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Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #16
Riviera Gold
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes turn the Riviera upside-down to crack their most captivating case yet in the
New York Times
bestselling series that Lee Child called "the most sustained feat of imagination in mystery fiction today."
It's summertime on the Riviera, where the Jazz Age is busily reinventing the holiday delights of warm days on golden sand and cool nights on terraces and dance floors. Just up the coast lies a more traditional pleasure ground: Monte Carlo, where fortunes are won, lost, stolen, and hidden away. So when Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes happen across the Côte d'Azur in this summer of 1925, they find themselves pulled between the young and the old, hot sun and cool jazz, new friendships and old loyalties, childlike pleasures and very grownup sins...
It's summertime on the Riviera, where the Jazz Age is busily reinventing the holiday delights of warm days on golden sand and cool nights on terraces and dance floors. Just up the coast lies a more traditional pleasure ground: Monte Carlo, where fortunes are won, lost, stolen, and hidden away. So when Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes happen across the Côte d'Azur in this summer of 1925, they find themselves pulled between the young and the old, hot sun and cool jazz, new friendships and old loyalties, childlike pleasures and very grownup sins...
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2020
1105 people are currently reading
10922 people want to read
About the author
Laurie R. King
135 books6,840 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 762 reviews
July 19, 2020
Since I started reading this series done ago, King's books have changed. They seem to be a historical travelogue through time and places. The mystery seems weaved into the story instead of being the actual focus.
This one finds us in Monaco, with a virtual who whose of the times. The Fitzgerald's, Dos Passo, get honorable mentions, Picasso a bit more. It is, however the Murphys, Sara and Gerald, who we hear from the most. They are of course staying at Villa America, hosting dinners, beach outings and it is here that Mary will once again see Mrs. Hudson. This is where the mystery begins it's weaving, threading it's way around the descriptions of places, names. Since, I'll never visit Monaco, it was interesting to learn the history and visit the campus casino.
Sherlock once again takes a backseat, though he is sporadically present. This is Mary's show and it involves a dangerous Russian who managed to escape the revolution. Sherlock though does come through in s big way at books end. King is a fine author, her novels very well written. This one though had me rolling my eyes, it required a suspension of belief I was unable to obtain.
ARC from Edelweiss.
This one finds us in Monaco, with a virtual who whose of the times. The Fitzgerald's, Dos Passo, get honorable mentions, Picasso a bit more. It is, however the Murphys, Sara and Gerald, who we hear from the most. They are of course staying at Villa America, hosting dinners, beach outings and it is here that Mary will once again see Mrs. Hudson. This is where the mystery begins it's weaving, threading it's way around the descriptions of places, names. Since, I'll never visit Monaco, it was interesting to learn the history and visit the campus casino.
Sherlock once again takes a backseat, though he is sporadically present. This is Mary's show and it involves a dangerous Russian who managed to escape the revolution. Sherlock though does come through in s big way at books end. King is a fine author, her novels very well written. This one though had me rolling my eyes, it required a suspension of belief I was unable to obtain.
ARC from Edelweiss.
April 8, 2020
1925, Mary Russell decides to make a quick reroute to the French Riviera before going back to London. She is on a mission to locate Clarissa Hudson. Eleven weeks earlier, Clarissa Hudson arrives at her friend’s place in Monaco. Mary reveals Clarissa’s involvement in cases she was solving with her husband Sherlock Holmes. Now, she questions if her husband involved Clarissa behind her back, deceiving her?
I’m not familiar with this series, but maybe what is supposed to be a hook is not engaging to me at all. It’s a game of cat and mouse. The descriptions of places are very general. There is nothing unique about it. There are lots of conversations, which are not moving the story forward. I don’t want to be reading about other people enjoying their time in the French Riviera. I’d rather do it myself. What I’m looking for is an engaging story, which I didn’t find here. The plot seems to be pretty weak. Also, I didn’t find the main character interesting. Therefore, I couldn’t find a connection with the plot or the main character.
I recommend looking at reviews of those who are familiar with this series.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not familiar with this series, but maybe what is supposed to be a hook is not engaging to me at all. It’s a game of cat and mouse. The descriptions of places are very general. There is nothing unique about it. There are lots of conversations, which are not moving the story forward. I don’t want to be reading about other people enjoying their time in the French Riviera. I’d rather do it myself. What I’m looking for is an engaging story, which I didn’t find here. The plot seems to be pretty weak. Also, I didn’t find the main character interesting. Therefore, I couldn’t find a connection with the plot or the main character.
I recommend looking at reviews of those who are familiar with this series.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2021
This series has generally been reliable, the kind you can turn to when you need to relax, refresh, and be entertained. That said, I have found it occasionally uneven; IMO King sort of lost her way with Pirate King and it didn't really get back on track until Dreaming Spies.
Riviera Gold is similar to its immediate predecessor, Island of the Mad, in that the action takes place in a Mediterranean holiday venue for the Jazz Age elite, but it lacks some of the sparkle that permeated Island. I suppose that is to be expected - a plot involving Cole Porter, Elsa Maxwell and the Italian Blackshirts would be hard to match.
Still, it was hardly a slog and served well to distract me from recent fascinating, though stress-inducing, reads. As always, Jenny Sterlin was an outstanding narrator.
Riviera Gold is similar to its immediate predecessor, Island of the Mad, in that the action takes place in a Mediterranean holiday venue for the Jazz Age elite, but it lacks some of the sparkle that permeated Island. I suppose that is to be expected - a plot involving Cole Porter, Elsa Maxwell and the Italian Blackshirts would be hard to match.
Still, it was hardly a slog and served well to distract me from recent fascinating, though stress-inducing, reads. As always, Jenny Sterlin was an outstanding narrator.
June 5, 2021
Another gutsy performance by Mary Russell!
Before my eyes Mary Russell, investigator, intellectual/prodigy, wife and partner to Sherlocke Holmes, a derring do sailor (despite her dislike of sailing), art critic and avenging angel sails into Monte Carlo without Holmes. Of course she's never sure when, or if, Holmes will join her. Is already there, or off somewhere else?
Mary sails off from Venice with the Hon. Terry and gang, and after twenty-two days of hard work and avoiding sea sickness she arrives in Monte Carlo.
Mrs Hudson, now Clara not Clarissa, has left the Holmes abode. The last Mary heard (whilst in Venice) was that she'd been seen in Monte Carlo.
When Mary does see her, Mrs. Hudson is at a beach party with some of Mary's new and reasonably wealthy, avant garde friends, she's lending a hand minding the children.
All I can say to King is, "What did you do with Mrs Hudson?" Last I saw of her was in "The Murder of Mary Russell" leaving the Holmes' residence for--maybe Monte Carlo.
And now here's a new or rather evolving chapter in Mrs. Hudson's life, along with Mary and Holmes. Gone is the housekeeper. Now we have an older, more elegantly dressed woman, and as it turns out, a close friend of Lily Langtree.
This is a time charged with artists, arms dealers, old scores to be settled, smugglers, White Russians and more against the background of the Mediterranean.
It seems Mrs. Hudson touches all these concerns in some way or another. What is her end game? Well that's completely shrouded in mystery.
When Holmes arrives, he finds things have moved quickly and when Mary is threatened he moves like lightning.
I was glued. Throughout there is a feel of the giddy times of the 1920's--1925 to be exact.
Picasso turns up and there's a nod given I felt to his future works, in the descriptions of the scenes Mary and the group saw en route to a metal foundry for a pouring for bronze sculptures.
"Picasso would stand for a moment in admiration, then return to the conversation—leaving one with the conviction that the flowers, the boys, the shadow had been etched into his visual memory forever."
This was another cracker of a read!
A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley
Before my eyes Mary Russell, investigator, intellectual/prodigy, wife and partner to Sherlocke Holmes, a derring do sailor (despite her dislike of sailing), art critic and avenging angel sails into Monte Carlo without Holmes. Of course she's never sure when, or if, Holmes will join her. Is already there, or off somewhere else?
Mary sails off from Venice with the Hon. Terry and gang, and after twenty-two days of hard work and avoiding sea sickness she arrives in Monte Carlo.
Mrs Hudson, now Clara not Clarissa, has left the Holmes abode. The last Mary heard (whilst in Venice) was that she'd been seen in Monte Carlo.
When Mary does see her, Mrs. Hudson is at a beach party with some of Mary's new and reasonably wealthy, avant garde friends, she's lending a hand minding the children.
All I can say to King is, "What did you do with Mrs Hudson?" Last I saw of her was in "The Murder of Mary Russell" leaving the Holmes' residence for--maybe Monte Carlo.
And now here's a new or rather evolving chapter in Mrs. Hudson's life, along with Mary and Holmes. Gone is the housekeeper. Now we have an older, more elegantly dressed woman, and as it turns out, a close friend of Lily Langtree.
This is a time charged with artists, arms dealers, old scores to be settled, smugglers, White Russians and more against the background of the Mediterranean.
It seems Mrs. Hudson touches all these concerns in some way or another. What is her end game? Well that's completely shrouded in mystery.
When Holmes arrives, he finds things have moved quickly and when Mary is threatened he moves like lightning.
I was glued. Throughout there is a feel of the giddy times of the 1920's--1925 to be exact.
