ISBN: 0-553-80194-5 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
Pleasant and tense, and with an appealing protagonist, this novel falls short of its predecessors due to weak mystery and less suspense.
Reviewed by David on July 03, 2004
Genre: Mystery (Historical, Amateur Sleuth)
Synopsis: Mary Russell, a young woman who married Sherlock Holmes normally pursues her studies in theology. She is apprehensive, but not truly surprised when their visit to Mycroft Holmes, recovering from an illness, turns into the start of a desperate dash to India to recover an old intelligence agent.
Full Review: The first-person protagonist is both admirable and attractive, with her strength, honor, intelligence and vulnerability. Holmes, portrayed with subtlety and affection also makes a very attractive protagonist, although rather differently from the original opus. Unlike the first books in the series, here Russell and Holmes have settled into a comfortable, affectionate and respectful relationship, and the team is impressively competent while not experiencing much development.
In this novel, Russell and Holmes encounter another literary hero, now older and mysteriously lost in India. The protaginist encounters the adversary about halfway throough the book, and there is little mystery thereafter. Russell, Holmes and their friends are still in peril, and their adventures still invoke sympathy and admiration for their courage and intelligence. However, with the lessening of suspense comes the lessening of enjoyment, and the novel seems bland by comparisons with Russell's and Holmes' earlier adventures.
A moderately pleasant continuation of the series, this book is likely to appeal to anyone who enjoyed the start of this series in The Beekeper's Apprentice.
Universe: Sherlock Holmes
Overall: 6; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 5.5; Style: 6; World-building: 6; Originality: 6;
Copyright date 2004, Bantam Books (Bantam), March 2004, Cloth, 368 pages
ISBN: 0-553-80194-5 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com