I enjoy this series, and this book was no different. Not my favourite of the series, it took a bit to get going and it took me longer than I’d like to get my head around the story, but eventually I settled into it. It felt very agatha christie-ish, which I am not mad at all. I will continue this series, though I think the first few will always my favourites.

This is the seventh book in the Lady Sherlock series, and when I found out it was set on a ship, I was excited. I like closed circle mysteries, though I just discovered that phrase. I knew this wasn’t quite a locked room mystery, so I did some sleuthing (see what I did there?) to discover the term. There’s something elegant about a well-done closed circle mystery. I think I may have also hoped that the mystery here would be easier to follow with a limited number of characters and elements at play. (I am on record as finding the books in this series somewhat hard on my brain; I always need the resolution explained to me at the end, preferably in detail and using simple words.)

I was definitely wrong in assuming that the mystery would be less byzantine than usual.

Charlotte Holmes has boarded the RMS Provence in Southampton with a mission: to retrieve an important dossier for the British government. In the previous book in the series, Miss Moriarty, I Presume , Charlotte faked her own death (with the help of her friends) to escape the deadly attentions of supervillain Moriarty. Now she has been given an opportunity to return to life under the protection of the government, but only if she finds the papers they seek. Her target is a German governess traveling with two young charges.

Due to being supposedly dead, Charlotte is in disguise when she appears publicly aboard the ship. She’s not alone of course; others of her coterie on board include her companion and partner in crime(solving), Mrs. Watson, her lover and friend Lord Ingram Ashburton, and her sister Livia and her distant relative Mrs. Newell.

There are others aboard who are not strangers to Charlotte: Roger Shrewsbury and his wife are traveling aboard the Provence. In book one of the series, Charlotte had Roger deflower her for reasons that are a little fuzzy in my brain but I think had to do with her desire to avoid being married off by her parents. Unfortunately, they were discovered by Mrs. Shrewsbury, and Charlotte was very publicly ruined. Not that she minded much, as it has allowed her to slip into her Sherlock Holmes persona and live independently of her awful parents.

Speaking of which, Charlotte’s awful, terrible mother and her maid, Norbert, show up at the last minute, sailing very unexpectedly eastward. Since the cost of the trip is beyond Lady Holmes’ meager funds, her presence is particularly unsettling. How did she manage to book passage, and why?

Also aboard is Inspector Brighton of Scotland Yard, who served as an antagonist in book five in the series, Murder on Cold Street. He comes to the forefront of the story when a murder occurs during the ship’s first storm-tossed night out of harbor.

But I’m not done with the characters yet! I think I covered previously appearing ones; here are the new characters:

Mr. Arkwright and his sister Miss Arkwright – we first see them in a hotel near the docks before they board the ship. He is a wealthy self-made man traveling back to his home in Australia with his recently rediscovered sister, whom he had left in England years before. Roger Shrewsbury inadvertently and very publicly insults the sister in the hotel lobby and gets a punch in the face from Mr. Arkwright for his trouble.

Mr. Russell, a nasty snobbish man who is traveling with the Shrewsburys; he’s Mrs. Shrewsbury’s cousin.

Mr. Gregory, a dapper middle-aged gentleman who attracts the attention of several women on board.

Frau Schmidt, the aforementioned governess, and her two charges.

Mr. Pratt, about whom I recall nothing except that he was sniffing around Miss Arkwright, likely because of her brother’s wealth.

Various other minor characters: a valet, the ship’s captain, the ship’s doctor, a couple of army officers that appear in a few scenes…I think that’s it.

So, approaching two dozen characters. One of my notes, late in the book when a character is mentioned, was simply, “who?”

As mentioned, a murder occurs on the first night at sea, and fingers start to be pointed everywhere. This both complicates Charlotte’s task (remember the dossier?) and imperils her secret identity. With Inspector Brighton interviewing everyone on board, how long can she avoid being unmasked?

Ash manages to get himself into the interviews as the Inspector’s notetaker, as well as sort of a informal junior detective on the case. I thought that was a little weird, given their antagonistic relationship during Murder on Cold Street, but it does give him the opportunity to brief Holmes on the findings and perform a little misdirection in order to protect her secret.

The story becomes a race against time, as Charlotte and Ash work to solve the murder before her identity is uncovered. The ship is approaching Gibraltar, where police reinforcements will make it even more difficult to continue the disguise.

There is also the question of whether Moriarty has an operative aboard the ship as well, and if so, who?

The resolution of the mystery was clever (they always are!) but also felt a bit random, in part because I wasn’t able to glean any clues that lead me in the right direction ahead of time. That’s not unusual for me with this series, and it may be that I just don’t try enough, but I think the end result is that sense of randomness. There were, however, some other revelations at the end that felt more “earned” and which I found interesting.