Picasso turns up and there's a nod given I felt to his future works, in the descriptions of the scenes Mary and the group saw en route to a metal foundry for a pouring for bronze sculptures.
"Picasso would stand for a moment in admiration, then return to the conversation—leaving one with the conviction that the flowers, the boys, the shadow had been etched into his visual memory forever."
This was another cracker of a read!
A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley
June 16, 2020
Following the events in their Venice investigation, Mary Russell decides to accept a friend's invitation to join him crewing a sailboat to the French Riviera, Monte Carlo, to be exact. Before she walked out of their lives, Mrs. Hudson mentioned this exact city so Mary takes a chance and, naturally, a dead body, smugglers, an evil arms dealer, and Mrs. Hudson are all tangled up in a new case for Russell and Holmes.
Riviera Gold is the sixteenth mystery in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. The case itself is standalone, but the story threads tie in with two previous books so it works best read in order.
What a brilliant summer read! It was fun to vicariously visit the little country of Monaco and the sleepy towns and coasts of the area when the glitz is tarnished and the resurrection to glamour hasn't come back yet. Mary encounters several famous faces of the Jazz era in the course of her visit and investigation.
I found the murder to take back seat to all the other shadowy goings on in this book. It gets rolling slowly and the reader might be tricked into drowsily paging through the backdrop, introductions, and early set up including several brief scenes that Mrs. Hudson narrates. My antenna went on the alert when the mention of a lost fortune came up and a Russian Czar's treasure. There was just so much intrigue going on. The big mystery was the tension surrounding Mrs. Hudson herself. Mary and Holmes are at odds over whether Mrs. H is up to her old tricks or happened to end up in the mess.
One of the biggest draws to this series is both the juggernaut detecting team that is Russell and Holmes, but also the fascinating marriage they share. Holmes might be Victorian in many ways and much older while Russell is also a product of her age, but there is a warm glowing spark between the ill-sorted pair that makes it all work.
In the end, the climax had me flipping pages madly and I appreciated the denouement that tied up all the threads neatly. Oh, and hinted about their next case of vampires in Romania... I can recommend this series to Sherlock fans and also historical mystery lovers.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
Riviera Gold is the sixteenth mystery in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. The case itself is standalone, but the story threads tie in with two previous books so it works best read in order.
What a brilliant summer read! It was fun to vicariously visit the little country of Monaco and the sleepy towns and coasts of the area when the glitz is tarnished and the resurrection to glamour hasn't come back yet. Mary encounters several famous faces of the Jazz era in the course of her visit and investigation.
I found the murder to take back seat to all the other shadowy goings on in this book. It gets rolling slowly and the reader might be tricked into drowsily paging through the backdrop, introductions, and early set up including several brief scenes that Mrs. Hudson narrates. My antenna went on the alert when the mention of a lost fortune came up and a Russian Czar's treasure. There was just so much intrigue going on. The big mystery was the tension surrounding Mrs. Hudson herself. Mary and Holmes are at odds over whether Mrs. H is up to her old tricks or happened to end up in the mess.
One of the biggest draws to this series is both the juggernaut detecting team that is Russell and Holmes, but also the fascinating marriage they share. Holmes might be Victorian in many ways and much older while Russell is also a product of her age, but there is a warm glowing spark between the ill-sorted pair that makes it all work.
In the end, the climax had me flipping pages madly and I appreciated the denouement that tied up all the threads neatly. Oh, and hinted about their next case of vampires in Romania... I can recommend this series to Sherlock fans and also historical mystery lovers.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 12, 2021Well....I think I'm going to set this aside. Which probably means I won't get back to it. I've thoroughly enjoyed this series but what has kept me reading is the relationship & interaction between Mary & Sherlock. That is missing here as the big guy takes a back seat & once again Mrs. Hudson steps forward. As stated after reading The Murder of Mary Russell, she is an interesting secondary character but not why I read this series.
The result was a story that couldn't hold my attention & had me eying all the books waiting in my TBR pile. Time to move on. There's a new one coming out in June (Castle Shade) so I'll hold out for that one with fingers crossed it marks a return to form.
The result was a story that couldn't hold my attention & had me eying all the books waiting in my TBR pile. Time to move on. There's a new one coming out in June (Castle Shade) so I'll hold out for that one with fingers crossed it marks a return to form.
July 12, 2020
Half is 'Mary Russell goes to Monte Carlo," and the other half is "the adventures of Mrs. Hudson, pt. 2."
I was only half right in my pre-book guessing game of "what famous person will appear?"
A ton of fun, as usual.
I was only half right in my pre-book guessing game of "what famous person will appear?"
A ton of fun, as usual.
June 25, 2020
This is a favorite series of mine. I usually don't buy many books. Mostly because I have so many unread ones. But this one I ordered since I have ALL the books in the series and I must have them all muahaha...
Storywise, not the best one the series. Not bad, I loved all the cameos from famous people and I adore Russell, Holmes, and Mrs. Hudson, and I enjoy once again stepping into their world. And it's so good written. It's just not as fabulous as some of the previous books. I did, however, feel that the last 1/3 of the book was a bit more interesting. It could be because things really started to happen by then...
Storywise, not the best one the series. Not bad, I loved all the cameos from famous people and I adore Russell, Holmes, and Mrs. Hudson, and I enjoy once again stepping into their world. And it's so good written. It's just not as fabulous as some of the previous books. I did, however, feel that the last 1/3 of the book was a bit more interesting. It could be because things really started to happen by then...
June 8, 2020
Originally published at Reading Reality
I wish that Mary Russell and Phryne Fisher could meet – they are, after all, contemporaries. If it ever happens, I’d very much like to be a fly on that wall. They feel very much like sisters under the skin, so any meeting between them would be explosive. Possibly literally. I would say that I wanted to witness a meeting between Russell and Lord Peter Wimsey, as this is also his era and the world that Russell inhabits, particularly in this story, is also his. But that meeting already occurred, somewhat surreptitiously in multiple senses of the word, in A Letter of Mary.
Not that Mary doesn’t become casually involved with several luminaries of the “Lost Generation” in this story, notably Pablo Picasso, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos and Gerald and Sara Murphy. And that’s after becoming acquainted with Cole Porter during his Venice sojourn in the previous book in this series, Island of the Mad.
Mary gets around, both as the wife of Sherlock Holmes and as herself. And the case in Riviera Gold is one where those two roles come into a bit of a conflict.
As Mary discovered in The Murder of Mary Russell, her now-former housekeeper, the grandmother-of-her-heart Clara Hudson, was not exactly the shy, quiet, retiring and unassuming ladylady/housekeeper that Mary had assumed her to be. Rather, that was a role that Clarissa Hudson camouflaged herself as, in order to stay a few steps ahead of the law, as well as the less-than-savory people who had been hunting her for most of her life. And kept her under the thumb of Sherlock Holmes, who has never completely trusted her and has always been certain that she would return to her actually quite wicked – and thieving – ways the minute his back was turned.
But Mary misses Clarissa Hudson, no matter what name she lives under, so when the opportunity arises for her to take a leisurely trip from Venice to Monte Carlo, where Clarissa Hudson might possibly be residing, Mary can’t resist. Only to discover that Mrs.Hudson’s nefarious past seems to have caught up with her, not just in the person of the “Jersey Lily”, but in the matter of the dead man discovered lying at her feet.
Escape Rating A: I have been following the adventures of Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes from the very beginning of this series, back in 1994 with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. The premise was initially a bit hard to swallow – retired Sherlock Holmes takes on 15-year-old apprentice and eventually marries her – but the story and the series went down surprisingly smoothly and I’ve never regretted listening to that first story.
However, after 25 years of eagerly awaiting every story, it’s impossible for me to say that any books in the series stand completely alone, and equally difficult for me to tell a newbie where to begin. They’re awesome. Just dive in.
Mary Russell is one of a number of young female sleuths, whether amateur or professional, who came of age during or just after World War I. It’s a stellar list that includes not just Phryne Fisher, but also Maisie Dobbs, Bess Crawford, Elena Standish and Jane Wunderly. But Mary is special, not just because her story began before any of the others, but because of the inclusion of her husband and partner Sherlock Holmes and all of the canon that he drags in with him. It feels like their story has just a bit more depth, and his reputation – or his brother Mycroft’s – gives them entree into places that the others can’t quite manage on their own.
Like many stories in the series, this is one where the focus is primarily on Mary, while Holmes’ activities are in the background. She comes to find Clarissa Hudson, because the woman was such a huge part of her life and is now off on her own adventures. Mary wants to make sure Clarissa is alright – no matter how clear it is that the older woman is more than capable of managing on her own. Sherlock, on the other hand, wants to make sure that Clarissa is still on the straight-and-narrow.
Neither of them are prepared to discover that the woman is up to her neck in murder and smuggling. But their motives are different. Mary wants to save her. Sherlock wants to discover a truth that he has long feared. Their conflict is poignant, as Mary’s quest puts her in danger for a friend that Holmes isn’t sure is worth the sacrifice. That the danger is covered in molten bronze among stolen artifacts – along with international arms dealers and aristocratic Russian emigres – just adds to the fun and ratchets up the risk at every turn.
