Wednesday, May 27, 2020

The Roaring Twenties on the Riviera




RIVIERA GOLD
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes # 16
Laurie R. King
Bantam Books
June 9, 2020



After Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes' adventures in Venice, Sherlock is off somewhere (probably for brother Mycroft). It's only eleven weeks after Clara Hudson, Holmes' longtime housekeeper, left their employ inThe Murder of Mary Russell. A seemingly offhand remark from Mrs. Hudson saying that she always liked Monte Carlo leads Mary to believe that she may be there. Mary still has plenty of questions to ask Mrs. Hudson. Mary takes the opportunity to sail up to Monaco with friends where she finds Mrs. Hudson on the beach at Cap d' Antibes with Gerald and Sara Murphy, American expatriates with an extensive circle of friends among The Lost Generation of writers and artists who wandered Europe in the 1920s. Mrs. Hudson is not eager to talk to Mary and disappears from the group quickly. However, when a young man is found murdered in Mrs. Hudson's lodgings, Sherlock and Mary become involved, Sherlock having been in Monaco already.

The Russell/Holmes series has been a favorite from its beginning, The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Ms. King can take this reader to places and times unknown. The descriptions are so vivid, and she can drop historical figures into the narrative effortlessly. The Murphys themselves were real people, and they include such people as Picasso, John Dos Passos, and Scott and Zelda Fitgerald in their entourage. Monaco at the time was a gathering place for such as Sir Basil Zararoff, the sinister international arms dealer, and smugglers, along with all sorts of conmen and women. Mrs. Hudson's old friend in Monaco is the legendary Lille Langtry, who is still a beauty and plays a major part in the story. 

I highly recommend Riviera Gold to fans of historical mystery and thank NetGalley and Bantam for an advance digital copy. I am particularly looking forward to the next in the series which evidently will take Mary and Holmes to Romania in pursuit of "vampires". The opinions are my own.

RATING 4.5 Stars




Thursday, May 14, 2020

A Great (New-to-Me) Find




THE CROSSING PLACES
Ruth Galloway # 1
Elly Griffiths
Mariner Books
February 5, 2009


Ruth Galloway is a Forensic Archaeologist on the faculty of the fictional University of Northern Norfolk. Bones are her specialty, and she is an acknowledged expert Verging on forty, somewhat overweight, and a loner, Ruth lives on the edge of the Saltmarsh, where the ocean meets the earth. It's a desolate place with dangerous tides and traps ready to spring for the unwary walker. The bleak beauty of the area, however, suits Ruth perfectly, and she finds peace in living there. That peace frays when she is called to the site of the discovery of bones by the local constabulary. Inspector Harry Nelson thinks that they may be the bones of Lucy Downey. Lucy was abducted from her bed 10 years earlier, and Harry has been searching ever since with no success. This particular discovery turns out to be approximately 2000 years old, an Iron Age relic, definitely not Lucy. Nelson has been receiving periodic cryptic letters from the killer, letters steeped in literary allusion, and Pagan references. When another child disappears, Ruth is drawn into that investigation as well.

It is always a treat to stumble across a series that is well established, especially one that drew me in as completely as The Crossing Places. I started the book with somewhat high expectations, and those were easily surpassed. The characters are all distinct and well-rounded. Most of them are not at all who Ruth thought they were. The descriptions of the Saltmarsh are so vivid that the area becomes a character in itself.  The suspense is extraordinarily well sustained and builds to a thrilling conclusion. As there is a substantial cliff-hanger, I am delighted that I was able to begin the next in the series, The Janus Stone, immediately.

I am looking forward to reading more and highly recommend the series, based on The Crossing Places.


RATING- 4.5 Rounded up to 5 Stars