’s illegitimate half-brother, a son her father had supported but kept a secret from his wife and daughters. (Charlotte knows about him because she and Livia routinely snooped in their father’s office when he was out of town.)

Charlotte is in for another surprise that day, when Ash’s older brother, Lord Bancroft Ashburton, pays her a call and proposes marriage. (For you Sherlockians, Bancroft is a Mycroft Holmes sort of character who holds a position in the government and can pull strings when needed.) Bancroft is the opposite of his brother Ash – cerebral, decidedly uncharismatic, and obsessively curious about everything and everyone. Charlotte agrees to consider his proposal, as it does present some advantages for her. Marriage to Bancroft would redeem her reputation in society, which was ruined when she ran away from home after being deliberately caught in flagrante with a married man. It would enable a reconciliation with her family and enable her to offer care for her mentally disabled sister Bernadette and to visit openly with Livia. However, she would be required to give up her Sherlock Holmes persona and distance herself from the socially unsuitable Mrs. Holmes. Bancroft offers her a consolation, though: “given that mental exertion gives you pleasure, I shall be happy to supply the necessary exercises. After all, I come across them on a regular basis.” With that, he gives her a dossier of six envelopes containing the details of unsolved mysteries. One of them involves breaking a virtually impossible cipher, but Charlotte is up to the job, which leads her and Ash to a London house where Inspector Treadles is investigating a murder.

Of course, I cannot resist saying that from there, the game is afoot. It is far too complicated to even begin to describe how this murder ties into the search for Myron Finch, but it does. In the incredibly skillful hands of Sherry Thomas though, the intricate plot works and everything falls into place at the end. Not only is the adventure marvelously structured, the characters are fascinating. Charlotte is logical and unromantic, and yet she hesitates to marry Bancroft given that she finds his brother more attractive. We feel great sympathy for Ash, trapped as he is in a miserable marriage to a deceitful woman who only married him for his money. Little sister Livia meets a mysterious young man who seems to like her despite her oddities and quirks. We also learn more about the tribulations of Inspector Treadles, a man happily married to an heiress but living on a detective’s income. He has women problems. His wife admits that she would like to run her father’s business, and the “magnificent boon to his career,” Sherlock Holmes, “turned out to be a woman with loose morals and no remorse.”

Once again, Thomas inserts little factoids from Conan Doyle’s Sherlock stories. Livia is finding her inner muse and begins writing her own mystery story about a massacre in Utah related to a religious cult. (Sherlockians will immediately recognize elements of A Study in Scarlet.) And the arch-criminal Moriarty makes his presence known.

I read this on my Kindle, making lots of notes and highlights and flipping back to read some passages again. It is not an effortless read, even for someone who loves complex mysteries. But the effort is well worth it. Sherry Thomas is superbly talented, and it shows in every page of this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

One more thing. Just when you think you have it all figured out – there is the last line of the book. Wow! I did not see that coming. Can’t wait for the next one. ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Lyuda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: victorian

When I started the series, I was apprehensive of how successful my favorite HR writer is going to be navigating the uncharted territories of historical mystery. My fears were put to rest as I loved the first installment and this one even a tad better.

The story picks up right after book one ends. And rather than describing the plot which would be difficult to do without spoilers, I want to share what I felt navigating the story.

The best analogy I can come up with is viewing a painting by an Impr When I started the series, I was apprehensive of how successful my favorite HR writer is going to be navigating the uncharted territories of historical mystery. My fears were put to rest as I loved the first installment and this one even a tad better.

The story picks up right after book one ends. And rather than describing the plot which would be difficult to do without spoilers, I want to share what I felt navigating the story.

The best analogy I can come up with is viewing a painting by an Impressionist. At the beginning, if staying too close to the painting, all you see is small "broken" vivid brush strokes of oil paint. They appear to be randomly selected, unorganized, going in different directions, and in no way related to each other. Take a few steps back, and your eyes will have to adjust to its blurriness, you start to see the purpose of these strokes. They start making sense. Take more steps back and you reach the perfect end distance where it all comes together and you can truly appreciate the shimmering effect of these not-so-random strokes, marvel at the whole picture they present and you want to see more. That’s exactly the experiences I had while reading the story.