A big part of this particular story’s charm is the charm of Monte Carlo itself, not as the glittering confection we know it today, but rather as a slightly down-at-the-heel former hotspot looking for a comeback. It’s a place that was and will be, but isn’t right at that very moment. And it’s lovely and captivating and decadent in ways that are unexpected.
As has been this whole series so far. At the end of this story, there are hints that Holmes and Russell are off to Romania to look into a spot of vampire trouble. I can’t wait!
I wish that Mary Russell and Phryne Fisher could meet – they are, after all, contemporaries. If it ever happens, I’d very much like to be a fly on that wall. They feel very much like sisters under the skin, so any meeting between them would be explosive. Possibly literally. I would say that I wanted to witness a meeting between Russell and Lord Peter Wimsey, as this is also his era and the world that Russell inhabits, particularly in this story, is also his. But that meeting already occurred, somewhat surreptitiously in multiple senses of the word, in A Letter of Mary.
Not that Mary doesn’t become casually involved with several luminaries of the “Lost Generation” in this story, notably Pablo Picasso, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos and Gerald and Sara Murphy. And that’s after becoming acquainted with Cole Porter during his Venice sojourn in the previous book in this series, Island of the Mad.
Mary gets around, both as the wife of Sherlock Holmes and as herself. And the case in Riviera Gold is one where those two roles come into a bit of a conflict.
As Mary discovered in The Murder of Mary Russell, her now-former housekeeper, the grandmother-of-her-heart Clara Hudson, was not exactly the shy, quiet, retiring and unassuming ladylady/housekeeper that Mary had assumed her to be. Rather, that was a role that Clarissa Hudson camouflaged herself as, in order to stay a few steps ahead of the law, as well as the less-than-savory people who had been hunting her for most of her life. And kept her under the thumb of Sherlock Holmes, who has never completely trusted her and has always been certain that she would return to her actually quite wicked – and thieving – ways the minute his back was turned.
But Mary misses Clarissa Hudson, no matter what name she lives under, so when the opportunity arises for her to take a leisurely trip from Venice to Monte Carlo, where Clarissa Hudson might possibly be residing, Mary can’t resist. Only to discover that Mrs.Hudson’s nefarious past seems to have caught up with her, not just in the person of the “Jersey Lily”, but in the matter of the dead man discovered lying at her feet.
Escape Rating A: I have been following the adventures of Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes from the very beginning of this series, back in 1994 with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. The premise was initially a bit hard to swallow – retired Sherlock Holmes takes on 15-year-old apprentice and eventually marries her – but the story and the series went down surprisingly smoothly and I’ve never regretted listening to that first story.
However, after 25 years of eagerly awaiting every story, it’s impossible for me to say that any books in the series stand completely alone, and equally difficult for me to tell a newbie where to begin. They’re awesome. Just dive in.
Mary Russell is one of a number of young female sleuths, whether amateur or professional, who came of age during or just after World War I. It’s a stellar list that includes not just Phryne Fisher, but also Maisie Dobbs, Bess Crawford, Elena Standish and Jane Wunderly. But Mary is special, not just because her story began before any of the others, but because of the inclusion of her husband and partner Sherlock Holmes and all of the canon that he drags in with him. It feels like their story has just a bit more depth, and his reputation – or his brother Mycroft’s – gives them entree into places that the others can’t quite manage on their own.
Like many stories in the series, this is one where the focus is primarily on Mary, while Holmes’ activities are in the background. She comes to find Clarissa Hudson, because the woman was such a huge part of her life and is now off on her own adventures. Mary wants to make sure Clarissa is alright – no matter how clear it is that the older woman is more than capable of managing on her own. Sherlock, on the other hand, wants to make sure that Clarissa is still on the straight-and-narrow.
Neither of them are prepared to discover that the woman is up to her neck in murder and smuggling. But their motives are different. Mary wants to save her. Sherlock wants to discover a truth that he has long feared. Their conflict is poignant, as Mary’s quest puts her in danger for a friend that Holmes isn’t sure is worth the sacrifice. That the danger is covered in molten bronze among stolen artifacts – along with international arms dealers and aristocratic Russian emigres – just adds to the fun and ratchets up the risk at every turn.
A big part of this particular story’s charm is the charm of Monte Carlo itself, not as the glittering confection we know it today, but rather as a slightly down-at-the-heel former hotspot looking for a comeback. It’s a place that was and will be, but isn’t right at that very moment. And it’s lovely and captivating and decadent in ways that are unexpected.
As has been this whole series so far. At the end of this story, there are hints that Holmes and Russell are off to Romania to look into a spot of vampire trouble. I can’t wait!
November 27, 2020
Riviera Gold, Laurie R. King’s 16th novel in the series proves so difficult to review. For longtime fans, this is a five-star gem. It remains so even for those who have only read The Murder of Mary Russell, No. 14 in this wonderful and wonderfully researched series.
But I fear that those who stumble onto this novel as their only foray into an alternative universe where Sherlock Holmes takes on a clever, liberated but much-younger wife and partner will be confused by the references to brother Mycroft and Clara Hudson’s antecedents. For them, it will probably be a middling and puzzling three-star read. For those who come along for the ride, King peppers this fun novel with real-life characters, such as Gerald and Sara Murphy. Readers, you can judge if this clever, suspenseful novel is for you. In consideration, I average the five- and three-star ratings into a solid four.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Publishing – Ballantine and Bantam in exchange for an honest review.
But I fear that those who stumble onto this novel as their only foray into an alternative universe where Sherlock Holmes takes on a clever, liberated but much-younger wife and partner will be confused by the references to brother Mycroft and Clara Hudson’s antecedents. For them, it will probably be a middling and puzzling three-star read. For those who come along for the ride, King peppers this fun novel with real-life characters, such as Gerald and Sara Murphy. Readers, you can judge if this clever, suspenseful novel is for you. In consideration, I average the five- and three-star ratings into a solid four.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Publishing – Ballantine and Bantam in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2020
This was fantastic! Loved the pacing, the setting, and the secondary characters, both real and fictional. Always the most fun when Russell and Holmes are together, because they do bring out the best (and sometimes the worst, in a good way) in each other.
I tried savoring it for a few days, reading about 50 pages a day, then finally just surrendered to the fun and finished it in one evening marathon. I really would like to go back and reread "The Murder of Mary Russell" now, because it has been... wow, 4 years? Oh my.
So thrilled to be able to read this early. Thank you so much to Laurie R. King herself for the ARC! I can't wait for the next adventure!
I tried savoring it for a few days, reading about 50 pages a day, then finally just surrendered to the fun and finished it in one evening marathon. I really would like to go back and reread "The Murder of Mary Russell" now, because it has been... wow, 4 years? Oh my.
So thrilled to be able to read this early. Thank you so much to Laurie R. King herself for the ARC! I can't wait for the next adventure!
May 3, 2020
If you’re 16 deep into the Mary Russell series, I think you’re pretty much pot committed at this point. I can’t imagine not continuing on, even though this book was mostly just ok for me.
Mary is independent and strong and oftentimes without Sherlock which I love except I feel like King’s writing is so much better with them together! The historical detail and characters were just not as interesting to me this round. I was happy to continue with Mrs Hudson but it’s weird to me she’s such a rogue now...Anyways still glad I read it!
Mary is independent and strong and oftentimes without Sherlock which I love except I feel like King’s writing is so much better with them together! The historical detail and characters were just not as interesting to me this round. I was happy to continue with Mrs Hudson but it’s weird to me she’s such a rogue now...Anyways still glad I read it!
June 4, 2020
Loved this latest book in my all time favorite series! Russell takes a break from Holmes (who wouldn't?) and finds herself in the Riviera with sparkling oceans, white sand, and a gun aimed at her. What an opening chapter! And don't worry, Sherlock Holmes makes a spectacular entrance in this book. Loved every page.
Riviera Gold picks up the story of Mrs. Hudson, so I'd recommend reading The Murder of Mary Russell first.
Riviera Gold picks up the story of Mrs. Hudson, so I'd recommend reading The Murder of Mary Russell first.
June 24, 2020
Enjoyed the trip to Monaco with these old friends. They meet up with Jazz Age artists, aging professional arms dealers, fading Professional Beauties, Czarist Russians without a country, and Holmes introduces Mary to the roulette wheel. Quite a bit of history about Monaco and the mysterious progenitor of the modern military industrial complex - Zedzed. Not the best of the series, but pleasant enough.
February 2, 2022
Ugh I just do not care for Criminal!Mrs. Hudson. I didn't enjoy it in "The Murder of Mary Russell", and I didn't enjoy it here. It just seems incredibly out of character for her on multiple levels. And considering Mrs. Hudson's criminal background, she certainly seemed incredibly naive in this story.
The mystery itself was about what I've come to expect from these books anymore. Less actual mystery and more running around exotic places, namedropping famous people of the time period, and Holmes and Russell stumbling into mysteries and stumbling onto the solutions to those mysteries with very little actual detective work necessary. At least Mary hasn't had to become naturally fluent in a foreign language after only like 2 days in awhile. Look, I'm 16 books into this series, I've been reading it since 2005, I'm gonna keep reading them, I just miss the feel of the early entries in the series. I'm skeptical of the next one (vampires in Romania???), but I'm going to read it, obviously.
