The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Date of publication: January 2017

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them.

A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit.

Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too.

What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other

I read the first book, A Study in Charlotte and liked it enough to want to read more about Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson.  I snatched up The Last of August as soon as  it was available on audio.   The story takes place pretty much right after the events of the first book.  Charlotte and Jamie are on winter holiday with their families.  Charlotte's uncle goes missing and the duo teams up to figure out what happened. Sounds exciting, right?  Um..not especially.

I was so disappointed with this book.  First, I'm not sure  Taking them out of the high school environment was the way to go.  I felt like the duo lost something outside of the school setting.  They are 16, yet they are able to traipse all over Europe like they were adults. It just wasn't believable to me.  I also found that I didn't like either main character anymore.  Jamie was angsty and whiny and Charlotte was almost robot-like and kind of over dramatic at times. The mystery of the art fraud was pretty boring.  The reveal is pretty much in the middle of the book. 

The biggest issue I had with this story was the story-line of Charlotte's date rape from the first book.  Why is everyone ignoring this?  How does a 16 year old know that therapy won't help?  Trying little experiments with her best friend to see if she can not flinch really isn't the way to go.  I found her treatment of Jamie was so unfair.  The poor kid just wants to help her and she constantly pushed him away with no desire to help herself realistically.  I know that Charlotte is supposed to be a genius, but at the end of the day, she is still a lost 16 year old girl who needs therapy.  The "adult" problems put on these kids just didn't work for me.  This also makes me want to keep this to an over 16 crowd.  I wouldn't let my 13 year old read this

The ending was confusing and rushed.  I have no idea what even happened.  I kept thinking maybe I missed a disc or something, but no...that is how is ended.  I may peek at the next one to see if some of this can be resolved.  It might be nice if a "Holmes" character could have some peace and happiness at some point.  In the end, I'm not sure I can really recommend this sequel.  It definitely does not hold up as a stand alone.  If you decide you want to give it a try, I would recommend reading the first one before this one.  Otherwise, you will be lost.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Date of publication: March 2016

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

I thought A Study in Charlotte was an interesting twist on the Sherlock Holmes story.  Charlotte and Jamie are descendants of the original detective duo, Holmes and Watson.  Charlotte is much like her ancestor, Sherlock.  She is obsessive, observant and has struggled with a drug habit since an early age.   All Jamie wants is to find a best friend and make it through Rugby season at his new prep school.  When he finds out Charlotte is also a student at the school, he believes it's fate.

As I said, I liked this twist on the Sherlock Holmes story.  It was a great way to bring it into the 21st century.  Imagine what Sherlock could have accomplished with today's technology.  It was a good solid mystery with a solution that made sense.  As with most Sherlock Holmes mysteries, I didn't guess the ending.  I liked the characters, especially Jamie.  The book is told through his point of view. 

There were just a couple of things that bothered me about the book.  I did question the need to make Charlotte a drug addict.  She is so young and has been struggling for years.  I wasn't sure if it was really necessary.  It might be nice to read one Holmes character who isn't addicted.  The other thing is the way Charlotte's date rape was kind of glossed over. I really feel like it should have been addressed more.

This is a YA book, but because of some of the content, I'd keep it to the over 15 crowd.  It's the first in a trilogy and I'm looking forward to the next book, The Last of August.  It comes out in February 2017.