A not bad, but not as strong as it could be female Sherlock story. I love Sherlock Holmes. That makes me a sucker for tales that are spin offs, or anything similar. This one, to me, needed more depth. Maybe it's because I missed something not having all the prior books. This said, it isn't a bad story, it's just not as Sherlock as I hoped. This is probably just me, its' hard to hold up to a standard that causes preconceived notions. It has a strong romantic focus in this book, and missing art.

Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC of this story. A positive review is never required and this is what I thought about this book.

This wasn't a favorite of mine. The pacing was slow and prodding and felt out of sync with the ongoing storyline and I found myself disappointed that the romance seems to have stalled in here.

Another great installment of The Charlotte Holmes mysteries! Sherry Thomas is an excellent writer who always manages to update the original source material in a new an inventive way with every book!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

The Art of Theft, the fourth smart entry in the superb Lady Sherlock Mystery Series, is a full on swashbuckling art heist tale featuring all of the characters readers have grown to love and plenty of intrigue and danger. Mrs. Watson’s old friend is being blackmailed and implores Charlotte to retrieve damning evidence hidden within a Van Dyck painting before it falls into the wrong hands. Time is of the essence, and, of course, all is not as it seems, but it requires everyone working together to pull the whole thing off.

Charlotte is as clever and Lord Ingram as restrained as ever in this adventure. After the events of the previous book, The Hollow of Fear, I should know better than to hope that this pair would progress smoothly. But, alas, things are ever complicated with these two, and they appear to have taken several steps back. However, their chemistry is still deliciously palpable. It is wonderful to see the prickly, eccentric Charlotte accept and acknowledge help from her friends and to see other, already well drawn, characters continue to grow and become more involved in Charlotte’s escapades. The introduction of the Maharani brings a bit of diversity and another perspective to this wonderful series.

The Art of Theft is a bit of a departure from the prior books in the series. Author Thomas moves the action from London to France. The art heist theme is not as enthralling as previous books, but it is still highly entertaining. Though the book is ultimately about the complicated relationships between the characters and the constraints put on women during the Victorian Era, this outing feels more about the action, and I find it slightly restricting.

I continue to adore this gender bending take on the larger-than-life Sherlock Holmes. Thomas’s writing remains brilliant and true to the era, this tale overflowing with a never ending litany of twists and turns. I impatiently wait for Charlotte and company’s next adventure. I do suggest reading this series in order as each book builds on the last with a series long story arc. Highly, highly recommended!

FULL REVIEW ON FRESH FICTION
Fourth in the Lady Sherlock series, THE ART OF THEFT by Sherry Thomas is an enthralling mystery that takes Charlotte Holmes on an art heist! Always up for a new challenge, Charlotte is willing to travel with her family and friends to help her on this quest to steal a priceless painting. Mrs. Watson has always been an intriguing character, and learning about her impassioned and heartbreaking relationship with the maharani added more depth and nuance to her, and showed how much she has come to care for and admire Charlotte and everyone working on the case.

I've already read The Art of Theft last year, but I thought I should reread it before reading the newly released sequel.

I love and adore Lady Sherlock series. Charlotte is one of my favorite heroines; and the unresolved romance between her and Lord Ingram is also another favorite of mine. This is why, this rating is lower than the three previous books. Besides from the lack of romance content, I wasn't really keen on the plot. I'm hoping the next installment will be better.


Sherry Thomas featured in our website here: https://www.hollywoodnewssource.com/our-24-most-anticipated-books-of-october/

Has Lady Sherlock jumped the shark? If that sentence means nothing to you, you’re obviously not a fan of the Sherry Thomas mystery series that reimagines Sherlock Holmes as a neuroatypical “fallen woman” who solves crimes with the help of her widowed landlady, Mrs. Watson, a retired actress. Holmes mash-ups are nothing new, but gender-flipping the character while leaving the late-Victorian setting untouched pays dividends in the #MeToo era. Our heroine, Charlotte Holmes, uses a mythical male “consulting detective” as a socially acceptable front for her unladylike crime-solving skills—a premise that allows readers access to the distaff side of Arthur Conan Doyle’s London, where even wealthy women are second-class citizens: denied of basic rights; entirely dependent on their husbands or fathers; and precariously vulnerable to blackmailers, bounders, and fortune hunters.