The romance between Charlotte and Ash makes some quiet strides: she has become more comfortable with her emotions as they relate to him, a circumstance that Ash thought might never occur.

I’m not quite sure how to grade this one – though I’ve often said that my problems with the complicated plots are just that, my problems (because by this time I know what to expect) – at the same time I feel like A Tempest at Sea had just way more characters than necessary to tell the story. It felt like a good third of them were just there to confuse things. The book took a while for me to get into, and I think the number of characters was part of the problem there, as well.

I’m still looking forward to the next book in the series, especially if we are headed into the home stretch (I believe this was slated to be a 10-book series, at least at one point). I’ll give this book a high B-.

Best,

Jennie

Sherry Thomas continues her Lady Sherlock series with A Tempest at Sea. Instead of a locked room mystery the murder takes place on a luxury yacht HMS Provence. Charlotte Holmes is searching for stolen crown dossier which is on its way to the Germans. An Australian ex pat is murdered enroute back to Australia with his British sister. A British inspector is on board and takes on the case. Charlotte and her lover Lord Ingram also hunt the murderer. Charlotte is handicapped by the presence of her mother and sister. Lots of dirty social linen is aired and no one comes away unscathed. Enjoy.

I love the Lady Sherlock series, so was excited to read Sherry Thomas' latest installment, A Tempest at Sea. My enjoyment, however, may have suffered from my high expectations. I was worried that Thomas had written herself into a corner with the ending of book 6, and that narrative choice did, indeed, place limiting parameters on book 7.

One of the things I enjoy about this series is the relationships between the characters. While the setting of an ocean voyage brought an assortment of well-known characters together, their personal interactions were minimal. And the ways in which so many interconnected individuals found themselves together on one particular ship (not just Charlotte's friends and family, but also the characters newly introduced to the series) felt overly coincidental.

I'm hoping that book 9 returns to form, allowing Charlotte's full personality to shine and giving my favorite supporting characters more time on the stage.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Sherry Thomas doesn't disappoint in this newest installment of the LADY SHERLOCK series. She knows how to weave a compelling mystery and keep characters fresh while also keeping them familiar to us. It's why we keep returning to them. I used this ARC to prep for my interview with her, and she gave great insight into the craft of writing a mystery series with a dash of romance. It was wonderful! Thank you for the ARC. I already can't wait for the next book!

My only regret in reading this dazzling novel is that I did not start the Lady Sherlock books sooner than here with this excellent seventh installment in the series. I have read plenty of Sherlock Holmes pastiches, many of above-average intelligence and charm, but I was simply blown away, as by the titular tempest, with the craftsmanship, cleverness and compassion used to tell this extraordinary tale.

Since her fall from polite society, Lady Charlotte Holmes has turned her hand to the career of a consulting detective. With some assistance from her sister and friends, she’s found herself to be quite good at the job, even if she has had to resort to assuming a man’s guise to do it. Unfortunately, that kind of success tends to attract unwanted attention, as her assistant, the former actress Mrs Watson, ruefully reflects:

QUOTE
But she, who had first put the idea to Miss Charlotte to hang out shingles as Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, ought to have known that the simple act of helping people and finding out the truth could never be so simple. One person helped was another’s path blocked. And society ran on appearances, not truths. Unearthed facts revealed everything that had been buried with them, everything that those with appearances to keep, profits to turn, and powers to accumulate did not wish to see laid bare, dirt, blood, and all.

It was always going to be a dangerous career.
END QUOTE

So dangerous, in fact, that Charlotte has had to fake her own death in order to escape the ongoing attentions of the ruthless criminal mastermind Moriarty. Fortunately, she might have found a way to come in out of the proverbial cold. Lord Remington, the man in charge of much of British intelligence gathering, will offer her the not-inconsiderable protection of his office if she can successfully complete one small task for him: discover the location of a secret dossier that is most likely being smuggled abroad by Prussian agents.

Charlotte is game, though she knows she has to lay low in case any of Moriarty's people suspect she is still alive and are on the alert for her. Anyone could be in the kingpin’s employ, so when the dossier’s trail leads to the RMS Provence, Charlotte and Mrs Watson will have to book quarters under assumed identities in order to continue sleuthing incognito.

The murder of another passenger once the liner is well under way puts all of Charlotte’s plans in jeopardy. She’ll have to play a very dangerous game of cat and mouse, helping to bring the killer to justice and close the murder case quickly, without having her own secrets exposed by a long investigation. In this, she’s aided by several of her allies aboard the Provence, including her lover Lord Ingram, whose skills in taking shorthand have him quickly drafted by the inspector in charge to act as amanuensis on the case. Being in the thick of both the murder investigation and the counterespionage efforts, though, has Lord Ingram metaphorically flinching at shadows, wondering if the detective himself might be Moriarty’s agent aboard the ship:

QUOTE
Was Inspector Brighton merely following up on any and all lines of inquiry or had he, as Moriarty’s minion, sensed irregularities that might lead him to Charlotte Holmes?