And the best part of the story? Miss Charlotte Homes herself, of course! Oh, if I can hug a fictional character, I would hug her. Although, on the second thought, since she would prefer not to be touched, I would bake a delicious pastry to satisfy her ever-present sweet tooth. The pastry would be light enough so she wouldn’t have to worry about reaching the "maximum number of tolerable chins".

Charlotte's superb mental abilities and lack of emotional empathy to other are the most fascinating aspects of her character.

It seems there is a proliferation of stories with female detective set in Regency or Victorian times. These women are smart, capable and…too anachronistic of the times. Not Charlotte. In Charlotte’s characterization, Sherry Thomas's talent shines through. Charlotte has a brilliant mind, amazing ability of deduction. She solves almost impossible problems, able to connect what appears to be random things and events and does it better than any man around her but is able to do all of this within the boundaries of Victorian England female and not just any Victorian female but unmarried and socially ruined one...The author didn’t just insert Charlotte into Sherlock’s area of expertise, she made a character completely different from the well-known man. Charlotte has to be creative in her investigation in order to preserve the illusion of Sherlock Holmes to the man on the street and the police.

And although the mystery is solved at the end, there is so much of family and relationship dynamic left to explore. Can’t wait for the next installment! ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Obsidian rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-library-books

Wow. I really enjoyed the first book and the second one was a disappointment compared to that. I think Thomas tried to bite off more than could be reasonably followed in this book. Maybe some of it could have been pushed to a third book. Having Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson taking on cases, having Charlotte solving ciphers for Lord Bancroft, and the follow-up to Moriarty and the half-brother we heard about in the last book all thrown together didn't make for an engaging read. Don't even get m Wow. I really enjoyed the first book and the second one was a disappointment compared to that. I think Thomas tried to bite off more than could be reasonably followed in this book. Maybe some of it could have been pushed to a third book. Having Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson taking on cases, having Charlotte solving ciphers for Lord Bancroft, and the follow-up to Moriarty and the half-brother we heard about in the last book all thrown together didn't make for an engaging read. Don't even get me started on Inspector Treadles and his nonsense about women. The man goes around ticked that the brilliant Sherlock Holmes is Charlotte Holmes. And then is even more unhappy when his wife admits she wishes she could run her father's business.

After the events in book #1, Charlotte and Mrs. Watson are still doing their detective business as Sherlock Holmes. However, things become awkward when Lord Ingram's wife comes asking for help in finding her first love. There's a lot of hand-waving away why Charlotte agrees to work on this case, but ultimately that case leads to a larger mystery that I didn't think was put together very well.

Charlotte is still quite good at deducting. But you do read a lot about what she eats, her tea, and how hungry she is at all times. Why Thomas switched Holmes addiction to Charlotte being an over-eater or glutton (I honestly don't know what she is doing with this) is baffling to me. She could have her addicted to something else and or just not at all. Since you already set up that Sherlock Holmes is not real, and that Charlotte's sister Olivia is going to write stories about the man, who cares that you try to mirror every little thing in those stories.

I can't really get a handle on the other characters. Mrs. Watson barely felt in this one. We do have her teaching Charlotte about self defense which I liked.

Olivia Holmes is in and out of this one. She's not really integral to the plot, but having her get romantic notions about someone that may be in danger made me just sigh. I am guessing based no how this book ends, he will pop up in the third book.

Lord Ingram and Charlotte...I don't know. Due to the events in this book one wonders what will happen next. I actually liked the idea of Charlotte getting married to Lord Bancroft (have fun reading about what happens next). At least it would have moved the book to a different place than I think most readers would have expected.

