The Plot: Girl, Dora, wants to be a detective, and she wants to learn about her biological father, and she wants to help her cousin, and she wants to save Lady Rose, and she wants to be free of society, and she wants to know what Peter thinks about her, and finally most of all she just really wants to take part in solving a real, actual mystery. She wants to do a lot. So she fakes being a maid and finds secret coded letters, and tries to find footprints and put clues together. It isn't really a page turner of a mystery, and it does't really have you scratching your head. But mostly, it's just a lot of good clean fun. It's endearing. Lot's of little secrets in an awesome Victorian setting.

The Characters: They were flat, but still likable. Dora, was supposed to be very clever, and she was. Feisty, pretty, very smart, insecure (she spends a while debating on her looks vs. her brains), and modest. She was good at noticing all these little absurd things that solved the case. But then again, she could also be very dense at times. There were plot points I figured out about a mile ahead. It was verging on Mary Sueish. Peter was almost too good to be true. Guilty, angry, intelligent, wounded, protective, and handsome.....that's a lot of good rolled into one. Maybe too much. I didn't connect with either of them too well. But they were fun to read about.

The Romance: There really wasn't much to tell here. No kisses or anything, it was very proper. A lot of arguing, which is always fun, and then wondering "does he like me?". Regular girly stuff. I almost wish it had been further elaborated on, but because it wasn't supposed to be the focus of the plot anyway, I liked it better that way. Plus it made Dora seem smarter, not being overly boy-crazed. I did admire that about her.

The Style: It wasn't too mysterious for a mystery. No suspense or anything. Even when guns were being waved around I never really felt anything, mostly because I knew nothing would really happen. The story was too predictable for that. The mystery itself didn't draw me in either, it just wasn't that interesting. I did like the setting though, but that may be because I am a huge fan of London and that particular time period.

Overall: Not a novel that is written in depth, but it explores things like guilt, family and gender roles. Also not too focused on the romance and the characters could use some widening, but for a fun little mystery it is a quick read. Finally, the ending leaves a lot to be desired, although it was very unusual.

Welcome to the Victorian age of England, the time of Sherlock Holmes, long dresses, and the hope of answers. Unfortunately, our lead character's dream of finding her father, solving her cousin's love letter problems and becoming a detective are slowly moving out of her hands. Luckily, she meets a young detective and they join forces to find some answers even if they cannot connect with her father.

I prefer historical fiction to modern time novels. If you enjoyed The Agency series by Y.S. Lee, this novel will also hold you in its grip. If you haven't read The Agency, this is an excellent start to historical mystery with a strong female lead. I am greatly looking forward to future stories about Dora by Leah Scheier.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Disney Book Group!

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to review. Second...I absolutely loved this book!

The story is basically a Sherlock Holmes tale for a younger demographic and aimed more at the girl side of things. While told in a classic mystery style, the main character, Dora, is a young woman. Though it takes place in Victorian London, Dora defies society's norms to help a fellow detective catch murderer. The style of the Holmes novels is kept throughout the story. Secret Letters keeps a slower pace than what most YA's are accustomed to, but it is definitely not lacking in suspense. Though I did have some of the clues worked out by the time I got to the big reveal, there were still a few surprises.

Both Dora and her friend, fellow detective Peter Cartwright, have secrets of their own they are desperate to keep while ferreting out others. Though Dora is ultimately on the trail to help her cousin out of a tight spot, what she does uncover is far wider than mere blackmail.

If you like mysteries—especially ones like Sherlock Holmes--you should pick up a copy of Secret Letters. I also noted that there were enough threads left dangling to hope that this is but the first in a series. I look forward to others should that come to pass. Most definitely recommended.

What I Think: I am a big fan of twists on classic stories, fairy tales, etc. and this one was quite an interesting one. Dora is an orphaned, young lady who is trying to learn more about her past, so she goes searching for her biological father, Sherlock Holmes, only to find he is dead. But do not worry, Dora has her father's deductive genes which we learn quickly when she goes to another detective to help her solve her cousin's mystery. It is through this random meeting that mystery that becomes Secret Letters comes to light.
My favorite part of this book is Dora. She is a strong, clever female character in a time when females were not supposed to be any of the such. On top of all this, she is observant, like her father, so her deductive reasoning skills are something to be jealous of. AND she is snarky. I love snarky girl characters mostly when it is exactly what they aren't supposed to be.
Now, Peter Cartwright is not anything to shake your head at either. He sees that Dora is exactly the detective he needs to solve the mystery he is in charge of and puts faith into a woman when his senior partner shunned her. It is because of Peter that Dora gets to even be a detective.

