The Last of August is the second book in the four-book series about the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and his partner John Watson, Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson. The main conflict in the story arises when Charlotte’s favorite uncle (who is also the best friend of Jamie’s dad) goes missing while working on an assignment to uncover an art forgery ring. Since both Charlotte and Jamie want him back safely, the duo goes out to find where he is and who may have taken him, which leads them straight to fighting against an old rival. It should be mentioned that similar to the first book in the series, A Study in Charlotte, the novel touches on some topics such as drug abuse and contains strong language in some parts of the novel.
The book is action-packed and possesses a unique storyline similar to A Study in Charlotte. It does an excellent job in introducing and using Charlotte Holmes’ family in order to further the story. However, in this book the author utilizes more romance and drama. While this somewhat connects to the targeted teen audience and in some cases enriches the plot, it also sometimes detracts from the story. Furthermore, the ending of the novel was full of confusing twists, turns, and surprises, which made it seem like the author had put a lot into the story and was now attempting to make it all make sense.
Overall, the book is a good read and despite some of the flaws, is still a book that most mystery fans would still enjoy. Knowing all of this, I’d recommend the book to action and mystery enjoyers as well as those who can put up with the excessive romance in some parts of the book.
By Teen Reviewer, Adi