I have a strange love affair with Seattle. I grew up north of Seattle throughout the 80s and early 90s. I was too young to attend the punk and grunge scenes that emerged in the late 80s and too old to understand what Seattle was becoming in the early 2000s. I am a person in which I missed a generational shift, feeling lost in the middle.

This book speaks to a lot of what I saw in the background, a dirtier Seattle than what we see now in light of Amazon's takeover of the city. This isn't a pretty novel and it was a rough read - I admit that I browsed some of the pages since I wasn't in the mindset for some of the darker tones. Miskowski is describing a Seattle that was and will never be again. I mourn what she describes, which is probably why it took so long for me to get through what I read.

I recognize that many of us read to escape. What Miskowski has created will not be palatable for many and that is okay. I would highly suggest this book for those who are looking to explore the grim reality we all face in our everyday experiences. It's darkly amusing but heartbreaking as well. Greta isn't a likeable character but she's interesting and she's something we could easily become.

I was into the book until 2/3 in and my brain died. There's a lot of build up that could have been cut for time. Still would recommend to young readers and will be seeking the second book when it arrives on American soil later this year.

I was entertained but I was also very confused. How can you call this a Sherlock novel when Sherlock barely plays a part in solving the case? Also, why is the Sherlock character kind of an idiot? I invested time into the story but the payoff wasn't as strong as I believe it could have been.

Edit: 6.9.2019
On a whim I revisited this book in audio format. The book came up a few times in few podcasts I listen to so I thought it might be time to revisit my previous opinion. Well, my opinion still stands. Charlotte Holmes is an idiot and I didn't sign up to read a story where Sherlock Holmes makes idiot decisions.