Book Review: Hollow of Fear | Sherry Thomas

Happy Halloween!!! I am so excited to finally get to share my review of Hollow of Fear. I read this book with the book besties and we thought this would be the perfect day to celebrate such a fun mystery! This one is not chills, but it has tons of thrills—so don’t fear if you are someone who doesn’t like things that are too scary. This is the type of murder mystery that is perfect for some cozy-in-bed October reading. I absolutely loved this book!

About the Book

Under the cover of “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don’t.

Moriarty’s shadow looms large. First, Charlotte’s half brother disappears. Then, Lady Ingram, the estranged wife of Charlotte’s close friend Lord Ingram, turns up dead on his estate. And all signs point to Lord Ingram as the murderer.

With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to seek out the truth. But uncovering the truth could mean getting too close to Lord Ingram–and a number of malevolent forces…

Reflection

It is impossible to read this book and not feel delighted and in awe. Charlotte Holmes is a truly outstanding lead character, made all the more so because she isn’t the narrator, and we see her working only through the eyes of others. When we hit the conclusion to the mystery, all of her cryptic behavior and powers of deduction come to fruition and the path she leads us on to the solution is awe-inducing. To say I’m a fan of this series is a MASSIVE understatement.

I am a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and always have been. In fact, I am going to share a rare photo of myself and my sister and a distinguished employee of 221B Baker Street for your enjoyment. That is how much I love Sherlock Holmes! When I was in high school and college, The Hound of the Baskervilles was my go-to book if I was home sick.

I’ve always enjoyed the mental gymnastics of deductive thinking and forensic science that is Homes’ signature sleuthing style.  To my absolute delight, Charlotte Holmes is every bit as intelligent and sharp-witted, and she has some alluring feminine wiles to go with it! The writing of this book is very authentic to the style of the original Sherlock Holmes books. I think readers will be delighted to find themselves immersed in Holmes’ mystery, and you may even forget that Holmes wasn’t a woman all along!

As for the mystery—well it has just enough salaciousness to feed the townsfolk. Lord Ingram is a sympathetic character. Trapped by his own selfishness in youth, and trying to follow through with his commitments. Only to then find himself the center of a murder investigation by a woman who is frankly deplorable. Then we have the disgraced Charlotte Holmes, who describes her own fall from grace with the intelligence and humility we’d expect from Lady Sherlock. She is a saucy character with the brain of a genius. In fact, I want to end my review with this quote (which I loved):

“The woman was a holy terror: the sweetest face, the pillowiest bosom, and a perspicacity that stripped a man naked in seconds.”

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.