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Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #13
Dreaming Spies
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE AGATHA AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST MYSTERIES OF THE YEAR BY THE SEATTLE TIMES
Laurie R. King’s novels of suspense featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, are critically acclaimed and beloved by readers for the author’s adept interplay of history and adventure. Now the intrepid duo is finally trying to take a little time for themselves—only to be swept up in a baffling case that will lead them from the idyllic panoramas of Japan to the depths of Oxford’s most revered institution.
After a lengthy case that had the couple traipsing all over India, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are on their way to California to deal with some family business that Russell has been neglecting for far too long. Along the way, they plan to break up the long voyage with a sojourn in southern Japan. The cruising steamer Thomas Carlyle is leaving Bombay, bound for Kobe. Though they’re not the vacationing types, Russell is looking forward to a change of focus—not to mention a chance to travel to a location Holmes has not visited before. The idea of the pair being on equal footing is enticing to a woman who often must race to catch up with her older, highly skilled husband.
Aboard the ship, intrigue stirs almost immediately. Holmes recognizes the famous clubman the Earl of Darley, whom he suspects of being an occasional not an unlikely career choice for a man richer in social connections than in pounds sterling. And then there’s the lithe, surprisingly fluent young Japanese woman who befriends Russell and quotes haiku. She agrees to tutor the couple in Japanese language and customs, but Russell can’t shake the feeling that Haruki Sato is not who she claims to be.
Once in Japan, Russell’s suspicions are confirmed in a most surprising way. From the glorious city of Tokyo to the cavernous library at Oxford, Russell and Holmes race to solve a mystery involving international extortion, espionage, and the shocking secrets that, if revealed, could spark revolution—and topple an empire.
Praise for Dreaming Spies
“[Holmes and Russell’s] unusual partnership is, as always, a delight to observe, and King expertly combines rich historical detail, deftly drawn characters and taut suspense. For Holmes fans, mystery lovers and those interested in either Japan or Oxford, this novel is a multilayered and entirely enjoyable journey.” — Shelf Awareness
“Compulsively readable . . . Through astute, precise, and elegant writing, great attention to time and place, and beautifully realized characters, King has created a mystery series that is at once intelligent, reflective, and action filled.” — Library Journal
“A story that keeps the reader enthralled . . . one of the most consistently outstanding mystery series out there. Any time spent with the Russell-Holmes duo is a delight.” — Booklist
“Snappy prose and a captivating plot distinguish King’s fourteenth novel featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes. . . . Many will find the character deepened by his partnership with the spirited and clever Russell.” — Publishers Weekly
“The author continues to offer up incredible plotlines. . . . [Holmes and Russell’s] emotional bond only adds to the magic, suspense, and beauty of the original creation. King’s imagination continues to shine!” — Suspense Magazine
“[King] manages more surprises than usual in this graceful exercise in cultural tourism–cum-intrigue.” — Kirkus Reviews
Laurie R. King’s novels of suspense featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, are critically acclaimed and beloved by readers for the author’s adept interplay of history and adventure. Now the intrepid duo is finally trying to take a little time for themselves—only to be swept up in a baffling case that will lead them from the idyllic panoramas of Japan to the depths of Oxford’s most revered institution.
After a lengthy case that had the couple traipsing all over India, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are on their way to California to deal with some family business that Russell has been neglecting for far too long. Along the way, they plan to break up the long voyage with a sojourn in southern Japan. The cruising steamer Thomas Carlyle is leaving Bombay, bound for Kobe. Though they’re not the vacationing types, Russell is looking forward to a change of focus—not to mention a chance to travel to a location Holmes has not visited before. The idea of the pair being on equal footing is enticing to a woman who often must race to catch up with her older, highly skilled husband.
Aboard the ship, intrigue stirs almost immediately. Holmes recognizes the famous clubman the Earl of Darley, whom he suspects of being an occasional not an unlikely career choice for a man richer in social connections than in pounds sterling. And then there’s the lithe, surprisingly fluent young Japanese woman who befriends Russell and quotes haiku. She agrees to tutor the couple in Japanese language and customs, but Russell can’t shake the feeling that Haruki Sato is not who she claims to be.
Once in Japan, Russell’s suspicions are confirmed in a most surprising way. From the glorious city of Tokyo to the cavernous library at Oxford, Russell and Holmes race to solve a mystery involving international extortion, espionage, and the shocking secrets that, if revealed, could spark revolution—and topple an empire.
Praise for Dreaming Spies
“[Holmes and Russell’s] unusual partnership is, as always, a delight to observe, and King expertly combines rich historical detail, deftly drawn characters and taut suspense. For Holmes fans, mystery lovers and those interested in either Japan or Oxford, this novel is a multilayered and entirely enjoyable journey.” — Shelf Awareness
“Compulsively readable . . . Through astute, precise, and elegant writing, great attention to time and place, and beautifully realized characters, King has created a mystery series that is at once intelligent, reflective, and action filled.” — Library Journal
“A story that keeps the reader enthralled . . . one of the most consistently outstanding mystery series out there. Any time spent with the Russell-Holmes duo is a delight.” — Booklist
“Snappy prose and a captivating plot distinguish King’s fourteenth novel featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes. . . . Many will find the character deepened by his partnership with the spirited and clever Russell.” — Publishers Weekly
“The author continues to offer up incredible plotlines. . . . [Holmes and Russell’s] emotional bond only adds to the magic, suspense, and beauty of the original creation. King’s imagination continues to shine!” — Suspense Magazine
“[King] manages more surprises than usual in this graceful exercise in cultural tourism–cum-intrigue.” — Kirkus Reviews
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First published February 17, 2015
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About the author
Laurie R. King
136 books6,859 followersEdgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum is
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.
King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]
King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.
Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.
King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]
King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.
Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,215 reviews
September 23, 2017
The story in Dreaming Spies begins with Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell arriving home after all the adventures in Morocco (Pirate King and Garments of Shadows) and finding a rock in their garden. This rock is just the beginning, or in a way the continuation of an old case that started around a year ago in Japan after Holmes and Russells adventure in India in The Game.
We start off the story in Sussex and Oxford with the arrival of a rock and an old “friend” of Holmes and Russell. After that, we get to know what really happened in Japan before they arrived in America. Laurie R. King has as usual written a very describing and well-researched book. I felt that I was in Japan as I read and it was a wonderful treat to get to know the country and its culture throughout the story.
The only objection I have and that is that I felt a trifle impatient reading it sometimes. Because even though it was well written not so much happened, or, of course, things happened but alas so slowly. I wanted some more drive to the story. The story in Japan takes up 2/3 of the book and much of that was just to lay the groundwork for the story later on in Oxford. So even though I enjoyed the time on the ship from India to Japan and the time in Japan I liked the story best later on in Oxford when the game was afoot. This doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the book. I loved reading it. It was a great book and I think that fans of Laurie R. Kings books will truly enjoy reading this book.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
We start off the story in Sussex and Oxford with the arrival of a rock and an old “friend” of Holmes and Russell. After that, we get to know what really happened in Japan before they arrived in America. Laurie R. King has as usual written a very describing and well-researched book. I felt that I was in Japan as I read and it was a wonderful treat to get to know the country and its culture throughout the story.
The only objection I have and that is that I felt a trifle impatient reading it sometimes. Because even though it was well written not so much happened, or, of course, things happened but alas so slowly. I wanted some more drive to the story. The story in Japan takes up 2/3 of the book and much of that was just to lay the groundwork for the story later on in Oxford. So even though I enjoyed the time on the ship from India to Japan and the time in Japan I liked the story best later on in Oxford when the game was afoot. This doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the book. I loved reading it. It was a great book and I think that fans of Laurie R. Kings books will truly enjoy reading this book.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
September 13, 2017
Four words for you: Mary Russell meets ninjas. Enough said!
But seriously, for all those LRK/Russell fans who've maybe been a little disappointed by the last few books, Dreaming Spies is like a throwback to our favorites in the series.
But seriously, for all those LRK/Russell fans who've maybe been a little disappointed by the last few books, Dreaming Spies is like a throwback to our favorites in the series.
May 15, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I fell off the Mary Russell series a while back. I enjoyed the earlier stories, especially Jerusalem, which took a look into a different culture in what I recall as a respectful and interesting way. I stopped reading around the India story, when Mary started really being too good to be true. Hmm, looking back, I bailed at book 8, written ten years ago.
I was curious about this one, though, and thought I'd dip back into the series to see how it was going. I liked it enough to keep reading it, but found myself critiquing it as I went along instead of being absorbed in the story.
