You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
One of the world’s best detectives – along with her husband, Sherlock Holmes – is called to Roumania to aid the country’s Queen in this latest installment of [a:Laurie R. King|6760|Laurie R. King|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1391224846p2/6760.jpg]’s brilliant series. Or, more accurately, a province of Roumania that you may have heard of – a little place called Transylvania.
Castle Shade, by Laurie R. King
King is right on the mark in this latest installment. I was thrilled to see Russell and Holmes working so closely together on this latest case – something that’s been slowly coming back together over the past several books after a bit of a drought. I really love how while the story could be read as a standalone, if you’re familiar with events of the entire series, you really get the feeling of how certain things are building up to something. The most obvious case of this is the simmering tension that has been growing between Russell and her brother-in-law, Mycroft Holmes. They’ve been more or less at loggerheads with one another since [b:The God of the Hive|6780920|The God of the Hive (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #10)|Laurie R. King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553707315l/6780920._SY75_.jpg|6982485] (with a brief ceasefire during the events of [b:The Murder of Mary Russell|25177005|The Murder of Mary Russell (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #14)|Laurie R. King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441369046l/25177005._SY75_.jpg|44883206]), with Russell vehemently disagreeing with a fair few of Mycroft’s choices and attitudes in regards to his work as a member of the government. It’s gotten to the point where it’s even begun to drive a wedge between Russell and Holmes, something neither of them is willing to take lying down. A confrontation is coming, that’s for sure, and I cannot wait to see when it happens!
Anyway, this case was fascinating! Marie of Roumania and her daughter, Ileana, were fascinating historical figures in their own right, and I loved King’s portrayal of the both of them. The mystery surrounding Castle Bran was delightfully creepy, incorporating the local mythology of strigoi or, as Westerners would know them, vampires. I loved how creeped out Russell was by some aspects of the case – like how it dredged up her fear of being buried alive (something that first came about after the deaths of her parents and brother), and how a recent viewing of the film Nosferatu had seriously messed with her. As someone who is terrified of horror films, I totally get this.
Then there is the castle, which is a character unto itself. Atmospheric and mysterious, one can really tell that King enjoyed her time here when she was researching for the book.
CastleDracula Bran.
Something else I enjoyed was just how close Russell and Holmes felt. As I said, there had until the recent few books, been a serious drought of them working together on a case and spending time together. I really felt the emotion between them, for all that they try to be their cool, calm, rational selves. Holmes being utterly furious at Russell’s abduction was such a well-written moment, particularly when Russell easily spotted that he was thinking about what could have happened, and how it could have been so much worse than her being dumped in a box in a barn. Another great moment was Russell reminding Holmes that he was not allowed to kill the culprit, though he was apparently allowed to hurt him a bit. That she had to say so out loud really speaks to just how angry Holmes was at the guilty party.
An absolutely wonderful addition to the series! A great read!
Castle Shade, by Laurie R. King
King is right on the mark in this latest installment. I was thrilled to see Russell and Holmes working so closely together on this latest case – something that’s been slowly coming back together over the past several books after a bit of a drought. I really love how while the story could be read as a standalone, if you’re familiar with events of the entire series, you really get the feeling of how certain things are building up to something. The most obvious case of this is the simmering tension that has been growing between Russell and her brother-in-law, Mycroft Holmes. They’ve been more or less at loggerheads with one another since [b:The God of the Hive|6780920|The God of the Hive (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #10)|Laurie R. King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553707315l/6780920._SY75_.jpg|6982485] (with a brief ceasefire during the events of [b:The Murder of Mary Russell|25177005|The Murder of Mary Russell (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #14)|Laurie R. King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441369046l/25177005._SY75_.jpg|44883206]), with Russell vehemently disagreeing with a fair few of Mycroft’s choices and attitudes in regards to his work as a member of the government. It’s gotten to the point where it’s even begun to drive a wedge between Russell and Holmes, something neither of them is willing to take lying down. A confrontation is coming, that’s for sure, and I cannot wait to see when it happens!
Anyway, this case was fascinating! Marie of Roumania and her daughter, Ileana, were fascinating historical figures in their own right, and I loved King’s portrayal of the both of them. The mystery surrounding Castle Bran was delightfully creepy, incorporating the local mythology of strigoi or, as Westerners would know them, vampires. I loved how creeped out Russell was by some aspects of the case – like how it dredged up her fear of being buried alive (something that first came about after the deaths of her parents and brother), and how a recent viewing of the film Nosferatu had seriously messed with her. As someone who is terrified of horror films, I totally get this.
Then there is the castle, which is a character unto itself. Atmospheric and mysterious, one can really tell that King enjoyed her time here when she was researching for the book.
Castle
Something else I enjoyed was just how close Russell and Holmes felt. As I said, there had until the recent few books, been a serious drought of them working together on a case and spending time together. I really felt the emotion between them, for all that they try to be their cool, calm, rational selves. Holmes being utterly furious at Russell’s abduction was such a well-written moment, particularly when Russell easily spotted that he was thinking about what could have happened, and how it could have been so much worse than her being dumped in a box in a barn. Another great moment was Russell reminding Holmes that he was not allowed to kill the culprit, though he was apparently allowed to hurt him a bit. That she had to say so out loud really speaks to just how angry Holmes was at the guilty party.
An absolutely wonderful addition to the series! A great read!
This one was slow to start, but it picked up nicely in the last two thirds. I enjoyed the mystery and the setting.
I still love Holmes and Russell, and the setting is fun, but this one kind of felt like King was phoning it in a little bit. There are other books in the series that are better mysteries and just generally have more engaging plots.
I liked this one less than the others…too outlandish and I found the resolution unsatisfying. Still like the relationship between Holmes and Mary Russell so will continue to read these as they come out.
I love this series and this latest story was so entertaining. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next adventure for Holmes and Russell.
This mystery was amazing in every way. I have enjoyed all of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes adventures I have read so far, and this one is one of the most enjoyable yet. I like the historical background and the featuring of historic figures in the story, portrayed in a real life type setting with personalities very well developed. It makes the story come alive.
I loved that Mary and Holmes worked closely together on this adventure, as they did when Mary was newly assisting Holmes in the beginning. It is always Mary's voice, in the narrative, that keeps things exciting and has me waiting for the next story. The wit is fun and often has me grinning to myself as I am reading, sometimes receiving strange looks from people who see me,
Even the author's notes afterwards are entertaining. "Please don’t blame me for Miss Russell’s deliberate imprecisions."
Thank you to Netgalley and Bantam / Random House for the opportunity to read the e-ARC from a favorite author and series.
I loved that Mary and Holmes worked closely together on this adventure, as they did when Mary was newly assisting Holmes in the beginning. It is always Mary's voice, in the narrative, that keeps things exciting and has me waiting for the next story. The wit is fun and often has me grinning to myself as I am reading, sometimes receiving strange looks from people who see me,
Even the author's notes afterwards are entertaining. "Please don’t blame me for Miss Russell’s deliberate imprecisions."
Thank you to Netgalley and Bantam / Random House for the opportunity to read the e-ARC from a favorite author and series.
It couldn’t capture my attention and the age difference was weird. Admittedly, I might have had a different experience had I started with the first book in the series rather than the last
adventurous
dark
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
Another excellent book by Laurie R. King. I'll admit the ending of this one was a little...unsatisfying?...for me, but I'm still chewing over why. Still, a good read!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No