Dreaming Spies

December 22, 2014
Snappy prose and a captivating plot distinguish King’s 14th novel featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes (after 2012’s Garment of Shadows). In April 1924, Russell hopes to enjoy an uneventful boat trip from India to Japan with Holmes, but the onboard presence of Lord Darley, whom Holmes believes to be a blackmailer’s accomplice, suggests that theirs will be a busman’s holiday. Sure enough, the couple soon learn of a missing passenger, possibly a victim of extortion, and reports of a poltergeist that made off with a tennis racquet. On arrival in Japan, they are asked to perform a delicate mission for the prince regent that is vital to the future of his country. While some may not like the idea of a married Holmes, many will find the character deepened by his partnership with the spirited and clever Russell. This book gives every indication that this series still has a long life ahead of it. Agent: Linda Allen, Linda Allen Literary Agency.

December 1, 2014
Mary Russell, the much younger but just as clever wife of Sherlock Holmes, once again narrates a story that keeps the reader enthralled, though not always with the mystery. That element, though boasting a world figure at its centerCrown Prince Hirohito of Japanis not particularly enticing. Hirohito is being blackmailed about a book he has inadvertently gifted to the king of England, not knowing it contains a secret document. But the book is merely a Japanese MacGuffin, a useful item around which to bind meticulous accounts of the glamour and tedium of shipboard life in the 1920s, intricate descriptions of both the Japanese landscape and its social hierarchy, and homey details of the English countryside. Just as captivating as the landscape and the historical detail are King's characters, especially the mysterious female ninja, who is dedicated to protecting the Japanese royal family. As with previous books in the series, this one appears out of time sequence; it takes place before the pivotal volume, Locked Rooms (2005), in which readers learned secrets about Russell's past. This installment may well be one of Russell and Holmes' lesser adventures, but lesser is a relative term when speaking of one of the most consistently outstanding mystery series out there. Any time spent with the Russell-Holmes duo is a delight. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Mary Russell series is a mystery-fan favorite and is especially popular in libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)