Part of Lady Sherlock
First published 2021
Charlotte Holmes opens her door to find Moriarty standing on her step. He believes something terrible has happened to his daughter and wants Charlotte to uncover the truth. It is the last client she expected, and the request puts her in an impossible position. Charlotte and Mrs. Watson travel to a remote community of occult practitioners, the last place Moriarty's daughter was seen alive. Everyone there is hiding something. Back in London, Charlotte's sister Livia puzzles over a strange message from her beau Mr. Marbleton, and Lord Ingram, Charlotte's longtime ally, begins directing his considerable charm toward her in ways that go beyond friendship. The deeper Charlotte digs into Miss Moriarty's disappearance, the more a single question gnaws at her. Moriarty has resources and reach that Charlotte cannot match. He could have sent anyone. Why her? Is he testing her abilities, or has he maneuvered her into a trap she cannot yet see? Charlotte must solve the case while deciding whether the man who hired her is a client or a predator.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, adult-fiction, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, intricate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, found-family, slow-burn-mystery, unreliable-client
Setting: London, remote occult community
Period: 19th-century
357 pages · Paperback · Berkley
Content warnings: death