Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, finds herself embroiled with Lord Ingram again as a body is discovered on his estate, Stern Hollow, while playing host to a house full of unexpected guests.

This is my first foray into the Lady Sherlock mysteries and though I enjoyed the overall story, I found myself at a loss often. This is the third volume and there are references to previous occurrences that are not made clear, leaving the reader to their own devices to fill in the blanks. The mystery at the root of this volume is cleverly plotted and engaging, but again, it has history in previous installments. As much as I enjoyed this, I would encourage others to begin at the beginning with A Study in Scarlet Women. I personally would like to learn what is at the bottom of the animosity Charlotte holds against her parents. Guess I’ll be adding two more titles to my ‘To Be Read’ list. This should be added to library collections that contain the first two volumes.

Apparently, this is the third in the Lady Sherlock series, which I'd never heard of nor read. I picked up THE HOLLOW OF FEAR by Sherry Thomas with low expectations; I've read so many Sherlock Holmes re-tellings and didn't expect much, since I’m a big Arthur Conan Doyle fan, and picky about re-imagining the Holmes legend. This turned out to be a fun and fabulous gender-swapping Holmsian tale that I couldn't put down.

If you are a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories this book will definitely peak your interest. For Sherlock Holmes is actually Charlotte Holmes, who assumes the identity Sherlock for work, and her close friend is Mrs Watson. Murder and intrigue abound at a country house party which needs Holme's intellect and detective skills to prevent a grave miscarriage of justlce. There is also a hint of romance and love between Holmes and the primary suspect. But as in all good mystery tales truth will be found at the expense of the Scotland Yard Chief Inspector who is operating with blinders on and at full steam ahead. All told a delightful yarn to be enjoyed by all mystery novel readers who like stories that have a twist (a female Holmes).

I have rated this book 4 stars

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

This is a review of an e-ARC of The Hollow of Fear.

I was stunned by this book and haven't yet come to my senses. The Hollow of Fear is the third in the Charlotte Holmes series by Sherry Thomas and I loved the first two titles. This book is even better than the first two. I did not see the end coming and when it arrived, I was shocked silent. The palpable fear running through the book, as manifest by Charlotte's inability to eat even a thin slice of Madeira cake, is echoed in the location of much of the story, Stern Hollow, the home of Lord Ingram. The reason for the fear is layered by love and fear of loss, treachery and betrayal, and ruthless egos run mad that may destroy the world.

Thomas weaves this story with flashbacks that illumine the details and gently direct one to the traps set for Charlotte and Lord Ingram and Inspector Treadles of Scotland Yard. "What you read is not what it seems" is the theme of this complicated and deep plot. Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson pull together everything and everyone needed to unravel the motives behind murder, conspiracy, and disguise. The relationship between Ash (Lord Ingram) and Charlotte deepens as they work together to save him from a murder charge, and, by the way, save the British empire.

But there are so many thoughts that I have after reading the novel. For example, when did eccentricity become oddness become a diagnosis? Is Charlotte a brilliant woman on the autism spectrum or a genius, or both? Does it matter?

Another thought, when Charlotte tells Inspector Treadles about the motivation behind her scandal and the challenges of being a Victorian woman, she turns his life and marriage upside down. Until that moment, I was concerned about him, his marriage with Alice and his inability to change his perspective. Then, Charlotte politely and mildly relates her thoughts to and about him, and lives are changed after he mulls her words over on the train to London. Brilliant!

Thank you, Ms. Thomas, for sharing more of Charlotte Holmes with us. I am so looking forward to her further adventures.

You have to have read the first two to *get* this one. You can’t really read it as a stand alone. Having read the first two this one is as good as it gets. Charlotte Holmes at her best, twists and turns, mortal peril and drama. All rolled up into a really neat bow. I am not gonna spoil anything. Sherry Thomas took Holmes’ tropes and made them her own, all of them. It’s part of the DNA of this series to appeal to the Holmes’ fans in a way that is fresh and new. My hope is that Livia’s literary endaevors bare fruits soon.

The third in the <i> Lady Sherlock</i> series, THE HOLLOW OF FEAR by Sherry Thomas is all I could hope it would be. I’m a huge Arthur Conan Doyle fan, and I’m pretty picky about which Holmes reimaginings I will approve of. I’ve adored Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell series, and I also am a big fan of Sherry Thomas’ Sherlockian world. This is such a fun and kicky gender-swapped Holmsian tale. Disgraced gentlewoman and private detective Charlotte Holmes has created a fictitious brother, Sherlock, whom she “helps” with his investigations. Moriarty once again makes an appearance here, as does Mrs. Watson.