The structure of the novel is awkward. We arrive back at home with Mary and Holmes after their lengthy travels. They receive a mysterious visitor, and then there's a flashback that almost two hundred pages long. In fact, I forgot that it was a flashback at all until the very end of it, when the book resumes in its "present" time for about another hundred pages.
Mary and Holmes navigate two foreign environments- that of the cruise ship in the 1920's, and Japan. I won't go into any details of the plot, because what I noticed more was just how much of a snob Mary was. She judged all her fellow passengers, despised most of them, and seemed to think herself a peerless actress who came across as flighty one minute, a bluestocking the next, without once worrying about anyone else's powers of observation being applied to her. I disliked Mary through most of this book and read on despite her.
Regarding Japan... there are ninjas, of course. There are charming ryokans (inns), green tea and rice, an "industrious people". Mary and Holmes must undergo an immersion in this foreign culture in order to learn how not to make enormous faux pas and to be able to appear in polite Japanese society. Not once do we hear from Mary that this was difficult in any way. She and Holmes easily travel as pilgrims, learn enough Japanese on the cruise ship to get by in Japan, love the food instantly, don't have any problem with mixed bathing, just take everything in stride. Honestly, it was no fun. For me, there weren't really any insights into Japanese culture, in fact, it seemed almost a stereotype of the romanticized western view of Japan. Reading the perspective of someone who had a few actual struggles with things that were strange to them would have been far more interesting than the superhuman Mary and Holmes, who, despite never having been to Japan or met a Japanese person before, are as unruffled as can be by anything that occurs. By the end of our Japanese flashback, Mary is snobbily looking down at coarse westerners with their meaty meals instead of light,clean fish and pickles, their coarse manners instead of Japanese restraint. Did I mention that I don't care for Mary?
Mary and Holmes do not interact in any way except as working partners in this book. I don't know if I missed something in a previous book, but they don't act like they are married at all. No affection, no having fun together, it's all work, all the time.
The last part of the book takes place in a country estate. It's a set piece with breaking and entering, discovering clues, and then being caught by the villains in order to get a monologue. I had figured out where the macguffin was hiding the first time it was mentioned, so was not surprised. Mary managed also to pass judgement on people's private pornographic and sex toy habits. Anyone into BDSM must have some sort of personality disorder that makes them enjoy hurting others, it seems, in Mary Russell's world, which also makes them prone to criminality due to... lack of moral fiber or something.
The book felt dated, I'm not sure that Mary and Holmes, for all their industrious activity, really made much difference in the outcome of the larger story, and I don't like Mary (did I mention?). It is an easily readable book, though, and if you don't care about the destination, just the journey, you may like it just fine. However, this did not inspire me to go back and read the books that I've skipped.
I fell off the Mary Russell series a while back. I enjoyed the earlier stories, especially Jerusalem, which took a look into a different culture in what I recall as a respectful and interesting way. I stopped reading around the India story, when Mary started really being too good to be true. Hmm, looking back, I bailed at book 8, written ten years ago.
I was curious about this one, though, and thought I'd dip back into the series to see how it was going. I liked it enough to keep reading it, but found myself critiquing it as I went along instead of being absorbed in the story.
The structure of the novel is awkward. We arrive back at home with Mary and Holmes after their lengthy travels. They receive a mysterious visitor, and then there's a flashback that almost two hundred pages long. In fact, I forgot that it was a flashback at all until the very end of it, when the book resumes in its "present" time for about another hundred pages.
Mary and Holmes navigate two foreign environments- that of the cruise ship in the 1920's, and Japan. I won't go into any details of the plot, because what I noticed more was just how much of a snob Mary was. She judged all her fellow passengers, despised most of them, and seemed to think herself a peerless actress who came across as flighty one minute, a bluestocking the next, without once worrying about anyone else's powers of observation being applied to her. I disliked Mary through most of this book and read on despite her.
Regarding Japan... there are ninjas, of course. There are charming ryokans (inns), green tea and rice, an "industrious people". Mary and Holmes must undergo an immersion in this foreign culture in order to learn how not to make enormous faux pas and to be able to appear in polite Japanese society. Not once do we hear from Mary that this was difficult in any way. She and Holmes easily travel as pilgrims, learn enough Japanese on the cruise ship to get by in Japan, love the food instantly, don't have any problem with mixed bathing, just take everything in stride. Honestly, it was no fun. For me, there weren't really any insights into Japanese culture, in fact, it seemed almost a stereotype of the romanticized western view of Japan. Reading the perspective of someone who had a few actual struggles with things that were strange to them would have been far more interesting than the superhuman Mary and Holmes, who, despite never having been to Japan or met a Japanese person before, are as unruffled as can be by anything that occurs. By the end of our Japanese flashback, Mary is snobbily looking down at coarse westerners with their meaty meals instead of light,clean fish and pickles, their coarse manners instead of Japanese restraint. Did I mention that I don't care for Mary?
Mary and Holmes do not interact in any way except as working partners in this book. I don't know if I missed something in a previous book, but they don't act like they are married at all. No affection, no having fun together, it's all work, all the time.
The last part of the book takes place in a country estate. It's a set piece with breaking and entering, discovering clues, and then being caught by the villains in order to get a monologue. I had figured out where the macguffin was hiding the first time it was mentioned, so was not surprised. Mary managed also to pass judgement on people's private pornographic and sex toy habits. Anyone into BDSM must have some sort of personality disorder that makes them enjoy hurting others, it seems, in Mary Russell's world, which also makes them prone to criminality due to... lack of moral fiber or something.
The book felt dated, I'm not sure that Mary and Holmes, for all their industrious activity, really made much difference in the outcome of the larger story, and I don't like Mary (did I mention?). It is an easily readable book, though, and if you don't care about the destination, just the journey, you may like it just fine. However, this did not inspire me to go back and read the books that I've skipped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2015
Years ago I came upon a mystery series by Laurie R. King featuring Sherlock Holmes and a young girl who was his neighbor in Sussex, where Holmes was keeping bees. This first book entitled The Beekeeper's Apprentice was one of those books that it seems I'd been waiting my whole life to read. I fell head over heels in love with King's Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Following them through their adventures, including being married, has been one of my greatest reading pleasures. Each book in the series has been a return to a world in which I can expect to experience adventure, intelligent detecting, wit, and a constant quest for knowledge. I come away from each reading having been privy to an exciting story written by an amazing author whose every sentence has purpose in extricating the essential truth from the quagmire of subterfuge. And, of course, Russell and Holmes, with their wit and skills, are the most capable of guides through said quagmire.
In the 13th book of the Mary Russell narrated series, Russell and Holmes have returned to Sussex in March 1925 from their many travels to find a Japanese rock in their garden. It is not the only thing from Japan that will turn up at this time in their lives and take them back to thoughts of the year before when they spent a brief, yet intense time in that country. In April of 1924, Russell and Holmes had just finished a case in India (an adventure told in The Game) and we join them on a ship in Bombay headed for Japan. Neither has been to Japan, so it will be a learning experience for both of them this time, not just Russell. On board, Russell makes the acquaintance of a young Japanese woman, Haruki San, who agrees to tutor the pair in the Japanese language and customs. Another passenger catches Holmes' notice, and although the gentleman is an Earl, the Earl of Darley, Holmes is familiar with Darley as a suspected blackmailer, one Holmes would very much like to expose. As the voyage spreads out over three weeks, the undertones of things not being as they seem increase daily. Russell and Holmes even encounter a ninja.
Upon arriving in Japan, things become first more clouded and then an immersion into the culture brings clarity. Of course, clarity doesn't always mean immediate resolution. Haruki San continues to play an important part in guiding the detectives on their Japanese journey, on a journey that will take them along the Nakasendo Road of which the Haiku poet Basho wrote, giving Russell a close appreciation of the Japanese poet and the beauty of the poetry form and the land of which it spoke. With each chapter in the book beginning with a haiku, my fascination with that poetry has also grown. The journey introduces the couple to green tea, eating octopus, sleeping on tatami floors and bedding, public baths, and a person of future infamy to the world. The Prince Regent Hirohito, who would some years later become Emperor Hirohito, is in 1924 a young man with a problem requiring the assistance of Holmes and Russell. With international relations and a country's welfare at stake, there is nothing for it but for the husband and wife team to do all they can to solve a mystery and avoid international disaster. Some things, however, take longer than one expects for final resolution.