Or was Lord Ingram thinking too much and too deeply when Inspector Brighton but possessed a voracious appetite for gossip and used the power of his office to satisfy his personal curiosity?
END QUOTE

Murder investigations, after all, tend to dig up all the unsavory secrets society would rather leave buried, as Mrs Watson and Charlotte know all too well. Will the collateral damage from this case leave many more victims than just the dead person, or will our intrepid sleuths be able to save any number of reputations and, ultimately, more than one innocent person from punishment for crimes they did not commit?

Series fans will adore all the satisfying conclusions to long standing plot threads expertly sewn up in this novel. I do admit to feeling a little lost at first amidst all the background I hadn’t been privy to before picking up this book, but any confusion quickly fell by the wayside as I was swept up into the intrigue and heart of this classic murder mystery. Sherry Thomas has written a brilliant story that compassionately considers the importance of reputation in Victorian society, while also subtly indicating how some truths are unfortunately timeless no matter how much society purports to change. I’ll definitely be going back to enjoy the rest of this series from the very start, and look forward to reading much more of this author’s work.

This series started out as a DNF for me. I couldn’t get into the first book when I picked it up the first time so I put it down as a DNF and almost wrote the series off all together. But it bugged me so bad that I didn’t like this series! So many of my friends around the blog-o-sphere loved it and honestly it SHOULD be a series that I love. So after some consideration, I picked up the first book and decided to try again. I am so glad I did because I loved it and binge read all the books that had some out at that point so I could be ready for more in the series!

Sometimes that happens with readers—it’s like the right book and the wrong time and it can be so hard to decide if it was that I wasn’t in the mood for that book or if I really just didn’t care for it. Some books I can absolutely tell that I just don’t like it but with others it could be that I am just not in the right headspace for a particular book, which is why this series needled me so bad! I am glad I decided to give it another go as it has been a very enjoyable series and this book was another great installment.

If you haven’t checked this series out yet it’s great for fans of Sherlock Holmes but with a feminine twist! Author, Sherry Thomas, does a great job staying true to the character of Sherlock Holmes but with a gender bender, but the methods and problem solving that Holmes is known for is seen reflected in these charming characters. If you love historical mysteries this is a great place to start! Both familiar but new!

Summary
Charlotte Holmes’s brilliant mind and deductive skills are pulled into a dangerous investigation at sea in the new mystery in the bestselling Lady Sherlock series.

After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking to recover, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.

Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence, sailing from Southampton for the eastern hemisphere. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder also takes place on the ship.

Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I will say that this isn’t the book to randomly pick up in the series and expect to know what’s going on. I wouldn’t start this series here if you haven’t read other books in it. There are references to past cases and past enemies and I think at this point there is a larger established back story that I think new readers would find confusing and lost. I recommend starting at the beginning to fully understand the history of some reoccurring characters and plots. You definitely want the full experience by this book. There are a lot of characters from previous books that impact this one so do yourself a favor and go back to book one so you can appreciate all the nuances of this one.

This book also had a lot of new characters and relationships and motive to keep straight. While this murder mystery takes place on a boat, there are still a lot of characters with various motives to keep track of. Also Holmes and Mrs Watson are in disguise from Moriarty so they have alter-egos and names which add two additional characters to keep track of and remember who they were. That was a little difficult for me at the beginning of the story so I had to slow down and go back and be like ‘oh ya that’s Holmes!’. But once I got accustomed to it, I had no problem tracking. I loved the setting for this one too. I love lock room mysteries and this one had a great setting and a lot of twists that kept me on my toes and engaged in the story.

I have loved getting to know these characters in each of the books and see them grow and change in their narratives. Having the reappearance of characters from previous books really enhanced my reading experience and I loved the introduction of new characters as well. Lots of people had motive and the end was one I didn’t see coming. I think that was a great follow up book to book six and really sets the stage for upcoming mysteries in the series. As always Thomas stayed true to the Holmes character and methods and wrote with historical authority! Another great installment to a fantastic series and one I now can’t stop raving about!

Book Info and Rating
Format: 336 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2023 by Berkley

ISBN 9780593200605 (ISBN10: 0593200608)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: historical mystery

This latest book in this series might be the best yet. A voyage at see with Holmes in disguise doing some spy work for the government While at the same time there is a murder on board the ship whose passengers include her mother, sister and Lord Ingram. The who do it is very good with a very good surprise ending.

