The third installment in the Lady Sherlock series, THE HOLLOW OF FEAR sees Charlotte Holmes' continued work as "Sherlock" as Moriarty presses closer and and her longtime friend Lord Ingram's estranged wife turns up dead on the Ingram estate.

I rarely read mysteries, cozy or otherwise, but something about this series is just irresistible to me. I wasn't wowed by the second book so I was a little worried about this one. My worries, luckily, were put to rest quickly.

The mystery at the center of THE HOLLOW OF FEAR is fairly straightforward, which I liked, as I'd found the mystery in A CONSPIRACY IN BELGRAVIA to be too convoluted. Even with so much of this book resting on the events of the previous book, I never lost the thread, but also didn't figure it out on my own. Additionally, a lot of friendships, relationships, and other acquaintances begin to bear fruit in this book, which was quite satisfying.

I'm also happy to report that the weird fatphobia that surfaced in the second book is gone. Charlotte remains a lover of sweets and pastries, but she is simply allowed to enjoy them without judgment.