By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Just in time for the season of shadows and suspense, the Moore County Public Library’s Brown Bag Book Club is taking a turn toward the mysterious. The club’s October pick is A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas, a Victorian whodunit that reimagines the world’s most famous detective as a woman.

Published in 2016, A Study in Scarlet Women is the first book in Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series. Its title is a nod to A Study in Scarlet, the 1887 novel in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Thomas, a USA Today bestselling author who emigrated from China at age 13 and writes in her second language, built her career in historical romance before turning to mystery. The first three Lady Sherlock novels were each named NPR best books of the year, and the series is still going strong. Its newest installment, The Vanished Sister, is set for release this week.

The heart of the book is its gender swap. Instead of a gentleman detective, readers meet Charlotte Holmes, a young woman in 1880s London with a remarkable gift for deduction and little patience for what society expects of her. When a scandal of her own making leaves her shut out of polite society, Charlotte finds a way to put her mind to work anyway, taking on cases under the name “Sherlock Holmes,” a fictional brother whose name opens doors that would stay closed to a woman. With the help of Mrs. Watson, a widow and former actress, she takes on a string of suspicious deaths that soon cast suspicion on members of her own family.

The novel is also a fitting choice for the month of October. Fog-bound streets, gaslit drawing rooms, family secrets, and a body count make for the kind of atmospheric read that pairs well with cooler evenings and the approach of Halloween. Fans of classic Holmes stories will find plenty of familiar touches, while newcomers need no background in Conan Doyle to follow along.

Beyond the mystery itself, the book should give club members plenty to talk about. Charlotte’s story raises questions about the limits placed on women in Victorian England, what it costs to live outside the rules, and how a sharp mind can find a way to be heard. Because it is the first book in the series, it also offers an easy starting point for readers who want to keep going after the discussion.

The Brown Bag Book Club will discuss A Study in Scarlet Women at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 30 at the Moore County Public Library located at 17 Majors Boulevard in Lynchburg. As the name suggests, members are welcome to bring their lunch. The club is open to anyone who enjoys a good book and good conversation. For more information or to reserve a copy of the book, call the library at 931-759-7285. To learn more about all the Moore County Library’s events, visit their Facebook page by clicking here. •

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