Also I really feel like she's been building up to Mary being pregnant in recent books, and I do not want that. At all. Like she isn't at this point, and there really isn't that much pushing me to think she might be in the future, but I'm definitely suspicious.
The mystery itself was about what I've come to expect from these books anymore. Less actual mystery and more running around exotic places, namedropping famous people of the time period, and Holmes and Russell stumbling into mysteries and stumbling onto the solutions to those mysteries with very little actual detective work necessary. At least Mary hasn't had to become naturally fluent in a foreign language after only like 2 days in awhile. Look, I'm 16 books into this series, I've been reading it since 2005, I'm gonna keep reading them, I just miss the feel of the early entries in the series. I'm skeptical of the next one (vampires in Romania???), but I'm going to read it, obviously.
Also I really feel like she's been building up to Mary being pregnant in recent books, and I do not want that. At all. Like she isn't at this point, and there really isn't that much pushing me to think she might be in the future, but I'm definitely suspicious.
June 1, 2020
3 stars
This is the sixteenth book in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King.
I had a really hard time getting into this book. I think the main problem was that the Sherlock Holmes parts didn’t come in until later near the back of the book. I think that was a mistake. The author is going to lose a ton of readers before SH even makes his appearance.
I thought it was overall okay. There seemed to be a lot of “Mary went here and did this.” “Mary went here and did that.” All that stuff seemed like pointless narrative. I wanted the book to start off with a bang and draw me in. It never did that. And that makes me sad.
If you love a good historical mystery, definitely check this one out.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
This is the sixteenth book in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King.
I had a really hard time getting into this book. I think the main problem was that the Sherlock Holmes parts didn’t come in until later near the back of the book. I think that was a mistake. The author is going to lose a ton of readers before SH even makes his appearance.
I thought it was overall okay. There seemed to be a lot of “Mary went here and did this.” “Mary went here and did that.” All that stuff seemed like pointless narrative. I wanted the book to start off with a bang and draw me in. It never did that. And that makes me sad.
If you love a good historical mystery, definitely check this one out.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
June 15, 2020
I’m if you read what I wrote before.
It was mean and petulant and childish.
I hope Laurie can forgive me.
I love the characters and the adventures and the amazing talent of the story teller.
I hope she keeps writing more!
I will keep reading and watching for the next one.
It was mean and petulant and childish.
I hope Laurie can forgive me.
I love the characters and the adventures and the amazing talent of the story teller.
I hope she keeps writing more!
I will keep reading and watching for the next one.
June 11, 2021
[Holmes] shot me a look of long-suffering impatience. "Russell, you do have the most disconcerting habit of stepping into the centre of things."
Laurie R. King’s Russell/Holmes series is one of the series of books that I am really invested in and I am in it for the long haul. I buy them in Hardback, even though I prefer to read e-books. It’s a "till death do us part" kind of commitment. Literally. Since I knew that this one brought back Mrs. Hudson last seen 2 books and 4 years ago (a couple of months in book-time) I picked up The Murder of Mary Russell to refresh my memory of all that was revealed about her history in that installment. I’m glad I did re-establish that foundation because this book builds on what was revealed and, to me, can only be given a fair reading in the context of that novel.
In May, I had learned that my beloved Mrs. Hudson possessed a History that was scandalous, adventurous, and criminal. Mrs. Hudson, who had looked across her kitchen at a truculent fifteen-year-old girl…and perceived not the ink-stains of education and the accents of an upbringing, as Sherlock Holmes had seen, but the clear signs of pain and hunger and emptiness….But I was very young when I lost my family. The loss of Mrs. Hudson felt like a second abandonment…I realized…that what I wanted most was not to tell her that I forgave her. What I wanted was for her to forgive me, for having judged her.
Riviera Gold concerns the establishment of a new chapter in Mary Russell and her surrogate grandmother, Sherlock Holmes’ Mrs. Hudson’s relationship. Is it the final chapter? I doubt it. This book ends with some unresolved questions that will be more than likely be satisfied another day in another installment.
As with all of the books one of the strengths of this one was the exotic locale and meeting the historical people King’s books are peppered with. In this one we are gifted with Sara and Gerald Murphy, Pablo Picasso, Basil Zaharoff, and, most prominently, Lily Langtry. We also get a passing glimpse of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, and a mention of Sidney Reilly (Ace of Spies). The reader is truly transported into the foreign country that is the past. And they do indeed do things differently there. The primary attraction of these books is not, for me, the adventure and the intrigue but the complex and deeply drawn personalities of Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes, and their intriguing and sometimes titillating relationship.
“…if I’m to face a taxi drive back along the coast, maybe I should drink myself unconscious.”…”As you like. Although when I checked in, I did mention that my wife might be joining me.” Nothing about him suggested that it mattered one way or the other to him-nothing but the quiet humour in the back of his eyes that traced a feather-light finger all the the way down my spine. I cleared my throat. “Well. I should hate to disappoint the management.”
I did not fool him one whit. But then, neither did I believe his apparent lack of interest in my preference.
So in Riviera Gold, besides relationship development of fascinating people that we also care for, we are immersed in a murder mystery with our Mrs. Hudson briefly jailed and under suspicion, lost Romanov gold, smugglers, casinos, being too close for comfort with a ruthless and powerful arms dealer, conspiracy and betrayal, Jazz Age society, and the daring and dramatic last-minute rescue of a principal in the stories.
On to the next adventure which will apparently involve Vampires in Romania! I’m all in.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
June 16, 2020
Another winner in this long running series.
The author definitely had fun with this one. What's not to like about the French Riviera during the very unfashionable summer season. Only the crazy Americans would actually choose the heat! But the Americans aren't the only ones having an interesting time: the author deftly weaves in refugee Russians, a notorious arms dealer, an aging British beauty, and Mrs. Hudson, former housekeeper to Sherlock Holmes. As an added bonus, there are great sums of money at stake--and not just at the casinos of Monte Carlo.
I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't quite sure how all the plot threads would tie together, but the author did her usual clever job of creating order out of seeming chaos.
I had to smile at the way the author managed to work in the names of well-known people of the era. I appreciated the author's afterwords which expanded on lives of some of the lesser well-known.
The author definitely had fun with this one. What's not to like about the French Riviera during the very unfashionable summer season. Only the crazy Americans would actually choose the heat! But the Americans aren't the only ones having an interesting time: the author deftly weaves in refugee Russians, a notorious arms dealer, an aging British beauty, and Mrs. Hudson, former housekeeper to Sherlock Holmes. As an added bonus, there are great sums of money at stake--and not just at the casinos of Monte Carlo.
I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't quite sure how all the plot threads would tie together, but the author did her usual clever job of creating order out of seeming chaos.
I had to smile at the way the author managed to work in the names of well-known people of the era. I appreciated the author's afterwords which expanded on lives of some of the lesser well-known.
June 6, 2020
Since Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes met, fell in love and married, their adventures have taken them to many parts of the world, most of those places either bleak and cold (Dartmoor), colorful and unbearably hot (India) or all of the above (Palestine after WWI). Certainly danger and suspense are a constant in Holmes and Russell's lives, even when they're home in Sussex, but in this adventure (as in Island of the Mad) it's fun to join them in a place of positive luxury, where Russell gets to stay in a posh hotel, sunbathe and be a fashion plate (to mixed feelings from her husband). It's also great to encounter some of the remarkable people who happened to be on the Riviera in 1925, from Gerald and Sarah Murphy to Picasso, and to discover what Mrs. Hudson has been up to since we last saw her at the end of "The Murder of Mary Russell."
Of course, there is murder, there is skulduggery afoot, and there are ruthless people up to no good - pity for them that they run afoul of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.
Any of these books can stand alone and be read solely for itself, but do yourself a kindness and read them all; it's a wonderful thing to see these characters (yes, even Sherlock Holmes) change and grow over time.
Of course, there is murder, there is skulduggery afoot, and there are ruthless people up to no good - pity for them that they run afoul of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.
Any of these books can stand alone and be read solely for itself, but do yourself a kindness and read them all; it's a wonderful thing to see these characters (yes, even Sherlock Holmes) change and grow over time.
June 20, 2020
I absolutely adore the Russell and Holmes books! Sadly I have only read a couple of them but this is a series that I knew I would love the second I cracked open the first book a few years ago.
But as you can see this is a very long standing series and while I only read a couple of the books in the series, it’s a series that I know I would pick up again when I needed something guaranteed to be enjoyable.
When I was approached to read this book I debated about passing, simply because I knew there were a number of books I would need to read to get caught up on the series, but I also really loved the sound of this mystery and I ultimately caved and couldn’t wait to get reacquainted with some of my favorite characters.
Ok so to be fair, I have only read the first two books in this series and while I loved them—it is clear that I have missed a lot from book two to this one (book sixteen). It’s not to say this book wasn’t good, but I just want to point out that I did feel like I missed a substantial part of the larger narrative. But at the end of that day that was ok by me because the mystery is what’s front and center in this book.
With seasoned mystery writers who have long standing series such as this, the authors usually do a great job at keeping the focus on the mystery so while I felt like I was missing back stories and plots, it wasn’t the central story of the book and the author did a great job keeping new readers up to speed with the lives and history of Mary and Holmes. I enjoyed the mystery so much and found myself falling in love with the series all over again and am eager to go back and read some of the other books in the series now!
