A Question of Holmes (Charlotte Holmes Novel, 4) Paperback – March 3, 2020

It's over. It's really over this time. I'm sad that one of my favorite YA mystery series is over, but also kind of satisfied with how it ended. At first, I was confused by that epilogue, and I wasn't sure I liked what was happening so much. Thinking about it a little later, I realized it kind of makes sense. It wouldn't be Charlotte and Jamie otherwise. I really thought it ended in true Holmes and Watson fashion, so even though I wasn't crazy about it, I could respect that. Similar to the Sherlock BBC series, that series finale was also...not how I would have liked it to end, but understandable.I will say, this book felt almost like a bonus chapter to the overall series. The mystery wasn't the highlight of the story, in fact, it didn't even slightly endanger our protagonists, and wasn't personal in the least (i.e. no Moriarty was behind this mystery). It almost felt like a mystery that was handed to Charlotte so she could pass the time, while she figured out her feelings for Jamie and everything else that came along with it.The main plot was Charlotte and Jamie. Their relationship. Charlotte's growth. Her character development, her coming to terms with herself and who she is and what she's become and what everything she's been through and everything she's been trained for has led her to. In fact, this whole book is narrated by Charlotte, unlike the first three books, so we have a good front row seat to everything she is feeling, thinking, analyzing.I will say, I really wasn't a fan of the big revelation somewhere halfway through the book. The one revealed to Charlotte by her aunt. I felt that was a bit of an unnecessary twist to the story, and really took Charlotte several steps backwards. Then again...I can't fault the author, because these random twists are so typical of Holmes.In short, a really strong end to the series, although it did feel a bit separate from the rest of the books. But I did enjoy seeing a different side to Charlotte, and focusing more on her relationship with Jamie rather than trying to stay alive.Must read series!

I read this book in one sitting. I can always count on this series to maintain my attention from beginning to end, which makes me so sad that they're done. Even though this book is nowhere near perfect, I still loved it. Charlotte's POV was a welcome change, the mystery was pretty straightforward (if not a little too straightforward), and the romantic relationship between Holmes and Watson was adorable. All the handholding, kissing, and compromising sent me. I was a little put off by the ending, as it was very open-ended and cooled off the romance, but at least it seemed in character for the both of them, even Watson. There's definitely potential for these books to continue on into their adulthood. A girl can dream. But for now, I guess I'll just have to reread all my favorite scenes from this book and the rest of the series!

The Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson series is one of my absolute favorites ...and, as the granddaughter of a reading teacher, it is difficult to get to the top of my list! Ms. Cavallaro is so talented in how she brings readers of all ages together for a unique take on your classic mystery mixed with the realities and romantic angst almost all of us have experienced. I have enjoyed the series so much (I think it would be amazing as A television program on Netflix) and I'm sad that it has ended, but I appreciate the grace that Ms. Cavallaro ended it with. It was so refreshing to see the story come full circle, a protagonist that was struggling in all the ways a great protagonist does, yet Charlotte finds balance and health... Something that is so underrated and a great lesson for any reader (especially a female reader ) living in 2019. I am sure if I ever met Ms. Cavallaro, we would become fast friends. I am looking forward to reading Ms. Cavallaro's future work, but Charlotte and Jamie will always have my heart.

I really love these books. On the surface, they just seem like a simple variation; you know, what if you had Sherlock Holmes in modern day? As a teenager? As a girl? In America (well, it starts in America, anyway)? But what Cavallaro does here is to take what would ordinarily look like a lot of fanfic wish fulfillment and turn it into a really interesting deconstruction of, not only what makes Charlotte Holmes who she is, but what makes Sherlock who he is, as well. And like Batman and many of the other great fictional detectives, who she is seems born in a place of pain and anguish, both from outside forces (her parents, the family business, the Moriarty's...always the Moriarty's) and the ones she creates for herself from within. And what is it about Jamie Watson that makes him sit still and continue to love her after all the s**t she's pulled?In A Question of Holmes, the fourth and final book (so we're told) in the series, Charlotte and Jamie have found each other again through the twists and turns of book three and the mystery of who might be killing people and leaving orchids behind at the school theatre often takes a backseat to the readers' investment in Holmes and Watson and their burgeoning romantic relationship. Not that this is a romance, by any stretch. I doubt there's very little Cavallaro's Holmes does that could actually be considered "romantic," but over four books I've become very invested in the Holmes/Watson dynamic as interpreted by the author and foolishly just want everything to be OK for those crazy kids. Your mileage may vary on just what "OK" means for Charlotte and Jamie and how the story leaves them, but I know one thing. I wish there were more to come.