Thomas has an excellent knack for reimagining the Sherlock Holmes persona in woman form. Charlotte is as complex and misunderstood as Sherlock himself. This book continues to develop her character and others. You begin to see her changing in this book and her relationship with Ash is evolving as well. Thomas is able to weave an excellent mystery without trying too hard to do so.

Murder on Cold Street is the first book I have ready by Sherry Thomas. I have read all the Sherlock Holmes stories, so I was intrigued to read this literary spinoff who’s main character is Sherlock Holmes’ sister, Charlotte Holmes.

Sadly, I was gravely disappointed in the author’s plot and flow of the book. I have read numerous well-written historical fiction books, and, unfortunately, this one fails to uphold any historical authenticity. If an author is going to write historical fiction, she needs to do her research! The writing is clunky and the characters are extremely stilted in their words and actions. The plot jumps around like a person who is out of control on a pogo stick. I was constantly trying to figure out how the characters went from one scene to the next, because the scenes were all jumbled together. I understood that Sherlock Holmes was in hiding, but the author failed to reveal why he was in hiding and how the characters came to be in the positions they were in. All of this information may have been revealed in book 1, but the author should include some background information to her characters in each book in the series to provide her readers with credible knowledge of the characters, especially if readers are reading the books out of order.

I read the uncorrected ebook proof and I hope that ALL the grammatical errors and poor sentence structures are fixed before this book goes to publishing.

Oh, and in the book, Lady Sherlock is Charlotte’s mother. The title of this series is “Lady Sherlock.” Confusing….Ugh! And what is with ALL the carriage rides? One person would get out of the carriage, another person would get in, then there would be three people in a carriage, then someone would be walking up to a carriage or standing by a carriage….very convoluted.

If the author intended to give Charlotte Holmes a brilliant and observant mind, I did not find these characteristics of Charlotte exercised in this story. What I found Charlotte to be was a wealthy, eccentric woman with no morals who loved to eat cake. A very shallow character, indeed!

I know this is a harsh review, but keep in mind that this is only my opinion. I am not a professional reviewer or a literary specialist. You can take this review any way you want.
With that said, I would encourage readers to read this book after it has been published. It will be published on October 6, 2020. The corrected proof may be much better and I do hope someone finds this book enjoyable!

The 5th entry in the Lady Sherlock series finds Lucy Holmes trying to save the life and career of Inspector Treadles, who was found in a locked room with 2 corpses and a gun. What secret is so grave that the Inspector won't explain what happened? Lucy and friends investigate the murders and look into the business affairs of Mrs. Treadles. Could her family company hold the key to everything? Meanwhile Lucy and Lord Ingram continue to define their relationship as friends and possible lovers, while the Moriarty family continues to threaten those Lucy holds dear.

I have enjoyed the Lady Sherlock Series. This latest installment is no exception. The interactions between Charlotte and Ash are tantalizing. Mrs. Watson and "niece" are delightfully intelligent, empathetic and adventurous souls. It was interesting to see how the author could use the Inspector and Mrs. Treadles romantic relationship as a point of comparison to the developing relationship between Charlotte and Lord Ingram. It's also great to see Thomas's Inspector character prove himself an intelligent man and not another bumbling detective portrayal a la Lestrade. My only issue with Murder on Cold Street is that it felt a little uneven at times, and I didn't love the transitions from Charlotte's perspective to Lord Ingram's perspective. The conclusion perhaps lacked a little finesse. However, I still enjoyed the book as a whole and will look forward to the next Charlotte Holmes novel.

Another able entry into the Lady Sherlock series. This time, Charlotte’s not-quite ally Inspector Treadles is in the cross hairs of law enforcement and needs all of the gumption she and her associates can muster to free him from suspicion. Recommended for readers who would enjoy Sherlockian puzzles with a feminist bent.

Murder on Cold Street is the newest installment in the Lady Sherlock series. Inspector Treadles has been arrested for murder and his wife comes to Sherlock Holmes for help. I liked getting to hear more of Mrs. Treadles story. Sometimes Lord Ingram & Charlotte's back and forth can be a bit annoying, but luckily in Murder on Cold Street they are finally in agreement about the terms of their relationship. A solid addition to the series, and an improvement over #4. Would recommend to anyone who has read the first 4 and enjoyed them. Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for a copy!

Another respectable entry in this entertaining series. Technically it could stand alone, but I wouldn't recommend that new readers of the series start here. There's some necessary short-handing in the plot and character descriptions/relationships that are much more engaging and easier to follow if you've begun at the beginning.

Another really great Charlotte Holmes story. The mystery is excellent. The characters are fully fleshed out and really likeable. Of all of the Holmes retellings this is one of the best. I will keep reading this series as long as Thomas keeps writing and publishing them.

Another winner in the Lady Sherlock series! Inspector Treadles has been found at the scene of a double murder and the murder weapon is his own service revolver. Mrs. Treadles has hired Sherlock Holmes to clear her husband's name before he's formally charged with the crime. As always, the case is delightfully convoluted, but Charlotte Holmes and company are up for the challenge.

Though the mystery element is always well done, it's the characters that I enjoy the most. Charlotte and Lord Ingram are for once in agreement about their relationship and where it's headed. All of their interactions in the book just made me swoon, because they are in perfect harmony. Mrs. Watson is always fantastic and Olivia Holmes is ready to make moves of her own. There's a delicious hint at the end of where the series is going next and it's going to be good!

3 1/2 stars.

Having not read the previous four books in the series, I had some trouble at first discerning the backstory, especially that of Lord Ingram and Charlotte.

Not sure how I feel about Charlotte being Holmes himself, under the ruse of a sickly brother. I grew up watching the series with Jeremy Brett and he'll always be the best Sherlock to me.

As far as the mystery goes, it was well done and it kept me at the edge of my seat. The romance is very secondary and there are great many characters in the story.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sherry Thomas and Charlotte Holmes are back at it again in this mystery! Charlotte and the rest of her gang race against the Christmas clock to prevent their friend Inspector Treadles from the noose. Inspector Treadles was found locked in a room with two dead men who are associates of his wife and his service revolver having fired the shots. The plot is perfectly drawn out and the character development continues to enrich the narrative of the book. Is this an isolated incident of Treadles being in the wrong place at the wrong time or is the long arm of Moriarty working against them once again? You'll have to read it to find out and you won't be able to put the book down!

I love Sherlock Holmes!! And I love Ms. Thomas' twist with Charlotte. I also love the characters and the development of the characters in each new book in the series. Another really good read.