The writing didn't grab me like in the first one and the flow was not good. The only parts I found interesting where getting Charlotte's and Mrs. Watson's POV. I would recommend Thomas cut down on the back and forths to Inspector Treadles in the next one. She could have left him out entirely and nothing would have been missed since he ends up just being a minor player in this. I think we only see him since he will have a larger role in book #3.

The ending felt vaguely unsatisfactory since you have a lot of revelations that didn't quite make sense to me at all. I even re-read some of the sections again and just gave up. I think books like these have to leave clues that readers can pick up on as well. Otherwise it's not really fun to read. You just have the author throwing out twists.

...more

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Jan 30, 2021 Roobie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021, part-of-series, great-heroines, series-i-love, historical-or-steampunk

⭐️4.5 stars⭐️

To be thought of as the perfect woman for a man isn't a compliment to a woman,
it's more about how a man sees himself—and what he needs. ...more

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Aug 05, 2017 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books

It was so much fun diving back into the atmospheric and mysterious Victorian London world that Thomas has created in her Lady Sherlock series. Once again Charlotte and her friends were a treat to see and conspire with. As a mystery always rich in detail and curiosity slowly unfolds as Charlotte puts her deductive talents into play and figures it all out before anyone else and before the danger becomes too great to those she knows and loves. And she does it all while trying to keep it a secret as ...more

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Nov 14, 2017 ❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery-historical

Solid and enjoyable, better than the first book.

For some reason this series, although there's nothing really wrong with it, has left me strangely unmoved. I remember the excitement of waiting for the release of the next Irene Adler by Carole Nelson Douglas or the new Mary Russell by Laurie R. King and this series just doesn't make me feel the same eager anticipation. I think back fondly of Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody and Sharyn McCrumb's Elizabeth MacPherson as though they were old friends ...more

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May 04, 2018 Veronique rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, r2018, favourites

4.5*

“To be thought of as the perfect woman for a man isn’t a compliment to a woman, it’s more about how a man sees himself—and what he needs.”

It turns out that I’m really enjoying these Lady Sherlock stories! Thomas has created a singular version of the famous detective - not only a woman, but one that keeps surprising me - and this is not just due to her surprising love of food and taste in clothes! Add to this a powerful cast where women shine in a plethora of roles, and you get a novel that I ...more

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Sep 12, 2017 Starry-Eyed Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, reimaginings-retellings, favorites, 2018, 2017-faves, girl-power, 2017, sherlockian, re-read, adult

I obviously loved the previous book -- I re-read it prior to starting this sequel. But I did not expect to love this second book even more. I mean, the second book is rarely as good as the first, but in this case, it is just. So. Unbelievably. Good! I love all of the relationships in this series -- the intrinsic ones and those with side characters that develop along the way -- and the banter and camaraderie just elevate them for me. Then you've got the mystery that ties them all together, but ev ...more

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Dec 30, 2021 Jacob Proffitt rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, chaste, mystery

This is second in a series with some relationship and plots that carry over from story to story. So I recommend reading them in order.

Having read the first, you know what to expect. Fortunately, Charlotte doesn't go through a period of author-induced helplessness that points out the plight of women in Victorian England. So there's that. Instead, we have every man (save Lord Ingram, natch) turn out to be incapable of respecting a woman who has ambition and/or intelligence. I was particularly disa This is second in a series with some relationship and plots that carry over from story to story. So I recommend reading them in order.

Having read the first, you know what to expect. Fortunately, Charlotte doesn't go through a period of author-induced helplessness that points out the plight of women in Victorian England. So there's that. Instead, we have every man (save Lord Ingram, natch) turn out to be incapable of respecting a woman who has ambition and/or intelligence. I was particularly disappointed in Treadles who is becoming estranged from the wife he loves, and who loves him, because she, gasp, once wanted to run a company. Not because she has ambition, but because he can't provide her dreams to her, himself. I find this silly, frankly. But then, I've always found powerful women attractive and have never understood the need to feel superior to someone you "love". And yeah, I used sarcasm quotes because seriously, that superiority stuff never made sense to me in a loving relationship. Having Treadles' viewpoint at all in this story was totally manufactured, so I hated it even more. He didn't interact with Charlotte at all and his "investigation" never went anywhere as a result. So he's a complete non-entity and including his floundering had literally no point beyond keeping us up-to-date on his descent into a misogynistic hell of his own devising.

