Abandoned by Booklikes

I should have skipped this, but I was hoping that maybe, just maybe Cavallaro could pivot this series. With talk of a fourth book coming out I wanted something interesting out there in the world of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson. Instead this Young Adult pastiche in the world of Sherlock Holmes is lacking across the board. We somehow have no development of Charlotte and Jamie, there are no real deductions to be made, we still have Charlotte and Jamie in a toxic friendship and we get to see Jamie's father in his own messed up relationship with a Holmes. 

"The Case for Jamie" is the third book in the Charlotte Holmes series. Told in first person points of view by Jamie and Charlotte this time you have back and forth chapters with the not dynamic duo before they finally get to confront another Moriarty.  

Jamie is feeling lost and angry after the events of "The Last of August". He is rightfully over the Holmes family and a year later is settled back in school with a girlfriend. FYI, Jamie treats his girlfriend appallingly and at this point I am wondering if he is a undercover MRA or what. There is no there there this time. Jamie is asked to help find Charlotte by his uncle and father because reasons. I am thinking they are alluding to the fact that Jamie is in love or was in love with her or something. Instead of Jamie actually pushing back on this BS he does eventually get involved and becomes a suspect (again) when a series of pranks goes on.

Charlotte and her POV chapters were pretty freaking soulless. I hate her entire family. I know these people are mythical and all, but when Charlotte recounts being told her mother was disappointed that she was raped cause she thought Charlotte could handle herself better, her brother making excuses about how nothing is his fault, and her father is just an absent asshole. There is nothing interesting about the Holmes besides all of them seem to be devoid of feelings. Charlotte is focused on keeping Jamie safe (again) and tracking down another Moriarty. 

There is nothing to say about the secondary characters. They are not well developed at all. I didn't like Jamie's father and started to hate Charlotte's uncle. There seemed to be some repercussions for Jamie's father at the end of the book, and once again Jamie barely seems to care.

I honestly felt for August's family. He was a good person who had his life ruined because he romantically rejected Charlotte. Then her brother killed him. He is mentioned multiple times throughout this book, but I felt like no one really gave a damn he was dead and should not be. 

The writing was okay, the flow was slow. I think this book was hampered by having alternating chapters between Jamie and Charlotte. Charlotte just recaps things in her chapters that readers should already know about.

The ending was whatever. We have Jamie and Charlotte reunited again and I just don't care enough to read if there is a fourth book.