As expected, the author did a wonderful job describing the south of France in glorious details, I could practically feel the sun on my face. The only thing that surprised me about this book was that the Holmes parts didn’t really make an appearance in the book until much later and in my limited experience with this series, I always felt that Mary and Holmes were much better together as their whit played off each other so well and in this book the first half was mostly just Mary. Mary is a strong character thought who is fully developed but I just enjoy the banter between her and Holmes so much that I missed that a little in this one.
Overall though this was an excellent installment to a longstanding fan favorite series! The cover is beautiful, the writing and mystery well done and engaging, and of course two beloved characters! I can’t wait to jump back into this series. This year I have really been making an effort to give into historical mystery series that I love but haven’t finished and this one is moving to the top of my list!
See my full review here
But as you can see this is a very long standing series and while I only read a couple of the books in the series, it’s a series that I know I would pick up again when I needed something guaranteed to be enjoyable.
When I was approached to read this book I debated about passing, simply because I knew there were a number of books I would need to read to get caught up on the series, but I also really loved the sound of this mystery and I ultimately caved and couldn’t wait to get reacquainted with some of my favorite characters.
Ok so to be fair, I have only read the first two books in this series and while I loved them—it is clear that I have missed a lot from book two to this one (book sixteen). It’s not to say this book wasn’t good, but I just want to point out that I did feel like I missed a substantial part of the larger narrative. But at the end of that day that was ok by me because the mystery is what’s front and center in this book.
With seasoned mystery writers who have long standing series such as this, the authors usually do a great job at keeping the focus on the mystery so while I felt like I was missing back stories and plots, it wasn’t the central story of the book and the author did a great job keeping new readers up to speed with the lives and history of Mary and Holmes. I enjoyed the mystery so much and found myself falling in love with the series all over again and am eager to go back and read some of the other books in the series now!
As expected, the author did a wonderful job describing the south of France in glorious details, I could practically feel the sun on my face. The only thing that surprised me about this book was that the Holmes parts didn’t really make an appearance in the book until much later and in my limited experience with this series, I always felt that Mary and Holmes were much better together as their whit played off each other so well and in this book the first half was mostly just Mary. Mary is a strong character thought who is fully developed but I just enjoy the banter between her and Holmes so much that I missed that a little in this one.
Overall though this was an excellent installment to a longstanding fan favorite series! The cover is beautiful, the writing and mystery well done and engaging, and of course two beloved characters! I can’t wait to jump back into this series. This year I have really been making an effort to give into historical mystery series that I love but haven’t finished and this one is moving to the top of my list!
See my full review here
April 3, 2021
Review originally published on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
4.5 stars
The redoubtable Mrs. Hudson reappears in Riviera Gold, alive and well and living in Monaco, where Mary has come in hopes of finding her. But not long after Mary’s arrival, Mrs. Hudson is arrested for the murder of a young man. In their efforts to clear her, Holmes and Mary are drawn into an investigation which ultimately involves a Riviera art colony, smugglers, an infamous arms dealer, and White Russian emigres. Ms. King weaves these disparate elements together with historical figures including Sara and Gerald Murphy, the Jersey Lily, and several famous artists and writers, and ties in a lingering mystery from The Murder of Mary Russell.
I thoroughly enjoyed Riviera Gold. Mary and Holmes both seemed more themselves than they did in Island of the Mad (when, admittedly, they were both shaken by the events and revelations of the previous book.) The overall tone of Riviera Gold is nicely balanced between the warmth and gaiety of the Riviera and the darker hues of danger and suspense. The pacing, too, is excellent: slow and leisurely at the beginning, as befits summertime on the Riviera, but ratcheting up steadily before taking off in a literal race to the finish. The dual mysteries are well-plotted, too, difficult but not impossible to unravel. King provides clues for the reader all along the way, not just through Mary’s first-person narrative, but via occasional third-party conversations between Mrs. Hudson and other people — mostly unnamed, though their identities become clear eventually.
As enjoyable and well-crafted as the novel is, however, I can’t in good conscience recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with the Mary Russell canon. Much of the thread involving Mrs. Hudson will be hard to understand if you haven’t at least read The Murder of Mary Russell. And honestly, the series as a whole is so well-written and so engaging that I can’t imagine jumping in mid-stream. If you’re new to the books, I highly recommend you start at the beginning with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. (See my series review, here .) If you are a long-time fan, you might wish to reread The Murder of Mary Russell first, so the details of Mrs. Hudson’s past are fresh in your mind… but as long as you remember the gist, you should find no difficulty, and much pleasure, in following the events in Riviera Gold.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
4.5 stars
The redoubtable Mrs. Hudson reappears in Riviera Gold, alive and well and living in Monaco, where Mary has come in hopes of finding her. But not long after Mary’s arrival, Mrs. Hudson is arrested for the murder of a young man. In their efforts to clear her, Holmes and Mary are drawn into an investigation which ultimately involves a Riviera art colony, smugglers, an infamous arms dealer, and White Russian emigres. Ms. King weaves these disparate elements together with historical figures including Sara and Gerald Murphy, the Jersey Lily, and several famous artists and writers, and ties in a lingering mystery from The Murder of Mary Russell.
I thoroughly enjoyed Riviera Gold. Mary and Holmes both seemed more themselves than they did in Island of the Mad (when, admittedly, they were both shaken by the events and revelations of the previous book.) The overall tone of Riviera Gold is nicely balanced between the warmth and gaiety of the Riviera and the darker hues of danger and suspense. The pacing, too, is excellent: slow and leisurely at the beginning, as befits summertime on the Riviera, but ratcheting up steadily before taking off in a literal race to the finish. The dual mysteries are well-plotted, too, difficult but not impossible to unravel. King provides clues for the reader all along the way, not just through Mary’s first-person narrative, but via occasional third-party conversations between Mrs. Hudson and other people — mostly unnamed, though their identities become clear eventually.
As enjoyable and well-crafted as the novel is, however, I can’t in good conscience recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with the Mary Russell canon. Much of the thread involving Mrs. Hudson will be hard to understand if you haven’t at least read The Murder of Mary Russell. And honestly, the series as a whole is so well-written and so engaging that I can’t imagine jumping in mid-stream. If you’re new to the books, I highly recommend you start at the beginning with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. (See my series review, here .) If you are a long-time fan, you might wish to reread The Murder of Mary Russell first, so the details of Mrs. Hudson’s past are fresh in your mind… but as long as you remember the gist, you should find no difficulty, and much pleasure, in following the events in Riviera Gold.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
June 14, 2020
I'm delighted to be able to give Riviera Gold four stars. I've been disappointed in the recent Mary Russell books and was hesitant to read this one. This series is dear to me and my daughter, who was just a little younger than Russell in The Beekeeper's Apprentice (the first book in the series) when it was released. Between these books and the late Barbara Mertz's Amelia Peabody series, my daughter and I spent many summer evenings at our ranch, engrossed in literary adventures after long days filled with more practical matters.
Riviera Gold brings many of King's characters full circle. The inclusion of famous people—the Murphys, Picasso, the Fitzgeralds—doesn't enhance the story, but Sara Murphy is a good foil for Mary Russell. King does a good job of describing the south of France and Monaco, particularly the corruption that has infected government there for a very long time. Aside from some weird comma usage, my biggest complaint is that Russell quickly and easily finds someone she's looking for—a huge coincidence very early in the book.
The real gem in Riviera Gold is that Russell and Holmes reunite as a team, whereas in some of the more recent books Holmes has been sidelined. (Who sidelines Sherlock Holmes?) Their marriage has matured and glimmers of the old relationship surface in familiar ways. Their banter made me smile.
I believe that this series is best read in order, although as mentioned above, the last few books (IMO) aren't as strong as they could have been.
Riviera Gold was a lovely summer visit with old friends. Recommended.
Riviera Gold brings many of King's characters full circle. The inclusion of famous people—the Murphys, Picasso, the Fitzgeralds—doesn't enhance the story, but Sara Murphy is a good foil for Mary Russell. King does a good job of describing the south of France and Monaco, particularly the corruption that has infected government there for a very long time. Aside from some weird comma usage, my biggest complaint is that Russell quickly and easily finds someone she's looking for—a huge coincidence very early in the book.
The real gem in Riviera Gold is that Russell and Holmes reunite as a team, whereas in some of the more recent books Holmes has been sidelined. (Who sidelines Sherlock Holmes?) Their marriage has matured and glimmers of the old relationship surface in familiar ways. Their banter made me smile.
I believe that this series is best read in order, although as mentioned above, the last few books (IMO) aren't as strong as they could have been.
Riviera Gold was a lovely summer visit with old friends. Recommended.
June 9, 2020
I’m a big Sherlock Holmes fan and a big fan of this series! I was excited to be able to read this early copy. I thought it started a bit slow but seemed to be more interesting once SH appears. It’s a bit different from her other books but it gives some insight to Mrs Hudson’s life post SH. I enjoyed the story but it wasn’t one of my favorite. I did like the little tease at the end regarding their next adventure.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
July 30, 2020
I read two previous books in this series. I remember enjoying them but cannot claim to remember the stories very well (it was some years ago).
