Audiobook review: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas
Opening about two months after the conclusion of the previous tale, the gang is caught by surprise when Charlotte receives a request to meet from Mr. Baxter, none other than Moriarty himself. While his request seems simple enough, discover how his daughter fares while residing at a group compound known to celebrate the occult, Charlotte recognizes that anything Moriarty does is complex and most certainly dangerous.
Miss Moriarty, I Presume? is another engrossing mystery with its intricate layers and misdirections. Charlotte’s gang is well developed at this point, with each person knowing their part. The group fosters and supports each person’s talents, together brainstorming and allowing Charlotte to hypothesize in her own time. They are a well-functioning group, with each character adding value to the story. I especially enjoyed watching Olivia come into her own as she takes risks, following her own “gut instincts,” and helping discover important clues.
Overall, the story was well written, with little clues left dangling for Charlotte, Ash, and the reader to grab and piece together. I felt that the way they finally figured out Marbleton’s message was a bit of a stretch, but I loved watching all the team work together. Additionally, I loved watching Charlotte learn to embrace her more base emotions, learning to process them without as much detachment as she once did. I absolutely adore the playfulness between Ash and Charlotte. Is it out of character for her? I don’t know. But they built this relationship over the course of several books, and I appreciate that now they can find happiness within and around each other.
Narration: The story is shared from multiple third-person POVs, both male and female; primarily Charlotte and Ash. This is the sixth book in the series, and the character voices and overall narrator are very familiar to me. I rather enjoy Ms. Reading’s performance. Her narrator has a feminine, accented voice. The dialogue is altered based on who is speaking – enough to identify each character out of a group. Ms. Reading’s male voices are fairly deep and genuine. She does a wonderful job infusing the dialogue with just a hint of emotion, or in Charlotte’s case, her attempts to express the appropriate emotion, making the entire story come to life.
In the end, Miss Moriarty, I Presume? is a wonderful, exciting tale. The ending was a little abrupt, in that I anticipated more, but it really wasn’t necessary. The story pulled me in at the start, and I was engaged the entire time. The Lady Sherlock mysteries continue to impress and captivate me. But it’s Charlotte’s circle of trust and network of friends, along with the developing romance with Ash, that keeps me coming back for more.
My Ratings:
Story: A-
Narration: A
Jen
About the Book:
A most unexpected client shows up at Charlotte Holmes’s doorstep: Moriarty himself. Moriarty fears that tragedy has befallen his daughter and wants Charlotte to find out the truth.
Charlotte and Mrs. Watson travel to a remote community of occult practitioners where Moriarty’s daughter was last seen, a place full of lies and liars. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s sister Livia tries to make sense of a mysterious message from her beau Mr. Marbleton. And Charlotte’s longtime friend and ally Lord Ingram at last turns his seductive prowess on Charlotte–or is it the other way around?
But the more secrets Charlotte unravels about Miss Moriarty’s disappearance, the more she wonders why Moriarty has entrusted this delicate matter to her of all people. Is it merely to test Charlotte’s skills as an investigator, or has the man of shadows trapped her in a nest of vipers?
Author: Sherry Thomas
Narrator: Kate Reading
Series: Lady Sherlock #6
Genre: Historical Mystery with romantic elements
Audiobook Release Date: November 2, 2021
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Length: 13 hrs
Source: audiobook publisher
Audio Speed: 1.5x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)
Reviews in the Series:
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #1) – Audiobook Review
A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #2) – Audiobook Review
The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #3) – Audiobook Review
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #4) – Audiobook Review
Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #5) – Audiobook Review