Title: A Lovely and Deadly Dance
Author: Claire Andrews
Genre: Historical fiction, mystery
Rating: 3.0
Something is stalking the queen of England, and Irene Adler is ready to find whatever monster may lurk behind this new gruesome string of murders—with or without the help of Sherlock Holmes.
Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes were both sent away from Oxford’s All Souls class after uncovering a murderous plot on campus. But now Irene’s deductive skills have called her back to England. Someone is killing off the queen’s closest allies and leaving mysterious messages at every crime scene.
The people of London are frightened—and growing angry. Could the murders be Queen Victoria’s fault, or is she the one in the most danger? With Sherlock’s help once more, Irene will follow leads that bring her deep into the secrets held by England’s richest families. The spark between the pair ignites and burns ever hotter all the while.
But the closer Irene gets to finding the killer’s identity, it becomes clear that it’s not a truth she wants to face. To prove herself an Adler, not a Moriarty, Irene will need to overcome the worst betrayal of her life. Can she endure true heartbreak if it’s for the greater good?
I don’t know, this just felt off to me. Kind of erratic, kind of juvenile, kind of dark in spots, but nothing consistent throughout. I finished it, so it kept my attention somewhat, but I was glad to put it down. The story jumped from plot point to plot point, but there wasn’t any transition between events, so it felt clunky and didn’t flow.
Claire Andrews was raised in Alaska and Scotland. A Lovely and Deadly Dance is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.)