Charlotte must prove her dear friend Lord Ingram’s innocence, when he stand accused of murdering his wife, the icy and estranged woman he married instead of marrying his childhood companion Charlotte. Inspector Treadles (the stand-in for Inspector Lestrade) as well as his superior are delving into Lord Ingram’s life, as are some London busybodies. Charlotte must manage all of these accusers while maintaining her disguise as a man. This is a very tricksy tale, and I don’t want to give too much away about it. I think every reader should go into this not expecting anything in particular. I will say I was blown away with what Thomas does with this story, and it raised the hairs on the back of my neck even more when I was reading.

Thomas is traditionally a romance author, but this <i> Lady Sherlock</i> series has been a mystery series with a soupcon of romance thrown in. However, Thomas says of THE HOLLOW OF FEAR, "this is the one in which the romance between Charlotte Holmes and her good friend Lord Ingram really picks up steam." Between the many twists and convolutions and the sexual tension, this book kept me balanced on my tiptoes panting to turn the next page. Thomas’ THE HOLLOW OF FEAR is a mystery tour de force!

This review has been submitted to Fresh Fiction review site. My NetGalley review will be adjusted when it has been published.

This was another great entry in Thomas' Charlotte Holmes series. I've mentioned before in previous reviews that I love a gender flipped story, and this is no exception. Charlotte has all the peculiarities of Sherlock (which is b/c she moonlights as the famous Detective). Thrust into a "scandal" of her own making, Charlotte and her "patroness" Mrs. Watson work together to solve mysteries. In this book, the mystery hits closer to home than usual. Charlotte's childhood friend, Lord Ingram is accused of his wife's murder. With no love lost between the married couple, the main inspector looks to wrap the case up quickly. With the help of Charlotte (in disguise as a gentleman) Lord Ingram is determined to prove his innocence. The mystery is confounding, and I found myself a bit confused when the end. Is Moriarity involved at all? Who are the mysterious members of the Government working against Holmes's investigations.

Also, there is a bit more romance in this book. But not typical romance....Charlotte is fascinated by the opposite sex, but not necessarily into relationships. Her dynamic with Lord Ingram evolves a bit more in this one which was fascinating. It also ends on a cliffhanger for Ms. Holmes' sister, which I can't wait to read more about.

“The Hollow of Fear” is Sherry Thomas’s 3rd entry in the Lady Sherlock series, which I have devoured in the last few weeks. The first two books in the series, A Study in Scarlet Women and A Conspiracy in Belgravia, were both interesting, unique spins on the Sherlock Holmes mythology. These stories introduced us to the main characters: Charlotte Holmes, the Lady Sherlock of the series; Mrs. Watson, who serves as Charlotte’s patron and helpmate; Lord Ingram, Charlotte’s childhood friend and possible love interest; Livia Holmes, Charlotte’s sister and possible author of the Sherlock Holmes series; Inspector Treadles, the Scotland Yard inspector; as well as a slew of supporting characters and the infamous Moriarty clan.

This newest book in the series gives us a more intimate peek into the world of these characters when Charlotte must try to prove that Lord Ingram did not kill his wife, despite an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence to the contrary. I found that this book offered a deeper understanding of Charlotte’s motivations and behaviors than the previous books did, which made me like Charlotte even more.

The story ends in a few twists that I can’t imagine happening in a Sherlock Holmes story, but it still manages to feel Holmesian at its core. I already can’t wait to read the fourth book in the series! Perfect for Holmes fans, those who like a good mystery without too much gore, or fans of strong female characters.

This review is of an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

A great addition to the Sherlock world. Charlotte is very logical with amazing powers of deduction and so has set herself up as Sherlock Holmes to support herself. The mysteries are always entertaining and well written. This is a series to read if you want more Sherlock but different as well.

I received an eARC from Berkley via NetGalley for an honest review. - Great series

A novel approach for a Sherlock Holmes mystery with very interesting characters. The murder is unusual and the setting is very much British but the characters seem to be from a different time with lots of unvictorian morales and ideas. While there is only one suspect there are plenty of twists and turns to surprise the reader. Near the end I was confused when some of the chapters seemed to be out of order but in the end it all came together,

This continuation of the Lady Sherlock series seems to rely fairly heavily on the backstory, so was somewhat confusing for this reader new to the series. Charlotte Holmes assumes various roles in attempting to solve the murder of her friend Ingram's wife. She is assisted by Mrs. Watson, another woman of many talents. Her sisters Livia and Bernadine are also important considerations to Charlotte, but as we might expect, she is capable of rising to the many challenges she faces. The plot seems quite convoluted at times, moving around in time. The back-and-forth dialog is occasionally confusing, with lack of clarity about which character is speaking. Undoubtedly these concerns will not matter to fans of the series, and they will once again be eager for the next installment, which we can hope will continue to describe Charlotte's love life.

