Lady Sherlock: A Study in Scarlet Women

Sherlock Holmes: the most famous gentleman detective. But what's so great about him being such a gentleman anyway? According to Sherry Thomas and her ingenious Lady Sherlock series, her detective, reimagined as Charlotte Holmes, can untangle dastardly plots just as cleverly as her male counterpart—while wrangling the hassle of a corset to boot.

East Baton Rouge Public Library is thrilled to host Sherry Thomas in her author panel “Lady Sherlock: A Study in Scarlet Women” as part of the One Book One Community Spring 2019 program. Thomas's panel on March 19 at the Main Library at Goodwood, is a must-see whether you're just being introduced to the Holmes universe or are already eagerly awaiting the next Lady Sherlock release.

In keeping with their theme “Who's Your Holmes?” the One Book One Community program encourages readers to consider various interpretations, including the less-traditional, of the iconic super-sleuth. The roles of women in the world—not to mention their appetite for detective stories—have shifted quite a bit since the Victorian times of Arthur Conan Doyle; it comes as little surprise that Thomas's Lady Sherlock and others like her would be readily embraced by female readers craving an iron-witted heroine able to deduce her way through unsolvable puzzles and treacherous traps to find the right answer.

“Women readers enjoy hearing from women writers,” said Mary Stein, the Library's Assistant Director. And since a large swath of the library's substantial mystery readership consists of women, it's a good bet that more than a few patrons will be excited about OBOC's event “Things That Go Bump In the Night,” an all-female panel of mystery novelists taking place April 14 at the Main Library. The Panelists— Diana Rowland, Em Shotwell, Cherie Claire, and Eden Butler —will be discussing “Magic and Monsters in the Deep South,” a fascinating topic no matter your first pick of genre.

Sir Conan Doyle may not have been able to conceive of a Lady Sherlock or a panel of serious women writers, but luckily the ladies behind this wave of mystery sleuthing have imagination to spare—and share. Check out work from these featured authors or OBOC's Spring 2019 pick, the original The Hound of the Baskervilles, at your local branch of the EBR public library. For a complete list of One Book, One Community programs and events, visit ReadOneBook.org.