Island of the Mad

By Laurie R. King

June, 1925. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are enjoying a well-needed relaxing summer evening in their home on the Sussex Downs. However, Russell soon receives a desperate telephone call from an old friend. Veronica's aunt, Lady Vivian Beaconsfield, has disappeared following a supervised outing from Bethlem Royal Hospital. With Russell herself feeling less than balanced, the last thing she wants to deal with is the mad; however, she agrees to investigate.
Having spent most of her adult life in and out of one asylum after another, Lady Beaconsfield at last seemed to be adjusting to her confinement at Bethlem. So why did she disappear? And why is there no trace of the nurse who accompanied her?

In their search for the missing women, Russell and Holmes follow the trail from the cold, harsh wards of the hospital through to the ethereal beauty of Venice. Caught up in decadent soirees, the rising tide of fascism and the myth of a haunted madhouse, the pair will discover that there are secrets hidden in the lagoon and nothing is quite as it seems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allison & Busby
• Release date: Jun 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9780749022594

Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Kate Martinelli novels and the acclaimed Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mysteries, as well as a few stand-alone novels. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the first in her Mary Russell series, was nominated for an Agatha Award and was named one of the Century’s Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. A Monstrous Regiment of Women won the Nero Wolfe Award. She has degrees in theology, and besides writing she has also managed a coffee store and raised children, vegetables, and the occasional building. She lives in northern California.

Reviews for Island of the Mad

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable read. The mystery is very slight but I don't read these for whodunnit but to spend time with Mary and Sherlock Holmes and to visit somewhere in the past.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Adequate entry into the Russell/Holmes series, light on sleuthing, reads more like a travelogue. Amusing.

[phyllis2779 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good Mary Russell book but not nearly the best. I found the information about Venice interesting but the book seemed to move slowly for me and I read bits of other things after breaking off and then going back to it a couple of times, The mystery didn't seem too mysterious to me. It was clear who the villain was early on and even the motive wasn't too difficult to figure out. The one thing that I really liked was the use of the Cole Porter character. That and Venice merited the fourth star. Although the description of Mussolini's rise to power reminds me of Drumpf's rise.

[pattylouise_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Island Of The MadByLaurie R. KingWhat it's all about...Mary Russell is now married to Sherlock Holmes. In this book Russell...and then Sherlock...are searching to find an old friend’s aunt. This takes Russell and Sherlock to Venice and gets them in some strange and complicated situations. It’s the era of Fascism, Black Shirts and Cole Porter! It’s an era of hiding your true sexuality...especially if you happen to be gay. Why I wanted to read it...There are so many of these Russell/Holmes books that I hated reading them out of order. But I couldn’t resist this one. Russell can’t cook or keep house...Holmes is much older than she is but they are quite a match for each other. I didn’t get to see their relationship build and there doesn’t seem to be much romance between them but I could still sense that it was there. Russell is quirky and doesn’t give up easily...in this book she even had Sherlock check her into an asylum! What made me truly enjoy this book...The situations...the history...the era...were fascinating. Russell steering a boat through the canals of Venice...amazing. Cole Porter and his wife and their parties and Cole Porter’s struggle writing songs? So amusing! This book was so enjoyable. You will love reading about one of Cole Porter’s songs...the one at the end of this book...it was delightful! Why you should read it, too...Readers who love this series and are familiar with these characters will love this book. I think this one can be read without reading others before it but there are references to a Mrs. Hudson that I would like to explore. I will do that by reading more in this series. It was a wonderful reading experience for me! I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.

[booklover915 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 1925, Sherlock Holmes and his much younger wife, Mary Russell, embark on an adventure that takes them to the scenic and enchanting city of Venice. Holmes and Russell search for thirty-four year old Lady Vivian Beaconsfield, the beloved aunt of Russell's old friend from Oxford, Ronnie Fitzwarren. Vivian disappeared after she secured a pass from Bethlem Royal Hospital (known colloquially as "Bedlam") to attend her half-brother's birthday celebration. Did she escape of her own free will or did someone abduct her? Edward, Vivian's half-brother, is short of cash and would love to get his hands on Vivian's money. Adding to the intrigue, Sherlock Holmes' brother, Mycroft, believes that fascism is taking hold, not just in Italy, but also among certain Englishmen. He asks Sherlock to observe Mussolini's supporters in Venice and report on their activities.

