This Pirate Ship takes on Water but doesn't sink (quite).

                                          THE PIRATE KING
                                          Laurie R. King
                                          Recorded Books
                                          2011  




I have always been a fan of Laurie King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes novels, but this one has been sitting on my iPod for a very long time indeed. The early reviews were pretty dismal, citing problems with an improbable and convoluted plot and even worse- not enough Holmes. I knew I would get to it eventually and now that the release of the next novel in the series, "Garment of Shadows", is imminent and coincides with my yearly "reading vacation" in Maine, the time was last week.

Mary Russell is approached by Inspector Lestrade and is asked to sign on with Fflyte Films as an assistant. It appears that whenever and wherever Fflyte Films is working, a sort of mini-crime wave appears, including gun-running and drugs on the street. Mary is not interested in either films or the case but Sherlock's brother Mycroft is coming for a visit. Mary is not at all pleased with the visit after the events of the previous two books in which she found that Mycroft has manipulated British policy in an untoward manner. She takes the job mostly to avoid Mycroft and that's when the plot begins to become convoluted and even somewhat farcical.

The megalomanical Randolph Fflyte is the hope of the fledgling British film industry. Fflyte Films has had some huge hits and also some huge misses. The newest project is "The Pirate King", a film about the making of a film based loosely (very loosely) on Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance". That was a big groaner for me as I find Gilbert and Sullivan both sophomoric and jingoistic. The film has a cast of what feels like thousands what with the 12 daughters and the 12 pirate suitors as well as crew members. Flytte's obsession with realism leads him to refurbish a derelict brigantine and sail off to Morocco with real pirates aboard. Much farce, some fairly agonizing suspense and an international incident later, Mary solves the original mystery with the help of Holmes. I was totally surprised by the culprit but then I had almost forgotten about that plot line.

Having said all that, the elements that I always enjoy most in the Russell/Holmes novels are present in "The Pirate King". Laurie King has a remarkable ability to transport me to a place and time that is completely alien. I think "O Jerusalem" is my favorite of the novels because of the wonderful descriptions of colonial Palestine. She succeeds yet again with her depiction of Morocco. Even though Holmes  is not present in much of the book the oddly assorted but equal partnership still works admirably. I can see that if one has no interest in early film-making those elements might become tedious but I do have at least a passing interest. Laurie King takes a risk with "The Pirate King" and I admire her willingness to do so.

The next novel in the series also takes place in Morocco and features a return of the Hazr "brothers" from "O Jerusalem". I definitely won't wait long to listen to "Garment of Shadows". Jenny Sterlin's able narrations always make Holmes and Russell a "must listen" for me.

Rating- 3 Skulls and Coss-Bones