It was a thrill for me to receive an ARC from Random House of Dreaming Spies, as I had been a fan for so long of this series. I gain so much from reading the Russell and Holmes books. A great story, delight in witty dialogue, the pleasure of feeding my inner Anglophile, and the learning of historical elements and countries that enrich my reading all around. Laurie R. King is an author that never disappoints me, and I am at the ready whenever I'm asked to recommend a series with the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes adventures.
In the 13th book of the Mary Russell narrated series, Russell and Holmes have returned to Sussex in March 1925 from their many travels to find a Japanese rock in their garden. It is not the only thing from Japan that will turn up at this time in their lives and take them back to thoughts of the year before when they spent a brief, yet intense time in that country. In April of 1924, Russell and Holmes had just finished a case in India (an adventure told in The Game) and we join them on a ship in Bombay headed for Japan. Neither has been to Japan, so it will be a learning experience for both of them this time, not just Russell. On board, Russell makes the acquaintance of a young Japanese woman, Haruki San, who agrees to tutor the pair in the Japanese language and customs. Another passenger catches Holmes' notice, and although the gentleman is an Earl, the Earl of Darley, Holmes is familiar with Darley as a suspected blackmailer, one Holmes would very much like to expose. As the voyage spreads out over three weeks, the undertones of things not being as they seem increase daily. Russell and Holmes even encounter a ninja.
Upon arriving in Japan, things become first more clouded and then an immersion into the culture brings clarity. Of course, clarity doesn't always mean immediate resolution. Haruki San continues to play an important part in guiding the detectives on their Japanese journey, on a journey that will take them along the Nakasendo Road of which the Haiku poet Basho wrote, giving Russell a close appreciation of the Japanese poet and the beauty of the poetry form and the land of which it spoke. With each chapter in the book beginning with a haiku, my fascination with that poetry has also grown. The journey introduces the couple to green tea, eating octopus, sleeping on tatami floors and bedding, public baths, and a person of future infamy to the world. The Prince Regent Hirohito, who would some years later become Emperor Hirohito, is in 1924 a young man with a problem requiring the assistance of Holmes and Russell. With international relations and a country's welfare at stake, there is nothing for it but for the husband and wife team to do all they can to solve a mystery and avoid international disaster. Some things, however, take longer than one expects for final resolution.
It was a thrill for me to receive an ARC from Random House of Dreaming Spies, as I had been a fan for so long of this series. I gain so much from reading the Russell and Holmes books. A great story, delight in witty dialogue, the pleasure of feeding my inner Anglophile, and the learning of historical elements and countries that enrich my reading all around. Laurie R. King is an author that never disappoints me, and I am at the ready whenever I'm asked to recommend a series with the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes adventures.
April 26, 2015
This was the first book in the Mary Russell series for me. I had heard positive things about it and so I decided to give it a try. Starting a series with one of the later volumes often isn't easy and I have to admit I was a bit confused after the first few pages. But that soon passed and I starting enjoying this novel immensely.
The first thing I have to mention is the language. I really loved it and was so glad to finally read a crime novel written in beautiful words. I clearly wasn't expecting this especially because the series would fall slightly in the cozy mystery category and those books often aren't renowned for their superior language.
The second thing I really liked were the lectures on Japan. I was familiar with some of them but definitely learned a lot of new and interesting facts. And I really started loving the Haikus - once I knew what they were. They are heading every chapter and I first thought them very weird. I could tell that they were a summary of what was to happen in the chapter but I didn't really appreciate them until I had learned more about them. My respects to the author for the work she put into them!
I also liked the whole crime story, especially that everything was so clear. I often could tell before Russell and Holmes what was happening. I'm never sure whether this is acutually a good sign or a bad one. On the one hand when this situation occurs I always wonder how the detectives can be that stupid. On the other hand it means that the mystery is very well structured and written. I like complicated mysteries but I also have to have the feeling that things aren't too far-fetched.
The book was a very pleasant experience and I'm now looking forward to reading some of the other books in the series.
(I receievd a free digital copy via Netgally/the publisher. Thanks for the opportunity!)
The first thing I have to mention is the language. I really loved it and was so glad to finally read a crime novel written in beautiful words. I clearly wasn't expecting this especially because the series would fall slightly in the cozy mystery category and those books often aren't renowned for their superior language.
The second thing I really liked were the lectures on Japan. I was familiar with some of them but definitely learned a lot of new and interesting facts. And I really started loving the Haikus - once I knew what they were. They are heading every chapter and I first thought them very weird. I could tell that they were a summary of what was to happen in the chapter but I didn't really appreciate them until I had learned more about them. My respects to the author for the work she put into them!
I also liked the whole crime story, especially that everything was so clear. I often could tell before Russell and Holmes what was happening. I'm never sure whether this is acutually a good sign or a bad one. On the one hand when this situation occurs I always wonder how the detectives can be that stupid. On the other hand it means that the mystery is very well structured and written. I like complicated mysteries but I also have to have the feeling that things aren't too far-fetched.
The book was a very pleasant experience and I'm now looking forward to reading some of the other books in the series.
(I receievd a free digital copy via Netgally/the publisher. Thanks for the opportunity!)
December 12, 2014
Before Dreaming Spies I had only read the first book of the Russell/Holmes stories, and while I normally don’t read series books out of sequence I was thoroughly captivated by this well developed and deeply involving travelogue adventure set mainly on a cruising steamer ship and in Japan. Consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his much younger wife Mary Russell--a serious but intrepid bluestocking--are a surprising but well matched couple. Since both are reflexively inquisitive, highly intelligent, and decidedly independent they make good investigative and life partners, though if romantic passion led to their marriage that’s no longer evident this far along in the series.
Dreaming Spies immerses Russell, Holmes, and the reader in the country and culture of early twentieth century Japan and involves ninjas, blackmail, the international travel set, the Japanese heir to the throne, the deceptively demure daughter of a Japanese acrobat, and Holmes and Russell posing as both religious pilgrims and high society aristocrats. With intriguing characters, a fascinating setting, a complex mystery, and haikus scattered throughout the text, Dreaming Spies is kind of book you savor rather than rush through until its final section. The action ramps up when the story returns to Oxford and I raced through those last pages. You can enjoy Dreaming Spies even if you haven’t read all the preceding stories, but I will definitely be going back to read the earlier books in the series.
I read an advanced review copy of Dreaming Spies supplied by the publisher. Review opinions are mine.
Dreaming Spies immerses Russell, Holmes, and the reader in the country and culture of early twentieth century Japan and involves ninjas, blackmail, the international travel set, the Japanese heir to the throne, the deceptively demure daughter of a Japanese acrobat, and Holmes and Russell posing as both religious pilgrims and high society aristocrats. With intriguing characters, a fascinating setting, a complex mystery, and haikus scattered throughout the text, Dreaming Spies is kind of book you savor rather than rush through until its final section. The action ramps up when the story returns to Oxford and I raced through those last pages. You can enjoy Dreaming Spies even if you haven’t read all the preceding stories, but I will definitely be going back to read the earlier books in the series.
I read an advanced review copy of Dreaming Spies supplied by the publisher. Review opinions are mine.
March 20, 2017
King has created an enduring series based on the legendary Sherlock Holmes of Arthur Conan Doyle. Mary Russell, who begins as Holmes’ assistant and later becomes his wife, shares each adventure and in most cases is the narrator. She is a brilliant Oxford University graduate whose knowledge of that city and of ancient studies has a special role in many of their adventures.
Dreaming Spies is one of the later books in the series. Yet, unlike most of those works that proceed in a linear time-frame, Dreaming Spies fills in an earlier gap when Russell and Holmes were making their way from India to California by way of Japan. For those who wondered about those several weeks in Japan, King now provides a very complex story involving Prince Hirohito, our heroes, and a blackmail plot.
In order to avoid depriving readers of the pleasure of having this unfold for themselves, I will only state that King (as usual) has done a great deal of research on Japan in the 1920s and has woven this into a plot that plays on the clash of cultures. The story is full of surprising twists and, both Russell and Holmes, are kept off-balance by their lack of familiarity with both terrain and language.
This is one of the most intriguing and satisfying reads in the series.
Dreaming Spies is one of the later books in the series. Yet, unlike most of those works that proceed in a linear time-frame, Dreaming Spies fills in an earlier gap when Russell and Holmes were making their way from India to California by way of Japan. For those who wondered about those several weeks in Japan, King now provides a very complex story involving Prince Hirohito, our heroes, and a blackmail plot.
In order to avoid depriving readers of the pleasure of having this unfold for themselves, I will only state that King (as usual) has done a great deal of research on Japan in the 1920s and has woven this into a plot that plays on the clash of cultures. The story is full of surprising twists and, both Russell and Holmes, are kept off-balance by their lack of familiarity with both terrain and language.