First, a warning: if you have not read the previous Lady Sherlock books, don't start here! A Tempest at Sea is book #7, and there's a ton of backstory needed from previous volumes.

A Tempest at Sea felt more like an Agatha Christie novel (maybe I'm thinking of Death on the Nile) than Thomas's typical Holmes pastiche, as everyone is stuck on the RMS Provence in the middle of the Atlantic. Past mysteries have tended to be very convoluted, but the conclusion for this one was surprisingly simple.

HOWEVER: there was no way to figure this out concurrently with Charlotte, or even ahead of time. Significant events are concealed from the reader only to be revealed through interspersed flashbacks--and other key elements of the murder mystery (like the murderer's identity and motivations) are totally opaque until the final revelation.

The secondary mystery of the missing dossier is ostensibly the reason for this voyage, but it's definitely overshadowed by the murder mystery that unfolds.

The characters remain the biggest draw for me, although I felt like Ash and Charlotte's relationship is somewhat stuck in a holding pattern. (I love Livia, though, and am so glad she finally stood up to her mother!)

In short: I have some issues with the mystery here, but the characters definitely make the story worthwhile.

When last we left the Lady Sherlock series, Charlotte had to fake her own death to avoid Moriarty. This time, she has to not solve a case while aboard a sea voyage.

Knowing how Charlotte's mind and personality are, it is an exceptionally hard feat. She now must still gather information on Moriarty for Lord Ingram's older brother, Lord Remington Ashburton. He is an agent of the British Government. Think of him as Mycroft. Lord Remington Ashburton (LRA) can give Charlotte and her friends some safety from Moriarty, supposedly.

I am a bit disappointed as I was thinking this was The Book where Moriarity will have a prominent presence but this was not the case. I am glad to encounter that almost everyone Charlotte cares about is on board so she does have people she can talk to and especially her repertoire with Lord Ash Ingram.

The author still has Charlotte donning costumes much like the OG Sherlock Holmes so that she can go incognito, which is always a great nod to the original storyline. The romance between Charlotte and Lord Ingram is still a slow and delicious part of the novel.

Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Theme: 4/5

I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Just when you think you couldn't love Charlotte Holmes more, Sherry Thomas gives you a book like this and you get to go along with the entire gang to solve a mystery on a ship!

Yes, the gang is all back together in "A Tempest at Sea," and by that I mean all the characters you've come to love (and despise in the case of Lady Holmes). Alas, no Mr. Marbleton, but (fingers crossed) Livia will get her HEA in a future story.

I cannot express how much I love the slow-burn development of Charlotte and Lord Ingram's love for each other. Honestly, that's what keeps me hooked on the series. I've GOT to see how these two finally get together for good. They have some sweet romantic tension moments in this book as they try to express what they feel for each other without scaring the other one off.

Then, there's the mystery, which is again, masterly crafted. Seriously, are we sure Sherry Thomas isn't a Moriarty-level criminal mastermind herself?

In "Tempest," Charlotte has been commissioned by Lord Remington to retrieve a missing dossier and while she and Lord Ingram and their entourage are trying to accomplish this, a murder takes place on their ship. Their undercover operation is threatened to be exposed as a result, so Charlotte and the gang must try to solve twisty mystery first. Again, good luck to you dear reader if you think you can solve it before Charlotte does.

There is a great set up for a future caper at the end and this reader is definitely eager for the next installment. This series grabs ahold of you and doesn't quit! I highly, HIGHLY recommend this series and really, any of Ms. Thomas's books. They never disappoint.

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas is a historical fiction novel a part of the Lady Sherlock series’s revolving around Charlotte Holmes & her brilliant mind as she sets sail on a ship to retrieve an item, but instead a body shows up. This is #7 of the Lady Sherlock series. It can be read as a standalone, which is what I did & enjoyed it. However, I think it would be more enjoyable had I started from the beginning.

I appreciated Charlotte Holmes as the wickedly smart & ahead of her time character she is. I loved that she didn’t bow to societal & familial standards for what is “proper”. She is a fierce woman & a force to be reckoned with.

I loved the concept of the mystery abroad the ship along with the escalating tension. It was fascinating witnessing the undercover work that took place & the means allotted by the creativities of the time in terms of disguise & such.

If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, historical fiction or mysteries in general, this would be a great series for you!

Massive thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains murder & violence.


I will post this to social media & Amazon & add links once I do.

Another entry into the tale of Charlotte Holmes leaves me anxious for the next book.

First off, could you read this as a standalone? Yes, but why would you when the whole series is a cornucopia of mystery Victorian goodness. I highly recommend starting from the beginning if possible. Does this book start out a bit slow? Not really, not compared to previous Holmes books.