With its contemporary gender politics against a background of lush historical scene-setting and twisty puzzles the original Holmes might have described as “three-pipe problems,” the series has resonated with readers. The contrast between Charlotte’s brilliant, autistic mind and her awkward emotional naiveté remains compelling. But if you’re not already reading it, you might as well stop reading this right now, because the fourth installment in the series, The Art of Theft, is strictly for (Lady) Sherlockians. Go back to 2016’s A Study in Scarlet Women and proceed from there.

Unfortunately, even fans (among whom I count myself) may have trouble navigating this book’s Byzantine plot and bloated cast of characters. There’s a maharani, a secluded château, a masquerade ball, AND a mysterious Van Dyck painting. I love an art heist; disappointingly, the planned art heist at the center of the narrative turns out to be a red herring, quickly and confusingly discarded. Charlotte is, as always, three steps ahead of the reader (and everyone else in the vicinity), but here her astonishing deductions seem like contrivances designed to leapfrog through an overstuffed narrative.

Ultimately, its own logistics bog down this carefully engineered mystery, heavily indebted to Ocean’s 11. Charlotte spends much of The Art Of Theft hopping back and forth from London to Paris accompanied by a large and incestuous entourage, all toting their own emotional baggage. Thomas, who was an acclaimed romance novelist before branching into historical and young adult fiction, knows how to stoke sexual tension. But the central love story—after attaining a delicious peak in The Hollow of Fear–stalls out here, taking a backseat to the relationships of secondary characters, who multiply with each book. The gymnastics of keeping up the Sherlock ruse is beginning to strain readers’ credulity, and the evil machinations of the Moriarty crime family grow increasingly banal. Even Arthur Conan Doyle realized that a successful formula occasionally needs a splashy, standalone reboot. Where’s a gigantic hound when you need one?

Catching up on backlist reviews. I read this on publication day a year ago - I LOVED this book and can't wait to read and review the next book!

This is book 4 in the Lady Sherlock series and is definitely not a standalone. That being said, I highly recommend this historical mystery series. I’ll admit that there are a lot of characters that you need to learn in book 1, but once you’re in, I think you’ll fall in love with them! Plus, you’ll want to root for Charlotte and Lord Ingraham alongside me!
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These novels are clever and have just the right touch of romance. It’s so fun to follow along and then realize you really knew nothing, similar to Agatha Christie’s Poirot, but without the annoying sidekick and with a kickass female lead.

I really likd the plot of this book, it was interesting and was able to keep me there reading for long periods of time. I would love to keep reading more of this story, mainly what I am saying is I want more and would love to have it. All in all this book was a good read it was entertaining and the characters were interesting.

Compared to the other installments, particularly the prior one which hit high notes both plot and character-wise, The Art of Theft feels like a bridge book in plot lines. The pace is a bit slow, and there's not as much development as I want, particularly with the plot also being rather underwhelming.

However, I enjoy this cast quite a bit. Sherry Thomas' writing is always good, and the constant snark between the characters is a consistent delight. I will forever wish they were more romantic (think Veronica Speedwell), especially given the fact that Thomas began as a romance author, but I do think they're rather good.

This installment is the weakest thus far, but it's certainly not enough to put me off the series. The limited plot here does line things up for a much more intense subsequent volume, and I'm curious to see things play out.

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas.

Every book gives you a great glimpse into Charlotte’s character and fashion sense. I would actually like to see these dresses she wears since it seems so uncommon for the times. I am not sure I mentioned previously but each book starts off where the last book left off. It is like a continuing saga with a moment by moment play by play.

In this story the lady who comes for Sherlock’s services figures out there is no man behind the curtain and decides not to use their services since a woman was behind it all. Turns out this Indian Queen is very familiar with Mrs. Watson. And Watson wants to help this lady so much she elicits the help of everyone in her quest.

For those who are not as open-minded about same sex pairings, you might not want to par take in this book since there is quite a lot of it here. Apparently, it wasn’t uncommon for the times… it just wasn’t spoken of. The entire masquerade at the Yuletide Ball was quite an eye opening affair for all of the characters.

We learn a whole lot about the cast as the mystery unfolds. The mystery is stellar, as it always is in books like this. And the characters are very fun to watch and follow along with. I am not sure if I am in Team Marry Him Already or Team Alone where Charlotte and Lord Ingram’s relationship is concerned. I love having him in the cast and assisting with the solving of the mystery but I am not sure what would happen should they finally get together. I wouldn’t want that dratted Moonlighting moment where them getting together ruins the entire series.

