Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are back again in The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro, the second book in her Charlotte Holmes trilogy. Teens Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are descendants of the infamous duo Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. While book one in the trilogy (A Study in Charlotte) takes place at their boarding school in the United States, book two has the duo in Europe during winter break. Of course because this is Holmes and Watson, a tangled web of mystery and intrigue abounds — a poisoning, a disappearing uncle, art forgery, and kidnappings are just the tip of the iceberg.

While Holmes and Watson may have survived last fall with their lives (barely), this winter break will prove to be even more dangerous. Not only will they find themselves working alongside a Moriarty, but they’ll have to deal with their own complicated relationship and Charlotte’s dark past.

I enjoyed reading The Last of August quite a bit, for which I’m glad since I always hope that the second book of a trilogy doesn’t fall flat. This didn’t, not at all. It gave me everything I like in a mystery with the added bonus of characters I’m still learning about — Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson. I love that author Brittany Cavallaro has given the reader a slow reveal of these two. And there’s still plenty left to learn, which is why I’m now looking forward to book three.

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro is a fast-paced YA mystery with plenty of action, suspense, and dialogue that pops. The European settings were a nice combination of gritty (perfect for the underworld of the art forgery) and fanciful when viewed through Jamie’s less jaded eyes. If you’ve already read A Study in Charlotte, definitely don’t miss out on book two!

You can check out author Brittany Cavallaro’s website here to see  more about her Charlotte Holmes trilogy as well as her other work.