A Conspiracy in Belgravia

The Lady Sherlock Series, Book 2

By: Sherry Thomas

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

The game is afoot as Charlotte Holmes returns in USA Today best-selling author Sherry Thomas' Victorian-set Lady Sherlock series.

Being shunned by society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. As "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective", aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, she has had great success helping with all manner of inquiries, but she is not prepared for the new client who arrives at her Upper Baker Street office.

Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte's dear friend and benefactor, wants Sherlock Holmes to find her first love, who failed to show up at their annual rendezvous. Matters of loyalty and discretion aside, the case becomes even more personal for Charlotte as the missing man is none other than Myron Finch, her illegitimate half-brother.

In the meanwhile, Charlotte wrestles with a surprising proposal of marriage, a mysterious stranger woos her sister Livia, and an unidentified body surfaces where least expected. Charlotte's investigative prowess is challenged as never before: Can she find her brother in time - or will he, too, end up as a nameless corpse somewhere in the belly of London?

©2017 Sherry Thomas (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"The second in the Lady Sherlock series is a delight, especially as performed by the extraordinary Kate Reading.... Reading doesn't miss the story's subtlety. Her voice slides over innuendo into sarcasm, smoothly capturing Thomas's sparkling wit.... Brilliant listening." (AudioFile)

Be the change you want to see in the world!

If you like the idea of a brilliant young (Victorian) woman who doesn't let society dictate her path in life, this series is for you!

Sherry Thomas has written some really good HRs, and I own many of them, but with this series, she elevates her writing to a whole new level of WOW! In the character of Charlotte Holmes, she gives insight into the Victorian era through the eyes of a young woman who bucks all convention, not because she is a rebel, but because there is simply no place for an intellect like hers in a patriarchal society.

Despite Charlotte's determination to live life on her own terms, whatever the cost, she still has to negotiate her way around the laws of a country that counts a woman as mere chattel. I knew I was hooked when I found those limitations infuriating, but realized that Charlotte did not. She simply ignores them when she can, and works around any constrictions -- almost as if they don't exist -- when she can't. I thought we invented female empowerment in the modern era, but Thomas has invented a character that uses her power as if she knows it's all going to change someday anyway, so why not be the change she want's to see in the world, today? Amazing!

The supporting cast is suitably brilliant, and the villains are as creepily evil as one would wish, providing Charlotte with lots of puzzles to solve. The mysteries are layered and just complex enough to allow the romance to sizzle in the background.

This series is an auto-buy for me, and I don't have many of those.

Kate Reading is, of course, perfect and brilliant, and worthy of this series. She deserves an Emmy for her acting skills!


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: To anyone and everyone. (Note: This will be a TV series someday.)

Excellent story awesome characters superb narrator

I had trouble putting it down! I originally became interested in this series because anything narrated by Kate Reading is worth the listen. Then I had to get this book because of the writing.
Sherry Thomas is excellent at weaving an entirely original story from a classic piece of fiction. I love variations, especially of Pride and Prejudice. What if stories are sometimes disappointing; that was not the case with tis book. I'd give it 6 stars, if only I could.
Although this mystery is a stand alone novel, I would strongly recommend listening to the first book. It not only introduces all the major players and their relationship to one another, but gives you a better understanding of their motivations.

Too slow!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

There was too much prose. The author’s love of English literature is evident, unfortunately such love outweighed the momentum of the story and I was weary after only 6 chapters -pity the premise was excellent!

Loved every minute of this book.

I love this series and am anxiously awaiting the next. I thoroughly enjoy that the
main character and her coterie of investigators are multidimensional and not cliche. This book (second in the series) is far more complicated than the first.

Nesquik

Any additional comments?

I feel like the Nesquik bunny drinking chocolate milk...you drink it so fast and you wish you would have slowed down. I listened to it it two days. It was so good I wish I would have stretched it out but it was too good not to keep listening. Now if only Sherry Thomas would write another one as quick as I can make chocolate milk. :)

Not Up To The First Installment

I thought the first installment in this series was an all out hit. This one struggled out of the gate and stayed confusing up until the final third of the book. Even as the author brought the story together at the end it was hard to be happy given the journey it took to get there. I will read the third installment in the hopes it captures the thrill of the first. This one....well, not as well thought out....It needed a little more story and a little less digression for my taste.

Brilliant

Sherry Thomas proves a woman can do it better. (No offense, Arthur.) I adore everything about this series. Can hardly wait for Book 3. I hope this series continues indefinitely.

Disappointing second book

A bunch of miserable, mopey, or disagreeable people involved in a couple of incomprehensible and uninteresting mysteries. If I’d had to listen to Livia, Mrs. Watson, or the misogynistic inspector for one more page, I’d have hurled this at a wall. Yes, life is awful for an unmarried woman at this time, but dear lord, do we have to be subjected to so much of Livia whining about it?

Good but not great.

I was captivated by the first book in the series but mot so with the second. the storu was good and solid as well as the performance but it did not hold my attention the way the first book did.

if there's another book in the series i will probably read and hope that it has a more compelling story than the second book.

Surprising enjoyable second installment

I was for some reason not expecting to like this second installment as much as I did the first, but I shouldn't have worried.....I didn't like the plot as much as previously, but I liked the greater character development. I think my favourite quote is when Charolotte was sitting in front of her vanity mirror "pinning up her hair and counting her chins"