This is one of the most intriguing and satisfying reads in the series.
March 12, 2017
Ms. King seems to have recovered the mojo that she misplaced during the writing of The Pirate King. This isn't my favorite of the series - Justice Hall and Locked Rooms remain the top of the heap for me - however, this was an entertaining outing. I really enjoyed Part I, the shipboard section, and Part III, the Oxford section. The part set in Japan wasn't quite as enjoyable to me, although Russell and Holmes fighting the ninja was fairly awesome.
Thumbs up.
Thumbs up.
November 29, 2014
A real return to form for me from the two previous in the series, The Pirate King (for me, the weakest in the series), and Garment of Shadows (OK).
My ARC courtesy of Bantam/Net Galley - much thanks!
For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/10... .
My ARC courtesy of Bantam/Net Galley - much thanks!
For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/10... .
December 18, 2014
So often, when an author steps in to continue a longtime series, readers despair over how false the voice of the new author sounds. That has never been a problem with Laurie R. King, who writes pitch-perfect, her continuation of the Sherlock Holmes series being simply indistinguishable from the tone and style of the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Dreaming Spires is just as wonderful as the rest of the oeuvre.
In her latest novel, King deploys Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes to Japan in order to rescue the Crown Prince of Japan, Hirohito. While readers, of course, know of the horrors to come — the Rape of Nanjing, the approval of the 1938 use of poison gas, the Bataan Death March, Hirohito’s 1944 radio broadcast encouraging Japanese civilians to commit suicide rather surrender (he feared defection by civilians surprised by benevolent Allied treatment) — Russell and Holmes know only the bespectacled 24-year-old not yet ascended to the Throne. Faced with a royal request and the threat of an international incident, the pair — assisted by a deceptively gentle and petite Japanese acrobat, Haruki Sato — work to foil an intricate extortion plot..
Dreaming Spies’s title is a pun on poet Matthew Arnold’s line, “…that sweet city with her dreaming spires…” (which serves as the novel’s opening epigraph). And the novel has more twists and turns than any Salvador Dali dream or any Antoni Gaudí spire. Nothing is as it seems — not, of course, Haruki Sato; not the blackmailer, James, Lord Darley; not the new Lady Darley; not the visit to Japan, nor the resolution to the extortion plot. The suspense in the book’s final third kept me reading when I should have been doing much else!
Highly recommended for longtime fans and those new to the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes franchise.
Special thanks to NetGalley, which provided me a PDF copy of the novel in return for an honest review.
In her latest novel, King deploys Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes to Japan in order to rescue the Crown Prince of Japan, Hirohito. While readers, of course, know of the horrors to come — the Rape of Nanjing, the approval of the 1938 use of poison gas, the Bataan Death March, Hirohito’s 1944 radio broadcast encouraging Japanese civilians to commit suicide rather surrender (he feared defection by civilians surprised by benevolent Allied treatment) — Russell and Holmes know only the bespectacled 24-year-old not yet ascended to the Throne. Faced with a royal request and the threat of an international incident, the pair — assisted by a deceptively gentle and petite Japanese acrobat, Haruki Sato — work to foil an intricate extortion plot..
Dreaming Spies’s title is a pun on poet Matthew Arnold’s line, “…that sweet city with her dreaming spires…” (which serves as the novel’s opening epigraph). And the novel has more twists and turns than any Salvador Dali dream or any Antoni Gaudí spire. Nothing is as it seems — not, of course, Haruki Sato; not the blackmailer, James, Lord Darley; not the new Lady Darley; not the visit to Japan, nor the resolution to the extortion plot. The suspense in the book’s final third kept me reading when I should have been doing much else!
Highly recommended for longtime fans and those new to the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes franchise.
Special thanks to NetGalley, which provided me a PDF copy of the novel in return for an honest review.
February 20, 2015
It pains me to write this because I've been anxiously awaiting Dreaming Spies for two years, but this was not my favorite Laurie R King book. While, as always, her descriptions can carry me to another time and place in magnificent ways, I found the plot to be particularly slow and straight forward. What I love about the Mary Russell books is the sense of adventure and holding my breath as I tear through the pages because I can't figure out what's happening next or how it will resolve. The first half of this book, though I understand the need to set the characters on their paths, was way, way too long. It truly dragged for me. And once the plot thickened and the adventure began, I found it not that interesting. I figured out who the villain was rather early on as well as the second big reveal. Only the final twist was a surprise and I didn't find it all that interesting. While beautifully written and interwoven with Japanese poetry and culture, I missed the partnership of Russell and Holmes. I missed feeling invested in the crime they needed to solve. All that to say, I love Laurie R King's writing and I have an almost obsession with the Mary Russell books - I always get them the first day they come out and read them cover to cover in one sitting- but I'm hoping Dreaming Spies with be a blip adventure, much like Pirate King, and the next book is even better. Hopefully it won't be another two years or I can somehow get my hands on an ARC.
February 17, 2015
This was my first book by Laurie R. King. I had heard of her and knew she was a best selling author, so I was rather excited when I discovered I had been approved to review this title. I started reading it today. That's where my excitement ended. I seriously felt I was on that ship with Mary and Holmes for twenty something days. And the trek through Japan, I was ready to commit hari kari. I guess I enjoy more of a fast paced read and this one did not cut it for me.
I liked the writing style and the fact the emphasis was on Mary and not Holmes, but the conversations I had to endure that added nothing to the story were just lost on me. I read 50% of the book before I found out what the mission was all about. The ending did pick up, but it just took so long to get there.
Thank you Random House and Net Galley for providing a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the writing style and the fact the emphasis was on Mary and not Holmes, but the conversations I had to endure that added nothing to the story were just lost on me. I read 50% of the book before I found out what the mission was all about. The ending did pick up, but it just took so long to get there.
Thank you Random House and Net Galley for providing a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2015
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King in the thirteenth installment in the Mary Russell series, featuring Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell as they solve mysteries in Holmes' latter years. I have been a big fan of this series from way back and the earlier novels, Beekeeper's Apprentice and others, are some of the best in Sherlock Holmes novels I have ever read outside of the Conan Doyle canon. More so, perhaps, because in these novels, Holmes is a supporting player and it is Russell who is the true detective.
Dreaming Spies concerns the missing period of time that other Russell/Holmes have alluded to, when the pair journeyed to Japan. It was during this sea voyage that Holmes spots an English Nobleman that he had long suspected of treason and blackmailed. Russell, knowing that Holmes is difficult when he is bored, agrees that Holmes should follow the Earl of Darley while she tries to relax. During the voyage, Russell befriends a young Japanese girl and decides to learn the most she can about the culture. But the occupants of the voyage are not all who they seem and soon Holmes and Russell are drawn into an espionage and international intrigue whose secrets could topple a government.
Soon the pair of consulting detectives are drawn into the inner workings of the Japanese Government and its Emperor, with ninjas and samurai, and the secrets of centuries past. Holmes and Russell must unravel the hidden secrets and take them back from the blackmailers and place them safely in the hands of the Japanese before both the British and Japanese governments lose trust in one another.
What makes these novels work is King's ability to keep Holmes as a minor character in the tales while Russell takes the lead. She is his equal in every way except for experience and it is with reluctance and some irritation that she takes his advice. Their relationship which is far different from the Holmes and Watson one moves these mysteries forward and it is their ability to work on their own as well as together that keeps them so perfectly matched.
This is another good read and the legend of Mary Russell is growing.
Dreaming Spies concerns the missing period of time that other Russell/Holmes have alluded to, when the pair journeyed to Japan. It was during this sea voyage that Holmes spots an English Nobleman that he had long suspected of treason and blackmailed. Russell, knowing that Holmes is difficult when he is bored, agrees that Holmes should follow the Earl of Darley while she tries to relax. During the voyage, Russell befriends a young Japanese girl and decides to learn the most she can about the culture. But the occupants of the voyage are not all who they seem and soon Holmes and Russell are drawn into an espionage and international intrigue whose secrets could topple a government.
Soon the pair of consulting detectives are drawn into the inner workings of the Japanese Government and its Emperor, with ninjas and samurai, and the secrets of centuries past. Holmes and Russell must unravel the hidden secrets and take them back from the blackmailers and place them safely in the hands of the Japanese before both the British and Japanese governments lose trust in one another.
