A Study in Darkness picks up about four months after A Study in Silks. Evelina has been living with her Grandmother and is just returning to London hoping to be able to convince her Uncle Sherlock to side with her about continuing her education. Of course upon arrival things don't go quite as planned when Evelina is greeted with a bomb going off in Sherlock's home. 
 Meanwhile Imogen, along with her parents, are away at a country house of Jasper Keating's. Imogen, missing her friend, invites Evelina to the house. Unfortunately their reunion is short-lived and Evelina finds herself in the clutches of the Gold King. Keating's threat over Evelina gives her a limited amount of time to get the information he requires before Keating destroys her and her family. Trying to protect those she loves, Evelina decides to throw herself into the thick of things and spy on King Coal, but this means she will emerse herself in the seeder side of the city. Evelina must meet her deadline, but she also must be cautious because her spying happens to coincide with Jack the Ripper's reign of terror and murder. In order to protect herself Evelina starts using / understanding the darker side of her magic, but will it be at the cost of her soul? 
 To put it plainly, A Study in Darkness is much darker than its predecessor. Not everything started in A Study in Silks was resolved and we find many of those issues coming up again here. I will say it was one of those books that I couldn't put down, but there were parts that made me want to put it down so badly because they were just so heartbreaking. No one is truly happy. Everyone has sacrificed something and yet everyone is still being manipulated by the Steam Barons. The rebels are getting more of a foothold in overthrowing the Barons, but it's still difficult to tell where everyone's loyalties lie. 
 As the book went on and as Evelina immersed herself more into her task of spying the book became easier to read. I guess Evelina herself was healing and that translated to the reader as well. I liked Emma Jane Holloway's take on the Jack the Ripper case. It was interesting the see things unfold from the persective of someone living in the area at the time. I will say though that this mystery took a definite back seat to the overall story arc started in the first book. 
 This book is left off with our characters in even more dangerous situations. I anxiously want to pick up A Study in Ashes and finish the story, but other things must be read first. I only hope that at the end of this trilogy everyone gets one big Happily Ever After. They've all earned it ten-fold. 
 *Arc provided by Netgally for an honest review.