 |
| 'Treasures from the Hoard' are books I treasure and re-read. |
En route to San Francisco to settle her family’s estate, Mary Russell, in the company of husband Sherlock Holmes, falls prey to troubling dreams—and even more troubling behavior. In 1906, when Mary was six, the city was devastated by a catastrophic earthquake. For years Mary has insisted she lived elsewhere at the time. But Holmes knows better.
Soon it is clear that whatever unpleasantness Mary wanted to forget hasn’t forgotten her. A series of mysterious deaths leads Russell and Holmes from the winding streets of Chinatown to the unspoken secrets of a parent’s marriage and the tragic “accident” that Mary alone survived. What Russell discovers is that even a forgotten past never dies . . . and it can kill again.
Review:
As much psychological novel as murder mystery, "Locked Rooms" alternates between first-person narrative by Mary Russell and third-person sections telling the parts of the story which Mary could not, at the time, have known. This is important, for Mary in this book is a most unreliable narrator, her memory not so much faulty as suppressed. The death of Mary's family in 1914 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake are the twin foci of investigation, though Mary seems unaware for much of the novel that there is, indeed, anything to investigate. As a historical mystery, it is engrossing; as a psychological exploration into memory (and the character of Mary Russell), it's fascinating.
[Note: This review was first published on Goodreads by The Bookwyrm's Hoard.]
* * *
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Historical mystery
Series: Mary Russell #8 (Russell & Holmes)
Publisher: Bantam
Release date:
Book source: personal collection
Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo
About the author:
Laurie R. King started writing in 1987; her first novel, A Grave Talent featuring inspector Kate Martinelli of the San Francisco Police Department, was published in 1993 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. Since then, she has averaged a book a year, winning prizes that range from Agatha (a nomination) to Wolfe (Nero, for A Monstrous Regiment of Women).
In 1994, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice was published, featuring young Mary Russell who becomes an apprentice, then partner of Sherlock Holmes in early 20th century England. This series of historical mysteries is both King's most popular and her longest-running; there are 12 books and a short story in the series thus far. [My review of the series as a whole appears here.]
King's newest mystery, The Bones of Paris, was published in September 2013. The novel features agent Harris Stuyvesant and is a sequel to Touchstone.
(biography heavily adapted from the author's website)
Connect with the author:
Website Facebook Twitter (as Laurie R. King) Twitter (As Mary Russell)
Goodreads Pinterest
The Beekeeper's Apprentice is one of my very favorite books and I love this series, but I'm several books behind. I haven't read this book so I really need to get going with the series again. Maybe I'll read some of the early books again, too! Thanks for this review and the Bookwyrm's nudge!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely worth continuing the series. There are a few that aren't quite as good as the others, which is sort of like saying that there are some Hershey kisses in the Godiva box -- they're still pretty good, they're just not quite knock-your-socks-off amazing.
DeleteLark this sounds really well done. Locked Room Mysteries are one of my favorites. I love the setting for this as well. Lovely review, and five stars..eep..I need to add this to my list!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, there's no actual locked-room mystery in this; the locked rooms refer to memories the narrator has locked away in her mind. But it's really good anyway. I do recommend reading at least a few of the earlier books in the series, especially The Beekeeper's Apprentice and A Monstrous Regiment of Women, so you have some idea of who the main characters are and what's going on. I think it would be hard to start with this one without any background -- not impossible, but hard.
Delete