A Study in Honor

Absolutely amazing

Stars: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Lisa Renee Pitts
Series: The Janet Watson Chronicles Book 1
Steam Level: Not Steamy

I read this for the I Heart Sapphic 2025 Reading Challenge for the prompt Wartime.

I had bought this book years ago and it sat on my TBR, completely forgotten until I saw the audiobook on sale. Why, oh why, did I wait so long to read this amazing book?

Quick Thoughts:
- This book is a reimagining of Sherlock Holmes where both Watson and Holmes are queer, black women and set during the new American Civil War with a slight sci-fi bent of some new technology but not a full overhaul of it
- Just like in the original books, the is told only through Waton’s POV
- There are mentions of the Racist Yam having been elected before the president in the book and the havoc he created that hit way too close to home now that we’re suffering through his second term
- The mystery doesn’t really pick up steam until the second half of the book because of all the things needed to be built up since this is set in alternative universe
- I love that the author does not sugarcoat or minimize the trauma and ugliness that comes with war and how it’s even worse with it being the new Civil War
- Both of the protagonists feel like the characters they’re based on (Watson, a practical, down to earth person, Holmes an insufferable know it all) while making them feel brand new
- The weaving of names and characters from the original universe to this one was masterfully done in such a way that you don’t need any extra knowledge to follow the story
- I’m finding that reimaginings of Sherlock Holmes are a lot more fun and interesting than books written set in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original universe
- There aren’t many twists and turns to the mystery but, for me, that wasn’t the draw of this book. The setting and characters are where this truly shines
- I haven’t listened to anything Lisa Renee Pitts has done before this and I’m a bit bummed by it. She was fantastic. Her voice inflections for different characters made dialogue easy to follow and her narration was smooth. I’ll be checking out more of her work

Overall I loved this book and I’m sad there is only one more book in the series. Now I have to decide if I want to read the second book ASAP or wait a little longer to have something to look forward to. What wonderful problems to have.