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14ersi_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's just a regrettable minus that this story is written as if it supports infidelity in a married person's relationship. So much cheating going on and I don't like it. I have to stop shuddering every time that story comes up. And a big crime that is paid for by death, I would prefer if the perpetrator of sexual harassment was punished and died slowly rather than committing suicide.
Graphic: Death, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide
jg93's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Murder
Minor: Rape
katelynprice's review against another edition
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
sarahholliday's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The plot is tight and smart, and matches Doyle's original style while allowing for a slightly more collaborative approach to solving the mystery. I loved the forbidden romance angle between Charlotte and Ash, particularly because it allows us to see their friendship and genuine connection (along with their *obvious* desire to bone).
I'm really excited to continue on in the series!
Graphic: Misogyny and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity and Pedophilia
ashwaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This retelling hinges on Sherlock being a woman, which is challenging to pull off in Victorian England because, of course, women couldn't do much of anything. The start of the novel focuses on our main character's origin story and their struggle to start a detective business in the face of many, many obstacles. It is significant that even once Charlotte (our version of Sherlock) appears to have succeeded, she is still, inevitably, supported in many ways by the men she has tried to avoid relying on.
It was also refreshing that Charlotte is the opposite of everyone's expectations. She is a plump, round-faced, well-mannered society woman with a penchant for cakes, sweets and anything frilly. The author rejects the traditional expectations of what a great mind looks like and instead gives us a character far more realistic and relatable.
Despite the noticeable differences, A Study in Scarlet Women still reads much like the original novels. However, this makes it so incredibly boring to try and get through. The original books were also quite dull, and although I like the idea of writing the Lady Sherlock novels in this style, they are not getting read by a Victorian audience. It's also very long as Charlotte's background is told alongside a mystery story, which in the end, is solved with a letter and Charlotte's sentiment of 'knowing all along.
Despite trying to do something different, this ends reading like a traditional Arthur Conan Doyle novel, and I was bored. At several points, I didn’t understand what was happening in the investigation, and too many threads were left unexplained, resulting in me feeling a bit stupid for not following along.
Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide
arsrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Murder
hanz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, and Grief
softrosemint's review against another edition
3.25
however, i thought it was a pretty intelligent and interesting interpretation of the sherlock holmes stories, including how the original characters and their relationships were reinterpreted (absolutely delighted with sherlock being the pseudonym of a chubby food-loving woman in her mid-twenties who ruined her reputation to stop her parents from trying to marry her off). i also enjoyed the different dynamics - female relationships were definitely the centre of the novel but also the tension between charlotte and ingram was also palpable!
i can see myself devouring the rest of the series.
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault