A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro is a modern take on the well-known tales of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. The two main characters are Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes, who are the descendants of the famous pair. In the beginning of the novel, Charlotte is a closed-off and cold young woman, who wants nothing to do with Jamie. They quickly become dependent on each other when they become the prime suspects of the murder of the school bully. Told from Jamie’s perspective, Brittany Cavallaro’s novel is a thrilling mystery and a sweet romance with brilliant plot and character development.

Upon starting the book, the first chapter was mostly backstory, and I thought the rest of the novel would be just as slow, but I continued reading. After the first chapter, everything picks up much more quickly and the mystery begins. The way the author set everything up in the story was so that it’d be obvious which way the plot would go, which made it easier to follow. Although I’m not a romantic, the sweet romance that develops between the two main characters was something I expected and surprisingly enjoyed. The two complement each other well and were quite the pair; Charlotte played the part of “bad cop” and was all about business; whereas, Jamie was the “good cop” and a bit more light-hearted. Something else I enjoyed about the novel was the way I could see the characters developing. As previously stated, Charlotte was closed-off and cold towards everyone, acting every bit like the angry teenager she’s believed to be. However, by the end, incredible things are revealed about her (which you’ll have to read about somewhere else) and she becomes just like everyone else–human. When first introduced, Jamie is alone and homesick. By the time I finished the novel, Jamie had transformed into a whole new person. He was smart (not that he wasn’t before) and a quick-thinker, and found a reason to look forward to being at school–Charlotte.

I would definitely recommend this book to both mystery lovers and romantics. This modern take on the tales Sherlock and Watson is sure to be as enjoyable to others as it was to me. The novel itself is 321 pages of a romantic murder mystery, not to mention the many twists and turns the plot took me through, that are sure to keep any reader enthralled.