What makes these novels work is King's ability to keep Holmes as a minor character in the tales while Russell takes the lead. She is his equal in every way except for experience and it is with reluctance and some irritation that she takes his advice. Their relationship which is far different from the Holmes and Watson one moves these mysteries forward and it is their ability to work on their own as well as together that keeps them so perfectly matched.
This is another good read and the legend of Mary Russell is growing.
March 10, 2019
I’m not a fan of Mary Russell as a person. She is snobbish, judgmental, and even a bit classist. She’s an interesting character, however, a well-rendered product of her times. She addresses her husband Sherlock Holmes by his last name, very properly; despite being a bit antisocial, she knows how to behave in society and what to make of its members. Her voice sounds authentic and unaffected. The book was a pleasure to read – at the technical level.
Now, Japan.
When I read historical fiction set in Japan, I’m always surprised by the reverence with which positive Western characters treat all things Japanese. They go out of their way to assure the Japanese character(s) about their deep respect for Japanese culture. Then they proceed to prove that they are even better at this whole Japanese cultural stuff than the Japanese themselves. Lively contempt for the West is an added bonus – here’s one of the haikus which serve as chapter openers:
Cups of morning tea:
Clear, clean, Japanese for me –
Or cool English murk?
I wish I were joking. The long-suffering haiku is presented as the pinnacle of Japanese poetry and endlessly abused. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are able to beat ninjas after a brief training (don’t ask) and learn Japanese in a couple of months or so – not ordinary Japanese either, no, Japanese sufficient to hold a conversation with the Emperor himself. In the bath, no less. (When I told my friend about that, because I just had to share with someone, he asked me: “And was the Emperor wearing a golden loincloth?”)
The book is set in the time when Communists, socialists, anarchists, pacifists and other dissenters clashed regularly with the police; a conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor, aka the High Treason Incident, was uncovered in 1910. There’s not even a single line, though, which might indicate that the Japanese society might not be an absolute monolith. They are inscrutable, cold, precise, traditional, and universally loyal to the Emperor – essentially untouched by modernity. Also suicidal.
“The stories we tell our children, the events that glorify names and that give their essence to our most moving plays, are those filled with the triumph of suicide.”
I don’t even know what that means – the triumph of suicide? Why triumph? There is nothing triumphant about suicide in Japanese plays, I assure you. It’s always tragic and nothing short of catastrophic. There were quite a lot of people who were against suicide in Japan, even before the modern times. The samurai ethos, which had turned suicide into a ritual and a cult, was far from being accepted by the rest of Japanese society, for whom the samurai class was not much more than a glorified bully.
For Mary and Sherlock, however, the Japanese are “a proud people” eager to pay with blood for every transgression, and very, very eager to die for the Emperor. Mary and Sherlock are almost ready to die for the Emperor themselves – they are completely star-struck and full of nearly religious awe, calling the Emperor “The Son of Heaven” in all sincerity and whatnot. Which would be all right, but the premise itself shows an absolute lack of understanding of Japanese monarchy as an institution, and the result is silly and implausible. The emperor is not only a head of state, it is also a religious function, and it is important for the wellbeing of the whole country and people that he does everything right. He wouldn’t have had acrobats and contortionists perform for him, because they were ritually impure… even kabuki actors were, until very recently.
Okay, I’m tired, I don’t want to spend any more time on this, so:
1. It’s worth reading for the style and for the main character. (I don’t mind Sherlock Holmes being outshined by his wife, why would I?)
2. The mystery is a bit ho-hum, the villains easy to identify.
3. The Japanese stuff is disappointing and inaccurate.
Now, Japan.
When I read historical fiction set in Japan, I’m always surprised by the reverence with which positive Western characters treat all things Japanese. They go out of their way to assure the Japanese character(s) about their deep respect for Japanese culture. Then they proceed to prove that they are even better at this whole Japanese cultural stuff than the Japanese themselves. Lively contempt for the West is an added bonus – here’s one of the haikus which serve as chapter openers:
Cups of morning tea:
Clear, clean, Japanese for me –
Or cool English murk?
I wish I were joking. The long-suffering haiku is presented as the pinnacle of Japanese poetry and endlessly abused. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are able to beat ninjas after a brief training (don’t ask) and learn Japanese in a couple of months or so – not ordinary Japanese either, no, Japanese sufficient to hold a conversation with the Emperor himself. In the bath, no less. (When I told my friend about that, because I just had to share with someone, he asked me: “And was the Emperor wearing a golden loincloth?”)
The book is set in the time when Communists, socialists, anarchists, pacifists and other dissenters clashed regularly with the police; a conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor, aka the High Treason Incident, was uncovered in 1910. There’s not even a single line, though, which might indicate that the Japanese society might not be an absolute monolith. They are inscrutable, cold, precise, traditional, and universally loyal to the Emperor – essentially untouched by modernity. Also suicidal.
“The stories we tell our children, the events that glorify names and that give their essence to our most moving plays, are those filled with the triumph of suicide.”
I don’t even know what that means – the triumph of suicide? Why triumph? There is nothing triumphant about suicide in Japanese plays, I assure you. It’s always tragic and nothing short of catastrophic. There were quite a lot of people who were against suicide in Japan, even before the modern times. The samurai ethos, which had turned suicide into a ritual and a cult, was far from being accepted by the rest of Japanese society, for whom the samurai class was not much more than a glorified bully.
For Mary and Sherlock, however, the Japanese are “a proud people” eager to pay with blood for every transgression, and very, very eager to die for the Emperor. Mary and Sherlock are almost ready to die for the Emperor themselves – they are completely star-struck and full of nearly religious awe, calling the Emperor “The Son of Heaven” in all sincerity and whatnot. Which would be all right, but the premise itself shows an absolute lack of understanding of Japanese monarchy as an institution, and the result is silly and implausible. The emperor is not only a head of state, it is also a religious function, and it is important for the wellbeing of the whole country and people that he does everything right. He wouldn’t have had acrobats and contortionists perform for him, because they were ritually impure… even kabuki actors were, until very recently.
Okay, I’m tired, I don’t want to spend any more time on this, so:
1. It’s worth reading for the style and for the main character. (I don’t mind Sherlock Holmes being outshined by his wife, why would I?)
2. The mystery is a bit ho-hum, the villains easy to identify.
3. The Japanese stuff is disappointing and inaccurate.
February 26, 2015
If you are a fan of the Mary Russell series and enjoy reading about cruising and Japan in the 1920s – at a very leisurely pace – then this is the book for you.
This was my first book by Laurie R. King and sad to say, it will be my last. I was excited by the premise and pictured myself immersed in a thought provoking Sherlock Holmes suspenseful mystery – not to be. Reading more like a travelogue and FULL of detail that lent so very little to the wafer thin plot as it stood, I could not wait for the tale to be over.
Full review at:
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
This was my first book by Laurie R. King and sad to say, it will be my last. I was excited by the premise and pictured myself immersed in a thought provoking Sherlock Holmes suspenseful mystery – not to be. Reading more like a travelogue and FULL of detail that lent so very little to the wafer thin plot as it stood, I could not wait for the tale to be over.
Full review at:
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
January 25, 2023
What an interesting and exciting book. International intrigue, cultural experiences, mystery, action and adventure, not to mention some illicit romance, this book has something for everyone.
If you haven't yet read the series, and you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, then do yourself a favor and start at the beginning.
If you haven't yet read the series, and you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, then do yourself a favor and start at the beginning.
February 20, 2015
Originally published at Reading Reality
The title of this book is a pun, based on poet Matthew Arnold’s description of Oxford as the “city of dreaming spires”. It is fitting that this title derive from poetry, as many of the chapter headings are snippets of haiku, and the repeated theft of a book by Matsuo Bashō, one of the early masters of the haiku form of poetry.
There are also plenty of points in the story where it seems that some, or all, of the spies are, in fact dreaming. Or at least daydreaming. One of the unusual aspects of this case is that Russell and Holmes do not seem to be the prime movers of events. They are acted upon more often than they are acting. They believe (perhaps dream) that they are the “Plan A” of much of the mystery that is solved. But at the end, they discover that they have always been “Plan B” or sometimes even “Plan C” for the person who has been in control all along.
Although this story takes place upon their return from California and the events in Locked Rooms, the actions in the “present day” mostly serve as a frame to a story that happened earlier in their journey. Dreaming Spies tells of the events in Japan that have been hinted at in previous books, and most of the action takes place between The Game and Locked Rooms. Also between The Game and the Holmes insert into The Art of Detection, which seemed to occur simultaneously with Locked Rooms.
As much as I love this series, I will confess that the time-line is getting very confusing. The series is on book 13, but it takes place between books 7 and 8.
