Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another great addition to the Mary Russell canon. This series works well because it’s not just another Sherlock Holmes knock-off; Sherlock is present, but as a supporting character and these are Mary’s stories. Throughout the series, we’ve seen Mary grow from a 15-year-old girl struggling with the deaths of her family to become a self-assured woman of 25.

In this outing, Mary travels to the Riviera where she encounters some ex-pat Americans, including a couple named Scotty and Zelda, as well as Pablo Picasso, and Mrs. Hudson. After the adventures in the Murder of Mary Russell, Mrs Hudson has retreated to the Mediterranean.

Despite now knowing about Clarissa Hudson’s past, Mary only feels love and gratitude towards the woman who brought acceptance and warmth into her teenage years. When Mrs Hudson is accused of murder, Mary maintains her faith in the woman and continues to show Sherlock that he still doesn’t understand women as she follows the threads to the end.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for access to a digital ARC.



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The Island of the Mad

I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell (and of Mary’s biographer, Laurie King), but was disappointed in the last episode (The Murder of Mary Russell), which seemed to me to be very dark. I’m happy to say that the joy has returned in the latest adventure The Island of the Mad.

I received access to a copy from NetGalley on Monday, and finished reading it on Tuesday (luckily for me that I was on spring break and had no pressing obligations that I was ignoring). This is clearly Mary’s investigation and story as Sherlock plays only a supporting role. It was interesting to see some cracks in his stoic facade as he wonders if Mary had any regrets about their marriage.

While the mystery seemed somewhat contrived (and I quickly, unlike Mary, deduced the reason behind Lady Vivian’s madness), I enjoyed the story and the details of Venice during the onset of facism. All in all, a great addition to the Mary Russell canon, and I recommend “The Island of the Mad”.