A wonderful sequel that continues following Charlotte Holmes and the other characters we have grown to love on their adventures. Doing a favor for a former friend of Watson, the gang goes to France to recover something; Previous relationships are expanded and sometimes stalled in a way that keeps the reader in suspense but mostly fulfilled. Lord Ingram has character growth that I appreciate. I can't wait to reread the series.

I have enjoyed this series by Sherry Thomas. The plots of the mysteries appealed to me in the past, with the background romances adding a nice bonus. The plot of this title was so very intricate, I got a bit bogged down halfway though the book. I enjoy this author very much and liked this book. I just didn't enjoy it as much as other titles in the series.

This was another fun and engaging installment in the adventures of Miss Charlotte Holmes. This go-round we learned a great deal about Mrs. Watson's past and got a bit more development in the relationship between Charlotte and Lord Ingram. The latter being my only real disappointment. There's slow burn and then there is Charlotte and Lord Ingram. The bulk of their relationship happens "off-screen" so to speak, between the last book and this one and so far it has just not been very satisfying. This one ends quite abruptly as well and sets up the next book to begin right after the events of this one. The mystery was interesting and the action kept me engaged throughout.

The latest installment in Sherry Powell’s Lady Sherlock series, The Art of Theft, continues to impress. This book sees Charlotte Holmes and company on more of a traditional adventure/caper. All hands are on deck for what at first seems to be a fairly simple extraction of an artwork from an auction, but develops into a complicated, dangerous exploit in enemy territory. I enjoyed seeing more interaction between the core group of Charlotte, Mrs. Watson, and Lord Ingram, as well as the welcome additions of Livia Holmes, Mr. Marbleton, and Leighton Atwood, a compatriot of Lord Ingram’s. The story was, at various times, exciting, romantic, heartbreaking, and intricate. If you are a fan of the Lady Sherlock series, you will not be disappointed. If you’re not yet a fan, I encourage you to give the series a try!

Ms. Thomas addresses some of the inequities between men and women in the late 19th century, while bringing us a beguiling heroine, loyal to her family and friends, and more than a little quirky. Like many brilliant people, Charlotte can't seem to grasp many of the social nuances that everyone else seems to take for granted. I find myself pondering whether she might be on the autism spectrum, especially since her older sister appears to be severely autistic. In any case, a very engrossing series, with characters I've taken to my heart.

3.5 stars rounded out to 4 stars.

A smoke and mirrors heist. Livia being one of the main character is a good thing. It's historical Leverage. I liked it. Charlotte is great mastermind. It is a really fun romp.

All characters grow and shine. We get a new character I'm hoping we will see again. Empowered women and men characters. Diverse characters.

It's faithful to the spirit of Doyle's but the series is now creating its own spirit and canon. It gets better with each new installment.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, there were a lot of small niggling errors in the text that bothered me--it seemed like every chapter there was at least one instance of words missing from sentences, where you have to reread the sentence to understand it because it's missing a pivotal "to." I know I was reading an ARC, but I still expected a little more editing. In addition, the heist plot is centered around the theft of a Van Dyck painting, but at one point the characters refer to "the Van Gogh." I was needlessly confused, not least because Van Gogh died in 1890 whereas the Lady Sherlock books seem to be set in the 1880's (and Van Gogh's popularity didn't spread until after his death).

There were a few things in The Art of Theft that I either forgot from previous books, or were new revelations--for instance, I had no idea that Penelope was actually Mrs. Watson's daughter. And it took me a surprisingly long amount of time to realize that Lieutenant Atwood was from The Hidden Blade & My Beautiful Enemy, which I apparently remember very little.

The heist plotline alternated between being straightforward, and then concealing information from the reader until Thomas revealed it. I'm never a fan of when a mystery withholds information for the sake of a twist, so that irritated me a bit. Charlotte and Lord Ingram's relationship seems back on the endless UST train, so I guess marginal progress on that front? However, I thought that Livia and Mr. Marbleton were very sweet, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about Mrs. Watson's past.

The ending, though....I hate cliffhangers, and this was such a blatant sequel setup. Sherry Thomas, you don't have to end on a cliffhanger! I'll read the next one anyway!

The reader’s copy on my kindle was unreadable. Sorry I cannot review this title. Please feel free to send another download.