Read Together: Grades 9 and up

Read Alone: Grades 9 and up

Read With: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens

Snatch of Text: "I really should have ended there. But I had discovered more about him, and he was staring at me now with such a look of baffled rage that I could not stop myself. "You were critical of my cousin from the first!" I continued furiously. "Why did you judge her like that and turn away? She never injured you. And yet the story of her old romance obviously upset you so much that you could not speak to her impartially. I wonder why? could it have something to do with the fresh imprint of the missing wedding bad upon your finger? You took the ring off less than a year ago, judging by the fair strip of skin above your knuckle. And yet, sadly, you aren't wearing mourning. I am very sorry for you, sir, and because I am not blind, or innocence, I will conclude that you are a good man who is very angry at some other lady who has badly wronged him."
I had never experienced a silence like the one that followed that declaration." (p. 46-47)

Mentor Text for: Allusion, Deductive Reasoning, Dialogue, Snarky Humor

Writing Prompts: Read a Sherlock Holmes story and show how the plot arc, characters, deductive reasoning, and mystery are similar and/or different between the story and Secret Letters.

Topics Covered: Sherlock Holmes, Illicit Love, Deductive Reasoning, Writing in Code, Strong Woman Protagonist, Family, Victorian England

2.5 stars

Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

Secret Letters by Leah Scheier was a book I couldn't refuse. It involves Sherlock Holmes after all, and I am a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. I did enjoy the mystery element of the story even though I had some issues with the book overall.

The mystery part of the story was a lot of fun. There is more than one Secret Letter floating around in the plot. So many that one of the characters (the "attractive yet enigmatic young detective") makes a joke about it in his own letter to Dora: I would burn this letter if I were you. There are far too many questionable letters floating about in this case, and I don't want to add mine to the pile. Which brings to my favorite part of the book. Peter. I want a book series that is all about Peter. There is really no need for Dora (I'll get to that in a minute). Peter is funny. Peter is brilliant. Peter has a tragic past that has marked him, but doesn't make him. He is making himself. He is all kinds of interesting and when he was in a scene it was great.

The mystery is a good one. It is certainly not on the level of some of the Holmes canon, but it is fun and there are several twists and turns along the way to keep the reader engaged and guessing. Though I don't think the whole connection to Dora's cousin's blackmailing was explained as well as it could have been.

My major issue with the book lies with Dora. She is an anachronism, a 21st century girl dropped in a Victorian setting. And it shows. She is a lady of class and wealth who has been brought up in a gentle household, corseted, finished, taught the ways of society. She of course thinks it's all nonsense. I'm sure there are girls who did, but an awful lot of them seem to pop up in historical fiction. More than I think there were actually. And the extent of it here is not so believable. When it is proposed that Dora should go undercover in a house as a scullery maid she doesn't hesitate. She manages to hoodwink her chaperone into thinking she is somewhere else and hoodwink everyone into thinking that she is indeed a scullery maid. This is more than just donning a costume. It is also more than just doing chores she would never have dreamed existed. It is an entire way of life she would have had no prior exposure to. Yet it doesn't require much effort for her to fit in. Then she barely bats an eye when she discovers a fellow maid is pregnant and not married. Then she barely bats an eye again when said maid confesses she is going to have an abortion. THIS IS THE VICTORIAN ERA. I realize that this is a thing of mine being the history nerd that I am. Others might not be so bothered by it, but I'm just too tired of reading YA historical fiction where the main character thinks in such a modern context. It bothered me enough here I wanted Dora completely gone from the story and more Peter. Lots more Peter.

If you are not a hyper sensitive history nerd like me and love mystery, Sherlock Holmes, and Victorian settings this is a fun and engaging story. If you are a hyper sensitive history nerd like me you may enjoy it too. Just be forewarned.

Prior to this year, I had never read a book about a plucky female heroine who bucks her Victorian Age traditions and tries to solve mysteries on her own. But that's been rectified, first with [b:A Spy in the House|6698199|A Spy in the House (The Agency, #1)|Y.S. Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320552293s/6698199.jpg|6502621], and then [b:Wrapped|8689927|Wrapped|Jennifer Bradbury|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327953712s/8689927.jpg|13562368], and now Secret Letters. While there are definite similarities between the three books, the mysteries and characters were all different enough that I wasn't nitpicking those likenesses or really comparing the three. If you're looking for historical accuracy in terms of girls not dressing as boys or going out without a chaperon, then Secret Letters is probably your best bet, although there were still some moments where I needed to suspend my disbelief.

Secret Letters tells the story of Dora, who has found out that she's actually the daughter of the famous Sherlock Holmes. When her cousin's secret love letters to a past music tutor turn up missing and the focus of a blackmail scheme, Dora travels with Adelaide to London to seek out the expertise of said famous detective, but when circumstances conspire to keep them from meeting him, they fall in with another detective and his handsome assistant, Peter Cartwright. When it becomes apparent that Adelaide's letters are also tied up in the mystery of a missing heiress, Cartwright decides to have Dora go undercover as a scullery maid in an earl's home to suss out the truth. And that's the bit that required me to suspend my disbelief a bit, because Dora has been raised as a proper lady (even though she notices far too much for said propriety), and working as a scullery maid could damage her reputation beyond repair. But Dora is a willing participant in this plan, because she fancies herself a bit of an amateur detective, and also because she wants to retrieve Adelaide's letters (plus, you know, Peter kind of showed her up and she wants to get a bit of her own back).