“Rivera Gold” gives us a look back at Mrs. Hudson’s distant past before she became associated with Holmes.
The author’s writing style is engaging but I found this story a bit lackluster. There was more information (boring) about bronze castings that I care to know.
Shrerlock appears to be Mary’s side-kick in this offering.
Because I like the author’s writing so much I’m going for 3* - not so much for the story content.
“Rivera Gold” gives us a look back at Mrs. Hudson’s distant past before she became associated with Holmes.
The author’s writing style is engaging but I found this story a bit lackluster. There was more information (boring) about bronze castings that I care to know.
Shrerlock appears to be Mary’s side-kick in this offering.
Because I like the author’s writing so much I’m going for 3* - not so much for the story content.
July 4, 2025
3,75 rating
December 11, 2020
Sherlock Holmes with his new partner, Mary Russell. Good stories. Likeable characters. Each of them distinct: set in many and varied physical, social, religious, linguistic, and literary environments. She includes current events of the time and place: WWI, anti-colonial struggles in several countries, natural disasters; prominent actual people appear, as well as occasional fictional characters of other authors. Insightful and fun! Many books in the series, and the stories keep getting more compelling:
Later books build on, and have spoilers for, earlier ones. Read them in this order:
1 background, optional. A Study in Scarlet (novel, 1887, introduces Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson), The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (short story, 1893, introduces Mycroft Holmes), The Adventure of the Final Problem (short story, 1893, introduces Professor James Moriarty), The Adventure of the Empty House (short story, 1903, set in 1894, explains Holmes' doings 1891–1894), and The Adventure of the Lion's Mane (short story, 1926, Holmes has retired to Sussex), by Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). You don't have to read the whole canon, but some familiarity with the Conan Doyle stories makes the Holmes-and-Russell books more enjoyable.
1. The Beekeeper's Apprentice (1994. Events 1915.04.08–1919.07, England, Wales, Palestine). Sherlock Holmes (b. early 1861), having retired to the East Sussex Downs, meets young Mary Russell (b. 1900.01.02), who becomes his apprentice. (Purported to have been written by Mary Russell in the late 1980s.) (Holmes on 1915.04.08 says he's 54, and on 1920.12.26 that he's 59.) Holmes lives half a mile from the sea (book 9, The Language of Bees, chapters 1 & 8) near Birling Gap, in East Sussex, https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8,0.0... northeast of the mouth of the Cuckmere river: puts him about at the end of Crowlink Lane, southwest of Friston.
5. O Jerusalem (1999. Events 1918.12.30–1919.02, Palestine). Fifth-written and fifth-published of the Mary Russel/Sherlock Holmes novels, it fleshes out an interlude within the first book. It's also a prequel for book six. If you're reading the Kindle edition of /O Jerusalem/, start at the cover. Not at the table of contents. Not at the beginning, which is chapter 1. Before the table of contents are: Map of Jerusalem and of Palestine; Arabic Words and Phrases; A Note about Chapter Headings; "Editor's Remarks," "Author's Prologue:" 2% of the book is before the table of contents.
Quiz for O Jerusalem: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
2. A Monstrous Regiment of Women (1995. Events 1920.12.26–1921.06, England.)
Mary Russel's War (2016. Events 1906–1925. Ten short stories. Stories #1–9 can be read after book 2, A Monstrous Regiment of Women. Story #10, Stately Holmes, should be read after book 12, Garment of Shadows.)
"The Marriage of Mary Russell" (2016. Events 1921.02), short story #4 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016). Ozymandias (1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792–1822): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymand...
Quiz for The Marriage of Mary Russell: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
"Mary's Christmas" (2014), short story #1 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/, (2016). Mary reminisces about her childhood (1906–1913.12)
Background for "Mary Russell's War," very optional. The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist (short story, 1903), and The Valley of Fear (novel, 1915), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930); Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (1899), E.W. Hornung (1866–1921) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
"Mary Russell's War" or "My War Journal" (2015. Events of 1914.08.04–1915.04.08), short story #2 of 10 in the collection, /Mary Russell's War/ (2016). Includes spoilers for The Valley of Fear.
"Beekeeping for Beginners" (2011. Events 1915.04.08–1915.05), short story #3 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
Quiz for Beekeeping for Beginners: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
"Mrs. Hudson's Case" (1997. Events 1918.09–1918.10), short story #5 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
"A Venomous Death" (2009. Set in October, in or after 1921), very short story #6 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
"Birth of a Green Man" (2010. Set sometime between June 1917--see book 10, The God of the Hive, chapter 52--and September 1924), very short story #7 in /Mary Russell's War (2016).
"My Story, or, The Case of the Ravening Sherlockians" (2009, Events of 1989–2009--note that Sherlock Holmes, born early in 1861, is 148 years old in 2009, and still alive. He must still be alive, as his obituary hasn't appeared in The Times of London. Conan Doyle tried to kill him in 1891, and his fans wouldn't have it.), short story #8 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
"A Case in Correspondence" (2010, Events of 1992.05.03–1992.05.19), short story #9 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
3 background, very optional. Almost any Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957) mystery.
3. A Letter of Mary (1996. Events of 1923.08.14–1923.09.08, England.)
4 background, optional. The Hound of the Baskervilles (novel, 1902), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930).
4. The Moor (1998. Events of 1923.10–1923.11, Dartmoor, Devon, England.) Includes spoilers for The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The moor is Dartmoor, in southwest England, setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and almost a character in the book:
Quiz for The Moor: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
6. Justice Hall. (2002. Events 1923.11.05–1923.12.26, England, France, Canada.) Includes spoilers for O Jerusalem, as does this:
Introduces
Quiz for Justice Hall: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
7 background, optional, but good. Kim (novel, 1901), Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936). Online:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Kim
7 background, optional. Hind Swaraj (1901), Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948). Online:
https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/hind_sw...
7. The Game. (2004. Events 1924.01.01–1924.02, Northern India.) The game is international espionage, called the Great Game by Kipling in Kim.
Introduces Kimball O'Hara, b. 1875.
Quiz for The Game: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
8 background, very optional. The Maltese Falcon (novel, 1930), Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961). Sam Spade short stories: "A Man Called Spade," 1932, "Too Many Have Lived," 1932, "They Can Only Hang you Once," 1932, all collected in A Man Called Spade and Other Stories, 1944, and in Nightmare Town, 1994; and "A Knife Will Cut for Anybody," published 2013. Continental Op stories: The Big Book of the Continental Op, 2017, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
8 background, optional. Entry Denied: Exclusion and the Chinese Community in America, 1882–1943 (1994), Sucheng Chan (1941–).
8 background, entirely optional but well worth reading: Right Ho, Jeeves (novel, 1934), P.G. Wodehouse (1881–1975), online at:
http://www.online-literature.com/pg-w...
Or any similar Wodehouse--Right Ho, Jeeves, is particularly good.
8. Locked Rooms (2005. Events 1924.03–1924.05, San Francisco.)
Eighteen years after the San Francisco earthquake and fires, April 18, 1906.
Quiz for Locked Rooms: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
9 background, optional. A Scandal in Bohemia (short story, 1891) and The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (short story, 1893), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930).
9 background, very optional. The Varieties of Religious Experience, 1902, William James (1842–1910).
9. The Language of Bees (2009. Events 1924.08–1924.08.30 and 1919.08–1920.03, England, Scotland.) ends "to be continued" in 10. The God of the Hive (2010. Events 1924.08.29–1924.10.31, England, Scotland). Includes spoilers for A Scandal in Bohemia (1891) and The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (1893).
Quiz for The Language of Bees: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
Quiz for The God of the Hive: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
11 background, optional. The Pirates of Penzance (comic opera, 1879), W.S. Gilbert (1836–1911)
11. Pirate King (2011. Events 1924.11.06–1924.11.30, Lisbon; Morocco.) Heath Robinson (a kind of British Rube Goldberg): https://www.pinterest.com/drumseddie5...
12. Garment of Shadows (2012. Events 1924.12–1925.01, Morocco.)
Quiz for Garment of Shadows: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
13. Dreaming Spies. (2015. Events 1925.03–1925.04, 1924.04, Japan & Oxfordshire). This one ends in confusion: it's unclear what happens. Thomas Carlyle: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
14 NECESSARY background for The Murder of Mary Russell: THE GLORIA SCOTT (1893): online here, in print and audio, https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/40/the-mem... 8400-word short story in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle. The story, its characters and events, are the foundation of the Mary Russell book, which gives a different perspective on them. Holmes says it's his first case. (In Conan Doyle's telling it's set in about 1885; yet he's been in Baker Street since about 1881. Conan Doyle is careless about dates. Laurie R. King takes trouble to make them as self-consistent as she can.)
14 background, optional. His Last Bow (1917), The Five Orange Pips (1891), A Scandal in Bohemia (1891), The Man with the Twisted Lip (1891), The Sign of the Four (1890), The Adventure of the Final Problem (1893), Arthur Conan Doyle. (Events and/or characters of these stories are mentioned in The Murder of Mary Russell.)
14 background, entirely optional, but good stories: the Horatio Hornblower stories by C. S. Forester: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio...
