Reviews

A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King

mericherry's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

trin's review against another edition

2.0

A mystery made up almost entirely of red herrings. Holmes and Russell continue to be charming, but I was frustrated by how much of the narrative turned out to be irrelevant. Even the letter of the title—supposedly a piece of correspondence between Mary Magdalene and her sister, which is, you know, generally the type of thing da Vinci writes codes about and plots are based around—is, as far as this story and even its characters are concerned, essentially meaningless. If Holmes can solve the entire mystery by spending a couple days putting up some wallpaper, then why do we have to spend ages hanging out with Russell while she pretends to be some rich dick’s secretary? None of the mucking about was even particularly illuminating in regards to her character or her relationship with Holmes.

I was, however, amused by Lord Peter Wimsey’s little cameo, especially since not long before he arrived, I’d been thinking that we’d entered the time period when he’d be back from the war and running about solving crimes, too. Handwaving the fact that in [a:Sayers|2238|Isabel Allende|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1193506475p2/2238.jpg]’ books, Sherlock Holmes is frequently referred to as fictional, making a crossover technically impossible for sticklers like myself, I will allow myself to titter and enjoy the occasional pleasures inherent in wacky published fanfic such as this.

kalliegrace's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.5

Another excellent installment in this series. I love the relationships and deep subject matter that bring the mystery together.

hinesight's review against another edition

5.0

I'm completely crazy about this series, which goes to show that pre-judging books is a terrible idea. This one, in particular, has two ... um, surprises, the first of which made me laugh out loud. Just what I needed that particular Sunday afternoon. Thank you, Laurie King.

gmamartha's review against another edition

4.0

Mary. Detectives.

willbefunorelse's review against another edition

4.0

For the full review (and some reminiscences about the last time Alaina watched Lawrence of Arabia and How Alaina Learned Latin), follow the link to That's What She Read.

jquellin's review against another edition

mysterious medium-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

4.25

crystalmbookshelf83's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

aestass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.25

This story takes place in London, after Russel and Holmes marry, when a person they met in Jerusalem returns into their life with a mysterious letter. I liked the premise, but despised what I consider to be excuse making for misogynistic behavior. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Violence

authoraugust's review against another edition

5.0

I'm not sure how I can express the immense satisfaction of reading a King mystery. The prose is stunning and entertaining, the clues are brilliant, and the characters are sharp and sympathetic all around. Love this series!