A Tempest at Sea


 
 
 
 Praise for
 Miss Moriarty, I Presume?
 “Tense and atmospherically rich, particularly in the Cornwall chapters, the novel is interspersed with brief scenes of Charlotte and Ingram’s new intimacy, including some chuckle-inducing letters. . . . An enjoyable jigsaw puzzle in the Holmes tradition, with gothic thrills and a dash of romance.”
 —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 “Readers will revel in seeing Charlotte and her dearest companions at the top of their game in this eventful and pivotal entry in the formidable series.”
 —BookPage
 “Miss Moriarty, I Presume? is a complex story, full of twists and unexpected turns. Settle in for a delightful read, full of red herrings and memorable set pieces, and above all, let the talented Sherry Thomas dazzle you as she performs literary sleights of hand at every turn. Brava!”
 —Criminal Element
 Praise for
 The Lady Sherlock Series
 “These books, which recast Sherlock Holmes as Charlotte Holmes, are perfect for those who adore layered stories. Unignorable questions of gender, expectation, and privilege lurk beneath complex mysteries and a slowly scorching romance.”
 —The Washington Post
 “Loaded with suspense . . . a riveting and absorbing read . . . a beautifully written novel; you’ll savor the unraveling of the mystery and the brilliance of its heroine.”
 —NPR
 “Sherry Thomas has done the impossible and crafted a fresh, exciting new version of Sherlock Holmes.”
 —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of
 A Perilous Undertaking
 “Sherry Thomas is a master of her craft, and A Study in Scarlet Women is an unqualified success: brilliantly executed, beautifully written, and magnificently original—I want the next volume now!”
 —Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author
 “Readers will wait with bated breath to discover how Thomas will skillfully weave in each aspect of the Sherlockian canon and devour the pages to learn how the mystery unfolds.”
 —Anna Lee Huber, national bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries
 “Clever historical details and a top-shelf mystery add to the winning appeal of this first volume in the Lady Sherlock series. A must-read for fans of historical mysteries.”
 —Library Journal (starred review)
 “A completely new, brilliantly conceived take on the iconic detective. . . . A plot worthy of [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle] at his best.”
 —Booklist
 “Fast-paced storytelling and witty prose add further appeal for those who like their historical mysteries playful.”
 —Publishers Weekly on The Art of Theft
 “Quick-witted and swashbuckling, Thomas’s novel is a feminist Victorian delight. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Elizabeth Peters, or C. S. Harris, The Art of Theft is an excellent entry in a wonderful historical series. Its deft pacing, quirky heroine, and intriguing cast of characters make it a mysterious tour de force.”
 —Shelf Awareness on The Art of Theft
 “With an increasingly beloved detective crew, this Victorian mystery offers thrills and sharp insights into human behavior.”
 —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Murder on Cold Street
 
 
 Titles by Sherry Thomas
 The Lady Sherlock Series
 
 a study in scarlet women
 a conspiracy in belgravia
 the hollow of fear
 the art of theft
 murder on cold street
 miss moriarty, i presume?
 a tempest at sea
 
 Other Works
 
 my beautiful enemy
 the luckiest lady in london
 tempting the bride
 ravishing the heiress
 beguiling the beauty
 his at night
 not quite a husband
 delicious
 private arrangements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 BERKLEY
 An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
 penguinrandomhouse.com
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Sherry Thomas
 Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.
 BERKLEY and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
 Names: Thomas, Sherry (Sherry M.) author.
 Title: A tempest at sea / Sherry Thomas.
 Description: First Edition. | New York: Berkley, 2023. | Series: The Lady Sherlock series
 Identifiers: LCCN 2022031846 (print) | LCCN 2022031847 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593200605 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780593200612 (ebook)
 Subjects: LCGFT: Novels.
 Classification: LCC PS3620.H6426 T46 2023 (print) | LCC PS3620.H6426 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20220711
 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031846
 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031847
 First Edition: March 2023
 Cover images: woman © Susan Fox / Trevillion Images; deck of ship by NAPA / Alamy Stock 
 
 To my wonderful, kind, and beautiful mother,
 with whom I love going on ocean voyages
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Saloon Deck (main deck)
 *Not drawn to scale. Some structures have been omitted.
 
 
 
 Upper Deck
 *Not drawn to scale. Some structures have been omitted.
 
 
 One
 
 April 1887
 There’s something you’re not telling me, Ash,” said Charlotte Holmes.
 The night was starless, the sky low and heavy. But spring was beginning to make itself felt as a certain fullness in the air, the swelling of blackthorn buds on the cusp of flowering.
 Charlotte was warmly wrapped in an Inverness cape, a deerstalker cap on her head. No one who saw her in her masculine attire now—if anyone could see in the pitch-blackness—would have mistaken her for the pink silk-clad vixen who had successfully ambushed Lord Ingram Ashburton earlier in the evening.
 It had been their first meeting since her terribly inauspicious “death” in Cornwall, where her body was said to have been dissolved in a vat of perchloric acid. Her closest associates had “mourned” in a manner befitting those who could not publicly acknowledge their grief. But they had also