This mystery begins with the arrival of a large rock as well as the gentlemen to place it properly in Holmes’ garden in Sussex. While Holmes and Russell have not yet returned when the rock is, let’s say installed, the report from Mrs. Hudson is enough to connect the new addition to events they participated in while on their way to and in Japan.
They began by being bored. Well, at least Holmes was bored. It was a long cruise from India to Japan, and while Russell was quite content to read her books, Holmes, as usual, was not.
To keep Holmes from jumping overboard (not quite but almost) he began a private investigation into some strange occurrences on the ship. His inveterate curiosity was aroused by the presence of an old foe - a blackmailer who he put out of business, but was unable to put away. Holmes has never believed that the man was not fully complicit in the old scheme, but Russell finds him not quite bright enough to has masterminded anything. So the question regards what he might be up to now, and who is the brains of whatever it is.
Someone is working with Lord Darley, and one woman has already left the ship in mysterious circumstances in order to get away from him. Another woman has boarded the ship in equally mysterious circumstances, but her purpose involves Holmes and Russell much more than Darley.
More than they ever figure out, until the very end of the caper. Holmes starts by chasing an old enemy, and ends by discovering that he and Russell have been used by the Crown Prince of Japan.
That they would have helped anyway is never a question. That someone was able to keep them in the dark and still get their help makes her a much better spy than even one of Mycroft’s operatives.
That nothing is as it seems, and that our heroes do not even have a glimpse of how they have been tricked (all in a good cause) makes Dreaming Spies an extremely interesting case. The game is indeed afoot, but for once, it is not Holmes” or even Russell’s, game.
Escape Rating B+: I love this series, and have ever since The Beekeeper's Apprentice more than ten years ago. However, the timeline is getting extremely confusing. This story takes place before Mary’s falling out with Mycroft, which makes her initial suspicion that Haruki Sato is one of his agents somewhat perplexing.
The story of Holmes’ and Russell’s involvement with the blackmailer that turns into a scheme to protect the young Crown Prince of Japan from his own foolishness builds slowly and wraps itself around both the reader and the Holmeses like the folds of a sari, to mix metaphors and Holmes’ adventures.
Holmes and Russell think that they are helping an agent of the Japanese crown to recover some stolen property. It wasn’t stolen from him, he gave it away first. Holmes wants to finally see one of his old enemies get his just deserts, and Haruki Sato wants to get the stolen secret document back for her Emperor.
Haruki is an absolutely fascinating character. She is nothing like she appears to be, and Holmes never penetrate all her layers of deception. She manages to use him, and that is a rare feat.
Through Haruki and the tasks she sets for Holmes and Russell, we get both an introduction to Japan and its culture in the years between the wars, and a less sensational but more realistic description of what it meant to be a ninja in service to the Crown. Along with a heart-breaking view of what that service may cost.
Haruki’s mission is to save face for the Crown Prince, no matter what she has to do or suffer along the way. We understand at the end that Holmes and Russell would have gladly helped her without her deception, but that she couldn’t count on that. We know they would not have said “no”, but she can’t be 100% certain, so she brings them into her plans unwittingly.
Something that always gets my attention is the reminder of how close the author has brought Sherlock Holmes to our own time. We think of Holmes as a creature of the Victorian Age, but he is alive and active in the 1920s at this point in the story. The Crown Prince of Japan, who later becomes Emperor, is Hirohito, who was the Japanese Emperor during World War II. We see him here as a young man, just learning the intricacies of his future role. But Hirohito died in 1989, a period very much within living memory.
The story in Dreaming Spies is a slow-building one. We start with a cruise that should be a time of relaxation, and end at a breakneck pace as Haruki finally finds the item she has been searching for all along, and Holmes finally uncovers the man behind the old blackmailer. It is seldom that Holmes is in a case where he is outplayed, so watching him both lose and win at the same time was a treat.
The title of this book is a pun, based on poet Matthew Arnold’s description of Oxford as the “city of dreaming spires”. It is fitting that this title derive from poetry, as many of the chapter headings are snippets of haiku, and the repeated theft of a book by Matsuo Bashō, one of the early masters of the haiku form of poetry.
There are also plenty of points in the story where it seems that some, or all, of the spies are, in fact dreaming. Or at least daydreaming. One of the unusual aspects of this case is that Russell and Holmes do not seem to be the prime movers of events. They are acted upon more often than they are acting. They believe (perhaps dream) that they are the “Plan A” of much of the mystery that is solved. But at the end, they discover that they have always been “Plan B” or sometimes even “Plan C” for the person who has been in control all along.
Although this story takes place upon their return from California and the events in Locked Rooms, the actions in the “present day” mostly serve as a frame to a story that happened earlier in their journey. Dreaming Spies tells of the events in Japan that have been hinted at in previous books, and most of the action takes place between The Game and Locked Rooms. Also between The Game and the Holmes insert into The Art of Detection, which seemed to occur simultaneously with Locked Rooms.
As much as I love this series, I will confess that the time-line is getting very confusing. The series is on book 13, but it takes place between books 7 and 8.
This mystery begins with the arrival of a large rock as well as the gentlemen to place it properly in Holmes’ garden in Sussex. While Holmes and Russell have not yet returned when the rock is, let’s say installed, the report from Mrs. Hudson is enough to connect the new addition to events they participated in while on their way to and in Japan.
They began by being bored. Well, at least Holmes was bored. It was a long cruise from India to Japan, and while Russell was quite content to read her books, Holmes, as usual, was not.
To keep Holmes from jumping overboard (not quite but almost) he began a private investigation into some strange occurrences on the ship. His inveterate curiosity was aroused by the presence of an old foe - a blackmailer who he put out of business, but was unable to put away. Holmes has never believed that the man was not fully complicit in the old scheme, but Russell finds him not quite bright enough to has masterminded anything. So the question regards what he might be up to now, and who is the brains of whatever it is.
Someone is working with Lord Darley, and one woman has already left the ship in mysterious circumstances in order to get away from him. Another woman has boarded the ship in equally mysterious circumstances, but her purpose involves Holmes and Russell much more than Darley.
More than they ever figure out, until the very end of the caper. Holmes starts by chasing an old enemy, and ends by discovering that he and Russell have been used by the Crown Prince of Japan.
That they would have helped anyway is never a question. That someone was able to keep them in the dark and still get their help makes her a much better spy than even one of Mycroft’s operatives.
That nothing is as it seems, and that our heroes do not even have a glimpse of how they have been tricked (all in a good cause) makes Dreaming Spies an extremely interesting case. The game is indeed afoot, but for once, it is not Holmes” or even Russell’s, game.
Escape Rating B+: I love this series, and have ever since The Beekeeper's Apprentice more than ten years ago. However, the timeline is getting extremely confusing. This story takes place before Mary’s falling out with Mycroft, which makes her initial suspicion that Haruki Sato is one of his agents somewhat perplexing.
The story of Holmes’ and Russell’s involvement with the blackmailer that turns into a scheme to protect the young Crown Prince of Japan from his own foolishness builds slowly and wraps itself around both the reader and the Holmeses like the folds of a sari, to mix metaphors and Holmes’ adventures.
Holmes and Russell think that they are helping an agent of the Japanese crown to recover some stolen property. It wasn’t stolen from him, he gave it away first. Holmes wants to finally see one of his old enemies get his just deserts, and Haruki Sato wants to get the stolen secret document back for her Emperor.
Haruki is an absolutely fascinating character. She is nothing like she appears to be, and Holmes never penetrate all her layers of deception. She manages to use him, and that is a rare feat.
Through Haruki and the tasks she sets for Holmes and Russell, we get both an introduction to Japan and its culture in the years between the wars, and a less sensational but more realistic description of what it meant to be a ninja in service to the Crown. Along with a heart-breaking view of what that service may cost.
Haruki’s mission is to save face for the Crown Prince, no matter what she has to do or suffer along the way. We understand at the end that Holmes and Russell would have gladly helped her without her deception, but that she couldn’t count on that. We know they would not have said “no”, but she can’t be 100% certain, so she brings them into her plans unwittingly.
Something that always gets my attention is the reminder of how close the author has brought Sherlock Holmes to our own time. We think of Holmes as a creature of the Victorian Age, but he is alive and active in the 1920s at this point in the story. The Crown Prince of Japan, who later becomes Emperor, is Hirohito, who was the Japanese Emperor during World War II. We see him here as a young man, just learning the intricacies of his future role. But Hirohito died in 1989, a period very much within living memory.