Of course, where we last left Charlotte, she had narrowly avoided death. Her closest companions were forced to stay away from her to help keep Moriarty off her scent. Now Charlotte’s seeking a way to get rid of Moriarty for good and save the people she cares about in return. In order to do so, she’s roped into a reconnaissance mission aboard a sea-faring vessel headed for the Mediterranean. When a murder happens aboard the ship, threatening her mission and the people she cares for, Charlotte has no choice but to solve the murder without getting her identity unmasked in the process.



Talk about complexity after complexity. Thomas wowed me in this book, from the logistics of mapping out an entire story on a ship and knowing where everyone is at any given time to the mystery itself with several wrinkles. Often when I watch/read thrillers or mysteries, I always find myself solving the murder before we get to the end. What’s refreshing about the Lady Sherlock series is that even when you think you know what’s happening, there are always several pieces that, when revealed, surprise me. This book was no exception.

Add in familiar characters like Charlotte’s sister, her friend Mrs. Watson, and even her closest confidant Lord Ingram and it becomes a story you just sink into with gusto. It was hard to focus on work or other duties when encountering this book (Note: That’s typical with me and Sherry Thomas’s stories).

Overall, it’s a mystery worth reading, and I, for one, can’t wait for the next book. Though I really want to know when Lady Sherlock is coming to the big screen.

~ Landra

A Tempest at Sea finds Charlotte Holmes hiding out after her "death"in the previous book. Then she has a chance to regain her life by performing a mission for the government, and ends up on a ship, RMS Provence. Along with almost the entire series cast of characters and some new ones. Charlotte's still in hiding, only a few people know she is still alive, so she has to get creative.

However, a murder shortly after the ship sails means Charlotte has to pivot. In order for her to do her job, the oh-so-inconvenient murder needs to be found. But as she's in hiding, she has to rely more than usual on her friends and associates.

Being confined on a ship gave the mystery a strong locked room feel to the mystery and there were red herrings and twists and turns a-plenty. Thomas kept me guessing on the identity of the killer and I enjoyed the many different perspectives on what happened. I did find that the large cast of characters could get overwhelming and not all of them were really necessary. Also, with so many characters, and a mystery as well as a murder to solve, characters weren't as well fleshed out as previous books. Some of the phrasing was awkward and clunky also.

Still, despite those issues, I enjoyed this book and it kept my attention. I am eager for the next book, and wish we didn't have to wait!

✨ Review ✨

A big thank you to @berkleypub @writersherrythomas @netgalley for this #gifted copy of #ATempestAtSea !!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas

Charlotte Holmes’s brilliant mind and deductive skills are pulled into a dangerous investigation at sea.

What it has to offer:

🔎 Mystery
💋 Romance
💨 Quick Pace
🗣️ Multiple POV

Quick thoughts:

✨ Some Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile vibes.
✨ Charlotte and Ingram are one of my favorite couples!
✨ Absolutely absorbing.
✨ The whodunnit was puzzling.

Another excellent installment in one of my favorite series!

Overall thoughts:

📝 I really love how these books are crafted. The pace is always perfect and the mysteries are always just the right amount of puzzling.

🔎 There were multiple mysteries to follow in this one; however, the central mystery wasn’t one of Charlotte’s cases which was unique. Although, she does have a role to play with the main investigation on the sidelines. Overall, I thought the cases were easy to follow along with yet confounding enough to keep me guessing.

💋 I love the slow burn romance that has been developing since the very beginning between Charlotte and Ingram. It’s one of my favorite elements of this series! This novel does not disappoint as we get to see their relationship grow even stronger.

💨 This story really sucked me in. I think the nature of it being mostly suspect interviews made it move fast. I really wanted to see what would be exposed next.

🗣️ There were multiple viewpoints throughout the story that let us see things from many angles. One thing that was interesting was the most prominent viewpoint in this one was actually Ingram’s not Charlotte’s.

💜 My favorite part, aside from the romance, was diving back into Livia’s storyline. Her character growth has been steadfast. I’m very excited to see where future stories will take her.

📚 This is the 7th installment of the Lady Sherlock series. I recommend reading the books in order. I can’t wait for the next!

If you’re looking for a historical drama filled with mysteries and romance then this would be a good pick for you!

Get ready for the latest book in the next book in the exciting Lacy Sherlock series. In the previous title, Miss Moriarty, I Presume, Charlotte Holmes felt she had no choice butbt9 fake her death from her arch-enemy Moriarty. She has found that donning many a costume, she could still move about.

