In this world, Sherlock and Watson were real people, once. The good doctor recorded the stories and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made them available to the masses, where they were just as popular as they are in our world. Watson had a family; Sherlock had a son without any other details paraded about. And so the generations continued. The Watsons, for the most part, still retained their devotion to the Holmeses and kept the records. The Holmes stayed aloof and clever and trained each generation in the skills of deduction. Jamie Watson, the great-great-great grandson of John, gets in to an American prep school on the basis of a rugby scholarship, which happens to be the same school that Charlotte Holmes attends. 
 Jamie's grown up hearing about Charlotte and fantasizes about being, well, the Watson to her Holmes. She solved a diamond heist at age 10 and he's followed her exploits ever since. Charlotte initially rebuffs him, but it's impossible for them to stay apart once they both get framed in the murder of a fellow student. The really brilliant thing about this book is how it frames both the Watson and Holmes dynamic alongside the teenage boy hero-worshipping / falling in love with the mean girl trope. Because, let's face it, that's all the Watson and Holmes dynamic really is. Jamie and Charlotte are cracking good together, but Jamie feels more strongly about her than she does about him and it ends up nearly destroying him. Of course, Charlotte grows to care for Jamie, but it's difficult to tell what's real and what's not because of her machinations. Cavallaro totally nails their chemistry. It's perfect. 
 The mystery stuff is pretty good, too. Lots of threads tied in and tangled up in one another. Charlotte-as-Sherlock is fairly spot on, right down to the drug abuse. (So, you know, something to keep in mind as you hand this to teens. Recommend responsibly(tm).) But since Charlotte is still a teen, she's fairly trusting of the police, or at least, Scotland Yard. And while I wouldn't say she's more feminine (much to Cavallaro's credit), Charlotte's capable of different things than her ancestor which makes for a really wonderful take on the story. Jamie, however, is a Watson through and through. Some of the side characters are intriguing, while others are forgettable. I'm hoping at least one of the sequels takes place in their native London. 
 (Here's a fun fact about me: No matter how many Sherlock adaptations I read or watch, I am ALWAYS surprised when Moriarty enters the picture. I feel dumb, but it happens every. single. time. It's like, Moriarty, duh! Of course! This book is especially fun because there are generations of Moriartys...) 
 {4.5 stars} 
 Initial review: Even better than I expected. It's apparently the first in a trilogy and I could not be more delighted by that fact. More soon.