The story in Dreaming Spies is a slow-building one. We start with a cruise that should be a time of relaxation, and end at a breakneck pace as Haruki finally finds the item she has been searching for all along, and Holmes finally uncovers the man behind the old blackmailer. It is seldom that Holmes is in a case where he is outplayed, so watching him both lose and win at the same time was a treat.
March 13, 2017
Dreaming Spies is the 13th Mary Russell book by Laurie R. King. It’s a frame narrative, where the beginning and end of the novel act as a bookends to a flashback story.
Mary Russell returns home one evening to find Sato, an old friend from Japan, bleeding in her kitchen. As Sato describes the circumstances that brought her to England, Mary discovers that the blackmail case she worked on with Holmes in Japan may not be entirely closed. Now, they must work to unravel what happened in Japan before a public figure is forced to comply with the extortioner's demands.
One of the things I really love about the Mary Russell series is how often the stories are set outside of England. It’s always a lot of fun to see both Mary and Holmes stumble their way across an unfamiliar country while trying not to stick out like sore thumbs. However, I sometimes miss the cozy atmosphere England tends to have in these novels. So, I was pretty thrilled to find that this book had a good mix of both worlds. The beginning and end take place in England with Mary firmly in her comfort zone as she investigates, while the middle of the story is set in Japan.
As always, Mary is a wonderful character and I love seeing the quiet relationship she has with Holmes. However, Mary's first person perspective didn't work well for this book. Dreaming Spies is primarily the character Sato's story. It’s that character who drives the majority of the action and influences the outcomes of the mystery. Mary and Holmes's actions, unfortunately, do very little to influence the plot. I think they both could've been removed from the story entirely and the whole affair would've ended the same way. This was incredibly frustrating as Mary was regulated to pressing her face against the glass as she watched the main action of the flashback and present day stories unfold.
Despite this, I still enjoyed following Mary and Holmes on another of their adventures and in a new setting. I only wish Mary had more influence on the plot as the story often dragged since she was regulated to the role of mere observer. If you're a fan of the series, I strongly recommend picking this one up. If you're wanting to try a Mary Russell book, then I suggest you start with A Monstrous Regiment of Women.
Advance Reading Copy provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Mary Russell returns home one evening to find Sato, an old friend from Japan, bleeding in her kitchen. As Sato describes the circumstances that brought her to England, Mary discovers that the blackmail case she worked on with Holmes in Japan may not be entirely closed. Now, they must work to unravel what happened in Japan before a public figure is forced to comply with the extortioner's demands.
One of the things I really love about the Mary Russell series is how often the stories are set outside of England. It’s always a lot of fun to see both Mary and Holmes stumble their way across an unfamiliar country while trying not to stick out like sore thumbs. However, I sometimes miss the cozy atmosphere England tends to have in these novels. So, I was pretty thrilled to find that this book had a good mix of both worlds. The beginning and end take place in England with Mary firmly in her comfort zone as she investigates, while the middle of the story is set in Japan.
As always, Mary is a wonderful character and I love seeing the quiet relationship she has with Holmes. However, Mary's first person perspective didn't work well for this book. Dreaming Spies is primarily the character Sato's story. It’s that character who drives the majority of the action and influences the outcomes of the mystery. Mary and Holmes's actions, unfortunately, do very little to influence the plot. I think they both could've been removed from the story entirely and the whole affair would've ended the same way. This was incredibly frustrating as Mary was regulated to pressing her face against the glass as she watched the main action of the flashback and present day stories unfold.
Despite this, I still enjoyed following Mary and Holmes on another of their adventures and in a new setting. I only wish Mary had more influence on the plot as the story often dragged since she was regulated to the role of mere observer. If you're a fan of the series, I strongly recommend picking this one up. If you're wanting to try a Mary Russell book, then I suggest you start with A Monstrous Regiment of Women.
Advance Reading Copy provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
July 15, 2015
Another delightful Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell novel by Laurie King, this one has a bifurcated timeline, allowing the wily Ms. King to drop some delicious hints about adventures not yet written. Smart marketing. Well played, madam...
As to "Dreaming Spies" itself, the book finds Holmes and Russell on a slow boat from India to Japan, becoming entangled in a web including a missing person, a poltergeist, a blackmailer, and a "person of the highest rank." There might even be ninjas involved...
Once I became used to the basic conceit that Sherlock Holmes was a far younger man than portrayed in the famous illustrations of Sidney Paget, I found these early 20th century adventures of the Great Detective and his younger but equally astute bride to be a real treat. So far, only one of the series ("The Pirate King") has been less than excellent. In Laurie King's deft hands, the Game is definitely Afoot in a way that one thinks Dr. Conan Doyle would have appreciated. I think these are the best of the modern pastiches.
As to "Dreaming Spies" itself, the book finds Holmes and Russell on a slow boat from India to Japan, becoming entangled in a web including a missing person, a poltergeist, a blackmailer, and a "person of the highest rank." There might even be ninjas involved...
Once I became used to the basic conceit that Sherlock Holmes was a far younger man than portrayed in the famous illustrations of Sidney Paget, I found these early 20th century adventures of the Great Detective and his younger but equally astute bride to be a real treat. So far, only one of the series ("The Pirate King") has been less than excellent. In Laurie King's deft hands, the Game is definitely Afoot in a way that one thinks Dr. Conan Doyle would have appreciated. I think these are the best of the modern pastiches.
May 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this episode in the adventures of Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes. The Preamble has them back home and contemplating a very Japanese rock that has been placed in their garden. It is 1925.
Then we go back to 1924 and discover how the rock ends up in their garden. The story begins with Russell and Holmes boarding a ship in Bombay that will take them to Japan. Also boarding are a man Holmes recognizes as a blackmailer and a mysterious young Japanese woman. While Mary is looking forward to some quiet time to read and relax, Holmes determines to find out what Lord Darley, the blackmailer, is up to.
The young Japanese woman is Haruki Sato who has spent a year in the United States at college and is returning home. At Mary's urging, she agrees to teach both Mary and Holmes some Japanese and also agrees to give some lectures about Japanese culture on the ship. Miss Sato looks young, innocent and naive but has hidden depths.
Holmes and Russell manage to while away the sea voyage investigating Lord Darley, his new wife, and his son and learning about Japanese culture. When they disembark in Kobe, Miss Sato is there to act as tour guide and instructor. She disappears but sets them a puzzle to solve.
This leads to them assuming the roles of Buddhist pilgrims and traveling through Japan to rendezvous with her at a specific time and place. I liked seeing Japan through their eyes as they traveled. At the rendezvous, Sherlock and Mary learn what it is that Miss Sato has been preparing them for. She is a ninja in service to the Emperor, as her family has been for a couple hundred years, and Crown Prince Hirohito has a problem that needs to be solved.
Hirohito has mistakenly given away a book to the King of England that contains some information of vital importance to Japan. Darley is blackmailing him to get it back. Holmes, Russell, and Miss Sato and her family need to find a way to retrieve the book to save Hirohito and Japan from major loss of face.
After a seemingly successful conclusion, Holmes and Russell return home. But, some months later, Miss Sato appears in England because the wrong book was recovered. And the adventures resume...
I love Mary's voice as she tells the story. She is such a strong and engaging character. I enjoyed the information about the Japanese book and the wandering poet. I liked that each chapter began with a haiku. All in all, this was a very enjoyable story. I can't wait for more adventures.
Then we go back to 1924 and discover how the rock ends up in their garden. The story begins with Russell and Holmes boarding a ship in Bombay that will take them to Japan. Also boarding are a man Holmes recognizes as a blackmailer and a mysterious young Japanese woman. While Mary is looking forward to some quiet time to read and relax, Holmes determines to find out what Lord Darley, the blackmailer, is up to.
The young Japanese woman is Haruki Sato who has spent a year in the United States at college and is returning home. At Mary's urging, she agrees to teach both Mary and Holmes some Japanese and also agrees to give some lectures about Japanese culture on the ship. Miss Sato looks young, innocent and naive but has hidden depths.
Holmes and Russell manage to while away the sea voyage investigating Lord Darley, his new wife, and his son and learning about Japanese culture. When they disembark in Kobe, Miss Sato is there to act as tour guide and instructor. She disappears but sets them a puzzle to solve.
This leads to them assuming the roles of Buddhist pilgrims and traveling through Japan to rendezvous with her at a specific time and place. I liked seeing Japan through their eyes as they traveled. At the rendezvous, Sherlock and Mary learn what it is that Miss Sato has been preparing them for. She is a ninja in service to the Emperor, as her family has been for a couple hundred years, and Crown Prince Hirohito has a problem that needs to be solved.