But the bigger disappointment was Bancroft. He's hyper-rational and issues a marriage proposal to Charlotte that rests on recognizing her talent and explicitly feeding it by giving her challenges to solve. Only, apparently, all that goes out the window if it's actually helpful or useful in any way? The man is an idiot, it turns out.

I worried about Lord Ingram there for a bit. But he comes around.

And why am I going on about these men when the book is all about female empowerment and achievement? Did I completely miss the point?!? Probably. I mean, the women have a romping good time with lots of shenanigans that seem like fun. They do disguises, learn a martial art, brandish guns in a very satisfying way (not sarcasm), and infiltrate a soup kitchen (also not sarcasm, this was actually pretty interesting stuff). So the adventure is interesting. And the plot is, well okay, the plot meanders a lot with three investigative threads that converge a bit artificially, I think. I mean, it holds together in the end, so the artifice is actually in making them appear separate for as long as it did.

And I continue to find Olivia's storyline the more intriguing as the sister left behind, amusing herself with making up a Sherlock storyline for a book she wants to write that closely resembles our actual-world reality as if she were Arthur Conan Doyle.

Anyway, this is four stars, for all the men were so disappointingly monotoned. I still like Lord Ingram best. But then, I'm pretty sure that's deliberate as he's the only guy who can tolerate powerful women and not feel lessened by it. That I'm conscious of that, even as I admire him, drags me down more than a little, though.

A note about Chaste: There's no room for romantic shenanigans in this story. The tension between Charlotte and Lord Ingram mounts. More so as we see Lady Ingram in such negative light in this story. Developments there are on track for eventual consummation. Probably illicitly, but maybe not. ...more

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Dec 04, 2017 Yun rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A Conspiracy in Belgravia is the second of the Lady Sherlock series, and my first exposure to it. Lady Sherlock is an interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes adventures. Charlotte Holmes, a disgraced lady of the Victorian era, opens a business under the assumed name of Sherlock Holmes, who she pretends is her brother at a time when women are not encouraged to have jobs or taxing mental stimulation.

To me, this bears a lot of similarities with the original Sherlock Holmes and is a good homage to A Conspiracy in Belgravia is the second of the Lady Sherlock series, and my first exposure to it. Lady Sherlock is an interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes adventures. Charlotte Holmes, a disgraced lady of the Victorian era, opens a business under the assumed name of Sherlock Holmes, who she pretends is her brother at a time when women are not encouraged to have jobs or taxing mental stimulation.

To me, this bears a lot of similarities with the original Sherlock Holmes and is a good homage to it. Just like the original Sherlock Holmes, this mystery doesn't unfold due to following the clues so much as Charlotte's ability to jump to a conclusion that no one else would have. To be honest, now that I've read the ending, I'm not really sure Charlotte deduced the solution so much as she correctly guessed on a random idea, which is one reason I never found the original Sherlock Holmes to be that great either.

Speaking of the ending, I do feel that's a weakness of this book. It isn't clearly explained how Charlotte arrives at her solution, and I feel the ending doesn't tie up everything. I went away from it with a few questions still not answered, which is not ideal when reading a whodunnit.

Another thing I noticed is that this book has a lot of characters and subplots, which may or may not all tie back to the main storyline. It was a little hard for me to initially remember who all the people were. As a result, it feels often like I'm just jumping from one story to another instead of reading a cohesive narrative.