In "Island of the Mad," Laurie King touches on such serious themes as the rise of right-wing demagoguery, society's ambivalent attitude towards the mentally ill, and the longing of women to take control of their property and destiny. This witty and, at times, humorous novel is enlivened by its references to such luminaries as Cole Porter and Elsa Maxwell, both of whom vacationed in Venice. Rich Americans like Porter and his wife loved to throw loud parties and flaunt their unconventional lifestyles. Meanwhile, Russell and Holmes spend large sums of money to obtain information and assistance; adopt various disguises while indulging in a bit of acting; and manage to insinuate themselves into the inner circles of both Porter and Maxwell.

This mystery is not King's most thrilling, and the villains are little more than one-dimensional brutes. However, the novel's appeal lies in its marvelous atmosphere, intriguing historical and cultural allusions, vivid descriptive writing, delightful sense of fun, and the camaraderie that make Sherlock and Mary such a fascinating couple. The author admits that she takes liberties with some of the facts, but she blends truth and fiction so entertainingly that the inaccuracies scarcely matter. "Island of the Mad" is a generally well-written caper, in which the legendary Sherlock Holmes and the energetic Mary Russell use their impressive bag of tricks to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The PhilosopherYou may have finished school long ago, but you've never lost your hunger for increasing your knowledge. You likely prefer nonfiction and "think" books, but you can enjoy a novel if it teaches you something. Homer's The Odyssey will captivate you with its tips on raft building, while Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna will satisfy with recipes for empanadas dulces and vivid descriptions of Diego Rivera's Mexico. Seeking to make sense of societal trends—past, present and future—you'll read books like The Sixth Extinction and Freakonomics. Other books on your bedside table over the years have been Guns, Germs, and Steel; Outliers; The Happiness Project; Thinking, Fast and Slow; and—lately—Lean In and Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century. You hold the deep conviction that, although the world may work in mysterious ways, you can decode those ways if you apply yourself. For you, the best books are ones that help you solve the puzzle of human existence.

[empressreece · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was written more in the style of King's earlier books in the series which is what I like. It was adventurous and had the Venetian backdrop to give it that exotic atmosphere. I'm glad she chose to revert back to her 'tried and true' method. *Note: I was suppose to receive a hardcopy ARC from LibraryThing and the publisher months ago but never received it.

[dianne47-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Russell, the wife of Sherlock Holmes, searches for the lost relative of a friend and finds herself involved in a case involving Cole Porter, insane asylums, and homosexuals in Venice. The story was terrific, very fast-paced. Though I still find it hard to believe Sherlock Holmes would marry a much younger woman late in life.

[cyderry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mary Russell is asked by her university friend to try to find an aunt that has gone missing after visiting the family estate while on leave from Bedlam. Yes, Bedlam - the asylum for the insane. Mary manages to infiltrate the establishment and deduces that Aunt Vivian, apparently sane all along, has now opted to escape her prison to live a reclusive existence elsewhere - presumably Venice. Planning her travels, Holmes is reluctant to accompany her until Mycroft persuades him to look into the "Fascist" situation while in Italy. Their efforts to uncover the truth had some interesting links to historical figures, I'm not sure they were true or not.I have adored the Mary Russell series since it first was published in 1994 and have faithfully awaited each new installment of the adventures of Mary Russell with the mature Sherlock Holmes. However, this one fell a bit flat for me. It seem to lack the tension that all the other stories have elicited when danger seem to be in the offing. It seemed a bit too predictable. The situations and characters seemed a bit stale this time.

[judiex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Late one evening, Mary Russell received a phone call from a school friend, Ronnie Fitzwarren, now Lady Veronica Anne Beaconsfield. Ronnie’s Aunt Vivian, who had been in and out of mental institutions for many years, had disappeared. She had been living Bethlem Royal Hospital, commonly known as Bedlam. