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The Last of August

"It's strange to grieve for your former self, and still I think it's something that any girl understands.  I've shed so many skins, I hardly know what I am now - muscle, maybe, or just memory.  Perhaps just the will to keep going."
My book this week is The Last of August.  It's the second book in the series of Charlotte Holmes novels by Brittany Cavallaro.
With a murder-filled semester at Sherringford behind him, Jamie Watson, great-great-great grandson of the famous Dr. John Watson, finds himself at Charlotte Holme's childhood home is Sussex for winter break.  All is normal, or as normal as it can be in the Holmes family, when Charlotte's uncle suddenly vanishes in the night without a trace. This leaves Charlotte with no choice but to go to Germany and search for him with Jamie in tow.  Naturally.  Along with the help of Milo Holmes and August Moriarty, the duo scheme to uncover the fraudulent art dealings of August's siblings while continuing the search for Uncle Leander.  The longer they work the case the more Jamie discovers about his best friend, and he doesn't always like what he finds.  Lies are told, secrets are kept, and a generations old feud between families continues on.
 Much like the first book, A Study in Charlotte, Brittany Cavallaro does a wonderful job spinning a tale of friendship and mystery in the Last of August.  I'm not always a big mystery reader, but these have kept me up late with my mind spinning.  Just when I think I've figured it out she slips in something new.  The relationship between Holmes and Watson is fantastic, constantly teetering on the edge of friendship and lovers.  And Cavallaro does a superb job of giving us a glimpse at the psychological effects that rape can have on a young girl.  The characters are all nicely developed and make an already enjoyable plot that much better.  A great read for mystery lovers and fans of Sherlock Holmes!


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