For years, Charlotte has made a name for herself - as Sherlock Holmes, the impressive and intuitive detective. Living in a world that depends on status and appearances, Charlotte has had no choice, but to use deception whenever necessary to soft case after case.

Requested to locate a missing, dossier, Charlotte boards, the RMS Provence. While on board the ship, Charlotte does what she can to find that missing Das year. However, not only is there a terrific storm that could turn the ship on its side, a murder occurs, which proves to be a real distraction.

On the ship as well are the man that has snagged her heart, Lord Remington, Ashburton, as well as his children. Also, her mother and sister Livia are on board. As Charlotte must remain disguised the entire time, her mother is fully unaware of her presence. Now that a murder has taken place, Charlotte and Ash, as well as Mrs. Watson, they have determined to find the killer before they get to port.

While they have no shortage of suspects, one thing is patently clear, the killer is indeed still on the ship. Since Charlotte was requested by the crown to locate that missing dossier, her role in locating the killer is diminished, leaving Ash and an inspector who is also on board to try and locate the killer.

These stories in this series are very engaging, and I have loved getting to know all of the characters. Somehow the talented Sherry Winters has been able to include most of the characters that have appeared in previous books in this series. With skill and talent, she uses flashbacks, as well as current situations, in order to keep the reader fully engaged as the search for the identity of the killer is discovered. We definitely need the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

CW: murder; blood; suicidal ideation

I’ve been a huge Lady Sherlock fan for years now as it falls perfectly into my favorite (made-up) genre – lady detectives in Victorian England. Truly, we are so blessed that Berkley gave us a new Veronica Speedwell and a new Lady Holmes story within a week of each other.

A Tempest at Sea marks the seventh entry in Sherry Thomas’ incredibly smart spin on Sherlock Holmes. This book, more so than the previous few books in the series, feels like a lighter adventure – if you could say murder is light. In many ways, this feels like a classic detective story in the vein of Christie’s Death on the Nile. The stakes are lower as the threat from Moriarty has lessened after the events of Miss Moriarty, I Presume?, so it’s a nice change of pace to have a self-contained murder mystery aboard the RMS Provence. Now, that’s not to say the threat from Moriarty is gone entirely – he’s still lingering out there, but it’s nice that he’s not at the center of the mystery this time.

I found this mystery to be super fun, with plenty of red herrings and misdirections to keep you guessing until the end. I had my suspicions on who the murderer may be, and I was thrilled that my guess was correct. I loved the end of this when all the accusations were formally presented and the evidence was laid bare for everyone to examine – it was brilliantly done as Thomas interspersed scenes from Holmes’ investigation with the testimony helping to put all the final pieces together. I also loved how Thomas worked the murder mystery into Charlotte’s broader reasons for being on board, tying in some larger series plot points at the end, which was super fun.

Now, I do have one small tiny complaint with this book – there wasn’t enough Charlotte! Charlotte is in disguise for most of this book as Mrs. Ramsay, a delightful older woman. But given that she’s in disguise, most of her detective work happens behind the scenes. It felt like most of the scenes with her “detecting” were in flashbacks, and we didn’t get as many scenes from her perspective as I’m used to. Lord Ingram plays a much more central role in this book, filling in for Charlotte in many ways as her eyes, ears, and hands during the investigation. Much of the information in this book is revealed through police questioning of the various suspects, with some flashbacks of Holmes and Ingram investigating, which did lead this book to feel a little different in style from other Lady Holmes novels. That’s not necessarily bad, but it gave this a different feeling and vibe than the other books in the series. I wanted a tad more of Charlotte being her brilliant self than we got to see.

One thing I loved about this book was the continued progression we saw in Livia Holmes. As much as the Lady Holmes series is Charlotte’s story, it’s also Livia’s. The growth we’ve seen in Livia over the previous books really comes to a head in this book. I was delighted to see her gain the confidence to stand up for herself, especially against her TRULY odious mother. She literally had me cheering for her, and I may have said, “You go, girl!” at the end of the book, as she made me so proud. It’s been a joy watching her realize her self-worth and value, and I hope a happily ever after is in the cards for her and Mr. Marbleton soon!

Speaking of happily ever afters, the progress in Charlotte and Lord Ingram’s relationship in this book was a delight. While the romance may not be center stage, and we spend less time with Ash and Charlotte together than in some previous books, what we got felt monumental, even if what was said was relatively small things. I cannot wait to see where Thomas plans to take their relationship in future books as it continues to grow.

Despite feeling like there wasn’t enough Charlotte, I still found myself really enjoying A Tempest at Sea! Sherry Thomas is such a beautiful writer. I’m always in awe of her mastery of the mystery and plot, plus her ability to create such rich and nuanced characters. She’s breathed such new life into the Sherlock Holmes stories, and I will read as many of these books as I can get my hands on! Here’s to hoping this series won’t end anytime soon!

