DREAMING SPIES: Russell and Holmes
Laurie R. King
Bantam Books
February 2015
Readers of the Russell and Holmes series have been waiting for a long time for Dreaming Spies. Alluded to often in other books it covers their adventures in Japan and falls chronologically between The Game and Locked Rooms. Leaving Bombay en route to San Francisco where Mary has long neglected family business to attend to, the pair boards ship and plans to stop in Japan. As soon as arriving on the ship Holmes sees a fellow passenger board with whom he has unfinished business. Lord Darley is an Earl, but Holmes is convinced that he is also a blackmailer. Holmes despises blackmailers more than any other criminal and wants to find out what he is up to in Japan. Mary befriends a young Japanese woman who is clearly not what she seems; and a passenger disappears on the first day of the voyage. What does Lord Darley have to do with the disappearance and just who is the Japanese woman?
One of the pleasures of the Russell and Holmes series is the in-depth research Laurie King obviously does for each of the novels. By the end of the book I felt I had a mini immersion into Japanese culture and history, especially that of the Samurai caste. While not as good (at least to me) in this regard as Oh Jerusalem, the descriptions of the landscape and people of 1925 Japan gave me a better understanding of a culture that is so alien to my own. I also found out that 24 days on a passenger ship would probably drive me mad! The events of the voyage were necessary to set up the rest of the the novel but seemed interminable at times. The journey of the two disguised as Buddhist Pilgrims in Japan was much more interesting and entertaining.
I did not feel that Dreaming Spies was the best of the Russell and Holmes adventures but I still recommend it to readers of both historical fiction and mystery. Time spent with the intrepid pair is never time wasted. Thanks to Bantam and netgalley.com for an advance digital copy.
RATING- 4 Stars
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