14 background, optional. Oliver Twist (1838 novel), Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
14 background, optional. The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
14. The Murder of Mary Russell. (2016. Events 1925.05.13–1925.05.18 and backstory 1852–1915.04.08 Britain, Atlantic, Australia.) Has spoilers for The Gloria Scott and The Five Orange Pips by Conan Doyle, and for The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe. We find out more about Holmes' housekeeper, Clara Hudson, b. 1856.05.09 (chapter 39), and Billy Mudd, b. about 1872 (chapter 27: age 8 in October 1880), and Clara Hudson meets Sherlock Holmes 1879.09.29 Sunday (chapter 19). Dr. John Watson comes to Baker Street, 1881.01. 1891.04 Holmes disappears at the Reichenbach Falls. 1894.04 Holmes reappears. 1901.01.22 Queen Victoria dies. 1903 Holmes relocates to East Sussex.
14. Quiz for The Murder of Mary Russell: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
15 background, optional. The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax (1911), Arthur Conan Doyle.
15 background, optional. Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887), Nellie Bly (1864–1922)
15 background, optional. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), H.G. Wells (1866–1946)
15. The Island of the Mad. (2018. Events 1925.06 Venice, and backstory 1922–) Pierrot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrot Julian and Maddalo (1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792–1822): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
16 background, optional. The Purloined Letter (1844), Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
16. Riviera Gold. (2020. Events 1925.05–1925.08; backstory 1877.04)
Background for "Stately Holmes," optional. A Visit from St. Nicholas (1823), Clement Clark Moore (1779–1863): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem... . A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens (1812–1870): http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-... (control-+ to make it readable). A Scandal in Bohemia (1891); The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone (1921), Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Stately Holmes" (2016. Events 1925.12), short story #10 in /Mary Russell's War (2016). Includes spoilers for 6. Justice Hall, 9. The Language of Bees, 10. God of the Hive, and 12. Garment of Shadows, and for A Scandal in Bohemia (1891), Arthur Conan Do
Later books build on, and have spoilers for, earlier ones. Read them in this order:
1 background, optional. A Study in Scarlet (novel, 1887, introduces Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson), The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (short story, 1893, introduces Mycroft Holmes), The Adventure of the Final Problem (short story, 1893, introduces Professor James Moriarty), The Adventure of the Empty House (short story, 1903, set in 1894, explains Holmes' doings 1891–1894), and The Adventure of the Lion's Mane (short story, 1926, Holmes has retired to Sussex), by Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). You don't have to read the whole canon, but some familiarity with the Conan Doyle stories makes the Holmes-and-Russell books more enjoyable.
1. The Beekeeper's Apprentice (1994. Events 1915.04.08–1919.07, England, Wales, Palestine). Sherlock Holmes (b. early 1861), having retired to the East Sussex Downs, meets young Mary Russell (b. 1900.01.02), who becomes his apprentice. (Purported to have been written by Mary Russell in the late 1980s.) (Holmes on 1915.04.08 says he's 54, and on 1920.12.26 that he's 59.) Holmes lives half a mile from the sea (book 9, The Language of Bees, chapters 1 & 8) near Birling Gap, in East Sussex, https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8,0.0... northeast of the mouth of the Cuckmere river: puts him about at the end of Crowlink Lane, southwest of Friston.
5. O Jerusalem (1999. Events 1918.12.30–1919.02, Palestine). Fifth-written and fifth-published of the Mary Russel/Sherlock Holmes novels, it fleshes out an interlude within the first book. It's also a prequel for book six. If you're reading the Kindle edition of /O Jerusalem/, start at the cover. Not at the table of contents. Not at the beginning, which is chapter 1. Before the table of contents are: Map of Jerusalem and of Palestine; Arabic Words and Phrases; A Note about Chapter Headings; "Editor's Remarks," "Author's Prologue:" 2% of the book is before the table of contents.
Quiz for O Jerusalem: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
2. A Monstrous Regiment of Women (1995. Events 1920.12.26–1921.06, England.)
Mary Russel's War (2016. Events 1906–1925. Ten short stories. Stories #1–9 can be read after book 2, A Monstrous Regiment of Women. Story #10, Stately Holmes, should be read after book 12, Garment of Shadows.)
"The Marriage of Mary Russell" (2016. Events 1921.02), short story #4 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016). Ozymandias (1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792–1822): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymand...
Quiz for The Marriage of Mary Russell: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
"Mary's Christmas" (2014), short story #1 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/, (2016). Mary reminisces about her childhood (1906–1913.12)
Background for "Mary Russell's War," very optional. The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist (short story, 1903), and The Valley of Fear (novel, 1915), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930); Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (1899), E.W. Hornung (1866–1921) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
"Mary Russell's War" or "My War Journal" (2015. Events of 1914.08.04–1915.04.08), short story #2 of 10 in the collection, /Mary Russell's War/ (2016). Includes spoilers for The Valley of Fear.
"Beekeeping for Beginners" (2011. Events 1915.04.08–1915.05), short story #3 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
Quiz for Beekeeping for Beginners: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
"Mrs. Hudson's Case" (1997. Events 1918.09–1918.10), short story #5 of 10 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
"A Venomous Death" (2009. Set in October, in or after 1921), very short story #6 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
"Birth of a Green Man" (2010. Set sometime between June 1917--see book 10, The God of the Hive, chapter 52--and September 1924), very short story #7 in /Mary Russell's War (2016).
"My Story, or, The Case of the Ravening Sherlockians" (2009, Events of 1989–2009--note that Sherlock Holmes, born early in 1861, is 148 years old in 2009, and still alive. He must still be alive, as his obituary hasn't appeared in The Times of London. Conan Doyle tried to kill him in 1891, and his fans wouldn't have it.), short story #8 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
"A Case in Correspondence" (2010, Events of 1992.05.03–1992.05.19), short story #9 in /Mary Russell's War/ (2016).
3 background, very optional. Almost any Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957) mystery.
3. A Letter of Mary (1996. Events of 1923.08.14–1923.09.08, England.)
4 background, optional. The Hound of the Baskervilles (novel, 1902), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930).
4. The Moor (1998. Events of 1923.10–1923.11, Dartmoor, Devon, England.) Includes spoilers for The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The moor is Dartmoor, in southwest England, setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and almost a character in the book:
Quiz for The Moor: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
6. Justice Hall. (2002. Events 1923.11.05–1923.12.26, England, France, Canada.) Includes spoilers for O Jerusalem, as does this:
Introduces
Quiz for Justice Hall: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
7 background, optional, but good. Kim (novel, 1901), Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936). Online:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Kim
7 background, optional. Hind Swaraj (1901), Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948). Online:
https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/hind_sw...
7. The Game. (2004. Events 1924.01.01–1924.02, Northern India.) The game is international espionage, called the Great Game by Kipling in Kim.
Introduces Kimball O'Hara, b. 1875.
Quiz for The Game: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
8 background, very optional. The Maltese Falcon (novel, 1930), Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961). Sam Spade short stories: "A Man Called Spade," 1932, "Too Many Have Lived," 1932, "They Can Only Hang you Once," 1932, all collected in A Man Called Spade and Other Stories, 1944, and in Nightmare Town, 1994; and "A Knife Will Cut for Anybody," published 2013. Continental Op stories: The Big Book of the Continental Op, 2017, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
8 background, optional. Entry Denied: Exclusion and the Chinese Community in America, 1882–1943 (1994), Sucheng Chan (1941–).
8 background, entirely optional but well worth reading: Right Ho, Jeeves (novel, 1934), P.G. Wodehouse (1881–1975), online at:
http://www.online-literature.com/pg-w...
Or any similar Wodehouse--Right Ho, Jeeves, is particularly good.
8. Locked Rooms (2005. Events 1924.03–1924.05, San Francisco.)
Eighteen years after the San Francisco earthquake and fires, April 18, 1906.
Quiz for Locked Rooms: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
9 background, optional. A Scandal in Bohemia (short story, 1891) and The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (short story, 1893), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930).
9 background, very optional. The Varieties of Religious Experience, 1902, William James (1842–1910).
9. The Language of Bees (2009. Events 1924.08–1924.08.30 and 1919.08–1920.03, England, Scotland.) ends "to be continued" in 10. The God of the Hive (2010. Events 1924.08.29–1924.10.31, England, Scotland). Includes spoilers for A Scandal in Bohemia (1891) and The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (1893).
Quiz for The Language of Bees: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
Quiz for The God of the Hive: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
11 background, optional. The Pirates of Penzance (comic opera, 1879), W.S. Gilbert (1836–1911)
11. Pirate King (2011. Events 1924.11.06–1924.11.30, Lisbon; Morocco.) Heath Robinson (a kind of British Rube Goldberg): https://www.pinterest.com/drumseddie5...
12. Garment of Shadows (2012. Events 1924.12–1925.01, Morocco.)
Quiz for Garment of Shadows: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
13. Dreaming Spies. (2015. Events 1925.03–1925.04, 1924.04, Japan & Oxfordshire). This one ends in confusion: it's unclear what happens. Thomas Carlyle: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
14 NECESSARY background for The Murder of Mary Russell: THE GLORIA SCOTT (1893): online here, in print and audio, https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/40/the-mem... 8400-word short story in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle. The story, its characters and events, are the foundation of the Mary Russell book, which gives a different perspective on them. Holmes says it's his first case. (In Conan Doyle's telling it's set in about 1885; yet he's been in Baker Street since about 1881. Conan Doyle is careless about dates. Laurie R. King takes trouble to make them as self-consistent as she can.)
