The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King is the fourteenth book in King’s Sherlock Holmes series.  I have reviewed others, like Dreaming Spies, previously and am highly recommending The Murder of Mary Russell, even if you have not read many others in the series.

This new mystery novel tells the story of Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock Holmes’ loyal housekeeper. Much of the novel is flashback to her youth in Australia and London during the last half of the 19^th century.  Her family members play a prominent role in the story which has numerous twists and shifting points of view. King cleverly incorporates details of an early Conan Doyle story, “The Adventure of the Gloria Scott” and I found myself looking for further connections. Providing more plot details here will only spoil the many surprises in store for readers of The Murder of Mary Russell. Overall, this novel is an enjoyable mystery and a very enticing speculation about the background of Mrs. Hudson, a character originally created by Conan Doyle.  

The Murder of Mary Russell received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.

Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King

Have you read Laurie R. King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice? If so, you may have been enjoying the series about Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, for 20 years! If not, you are in for a treat and have a full baker’s dozen of novels involving suspense and adventure to enjoy.  I just finished King’s newest addition, Dreaming Spies, and am definitely recommending it. The main characters are travelling from India to the western United States and stop in Japan along the way. 

Although the story starts slowly, I appreciated that this novel seemed to be a “gentler” read than some of the later titles in the Russell/Holmes series.  In fact, King includes a Haiku poem at the beginning of each chapter, further inviting the reader to speculate about the upcoming twists and turns. Set in 1924 and 1925, I especially liked the focus on an ocean voyage (a closed room mystery in a sense), all the rules of etiquette from that time period, and the visits to the reading rooms at Bodleian Library back in Oxford. While reading Dreaming Spies, I learned quite a bit (as did Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes) about Japanese culture, temperament and traditions. On board ship they meet an intriguing young woman, Haruki Sato, who involves them in an international mystery encompassing ancient poetry, a missing book and deadly blackmail.

Visit the author’s website (http://www.laurierking.com/) for more information about Dreaming Spies and others in this creative series. Looking for more mysteries to read? Try titles written by Miriam Grace Monfredo (Seneca Falls historical mysteries), Jacqueline Winspear (featuring Maisie Dobbs), and Charles Todd (set in Great Britain).