The fourth book in this series might just be the best. Interesting back story on Mrs. Watson, Sherlock's simmering romance with "Ash", Livia and Mr. Marbleton with a case of blackmail thrown in. This all makes for an involving story that leads right into the next book. I can't wait.

I greatly enjoyed Sherry Thomas' 4th entry in this series, particularly the deepening of relationships.

I just discovered the Lady Sherlock series about a month ago. I am a huge fan of anything Sherlockian so I thought I would try this series out. I was not disappointed! Thomas's ability to place original Sherlock characteristics into her characters is amazing. While reading I was easily able to connect different characters from the original to this version. I love that the story is woman centered. Charlotte Holmes is exactly what I thought a female Sherlock Holmes would be. Her relationship with Lord Ingram also adds a nice layer to the books. Overall a great series and I can't wait for more.

This book was excellent in that you really begin to see the workings of Moriarty. I was curious as to how Thomas would bring that element in and you see it leading up to this book. This book however is the first time you really get and understanding of his influence and power.

Having read the previous three titles in this series I am absolutely delighted to have continued with "The Art of Theft." Thomas continues the series with her cast of intriguing characters, vibrant mysteries, and page turning text. This gender-swapped series of Sherlock Holmes is bound to hook any Sherlockian with the first installment but they will not be disappointed with the fourth either.

It feels like I have waited forever to get to read this fourth book. And now I finally had that chance. Giving this precious book five stars. I don't think any book will ever be as good as The Hollow of Fear was to me, but this one was still perfect. And I enjoyed it so very much. This series is simply perfection. Sigh. I love it so.

This fourth book was beyond good. Getting to read more about Charlotte and Lord Ingram and Livia and Mrs. Watson and just everyone was simply the best. Adore these characters beyond words. They are all awesome. The writing in this was stunning too. And so easy to read. The historical parts are so very good.

There is so much I could say about this series. And so much I'm not going to say. Because my mind goes blank every time I try to figure out how to put down words of my love. How rude. As I so very much love these books about Miss Charlotte Holmes and her friends. I love the mysteries they all try their best to solve. I love all of the different food that they eat. All the different places they visit. Just. Gosh. How I love every part of this world Sherry has created. I love that it is set in the past. I love that it is old fashioned. Okay, so many things were pretty horrible back in those days, but it's still so interesting to read about. This book takes place not long after the end of book three. I love how it is a series that moves forward, but not too fast. I love all of the details.

I shall not say too much about this fourth book. Only that I loved it a whole lot. I wish there had been more romance, ha, which I always do. But honestly, I simply loved reading more about Charlotte and Ash. And getting to learn even more about them. Ash, aka Lord Ingram, is such a special man. I love every part of him. And we learn more about him as a person in this one. He is kind of broken and I love that about him. But yes, I very much need Charlotte to heal him, haha. They fit together very well. Sigh. They are so cute.

Anyway. This book does not take that much place in London, as the other books. Instead they all travel to Paris to help a client. They are going to rob someone. Steal a painting. And this is no easy thing. There is so much planning that happens. So many secrets that comes out. And it was all exciting and interesting to read about. There is a scene about someone having to walk in cold water; it was pretty heartbreaking, but so very good. Oh, how much I love all of these characters. All of them has a special place in my heart.

I will not say much about the plot in this book. Only that there is still so much to learn about everything and everyone. They all have secrets. And many of them were revealed in this fourth book. Which I truly enjoyed a whole lot. The mystery is still good and I love that there is one big case in each book. Though this case did not feel like it ended. And that has me worried. Yet so excited too. My favorite parts of this book was reading about Charlotte and Ash spending time together. So good. But I love them all so much.

A whole lot of book three focused on the romance between Charlotte and Ash. In this fourth book it was barely there. Which ruined my heart a little bit. But not too much, because there was a reason for it, which is a good reason, but still. My poor heart. Even though they are still not together, they still feel so much for each other. There are still hints of what may come. And every glance between them made me so excited. Sigh. They are perfect together. And I need so much more. Oops. They're also such great friends as well.

But gosh, now I need the next book even more. Because this book ended on such a rude cliffhanger. I must know what happens next to everyone. This fourth book did not have Inspector Treadles at all. What even. Not until the final page. And now I am beyond curious about book five. It will be so good, I know it. But waiting for it will be the worst, haha. The end of this was full of twists. Of things that are so completely complicated and has me beyond worried about what might happen next. So excited for it all, though, eee.