I couldn't help but love Dora. She is inquisitive, intelligent, and willing to break away from tradition a bit in terms of her actions. She also has a kind heart, although she can be kind of thoughtlessly cruel, and even more cruel when she means to be. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where she's at the earl's home pretending to be a scullery maid, for she gets into some tight spots and actually does some things that could have gotten her cover blown. But this is where her creativity and cleverness shine through, because she figures out ways to get the information she needs, even if she can't put two and two together right away. And anyone who winds up dancing on a bartop and singing bawdy songs at the top of her lungs can't be all bad, right?

There is a bit of romance in the book between Dora and Peter, but it was well-paced and actually more of an antagonistic-type relationship, which I'm not always a fan of but worked well here, mostly because Dora is just so headstrong. I liked watching them work together and the ways they tried to figure each other out. They both had incredible wit and charm, and made me laugh several times over. Plus there are hints that Peter has had to deal with some type of tragedy, and while you do find out what it is at the end, he played the whole "wounded hero trying to hide his pain behind a humorous exterior" quite well.

While I enjoyed this book, it wasn't perfect. The mystery is solid, but I'd guessed the villain about midway through, although not the motivations. And also, the whole deal with Adelaide's letters is never exactly explained, which, considering that this is the whole reason why Dora initially gets involved, it would have been nice to have some sort of wrap-up with that. There's also a bit of a Scooby Doo-ish reveal in which the truth comes out, which was a bit over the top for me personally. But Dora's adventures and the relationship with Peter definitely saved it enough for me to give the book four solid stars.

If you like your historical fiction a bit more historical with less girls dressing as boys and running amok in Victorian England, then this is probably the one for you. You'll need to suspend your disbelief just a bit, but I think Dora's spirit will capture any reader enough to get you interested and invested in the book. And the slight romance doesn't hurt, either. Secret Letters will be released on June 26th, 2012 in North America. If you like plucky young heroines, definitely give it a read!

An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up mostly because London! and Sherlock Holmes! and girl detectives! and pretty cover! I wasn't expecting a new favorite or anything, but it was a quick, enjoyable read that didn't disappoint. Sure, the plot was loose at times, and a lot of parts either felt out of place or weren't fully developed, and the writing wasn't anything amazing, but overall it did its job and I liked it. Dora and Peter were both endearing characters and I'll definitely be reading any future books.

Due to a letter her mother left her on her death bed, Dora is led to believe that she may in fact be the illegitimate daughter of super detective Sherlock Holmes. She accompanies her cousin to London to seek out the great Holmes to help her cousin with a personal matter of blackmail only to find that Holmes is dead. However, Dora finds herself working with another detective to find out who is blackmailing her cousin and a natural proclivity towards sleuthing. While predictable at times, Dora is a strong heroine trying to prove herself in a time when women were suppose to stay home and not be heard.

HS

2.5 stars

I enjoyed this little book somewhat, but for me the cons outweighed the pros. See below.


Pros:
- fast paced
- quick read
- likable characters (for the most part)

Cons
- it was very unrealistic (I can’t imagine half of the plot actually occurring in Victorian England) - this one counts for a lot when dealing with historical fiction that isn’t touted as having fantasy or sci fi elements
- I wanted more Sherlock Holmesian references or more characters suitable to Holmes stories
- The ease with which Peter and Dora shared their secrets... they’re called secrets for a reason but apparently Peter and Dora (as well as a handful of other characters) missed the memo
- Too. Many. Letters!!!
- the actual mystery (the blackmailed letters) that spurred on the second mystery (the kidnapped Lady) was never satisfactorily explained

I could probably keep going, but this gives a taste of my dissatisfaction. Or perhaps more than a taste...

This is one of those books that could have been so much more. Maybe there are copyright issues with Sherlock Holmes but how sad to not take that into the story by keeping him alive and have him work with Dora. Given the time and the limitations placed on women, the plot was clunky and difficult as the author tried to explain away things and make excuses for Dora’s involvement. The letters, rather than being a main plot point, were just a vehicle to the larger case and really the title should have not even referred to the letters … although, as I type, I guess coded letters were at the root of Mark Fellows murder as well.

The one thing I really liked about the book was the cover. The model they used has freckles and it is so unusual to see a cover with a person with “flaws” that it endeared itself to me. But, while I will pick books up and read the jacket because of their cover (as I did with this one), the content of the book is what sticks … and there wasn’t content enough here for me to recommend to serious mystery fans. However, it’s lack of extreme violence and sex (no sex at all), make it a nice clean read for the Tween crowd.

** As I update my GR with reviews previously only in my private book log, I notice how much I've grown as a librarian and reviewer. "Clean"??? Goodness me. Just say "no sex, no drugs, mild violence" as everyone's definition of "clean" is entirely different!