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC. All thoughts, ideas, and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Another stellar entry into the Lady Sherlock series. The writing, as always, is unparalleled and the growth of the characters from book to book is excellently done. Everyone is trapped on a ship, Moriarty’s spies are likely looking for Charlotte, yet, with a murder to solve, Charlotte has to manage the investigation while avoiding being detected. Can she do it? Of course, she can!

Charlotte has spent the last year hiding out at the hunting lodge on the Duke of Wycliffe’s country estate. After faking her own death to protect herself, her friends, and her loved ones from the attentions of Moriarty, she is sorely tired of missing everyone she cares about. At least she hasn’t been totally alone because Mrs. Watson has been with her at the lodge since she had to disappear as well as Charlotte. Now, however, the duke has presented her with an opportunity to escape the estate for a while – and perhaps provide a serious blow to Moriarty at the same time. As an added bonus she’ll be reunited with Lord Ingram Ashburton (Ash) and her sweet sister, Livia. Even with them all on board a ship and in disguise, it will still be wonderful to all be together again.

Some very important information has been stolen from Britain and they are sure it is en route to Germany. It is Charlotte’s mission to recover the information and return it to the proper place. In return, the Duke of Wycliffe will officially offer her his protection against Moriarty. Will that do any good? Moriarty doesn’t seem to pay heed to any other threats or cajolery, so why would he listen this time? Charlotte is sure there is at least one Moriarty spy aboard the ship and she has to identify who that is so she can thwart their mission – while still accomplishing her own.

A conflagration starts before they are even aboard the ship and it continues once onboard. It continues right up until there is a murder. Since the murder doesn’t have anything to do with Moriarty (does it?), Charlotte is happy to allow the police inspector, who just happens to be aboard, to handle the investigation. That is, she’s happy with that until he starts to consider that the murderer might just be Charlotte’s mother. How is she going to manage the investigation from behind the scenes while keeping to her disguise? Thank goodness for Ash coming to the rescue.

You’ll be surprised by the identity of the murderer – at least I was, and I normally have them identified early on. There are lots of tangled and intertwined hints, motives, and possible perpetrators. The murderer could be anyone on board because nobody had an alibi – and several had motives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read because the mystery was an excellent one and you had to really work to follow the clues and figure out who was the guilty party. I also loved the way Charlotte had changed emotionally during her year of isolation. You’ll see a softer, more human side to Charlotte that is wonderful to see. No, she hasn’t become an overly emotional creature, but she is softer and she finally has begun to recognize her true feelings for Ash.

I can definitely recommend this very exciting and well-written mystery with wonderful main and supporting characters. The wrap-up, of course, leaves you wanting more – wanting that next book – wanting to see Moriarty brought down – wanting to see Livia and Mr. Marbleton finally find their HEA – wanting to see what happens next between Charlotte and Ash. I can hardly wait for the next installment – and I hope there are many more after that!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Charlotte and Mrs. Watson along with Lord Ingram and Olivia Holmes are out for a nautical adventure. Throw in the disastrous Mr. Shrewsbury, an Australian brother and sister, and the unexpected decidedly unwanted arrival of Lady Holmes herself (Charlotte and Olivia's mother) and it is very clear that they are not going to have smooth sailing.

Charlotte is on a recovery mission with her friends and colleagues looking for a tiny portfolio believed to be being carried by a governess who is onboard with her charges. Unfortunately, right in the middle of her mission a murder happens onboard causing the focus to go from the recovery to protecting Charlotte's identity.

The pace of this book is lightening fast from beginning to end and kept me absolutely hooked. I loved this version of a locked door mystery and trying to figure out the motives of all the players. I was completely in the dark as to just what was going on until the end. There are some flashbacks which don't always work for me but they were very cleverly done here giving the reader just the right amount of information.

My only real problem with this story and this series in general is there are a lot of moving parts and major players. There are some people on Charlotte's team and some on Moriarty's and since I've read more than a few books since I read the previous book in the series I sometimes struggle to remember who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. Luckily, the main characters are so well developed, interesting, and unique that I'm always able to engage in the story even if I'm a little confused on the whos who of the side characters.

While most mystery series can be read essentially as standalones this series is best read in order due to the complicated relationships. Since each book has a solid mystery, good pacing, and fantastic characters this is absolutely not a hardship!