Yet for all that, I still enjoyed this book. I found the setting to be charming, with its prudishness and Victorian reticence. Recently, it feels like all the books I've been reading about a female facing adversity either portrays the heroine as a lush who needs to drink in order to find her wits or an emotional wreck who can barely keep it together. It's refreshing to have such a strong female lead, who when faced with adversity, is able to use her intelligence to find a solution. Just for that, I'm looking forward to reading more from the series. ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Desi rated it it was amazing

Not much to say here. Great book. Perhaps the mystery was a little scattered and unwieldy. I’m not sure I believe in the eventual villain, it was mighty convenient to the plot. And the way everything tied together with personal entanglements was also a wee bit to ‘nice’ to be true as they say.

But fantastic writing as always and great personal relationships. Loved the characters, and insights they delivered about each other.

It moved along at a clipping pace. And somehow had that sherlockian vene ...more

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Jul 14, 2017 Joanna Loves Reading rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-hr, reviewed, hist-myst

This was everything I thought it could be and more. Thoroughly enjoyable!

To be perfectly honest, I did not go in expecting to love this book. The first I was lukewarm about. It had a lot of necessary premise setup and backstory and set the stage for a potentially great series, but I felt the promise was better than the story on its own. I walked away somewhat satisfied that I had gotten to read a new ST book, but also wishing she was still writing in my favorite genre, historical romance. But no ...more

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May 26, 2017 Kelsey rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley, awful-covers

This is a difficult book to review because I love Sherry Thomas, and I love the first book in this series. But my favorite elements from the first book were sadly lacking in this one. While this book was very well researched, Charlotte came to conclusions that were not clear to the reader, and it was very easy to get confused as to what was going on. Characters and situations from the first story were not well explained when they were reintroduced, and the plot really fizzled. I understand that ...more

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Oct 01, 2017 Cindy Burnett rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-to-read

3.5 stars

While I enjoyed Charlotte Holmes as “Sherlock Holmes”, I did not fully love the mystery at the heart of A Conspiracy in Belgravia. It took me about 50 pages to even fully follow the story line, and I found the mystery and its resolution to be more convoluted than necessary. Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson saved the book for me; I enjoyed both characters immensely. Charlotte’s love triangle was intriguing also. Thanks to Penguin First to Read for a copy of the book; all opinions are my ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 fleurette rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-mystery

What a wonderful book! I wish I’ve read it earlier. I still haven’t read the first book in this series starting with the second one that I required for some challenge. But it’s not big deal. I could still fully enjoy this story.

The idea of Sherlock Holmes being a woman is nothing new. There are some stories like this out there (however, to be totally honest, I haven’t read any of them somehow). But Charlotte Holmes is not just some female copy of Sherlock. No, she is a fully developed, complex ...more

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Oct 17, 2017 Caz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, audiobook, audiogals

I've given this an A+ for narration and an A for content at AudioGals.

This second book in Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series is one of my most awaited releases of this year, and it fulfilled all my expectations. A Conspiracy in Belgravia picks up the day after the previous book, A Study in Scarlet Womenconcludes, and while might not be absolutely necessary to have read or listened to that in order to fully appreciate this latest instalment, I’d strongly recommend it, as one of the real delights ...more

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Dec 31, 2017 Andree rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2017

I will state right off the bat that some of the 2 star rating might have to do with me being in the wrong mood for this when I read it; however, I can't imagine ever giving it higher than three stars, SO.

I went into this book with some trepidation, because there were things I didn't like about the first book in the series - how long it took to get going, how it required Holmes to be as stupid as a turnip, unable to predict simple cause and effect - but those were mostly tied up in the setup, and I will state right off the bat that some of the 2 star rating might have to do with me being in the wrong mood for this when I read it; however, I can't imagine ever giving it higher than three stars, SO.

I went into this book with some trepidation, because there were things I didn't like about the first book in the series - how long it took to get going, how it required Holmes to be as stupid as a turnip, unable to predict simple cause and effect - but those were mostly tied up in the setup, and theoretically dispensed with for this book. I will say, that this book probably starts better, in the sense that you (and Sherlock) are thrown into the case almost immediately, without getting distracted by a more boring parallel plot around Treadles solving the case on his own, while Sherlock's busy with other things. I was disappointed with what Treadles there was, because he's apparently decided to go all threatened/insecure-male because his wife and Sherlock have proven themselves to be women with brains. A little nuance would have helped there, but it's nonexistent as far as I can see.

