A Question of Holmes (Charlotte Holmes #4) by Brittany Cavallaro
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 5th 2019
ISBN: 0062840223
Pages: 287
Goodreads

The fourth book in the Charlotte Holmes series is a nice end to what has been a fantastic series. The book feels like a footnote or long epilogue to the trilogy as this book does not focus on the mystery, but more on the relationship of Holmes and Watson and on Charlotte’s desire to find her place in the world. This is natural since her place has thus far been largely defined by her lineage and her relationship with the family Moriarty. In this book, Holmes and Watson are looking forward to the normal college life and to exploring their relationship, but when they get involved with the production of Hamlet, they find a cold case and new death. Charlotte can’t let it go, but the mysteries feel secondary and are, in fact, solved in an expedient fashion near the end of the book with little fanfare. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing Holmes and Watson in the real world and should feel great closure upon reaching the end of the book. Those new to the series will want to start with Book 1 as not reading the first three books will strip away the full impact of revelations in this book. It will also lessen the meaning of the deepening and complex relationship between Holmes and Watson. There are mentions of drug use, implied sexual activity, some strong language, and a complexity of language and writing craft that make this book best for readers in 10th grade and above.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth