Charlotte Holmes #1 A Study in Charlotte

Presenting Charlotte Holmes #1 A Study in Charlotte Brittany Cavallaro.

Here is the summary of the book:

The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.

Its Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Its mystery. Its a deadly chase. Its a tribute. And its a gender bender. Coming along a long of line of adaptations is Cavallaro's A Study in Charlotte. This is a world where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are real, their adventures are real and all the more exciting. Of course, yes gender bender-done before, most notable being the show Elementary, and the novel series Lock & Mori (haven't read it yet) but Charlotte Holmes and James Watson are a pair onto themselves.

Descendants of the legendary sleuth and his partner-in-crime, the good doctor. They may be far from London but they still manage to get tangled in a mystery. The enemy, I won't name, proved a fitting adversary enacting said crimes in a manner of both Charlotte and Jamie's ancestors' cases. Framing the duo for lack of a better word. Thus leading them on a merry chase both physically and mentally in a bid to uncover the truth and clear their names.

It is fun to watch as our Holmes & Watson fumble and stumble through the clues in search of the truth. They may be the descendants but are definitely not carbon copies of them. An overall dynamic duo. They portray a multiple of other traits that keeps the tale exciting. Calculating, analytical, alone and aloof Charlotte Holmes and dreamer and budding writer Jamie Watson. And they strike this unlikely friendship with its constant pitfalls and enlightenment as you would expect a Holmes & Watson friendship to be. With the idea of immanence to the mix.

Most of all they are not perfect in anyway at all and likewise not true copies of their ancestors .... but that is definitely a good thing. Establishing their own identities through Brittany Cavallaro's words, they are a charming pair, terribly flawed and their own closet full of skeletons ...... So my only complaint was the infodumps cited at various instances during the book felt too cumbersome but other than that I am totally on board with this brand new incarnation of Holmes & Watson.

"Scintillating new take on a gender-bended Holmes & Watson. The game is on"

Genre :     Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary, Romance

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: 1st March, 2016

My Copy: publisher & edelweiss

Rate:             4/5 (Really Liked It)

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Sherlock Holmes: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution

Presenting Sherlock Holmes: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by David Tipton, Scott Tipton, Ron Joseph.

Here is the summary of the book:

The best-selling Sherlock Holmes novel by writer/director Nicholas Meyer comes to comics! The real story behind Sherlock Holmes final confrontation with Professor Moriarty is at long last revealed! Who is the real Moriarty? Why did Holmes disappear for so long? The game is afoot!"

I confess beside Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literature, I don't know much about the later adaptation by the different authors. So I was pretty surprised that this graphic novel was adapted from the novel of the same name and it had a pretty famous movie to call its own as well. Hopefully I can somehow get it. Meanwhile the Graphic Novel showcases crisp and clear illustrations as the sordid tale comes to life throughout the cells

Sherlock Holmes: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution calls into question two of Holmes & Watson's last adventures together and says that 'what if' they were faked. What if they were fabricated by Watson to hide what really happened. We all know the great sleuth used cocaine for recreational purposes but what if, the addiction finally got to him. What if Moriarity was not the mastermind criminal of the conventional order but a personal demon of the past.

Doesn't really paint a pretty picture does it. The story is dark enough to warrant intrigue as Holmes spirals down into the throws of addiction and concerned Dr. Watson and older brother Mycroft with the help of Dr. Sigmund Freud devise the best way to cure him. All the while Holmes stumbles upon a case of international importance and the motley crew races to avert a world war abeit shortly.

"A dark and exciting take on Sherlock Holmes"

Genre :     Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Release Date: 22nd March, 2016

My Copy: publisher & netgalley

Rate:             4/5 (Really Liked It)

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Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet

Presenting Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Gris Grimly (Illustrator).

Here is the summary of the book:

A classic mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; the first in the Sherlock Holmes series. See how Holmes and Watson met for the first time. A baffling murder with puzzling clues and evil villains takes place and the cocaine-addicted, cold and quirky detective, with his razor-sharp deductive mind and obsessive attention to detail, is on the case. Told from the journals of his faithful companion, Dr. John Watson, join us for a trip to 221B Baker Street and the beginning of the legend of Sherlock Holmes.

Who doesn't know Sherlock Holmes! Everyone knows who he is and his evergreen side-kick Dr. Watson. Scintillating, mind-boggling, hair-raising adventures of the duo from the pen of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And not a media or print in the world that hadn't emulated their adventures. Be it graphic novels, re-tellings, movies or tv shows/ Notably the Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law starrer 'Sherlock Holmes' movies and the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman starrer BBC mini-series 'Sherlock'.

Thus in all of its maiden glory, 'Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet' is the latest offering in the category. An illustrated representation. Yo go alongwith the story and enjoying it in a new way. By Gris Grimly, known for his 'dark whimsical art'. Of course there is nothing to note about the story in particular. Holmes & Dr. Watson's maiden voyage, A Study in Scarlet was how they began.

And Gris Grimly brought new light to this adventure with his imagery. Its beautiful, its elegant, its imaginative but most of all its different and I liked every part of it. I read the e-arc version acquired through edelweiss, so imagine how beautiful it would be in print. So guys, I highly recommend, you won't be disappointed. Go for it.

"A new way to reacquaint ourselves with Holmes & Watson"

Genre :      Classic, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Crime

Publisher: Balzer+Bray

Release Date: 1st December, 2014

My Copy: publisher & edelweiss

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository