Audiobook Review: The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

The Hollow of Fear
Author: Sherry Thomas
Narrator: Kate Reading
Series: Lady Sherlock (Book 3)
Publication: Blackstone Audio (October 2, 2018)
Length: 10 hours and 51 minutes

Description: Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, returns in the Victorian-set mystery series from the USA Today best-selling author of A Conspiracy in Belgravia and A Study in Scarlet Women, an NPR Best Book of 2016.

Under the cover of "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective", Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don't.

When the estranged wife of her dear friend Lord Ingram is discovered dead on his estate, all signs point to him as the murderer. With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to find out the truth.

My Thoughts: Charlotte Holmes is involved in her toughest case yet when her friend Ash's estranged wife is found dead on his estate and all the circumstantial evidence is pointing to him as the murderer. She needs to go undercover as her alter ego Sherlock Holmes' brother Sherrinford Holmes to track down the murderer and save her friend.

Charlotte is a very interesting character. My feeling is that she'd fit well somewhere on the Asperger's Syndrome continuum. She doesn't really understand emotion; she has almost preternatural focus; she is very observant and able to draw accurate conclusions from very little data. She doesn't have an interest in being part of her social set. In fact, she engineered her own disgrace so that she could get away from her social set.

Despite her social difficulties, she has a number of loyal friends including Lord Ingram and Mrs. Watson who assists her with her cases. She also has the loyalty of her sister Livia who is still stuck at home with her parents. Livia is a more conventional woman but one who is in the midst of writing a novel retelling Sherlock Holmes' adventures.

This story was quite twisty with characters - both friends and villains - from earlier books in the series making their appearances to help or hinder Charlotte's investigation. I liked the complex relationship between Charlotte and Lord Ingram. Lord Ingram is a complex character also who is an archaeologist who has spent years also working for Britain's intelligence service. He's honorable but unhappy partially because of his unhappy marriage. I liked the Victorian setting.

Fans of this series won't want to miss this episode. Newcomers will find Charlotte Holmes intriguing. Kate reading does a wonderful job with all the different characters and moods of this story.

This audiobook is included as a part of my membership. You can buy your copy here.