5 bloody brilliant stars. 
 I never got around to actually writing a review for the first book in this series. I waited too long and started this book right away so it all kind of blended together. The only thing that really matters review-wise is that I loved the first book. I thought it was brilliant and enjoyed the hell out myself while reading it. Now, onto this book. 
 This book opens pretty much right where the last one left off. It doesn't waste a lot of time explaining itself and catching people up. I didn't mind that because I had just read the last one. Charlotte is still Charlotte and I love everything about her. I love that she loves to eat and finds nothing wrong with it as long as she doesn't collect too many chins. She is unapologetically herself and I wish I could be more like her. I don't necessarily have a problem being myself but her ability to brush off people's negative opinions of her borders on an art form. She's just so Charlotte and I love her for it. She has zero fucks to give. 
 Anyways, where was I? Ah yes, plot. 
 As this is a mystery, I can't away too much. Charlotte still lives with Mrs. Watson and they have kept up the charade of Sherlock Holmes being confined to his room because of his illness. Things get interesting, however, when one of the people that seek out Sherlock's help is none other than Lady Ingram. Obviously, Charlotte cannot act as Sherlock's sister, so she sends out Mrs. Watson's niece Penelope (great niece? I can't remember). Lady Ingram needs someone found. And not just anyone, but someone she loved before her marriage to Lord Ingram. They have a standing meeting on Lady Ingram's birthday. They will pass one another without saying a thing, just to let each other know that they are alive and well. They don't speak or do anything, just walk by. This year, however, he didn't show. It gets really interesting when Lady Ingram provides his name. Myron Finch. Charlotte's illegitimate brother. While all of that is going on, Charlotte has someone who has proposed to her in the past renew his desire to marry her. All the while there is a very series murder investigation going on that Charlotte is consulted on unofficially/accidentally. There is also a side plot with Livia, Charlotte sister and a man that she meets and begins to bond with. This being a Sherlockian book, all of these things end up being connected. The fun, of course, is discovering how they fit together. 
 I quite literally have zero complaints about this book. It was perfection. What amazes me is how these books somehow manage to be both relaxing and completely engrossing. It feels like not much happens, yet as I was writing the synopsis I realized there was a lot to cover. The writing was top notch and there was the wonderful feeling of familiarity that comes with revisiting characters you have come to know well. I was happy to know that even Treadles is back. I feel like I know him well and I enjoy his parts of the plot. But then again, this entire review is basically one giant ode to the pure amazingness that is this book. I enjoyed every single part of this book. 
 As with the first book, the actual mystery of the book wasn't that important to me. I enjoy the process. I love the interviews, the incognito shenanigans, and the slow trickle of clues. BUT. This book really blew me away because at the very end something huge is revealed that left me gasping and looking around yelling holy shit to no one but the cat. Mind blown. 
 We are treated to the drama that is Charlotte and Lord Ingram's relationship. There is such delicious sexual tension between the two of them but it is kicked up a notch by the more permanent reappearance of Lord Bancroft, Lord Ingram's brother. I would never call what is between the three of them an actual love triangle, but it is a really fascinating dynamic. It is complex and full of drama without feeling contrived and overwrought. 
 Perhaps my favorite part of this series is the way Charlotte rebels against the constraints of society and navigates her way through them. Charlotte is intelligent enough to realize that the only way she can combat these limitations is to find her way around them. Charlotte and her friends are smart, resourceful, sneaky, and damn creative in getting their answers and I want to be a part of their club. I want to impersonate other people, solve codes, and outsmart villains. Because guess what 19th century England? 
 Seriously, if you enjoyed the first book, just read this one. I loved this one even more than the first, most likely because it felt like I was visiting old friends. Who wouldn't want that? 
 *I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.