This story is awesome and I love the adventure and whodunit as much as the cast and character building. Definitely give this series a go!

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I love this series so much! I usually tear through each book in about two days. This new mystery was a departure from the earlier ones, in that it was more of a heist, which I loved. I liked seeing all of the main characters working together, and I loved the gentle, slow ramp-up of the romance between Charlotte and Lord Ingram and Olivia and Mr. Marbleton. Can't wait to read new installments!

Another great entry to a strong series. Thomas continues to write a strong and compelling mystery that cheekily plays with, and updates, the Sherlock lore and world without ever being constrained by it.

I've had this book for what feels like forever! I'm surprised I waited this long to read The Art of Theft after how much I loved the first three Lady Sherlock books. I believe I called them my "My Brand New Obsession". With the 5th book coming out later this year, I decided it was finally time I took a plunge back into Charlotte Holmes' and her team's lives again. When I say this series is brilliant, I truly do mean it!

Though Charlotte was still a major character in The Art of Theft, I thought that her character development took a step back here. Instead, the focus is on some of the secondary characters such as Mrs. Watson, Livia, and Mr. Marbleton. While I do love Charlotte with all of my heart, I found that getting to know the secondary characters was an equally enjoyable experience as being inside Charlotte's head. The Art of Theft gives us insight into Mrs. Watson's past and I have to say, it was all so fascinating. Who knew that Mrs. Watson had a romantic dalliance with a maharani in her younger days!

When the maharani seeks Mrs. Watson's help in stealing a pricey and famous painting at an exclusive art auction at a Chateau in France, Charlotte and her friends come together for Mrs. Watson's sake although this way outside their scope of detective work. I loved that the mystery in this book involved all the characters coming together to basically plan what is a heist. We got to see how they all worked together as a team and their dynamics with each other. As with the other books, Charlotte and co soon find out that the case is much more convoluted than they originally realized. While I wasn't as invested in this mystery this time around, I still admired how clever Sherry Thomas was with its execution. There's no doubt in my mind that she is absolutely the most brilliant and I can't see any other author who can do this series justice.

Livia also gets her chance to shine in The Art of Theft. She's someone I've always found endearing and I grew to love her even more here. Her relationship with Mr. Marbleton is genuinely one of the sweetest and most mutually caring romantic relationships I've read about but it's rife with the complications of Mr. Marbleton's identity. Livia finally finds the courage to finish the book she is writing in this installment and I foresee a lot more growth from her in the subsequent installments of this series.

If you've read my reviews for the previous books, you know that one of my favorites parts of the Lady Sherlock series is the romance between Charlotte and her friend. It's very much of a slow-burn romance, but the romantic tension has been making it 100% worth the while. I'll be honest, after what happened in the last book, I thought for sure we'd see more progression in their relationship here. I guess Sherry Thomas isn't done torturing us though. *cries* Anyways, I did like that we begin to see Charlotte reflect about her relationship with him a lot more here which makes me think we're definitely going to see something happen very soon (PLEASE SHERRY THOMAS). As always, he is PINING for Charlotte in his own way while respecting her boundaries. God, do I love that man and as I've said repeatedly, I'm ready for them to take all that tension and fire between them to the sheets!

If you haven't tried this series yet, please join me in my suffering of waiting for my ship to sail! Plus, these books are some of the most brilliant mystery stories I've read and The Art of Theft was no different.

I'm an impatient romance reader at heart so I was frustrated with the romantic angle a bit but aside from that I loved this one.

The Art of Theft
The Lady Sherlock Series #4
Sherry Thomas
Berkley, October 2019
ISBN 978-0-451-49247-0
Trade Paperback

Once upon a time, Sherry Thomas created the first of a retelling of the Sherlock Holmes adventures and, my word, what a charming series this is so far. Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson are a delightful pair and they channel the original Holmes and Watson with a feminine aplomb that makes Sherlock himself much more accessible.

Charlotte is a successful detective, having solved numerous cases, but she’s going to have to become something of an art thief this time. The target is a particular very valuable painting but it’s the documents secreted on the back of the painting that she needs to obtain; if she can’t do so, her client will be ruined. Charlotte recruits her usual partners in crime, so to speak, and the merry band sets off to attend a masked ball and art sale at a certain chateau in France. Charlotte is the true brains of the group but she couldn’t pull this off without the able assistance of Stephen Marbleton and Lord Ingram, not to mention her sister, Livia, and the pragmatic Mrs. Watson.