Another edition in the Lady Sherlock series which just seems to get better with every book. Lord Ingrahm is charged with murdering his estranged wife and of course Sherlock is on the case. This is a terrific series that is particularly well done with good dialogue and interesting characters.

Anyone who read the first two books and hoped for more of Lord Ingram are going to be super happy with the third installation. Although, probably not so happy with the circumstances. Sherry Thomas continues to do an amazing job with plot construction, and creating multiple interesting and dynamic characters. The flashbacks are done extremely well, and the pace of the story compelled me to finish it in one sitting. This book is anything but a traditional mystery, or romance, and I cannot wait for more!

This book is well written and reads easily. Thanks to Sherry Thomas for another Charlotte Holmes mystery with a good plot and intrigue. I am growing fond of Charlotte and Lord Ingram and love watching how their friendship develops. Mrs. Watson is a wonderful additional character. I love how she is shocked by certain things but others she just chocks up to the way it is. I am seeing some of the men grow in their thinking about women during this time period and how difficult it is for some. All in all, this is a great historical fiction book and I look forward to hearing from Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson again.

This series is my favorite Sherlock Holmes adaptation and once again this installment doesn’t disappoint! Charlotte is magnificent and perhaps even more so, because we some emotional reactions in her inability to indulge in her sweets compulsion. The hint of romantic tension between Charlotte and Ash that has always been present in this series is brought out more in this novel in the most satisfying way. Though I read the series more for the characters, I appreciated and was surprised by the intricacies and conclusions of the case. I can’t wait to see where this series goes to next, maybe that hinted trip abroad?

The Hollow of Fear is a new take on Sherlock Holmes. Charlotte Holmes is an independent woman and her friend Elizabeth Watson is a well to do society matron. Charlotte poses as the famous Sherlock to perform detective work in order to raise enough money to support her independent lifestyle. They become involved evading the Moriarity family who are searching for an escaped member who may or may not be related to Charlotte as well as trying to prove her dear friend, Lord Ingram's, innocence in the murder of his estranged wife. I love Sherlock Holmes and this book was true to canon. Fans of Jane Austen would also enjoy this book, as Sherry Thomas mentions the books and author several times. It wasn't as fast-paced as some I've read but it was an excellent story and well-written.

Sherry Thomas's latest entry in the Lady Sherlock series is satisfying in many respects. She does a wonderful job delving further into the minds of main characters. I can't wait for the next one!

Charlotte Holmes is a fallen woman. So, she has reinvented herself as Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective. She makes a tolerable living, supported by her dear friend, Mrs. Watson, a former actress, who acts as Mrs. Hudson when the disguise is called for. Charlotte also has two other sisters, Olivia and Bernadine. Livia suffers from Charlotte's fall and lacks suitable callers. Bernadine is locked in a silent world where she spends the day twirling spools on a wire. Lord Ingram's wife disappeared a year ago, but when her body, remarkably well preserved is found in the ice house of Lord Ingram's country estate, London society and Scotland Yard go wild. Lord Ingram, is, of course, the primary suspect, even though anyone who knows him recognizes his moral fortitude and upright feelings. But Scotland Yard does not count on Charlotte Holmes who brings her considerable mental acuity to the question of who stood to benefit the most from Lady Ingram's death...and it is not Lord Ingram. An interesting pastiche of the Holmes' oeuvre. However, I recommend reading the first two in the series to discover a lot of backstory that is only hinted at in this book. Perhaps, my rating would have been higher if I had read these.

Oh my! With each new Charlotte Holmes novel, Sherry Thomas gets better and better. Unraveling the mystery afoot involves the convoluted talents of Sherlock/Charlotte Holnes. In addition, the characters are even more fully developed, with their flaws and their beauty. And, best of all, all manner of loose ends are left dangling to tantalize the reader.

I really love this series. It's so engrossing, and rarely goes the way you think it's heading. It's completely addictive! One of the best of the Sherlock Holmes variants.