Reviews

So odd to have a story surrounded by the early English feminist movement when the heroine keeps getting kidnapped and conked in the head and being utterly useless to the plot's movement. Especially since she was exceedingly capable in the first book of the series.

naluju's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Third book in series

smlaurie's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I like the character of Mary Russell—she’s highly intelligent with eclectic interests and enjoys dressing as a man as she snoops around London in the middle of the night.

This is definitely her story and mystery to solve, not Holmes. He’s a supporting character–or background character—in this book. I like the banter between them, but evolving their relationship into a romantic one is icky. I have not read the first book in this series (or any of the ones after this one), but that’s where Mary and Sherlock met and became friends. She was 15 when they first met and is now 21 and he’s almost 60.

He pops up sporadically and the romance subplot is not the main story but…why?

Aside from that, I enjoyed the story and I would read another Mary Russell mystery.

2024 Winter Beyond the Bookends Reading Challenge: Read a Sherlock Holmes story or Sherlock retelling.

Taylor Swift Reading Challenge #138/London Boy: A book set in London.

duparker's review against another edition

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4.0

Overall I really enjoyed this glimpse into psst war Britannia. The prose feels like Holmes and the flow is smooth and interesting. I'm not sure the mystery part of the genre holds as the murderer was a but obvious, but I enjoyed it all the same.

larkspurlane's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

holl3640's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

kathrynkao's review against another edition

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4.0

Unlike [b:The Beekeeper's Apprentice|91661|The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell, #1)|Laurie R. King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390284148s/91661.jpg|891863], this book centers on one case--which I actually preferred, since it gives the mystery time to grow, and it let me get to know the characters much better. I really enjoyed how female-centered the story was, and how it used Mary's theology knowledge, though I wish it hadn't featured more into the overall mystery.

My only issue with the book is

Spoiler

how much of the narration is taken up with Mary's feelings for Holmes. She keeps going back and forth between wondering if she's in love with him, or if she simply loves him as though he's a part of her, and even Holmes himself at the start of the book expects her to ask him to marry her, and ugh. I don't like the implication that of course she would be in love with him/want to marry him, and I don't like that a man and a woman can't be close partners without marriage being an issue. The age difference also weirds me out, especially since Mary is only 21 in this book. As in, she TURNS 21 in this book. If this development had happened a few books into the series, I might feel differently about it. I would have had time to see the relationship grow and develop. But for this to happen in the second book feels too rushed, and Mary feels way too young. Even though Mary is very capable, she and Holmes are still in a teacher/student phase of their relationship--albeit the end of it--and that weirds me out, too. I knew the marriage was coming, and I was a little disappointed about it, but I really wish this had happened later.

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