There’s a great deal of fun to be had in this latest tale but the reader who’s new to the series should probably start with the first book, A Study in Scarlet Women, to enjoy the books to the fullest. If you’re like me, you’ll fall head over heels for Charlotte and company.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, June 2020.

I wish I had liked this book better. It was fine, but it strays a bit too far from a Sherlock book and into a heist book for me. Ordinarily I like a heist book just fine, but the mix of heist-plus-Sherlocking went down like a swirl of peanut butter in a grilled cheese sandwich. I like both of those things, but together? It just didn’t feel right.

In addition to having certain heist elements that usually bug me (most notably, the Ocean’s Eleven “our hero had a plan for this all along, we just didn’t show the audience”), there are also interludes with Lieutenant Attwood, an “associate” of Ash’s from his spying days. The interactions with Attwood feel a bit like a backdoor pilot on your favorite tv show. While he and Charlotte are doing some spying, he makes a vague reference to a deadly female of his acquaintance. Yes, I would absolutely love to read a spy assassin book… but again, there’s a bit too much going on here. I hope we see Attwood in his own series in the future… but I’d rather like my detective book to go back to being a detective book.

None of this will prevent me from reading the next book—the end of this book jumps right into the premise of book 6, where Inspector Treadles has apparently been charged with murder. Hopefully it will be a swift return to form!

I absolutely adore the Lady Sherlock series from Sherry Thomas. The Art of Theft is the latest release in the series, and it was every bit as wonderful as I was expecting. I love spending time with this cast of characters, and love even more it grew a bit with this installment. As The Art of Theft picks up where the last installment left off, it is best to read the books in this series in order.

I love the way Charlotte's mind works. I'm always at least 3 steps behind her in figuring out what is going on in every single book. Ms. Thomas has written a character with such depth in Charlotte, that she keeps me guessing with each new installment. I have to say I did love learning more about Mrs. Watson's past along the way in this book. She seems to reveal just a bit more about her past to Charlotte with every book. The fact that Charlotte's sister Livia is the one telling each new tale to the readers have me loving her more with each new book. She is much quieter than Charlotte in every way, yet I feel like she is starting to come into her own the more time she spends with Charlotte and Mrs. Watson. I absolutely adored the time with Lord Ingram (Ash) and continue to want Charlotte and Ash to be more.

There were so many twists and turns in The Art of Theft I was even more off my game in figuring out the mystery than I normally am with this series, and I absolutely loved it kept me guessing. I find myself loving this series more and more with each new installment. The Lady Sherlock series has become one of my favorite series in the historical mystery genre and I anxiously await each new installment.

Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher

SherryThomas’s Holmes series is just fantastic. Clever, complex, beautiful world building and character development. Gently explores feminist ideas through a historical period. The mysteries are great too but it’s the characters that make her books shine. Art of the Theft gives us more excellent character development. I can’t get enough of these characters. They are so real.

Charlotte Holmes is blond, pretty, very feminine and frilly, too fond of sweets, and far too intelligent for the time period. Essentially the opposite of what the traditional image is of Sherlock. Lord Ingram Ashburton, a long time friend who cares very deeply for her even if she doesn't return his feelings will assist Charlotte no matter what. Mrs. John Watson, a retired stage actress who has become Charlotte's unique and talented sidekick is the reason Holmes takes up this cause. Charlotte's adult younger sister, Olivia, has escaped the controlling grasp of her parents for a few weeks and follows Charlotte into the scheme. Plus, she will get some time with Mr. Marbleton who she is quite fond of. Stephen Marbleton is in hiding from the dangerous Moriarity and takes part at great peril.

The setting is both London and the remote French country side surrounding the French chateau where the exclusive auction will take place. The French location is wonderfully atmospheric and presents its own challenges to the heist, giving the story added stakes.

The series has exciting killer/villain reveals and this was no different. I enjoy how the Sherlock we know is turned on his head and re-imagined brilliantly. This is a historical heist as well as a cat and mouse game. Nothing is as it seems and only the mind behind Sherlock Holmes is up to the task of seeing through the maze to the true intentions. This can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel, but I suggest at least starting with the book just prior to this one, The Hollow of Fear, to better understand the relationship between Charlotte and Lord Ingram.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list