The Art of Theft was a completely stunning book. Filled with the same mystery and suspense as the first three. It still has the same characters whom I love beyond words. They keep growing and becoming even better and my love just keeps growing for them all too. I am fully invested in all their lives and completely worried about them all. It's the most exciting thing. I ship these almost romances so very much. They are both very complicated. But so real and so perfect. Sigh. This book was everything that I needed it to be.

Okay, fine, it did not have the romance that I do desperately needed, haha. But that is okay. Because my favorite characters are still together, still solving crimes, still speaking to each other. And still very much in love with each other, even though they do not really admit so. Sigh. Charlotte and Ash has such longing for each other that it kills me. I need a happy ending for them more than anything. Okay, I must have at least ten books with them together and happy, haha. That's not too much to ask, I hope. Fingers crossed.

If you have still not read the Lady Sherlock books then you really must get started. The Art of Theft is the fourth one. And more will be coming. I hope. I hope this series never ends. As Sherry is such an amazing writer and such a kind and sweet person. I need more of Charlotte, always. These books are a must read. It is such an amazing historical mystery series about a female Sherlock Holmes. With a whole bunch of awesome side characters whom we also get to read from pretty often. I completely love every single one.

This is the first book in this series that I have read, but will go back and read the previous three titles and look forward to the author's next adventure with lady Sherlock, Mrs. Watson et al. It was a fun mystery with the caper set in a glittering French Christmas ballroom. I found the relationships between the characters delightful.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group - Berkley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a fan of the Lady Sherlock series and was so excited to hear the release of The Art of Theft. This one by far was my absolute favorite because this book contained every twist and turn imaginable and they only made the book better. Knowing the background of Charlotte and the cases she embarks in the first three books it was no surprise that this book was even more twisted than the last. Having the backstory of Charlotte and her involvement with the thievery of the artwork and the long kept secrets they entail.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Reviewed for Netgalley

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next Lady Sherlock book! Sherry Thomas delivers another delightful mystery with a hint of romance. Charlotte Holmes along with friends and family decide to take on an unusual case for a past paramour of Mrs. Watson. Not only do art thieves surround Charlotte and her crew as they attempt to gain access into a highly-secured castle event, but real danger lurks from familiar and unlikely sources. And although Charlotte's logic continues to drive her decisions, Lord Ingram and others keep possible passions stirring.

Sherry Thomas's LADY SHERLOCK series seriously gets better and better with each new installment. With the third book packing such a punch and upping the emotional stakes, I had initially worried that THE ART OF THEFT would take a few steps back. Luckily, those fears were unfounded. Engaging, swoon-worthy, and just all-around fun, this is not a series to be missed and I delight in recommending it to everyone.

Another great entry in the Lady Sherlock series. In this book, Charlotte Holmes and her friends have been hired to steal a painting in the middle of a masquerade ball at villa in France. No problem, right? As usual, everything is more than it first appears and the Holmes entourage have to pull off one complicated con. This was Ocean's 11 meets the 19th century, and it was so, so good. Already looking forward to the next!

I really enjoy the mysteries in this series and the character development. I can't wait to see what happens in the next one. I love the mysteries and never figure out what is going on (just like the original Sherlock Holmes). I like the interactions and relationships between the characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I hope for many more in the series.

The Art of Theft is the eagerly awaited fourth book in Sherry Thomas’ superb series of historical mysteries starring Charlotte Holmes, a most unusual young woman whose keen, logical mind and incredible deductive skills would have been completely disregarded in Victorian England had she not invented the infirm but brilliant brother Sherlock who is – in name only of course – the greatest detective the nation has ever seen.  While each book in the series has a central mystery that is solved by the end, there are a number of overarching plot-threads and recurring characters which mean it’s probably not the best idea to pick up The Art of Theft without having read the other novels in the series; readers will get much more out of the wonderfully intricate characterisation and the various relationships between the characters by starting at the beginning with book one, A Study in Scarlet Women.   Because of the way the books are interlinked, there will be spoilers for the rest of the series in this review.

The aftermath of the tumultuous events of The Hollow of Fear sees Lord Ingram Ashburton in the country looking after his children, Mrs. Watson in Paris with her niece, Miss Olivia Holmes nearing the completion of her Sherlock Holmes story, and Miss Charlotte Holmes helping to settle her eldest sister, Bernadette, whom she removed from a home, into her new surroundings.  It’s a brief period of quiet that is broken when Charlotte receives a request for help from someone identifying  themselves only as A Traveler from Distant Lands.