14 background, optional. His Last Bow (1917), The Five Orange Pips (1891), A Scandal in Bohemia (1891), The Man with the Twisted Lip (1891), The Sign of the Four (1890), The Adventure of the Final Problem (1893), Arthur Conan Doyle. (Events and/or characters of these stories are mentioned in The Murder of Mary Russell.)
14 background, entirely optional, but good stories: the Horatio Hornblower stories by C. S. Forester: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio...
14 background, optional. Oliver Twist (1838 novel), Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
14 background, optional. The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
14. The Murder of Mary Russell. (2016. Events 1925.05.13–1925.05.18 and backstory 1852–1915.04.08 Britain, Atlantic, Australia.) Has spoilers for The Gloria Scott and The Five Orange Pips by Conan Doyle, and for The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe. We find out more about Holmes' housekeeper, Clara Hudson, b. 1856.05.09 (chapter 39), and Billy Mudd, b. about 1872 (chapter 27: age 8 in October 1880), and Clara Hudson meets Sherlock Holmes 1879.09.29 Sunday (chapter 19). Dr. John Watson comes to Baker Street, 1881.01. 1891.04 Holmes disappears at the Reichenbach Falls. 1894.04 Holmes reappears. 1901.01.22 Queen Victoria dies. 1903 Holmes relocates to East Sussex.
14. Quiz for The Murder of Mary Russell: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
15 background, optional. The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax (1911), Arthur Conan Doyle.
15 background, optional. Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887), Nellie Bly (1864–1922)
15 background, optional. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), H.G. Wells (1866–1946)
15. The Island of the Mad. (2018. Events 1925.06 Venice, and backstory 1922–) Pierrot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrot Julian and Maddalo (1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792–1822): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
16 background, optional. The Purloined Letter (1844), Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
16. Riviera Gold. (2020. Events 1925.05–1925.08; backstory 1877.04)
Background for "Stately Holmes," optional. A Visit from St. Nicholas (1823), Clement Clark Moore (1779–1863): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem... . A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens (1812–1870): http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-... (control-+ to make it readable). A Scandal in Bohemia (1891); The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone (1921), Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Stately Holmes" (2016. Events 1925.12), short story #10 in /Mary Russell's War (2016). Includes spoilers for 6. Justice Hall, 9. The Language of Bees, 10. God of the Hive, and 12. Garment of Shadows, and for A Scandal in Bohemia (1891), Arthur Conan Do
May 29, 2020
This is the 16th book is the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series.
This book is set in 1925 on the Riviera where Mary has traveled to after solving a missing-person-case in Venice. Mary’s life is in flux – she has no idea where her husband, Sherlock Holmes, is nor where their beloved housekeeper of many years, Mrs. Hudson is. She expects to see both in Monte Carlo.
King’s descriptions of the Cote d’Azur and its wealthy residents who seem content to party the nights away and to spend their afternoons on the beach are so well done you almost feel like you’re there feeling the heat of the sun on your skin and the tipsiness of having drunk too much champagne the night before. Added to that is the issue of the bullion allegedly smuggled out of Russia by the Romanovs as the Russian Revolution began and now missing. Rumors have it that the gold may have found a home in or near Monte Carlo. Mrs. Hudson’s whereabouts is another mystery for Mary to solve. Shortly before leaving for Venice, Mary found out that staid and steady Mrs. Hudson had been a con artist in her youth stealing money from the wealthy in cahoots with her father. When Mrs. Douglas left Holmes’ employ, she refused to tell anyone where she was going. The only clue she gave was she had once found Monte Carlo intriguing. She no sooner finds her former housekeeper than a young man is found dead in her front room.
This is another well-written outing for Laurie King. Her descriptions leave nothing to be desired and her characters are charming even as they keep their secrets close to their vests. This is a fast read and one that may keep the reader reading into the wee hours of the morning. While this is the 16th book in the series, you need not to have read the first 15 books to enjoy this outing. However, you might want to read at least the first book in the series, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” to see how this all began.
My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
This book is set in 1925 on the Riviera where Mary has traveled to after solving a missing-person-case in Venice. Mary’s life is in flux – she has no idea where her husband, Sherlock Holmes, is nor where their beloved housekeeper of many years, Mrs. Hudson is. She expects to see both in Monte Carlo.
King’s descriptions of the Cote d’Azur and its wealthy residents who seem content to party the nights away and to spend their afternoons on the beach are so well done you almost feel like you’re there feeling the heat of the sun on your skin and the tipsiness of having drunk too much champagne the night before. Added to that is the issue of the bullion allegedly smuggled out of Russia by the Romanovs as the Russian Revolution began and now missing. Rumors have it that the gold may have found a home in or near Monte Carlo. Mrs. Hudson’s whereabouts is another mystery for Mary to solve. Shortly before leaving for Venice, Mary found out that staid and steady Mrs. Hudson had been a con artist in her youth stealing money from the wealthy in cahoots with her father. When Mrs. Douglas left Holmes’ employ, she refused to tell anyone where she was going. The only clue she gave was she had once found Monte Carlo intriguing. She no sooner finds her former housekeeper than a young man is found dead in her front room.
This is another well-written outing for Laurie King. Her descriptions leave nothing to be desired and her characters are charming even as they keep their secrets close to their vests. This is a fast read and one that may keep the reader reading into the wee hours of the morning. While this is the 16th book in the series, you need not to have read the first 15 books to enjoy this outing. However, you might want to read at least the first book in the series, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” to see how this all began.
My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
June 8, 2020
After three months in lockdown, it is a delight to virtually escape from my living room to go to Monte Carlo with Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. This series has had its ups and downs, but has been on an upswing since the earlier "The Murder of Mary Russell," and I am pleased that its steadiness continues, and pleased that we get to see Mrs. Hudson again.
King has become well-practiced at blending detective stories, and gentle historical travelogues -- this time giving readers glimpses of an artistic community loosely settled in Monte Carlo. As the mystery progresses, readers also learn about the economic history of the principality of Monaco, the economic situation that a city like Monte Carlo would find itself in, and how that might influence relationships between the people who live there, and the tourists and emigrés who find themselves there. We also get a fascinating, and fairly detailed, discussion of the processes involved in sculpting bronze.
Holmes mostly takes a back seat to Russell's investigations, but it's nice to see the two of them working together, and we do get some of that; and I have hopes that the next volume in the series, set in Romania, will bring even more. I always miss King's Kate Martinelli series, but this was a charming diversion, and just what I needed to kick off the summer.
King has become well-practiced at blending detective stories, and gentle historical travelogues -- this time giving readers glimpses of an artistic community loosely settled in Monte Carlo. As the mystery progresses, readers also learn about the economic history of the principality of Monaco, the economic situation that a city like Monte Carlo would find itself in, and how that might influence relationships between the people who live there, and the tourists and emigrés who find themselves there. We also get a fascinating, and fairly detailed, discussion of the processes involved in sculpting bronze.
Holmes mostly takes a back seat to Russell's investigations, but it's nice to see the two of them working together, and we do get some of that; and I have hopes that the next volume in the series, set in Romania, will bring even more. I always miss King's Kate Martinelli series, but this was a charming diversion, and just what I needed to kick off the summer.
May 29, 2021
After their adventures in Venice, Sherlock and Mary split up for different destinations. Holmes is off to Romania for something to do with vampires while Mary sails to the South of France with the Honorable Terry and some friends. Mary wants to see if she can locate their former housekeeper Mrs. Hudson who left a clue that Monaco was her destination when she left them.
Clarissa Hudson is in Monaco with some plans for her retirement that means she needs to interact with some of the shady characters who are making Monaco their home base in 1925. From smugglers to arms dealers to White Russians who fled the revolution, Monaco is filled with shady characters.
Monaco is also the home of a growing group of American ex-pats led by Gerald and Sara Murphy who are gathering a group of artists of all kinds from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Pablo Picasso.
When the body of a handsome young man is found in Mrs. Hudson's sitting room, Mary and Sherlock get involved in finding out what happened since Mary, at least, is certain that Mrs. Hudson had nothing to do with the murder.
I loved the setting and characters in this story and the way real historical characters are included in the story along with the fictional ones. The historical detail in intriguing. The story moves at a fast pace and was engaging. I can't wait for more adventures starring Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes.
Clarissa Hudson is in Monaco with some plans for her retirement that means she needs to interact with some of the shady characters who are making Monaco their home base in 1925. From smugglers to arms dealers to White Russians who fled the revolution, Monaco is filled with shady characters.
Monaco is also the home of a growing group of American ex-pats led by Gerald and Sara Murphy who are gathering a group of artists of all kinds from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Pablo Picasso.
When the body of a handsome young man is found in Mrs. Hudson's sitting room, Mary and Sherlock get involved in finding out what happened since Mary, at least, is certain that Mrs. Hudson had nothing to do with the murder.
I loved the setting and characters in this story and the way real historical characters are included in the story along with the fictional ones. The historical detail in intriguing. The story moves at a fast pace and was engaging. I can't wait for more adventures starring Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes.
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