Hirohito has mistakenly given away a book to the King of England that contains some information of vital importance to Japan. Darley is blackmailing him to get it back. Holmes, Russell, and Miss Sato and her family need to find a way to retrieve the book to save Hirohito and Japan from major loss of face.
After a seemingly successful conclusion, Holmes and Russell return home. But, some months later, Miss Sato appears in England because the wrong book was recovered. And the adventures resume...
I love Mary's voice as she tells the story. She is such a strong and engaging character. I enjoyed the information about the Japanese book and the wandering poet. I liked that each chapter began with a haiku. All in all, this was a very enjoyable story. I can't wait for more adventures.
December 5, 2014
I went into the reading of this novel expecting something similar to the Sherlock Holmes that we have all grown to love, though I understood that he would now have a partner whom I expected would serve as a sort of female Watson. This is not that story.
My expectations were inappropriate mostly due to the fact that I have not read the first 12 books in this series. While I like to attend to novels in their proper order, a dozen prequels was too much, even for me. As a stand alone story, I was able to follow this plot and characters without difficulty. I had only to accustom myself to the idea that Holmes was a quite minor character, and I believe that John has at times seemed more in love with Sherlock than Mary does.
The style of writing also differs from that of traditional Holmes mysteries. For those of us who are used to consuming fast-paced, action-packed mystery served up by Arthur Conan Doyle, Laurie King's prose is intelligent but exceedingly slow. One similarity is that it is Mary telling the story (as John does), but this feels more like Mary telling her own story, rather than Holmes'.
Much of this book reads more like a travel journal than a mystery, and it was not until the last quarter of it that I felt any quickening of pace or anything like the suspense and action that I had expected. While I appreciated the historical and cultural research that clearly went into this installment, I had not really looked for a study of Japan and its people.
Assuming that this is written in a similar style to the rest of the series, those who have enjoyed Mary Russell's story will be impressed by this interwoven story of international intrigue, blackmail, and secrets. And Ninjas!
I thank NetGalley and Random House for my copy of this novel. Opinions expressed are my own.
My expectations were inappropriate mostly due to the fact that I have not read the first 12 books in this series. While I like to attend to novels in their proper order, a dozen prequels was too much, even for me. As a stand alone story, I was able to follow this plot and characters without difficulty. I had only to accustom myself to the idea that Holmes was a quite minor character, and I believe that John has at times seemed more in love with Sherlock than Mary does.
The style of writing also differs from that of traditional Holmes mysteries. For those of us who are used to consuming fast-paced, action-packed mystery served up by Arthur Conan Doyle, Laurie King's prose is intelligent but exceedingly slow. One similarity is that it is Mary telling the story (as John does), but this feels more like Mary telling her own story, rather than Holmes'.
Much of this book reads more like a travel journal than a mystery, and it was not until the last quarter of it that I felt any quickening of pace or anything like the suspense and action that I had expected. While I appreciated the historical and cultural research that clearly went into this installment, I had not really looked for a study of Japan and its people.
Assuming that this is written in a similar style to the rest of the series, those who have enjoyed Mary Russell's story will be impressed by this interwoven story of international intrigue, blackmail, and secrets. And Ninjas!
I thank NetGalley and Random House for my copy of this novel. Opinions expressed are my own.
February 18, 2015
Book Review & Giveaway: I am a long-time fan of bestselling author Laurie R. King and have read every novel she’s written. When I learn she has a new novel of any kind coming out, I get really excited. Her fun historical Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, however, is quite special for a number of reasons. I jumped up and down when I saw that Dreaming Spies was being published because not only is it part of that series but it features a culture that has long fascinated me. Since I know Laurie does meticulous research for her historical mystery novels, I was not only envious of her research trip but I could hardly wait to read Dreaming Spies. Oh, and if you haven’t read the rest of the series, no worries; Dreaming Spies will read just fine as a stand-alone novel. That said, you might want to read my review of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice first to get an idea of their relationship (link at the bottom of this review).
To make it even better, Laurie’s offered us not one but two copies to feature in our giveaway. If you’re half as much of a fan as I am, you’ve got to be squeeing right now so hurry on over to http://popcornreads.com/?p=8145 to enter!
To make it even better, Laurie’s offered us not one but two copies to feature in our giveaway. If you’re half as much of a fan as I am, you’ve got to be squeeing right now so hurry on over to http://popcornreads.com/?p=8145 to enter!
January 3, 2016
I thought I'd given up on this series early last year because I didn't like the last instalment I read, Pirate King, which I reviewed here. But I wanted something easy to read, so I picked up the audiobook on an impulse and was pleasantly suprised. It's partly set in Oxford, which is a plus, and some of the action takes place in 1920s Japan, also a plus. In terms of minuses, there was the odd info dump and it took a while for things to happen, but I was still happily occupied for a few hours while commuting and at the gym. Overall, I'm very happy to be reconciled with Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Also, I discovered that in my irritation with Pirate King, I missed the next book in the series. This means there'll be something to grab next time I
October 17, 2014
How did Laurie R. King successfully make her Russell and Holmes series more exciting? Ninjas, of course! This latest entry in the series pits the duo against a deadly blackmailer whose scheme could bring down the Japanese empire.
While Russell and Holmes are on a ship returning from India, Russell meets a young Japanese woman who claims to come from a family of acrobats, but Mary has her doubts. She and Holmes soon learn that this young woman is a female ninja and she needs their help to protect the Prince Regent from a blackmailer and recover a missing book which contains many secrets.
An excellent addition to an already interesting series and is sure to appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes, Maisie Dobbs series and similar historical mysteries.
While Russell and Holmes are on a ship returning from India, Russell meets a young Japanese woman who claims to come from a family of acrobats, but Mary has her doubts. She and Holmes soon learn that this young woman is a female ninja and she needs their help to protect the Prince Regent from a blackmailer and recover a missing book which contains many secrets.
An excellent addition to an already interesting series and is sure to appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes, Maisie Dobbs series and similar historical mysteries.
December 17, 2019
This promising series has been a little hit-and-miss lately, but Dreaming Spies is an excellent addition to the Russell/Holmes saga. The best part of the book isn't the mystery itself (no spoilers, but the villain stands out like a sore thumb), but the descriptions of (1) shipboard life on a liner bound from Bombay to Japan in 1924 and (2) Japan itself when Holmes and Russell disembark. At every turn the reader is introduced to a wonderful setting. King writes first-rate descriptions of Japanese inns, baths, food, clothing and above all, cultural attitudes. Russell and Holmes are peripheral in this story, despite being the central characters. As good with Japan as her previous Palestinian novels have been.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
January 31, 2015
I really enjoyed this new Russell & Holmes adventure, it was closer to the style of the earlier books than last few have been, and for me that is a good thing.
Mysterious shipboard passengers, blackmail, cross-country travels and cultural experiences in Japan, royal secrets, English country house, Oxford, - it's all there. Including a lot of Haiku and possibly even a ninja.
I would have enjoyed even more with a few solo scenes with Holmes, as there were plenty with Mary, but that is maybe nitpicking.
One of my favourite mystery series.
4.5 stars
Received ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mysterious shipboard passengers, blackmail, cross-country travels and cultural experiences in Japan, royal secrets, English country house, Oxford, - it's all there. Including a lot of Haiku and possibly even a ninja.
I would have enjoyed even more with a few solo scenes with Holmes, as there were plenty with Mary, but that is maybe nitpicking.
One of my favourite mystery series.
4.5 stars
Received ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2014
This is the first of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Homes books that I've read and I found it to be very pleasant and entertaining. The author manages to be very descriptive without overdoing it and has created a very intricate plot. I enjoyed both the mystery, with all its twists and turns, and the look at historical elements of Japanese culture.
I'll have to go back and read numbers 1 through 12 now!
Note: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I'll have to go back and read numbers 1 through 12 now!
Note: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
February 20, 2015
I loved this 13th installment in the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes series. With a riveting, suspenseful plot, well-portrayed, lively characters, plenty of action, fine writing, vivid portrayals of Japan and Oxford, humor, and ninjas, how could I not? This is one of the best books in a totally delightful series. This novel can be enjoyed on its own, but if you're a Russell-Holmes neophyte I'd recommend starting out with the first one, The Beekeeper's Apprentice.
October 17, 2017
Entertaining mystery with a Japanese twist this time.
February 23, 2025
I do not suffer from fear of the number 13, and indeed, this is one of my favorites in this series. The shipboard chapters, the Japanese chapters, it's all evocative and purely delightful.
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