Deciding she needs a distraction – from caring for her sister and from pondering the shifting nature of her relationship with her long-time friend (and now, former lover) Lord Ingram - Charlotte arranges to meet this traveler, correctly assuming the request for help to have come from a woman in need.  Her visitor proves to be none other than an Indian maharani, who also turns out to be the first client ever to decline to use Sherlock Holmes’ services.  Charlotte immediately deduces that this is because the maharani needs someone who is able to do more than investigate; and her supposition is borne out not long afterwards when she and Mrs. Watson – who has confessed to Charlotte that she and the maharani had been lovers once upon a time – visit the maharani at her hotel to offer their assistance.

The lady is still resistant, but when Charlotte most ably demonstrates that she does indeed possess the skills the maharani needs to help with her current predicament, she explains that she is being blackmailed, and that she has been given specific instructions as to what to do in order to receive a packet of letters she does not wish seen by unfriendly eyes.  Every yuletide, an exclusive and extravagant art sale is held at Château Vaudrieu, just outside Paris.  The cream of French society flocks there, as do art connoisseurs, manufacturers, millionaires and princes from around the world – and the maharani’s letters are hidden in the back of a painting by Van Dyck.  She needs someone to steal the painting in order to retrieve the letters – and given the château’s location and the amount of security that surrounds the event, it will be no easy task.

Charlotte is certain that the maharani has not told them everything, but even so, she enlists the help of Lord Ingram and Mr. Stephen Marbleton, and soon they, together with Mrs. Watson and Olivia are crossing the channel and travelling to Paris, where they will meet up with one of Lord Ingram’s friends and allies, Lieutenant Attwood.  An initial reconnaissance mission of the château undertaken by Mr. Marbleton and Lord Ingram reveals that there Is much more going on there than preparations for a masquerade ball and grand art sale. Before long our intrepid band is plunged into something  that goes far beyond simple blackmail – and which will once again see them pitting their wits against the mysterious Moriarty, the shadowy criminal mastermind whose very existence has slowly become irrevocably intertwined with that of our protagonists.

If you’ve followed the series – and have followed my reviews of it – you may be asking yourself why I’ve not graded this book quite as highly as the last couple.  I did struggle with the grading because this whole series is more than a head and shoulders above almost every other similar series out there, and Sherry Thomas’ writing is so wonderfully clever and precise.  I liked pretty much everything about the book - the developments in the relationship between Stephen Marbleton and Olivia, which is plagued by seemingly insurmountable difficulties;  the inclusion of a past, lesbian love affair for Mrs. Watson and the subtle discussions of colonialism and the British Raj; and I was pleased to see Charlotte starting to face up to the truth of her feelings for Lord Ingram, and the uncertainty she’s feeling as to how they can return to their old, comfortable association now they’ve been (albeit very briefly) lovers. The mystery is as detailed, complex and well-executed as ever, and I enjoyed the ensemble nature of the story – including the appearance of Lieutenant Leighton Attwood from the author’s My Beautiful Enemy (and a nice nod to that novel’s heroine).  But after the drama of The Hollow of Fear and its late-book revelations about Lord Ingram’s (soon-to-be ex-) wife, his brother’s betrayal, and the steps forward and steps back in the complicated relationship between Lord Ingram and Charlotte, The Art of Theft sometimes felt as though it was treading water somewhat. The characters face physical danger, for sure, but the stakes simply don’t seem as high for them personally as in the previous book and I wasn’t as completely gripped by this story as I was by previous instalments.  I suspect Ms. Thomas is keeping her powder dry, though.  Looking at the bigger picture; with the middle book (The Hollow of Fear) of a five book series reaching a high point in the story arc,  it makes sense that following book (The Art of Theft) would be a kind of ‘interlude’ or transition before heading into the finale, which I am sure is going to be a corker, given the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter of this one!

Still, with all that said, The Art of Theft is a cracking tale, a sophisticated, fantastically well-conceived mystery featuring richly-detailed settings and fully rounded, multi-faceted characters whose relationship are drawn with considerable skill and insight. It may not be my favourite of the series, but it’s still a terrific read, and one I’m more than happy to recommend.

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