That said, Sherlock is involved in the case right from the start, but it's hugely complicated (involving codebreaking and espionage and mostly muddy personal feelings), and her major contribution seems to be codebreaking, rather than strictly observation (though I might have missed that). I was not particularly engaged in the case, mostly because the plot of it exacerbates what I identified as a third potential problem for the series, namely: Lord Ingram. And I mean this particularly in his capacity as potential doomed love-interest. As I said in my review of the first book, I could have dealt with it if it had been subtle, if it had been repressed and unspoken. This book chooses instead to focus the case around Lord Ingram's wife, with a heavy dose of his brother (who works in intelligence). (view spoiler)

The one bright spot is Olivia, who continues to be the far more interesting character to me (possibly because she's not forced to try and be two things at once - the great hyper-rational detective, who is also at the center of one of the most melodramatic character arcs in the world). She starts writing Holmes' adventures, but more interestingly, meets a mysterious stranger, who charmingly talks about books to her (view spoiler). The thing is, Olivia is the perfect character to play this role. I don't understand why most of the personal drama can't center around her, while Charlotte's personal issues are kept more repressed. It would be much more Holmesian.

Add to that, Mrs. Watson is barely in this, and when she is, all she seems to do is be afraid of dictating to Charlotte, instead wanting her to feel like an equal in the partnership. Which Charlotte doesn't seem to suffer from at all. It's a weird Watson/Holmes dynamic, and didn't work for me. It worked better in the first one when you could clearly see what Mrs. Watson brought to the case-solving, as opposed to this one, in which she just seems to be bank-rolling the operation, and feeding/clucking over Charlotte.

I just, I think the reason I didn't like this is that I knew it was going to go all drama-lama about five pages in, but not so much due to a particularly complicated case, but due to personal drama around Charlotte. From Treadles, from Lord Ingram, from his brother, from his wife... And you know what? That is not Sherlock Holmes for me. The tone of this book is all wrong. There's no room for clever detachment and crime solving, because of the overabundance of melodrama.

Some melodrama is no bad thing, but in a book about a protagonist who's supposed to be highly rational, this was a bit much. Having Charlotte react mostly calmly to it all doesn't make it go away. If the majority of the melodrama could be centered around Olivia in the future, I would much appreciate it. As it stands, I'm far more interested in that plotline anyway.

Also, editing to add that the way this is going, and how I perceive Lord Ingram's future/current role, it feels like he's essentially Watson in everything but name (while also being something of a love interest), and Mrs. Watson is being cast as a combination between Mrs. Hudson and the Baker St. Irregulars. In fact, the role of Watson seems to be heavily diluted in this series, in that it's currently being shared between Lord Ingram, Mrs. Watson, and Olivia. Olivia makes sense, in that she's just taking care of Watson's role as scribe of Holmes' adventures, but I'm not wild about how the roles of the other two are being parsed/probably going to be parsed.

And I still find it somewhat ironic, that in a series that seems to be so much about all the limitations and stereotypes around women, the first thing that happens when Holmes is feminized is that she gets a super-tragic love interest. Just sayin'.
...more

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Nov 22, 2018 ☕️Kimberly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Caffeinated Reasons to add A Conspiracy in Belgravia to your Bookshelf

Charlotte Holmes is brilliant and a character you won't be able to resist. Refusing to accept her place in society, she resides with Mrs. Watson and poses as the niece of Sherlock Holmes, famous detective who solves crimes and solve mysteries. I wish I was a resident on Baker Street and could join them for tea and biscuits or perhaps berries and cream?
Fans of Sherlock Holmes that like to explore retellings, will enjoy ...more

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May 16, 2018 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: auth-f, mystery, bipoc-author, x2018-read

