Publisher Description
Mary Russell’s allegiances are tested by the reappearance of her long-lost uncle—and a tantalizing case not even Sherlock Holmes could solve.
When Mary Russell was a child, she adored her black sheep Uncle Jake. But she hasn’t heard from him in many years, and she assumed that his ne’er-do-well ways had brought him to a bad end somewhere—until he presents himself at her Sussex door. Yes, Jake is back, and with a load of problems for his clever niece. Not the least of which is the reason the family rejected him in the first place: He was involved—somehow—in the infamous disappearance of the Irish Crown Jewels from an impregnable safe in Dublin Castle.
It was a theft that shook a government, enraged a king, threatened the English establishment—and baffled not only the Dublin police and Scotland Yard, but Sherlock Holmes himself. And, now, Jake expects Russell to step into the middle of it all? To slip away with him, not telling Holmes what she’s up to? Knowing that the theft—unsolved, hushed-up, scandalous—must have involved Mycroft Holmes as well?
Naturally, she can do nothing of the sort. Siding with her uncle, even briefly, could only place her in opposition to both her husband-partner and his secretive and powerful brother. She has to tell Jake no.
On the other hand, this is Jake—her father’s kid brother, her childhood hero, the beloved and long-lost survivor of a much-diminished family.
Conflicting loyalties and international secrets, blatant lies and blithe deceptions: sounds like another case for Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.
My Thoughts
I swear, the last three books in King’s Mary Russell series are some of the best, which is a tremendous feat. Often in a series that has gone on a long time, you can tell when an author is getting tired. The plots become repetitive and the characters lose their charm.
Not so here.
Russell and Holmes are their usual witty, clever selves and the introduction of Russell’s Uncle Jake adds a new and intriguing character to the mix. This seems to be a trend King is riding. Her last book, Lantern Dance, wrote Holmes’ son by Irene Adler into a much stronger character. Here, we delve more into Russell’s past through her uncle.
King always throws in new connections between Holmes and Russell that sometimes even pre-date their meeting in The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. I keep imagining a wall in Laurie King’s house that is covered with strings connecting Holmes and Russell to countless characters, each strand leading to a new story.
While this can be read as a stand-alone story, I strongly recommend you read the series from start to finish to get the best understanding of the dynamic between these two fascinating characters. If you are an audiobook fan, I also recommend that version narrated by the wonderful Jenny Sterlin.
Highly recommended.
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Published By: Penguin Random House
Thanks to The Greece Public Library for the book
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