Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes’s friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited.
Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife’s initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage, because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring deeper feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him.
Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders, when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?
Release Date: Oct 6, 2020
Series: Lady Sherlocke
Book: 5
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $11.99
A whirlwind mystery with wild amount of twists and turns!
This isn’t my first Lady Sherlock book, and it won’t be my last. That being said, dear readers this should not be your first Lady Sherlock book. Lady Sherlock is not standalone and is best consumed by reading the previous books as the events from the past tend to tie together.
In this story Sherlock, aka Charlotte, is recruited by the wife of her friend, Inspector Treadles, to help figure out who killed two men found in the same room as the dear inspector at the residence location 33 Cold Street. Of course, nothing is simple. Both of the dead men had business involvement with Mrs. Treadles, the new owner of Cousins Manufacturing by virtue of her brother and father passing away.
From here, Charlotte and her helpers – the talented Mrs. Watson, the medical student Miss Redmayne, and the tall, dark, intelligent Lord Ingram, assist in deducing. From all the who’s involved, the where’s, and most importantly the why’s, this story kept me guessing. Honestly, Thomas does an amazing job at putting all the information in front of the reader and still leaving them wondering whodunit.
Thomas’ prose is superb with plenty of interest to turn the pages. The story is best consumed a little more slowly and takes me a little longer to read, as I’m constantly analyzing the information presented to try and attempt to ferret out the criminal myself. Characterization still reigns supreme, but Thomas doesn’t allow her folks to stagnant and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the growth in Charlotte, as well as the other members of the cast.
For readers who have already read the previous books in the series, this story begins right where the last one left off. It’s a change of pace from the adventures in France from the previous book and a little more convoluted with the lineup of suspects. While it’s not my favorite story so far in the series, I happily get lost in each one for the time period, the unique fresh take on Sherlock, and the continuous exploration of the challenge’s women, people of color, and females in business for themselves faced in this particular time period.
Overall, if you enjoy a good mystery with a twist, along with the beauty of the written word, a reader can’t go wrong with Murder On Cold Street. I’ll be eagerly awaiting my official copy hoping for a glimpse at what comes next because you can bet where Sherlock is Moriarty is not far behind.
~ Landra
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