Enjoyed this mystery, with great narration by Kate Reading. We get a little more Moriarity information, but the best part of this series is the ever expanding set of women pulled into Charlotte's orbit as she expands her detective practice to assist people with a variety of personal puzzles and issues.
Inspector Treadles reappears, and has his head more firmly stuck up his posterior regarding 1) how Sherlock Holmes is actually a fallen women, Charlotte Holmes (how horrible!!), and 2) how his wif Enjoyed this mystery, with great narration by Kate Reading. We get a little more Moriarity information, but the best part of this series is the ever expanding set of women pulled into Charlotte's orbit as she expands her detective practice to assist people with a variety of personal puzzles and issues.
Inspector Treadles reappears, and has his head more firmly stuck up his posterior regarding 1) how Sherlock Holmes is actually a fallen women, Charlotte Holmes (how horrible!!), and 2) how his wife actually aspired to run her father's company instead of simply running a home for her husband. Why couldn't his wife just be happy darning his socks??? Oh boo hoo!
There are several threads in this story, with 1) the mystery in this story involving Lady Ingram, Lord Ingram's wife, who wants Sherlock to find her first love, who has recently gone absent. This puts Charlotte in an uncomfortable position, thanks to her friendship with Lord Ingram, and with Mrs. Watson, whose discomfort with the potential conflict that could result from the case. 2) Livia attempts to fictionalize Sherlock's exploits as a way to take some control over her life and make a little money. 3) Lord Ingram's brother makes a marriage proposal to Charlotte, who must consider this very seriously, as her social position is precarious, and prevents her from being able to provide any assistance to Livia and her sister Bernadette, both of whom are mostly ignored by their parents. 4) Lord Ingram and Charlotte continue to dance around their feelings for each other, both behaving scrupulously correctly toward the other. 5) Moriarity and his organization figure in a murder of a man Treadles is investigating; Charlotte becomes involved in the case thanks to Lord Ingram's brother's requesting Charlotte assist.
While I sometimes became a little confused by all the story threads, I loved 1) Charlotte's, Mrs. Watson and Penelope Redmayne's sleuthing and friendship, 2) Livia's relationship with Charlotte, 3) the ways in which the Sherlock team winkled information out about all sorts of things by talking to other women, whether maids or housekeepers or others, in essence, the kinds of people usually not paid a lot of attention by the men around thm. In fact, the way the author showed us how society perceives women of repute and ill-repute, and how the various women in this story use those perceptions to navigate society, was quite interesting. And the end of this story definitely has me interested to see where Sherry Thomas takes the Sherlock team next. ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 h o l l i s rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-reads, overdrive, finished-in-march-2018, plot-is-twisty, lgbtqiap-content, crime-mystery, retellings, hist-fiction

Welp, I don't know how to feel about this one. Starting it before vacay, putting it aside, and then picking it back up a week later might be to blame but who knows. There are so many elements of this series that I enjoy but I'm still a bit removed from them all. And as for that twist.. I just don't know how I feel about it.

I did love the final page, though. No, the whole final chapter, really. Probably my favourite part of the whole book.

Hoping I find the love in book three. ...more

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Dec 02, 2017 Leona rated it it was ok

Shelves: mysteries

This series is definitely not going to be my cup of tea.

I would describe the books as "Sherlock Holmes meets Agatha Christie". Given, I'm not particularly fond of either, it's not surprising that I don't care for this one. The writing gets sluggish at times. In the first book, the author was laying the ground work. But, the second book should have flowed more easily. This was so bogged down in details, there were times I actually forgot what mystery we were solving.

It took me more than two week ...more

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About Sherry Thomas

Sherry Thomas

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USA Today-bestselling author Sherry Thomas decided years ago that her goal in life is to write every kind of book she enjoys reading. Thus far she has published romance, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and three books inspired by the martial arts epics she grew up devouring. Her books regularly receive starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications, including such outlets as th ...more