I always enjoyed Thomas’s romances, back when she was writing them, but I think she found her “true” genre with the Lady Sherlock mystery series. The latest, A Tempest At Sea, maintains what the previous six proved: Thomas can write clever, complex mystery plots while keeping her ethically-minded, sympathetic protagonists front and centre. Lady Charlotte features, but A Tempest At Sea is an ensemble cast (to the series’s betterment) one in which we get to be with Charlotte’s lover, Lord Ingram, on a greater page count than Charlotte. Given how adorable “Ash,” Lord Ingram, is, the loss is bearable, though I would have liked to see more of Charlotte and even more of Charlotte and Ash together. On the other hand, A Tempest At Sea is a closed-“room”, rather closed-“ship” mystery and, as a Christie-fan, cause for celebration and enjoyment, as Ash notes, ” ‘The isolation of shipboard society heightens the sense of danger.’ “ To orient us, the publisher’s blurb:

Charlotte Holmes’s life is in peril when her brilliant deductive skills are put to the test in her most dangerous investigation yet, locked aboard a ship at sea.

After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking, and she might be able to go back to a normal life. Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder takes place on the ship. Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive.

Delicious trouble begins as soon as Ingram, his children, and their governess, Charlotte, her partner, Mrs. Watson, sister Olivia, and quite a few others, friends, enemies, and strangers embark the Provence. It is among these varied, sundry figures that the crime occurs and among them too that the murderer will be found. Until then, Charlotte and her family, friends, and lover, as well as the other passengers, will live with a murderer on board. Among them too is Inspector Brighton of Scotland Yard who will be at the centre of the investigation, with Lord Ingram as his assistant. Because Charlotte is in disguise as the formidable many-wrinkled Mrs. Ramsay, she of the lion-headed cane and booming voice, with her companion, Miss Fenwick, aka Mrs. Watson, her part in the investigation remains at the pragmatically-meddling old lady level. Lord Ingram provides details from the many witnesses whose statements he notes, while the Inspector interrogates. (Add to this the surprise appearance of Lady Holmes, Charlotte and Olivia’s mother, in all her stupid narcissism and we can add family dysfunctional dynamics to Thomas’s multi-genre read.) Through police testimony, Thomas reveals the passengers’ tragedies, comedies, and tragi-comedies, their pettiness, or worthiness, cleverness, or sheer stupidity. It is clever plotting, revelation of full-bodied characterization, and an homage to the closed-room mystery.

“He’d always loved this about long ocean voyages, the distance from settled lands, the occasional sense that the ship and only the ship has existed since time immemorial. But now the isolation felt oppressive, the danger, inescapable.”

And Thomas still has room for intrigue in the ever-present malevolence of Moriarity and his threats to Charlotte and everyone she loves. Thomas also has room for what I enjoyed the most: her main characters’ emotional, intimate, and inner lives. Because Thomas has chosen to make her heroine neuro-diverse, we can only know her from what she says and does, leaving us with the rich and loving inner lives of her Ash, Olivia, and everyone in Charlotte’s inner circle. This makes for wonderful narrative variety: we learn the passengers’ stories through their testimonies and our ensemble sleuthing cast through inner monologue, as well as gesture and dialogue. My favourite passage contains much of what I’ve described:

“I came because I missed you.” He was on his feet before he’d quite understood what he’d heard. His ears rang. “Don’t say things like that.” She glanced up, her large blue eyes at once transparent and unreadable. “Why not?” Because I”ve made my peace with the fact that you will never say — or feel — such things. He heard himself chortle. “You’re right. What was I thinking? By all means, feel free to say it as often as you’d like.” She took another forkful of cake. “Since our last meeting in Eastleigh Park — no, since before that — I’ve been thinking of you at a rather unnecessary frequency.” The floor dropped — he took a step back not to lose his balance. Her words made sense individually, but together they were only a roar in his head. She looked — and sounded — as if she were talking about some outlandish gadget she’d read about in the Patent Office catalogues. That was familiar. Her aloofness from her own emotions was also familiar. But what she was telling him — was she saying anything remotely similar to what he thought she meant? The floor tilted again…She…rose, and closed the distance between them. She peered at him, as if she’d never seen him before. Her hand cupped his cheek, the touch a jolt down his spine. “Have I always liked you this much?”

Why did I like this? While there is, yes, a feminist “twist” to making the greatest fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, a woman, there is another more subtle, feminist twist here. To make her emotions at times inaccessible, or remote to her and centre the couple’s emotional life on the hero. Overall, my critique of the novel is how little we see of Charlotte (thanks to pages given up to the Inspector’s interrogations) and also how Thomas “fills in” the events to the final murderer’s revelation with narrative flashback (making for this reader’s occasional confusion), but this emotional richness as evidenced by the above paragraph won me over completely. Miss Austen would approve with “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Sherry Thomas’s A Tempest At Sea is published by Berkley and releases today, March 14th. I received an e-ARC from Berkley, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review, which does not influence my opinion in any way.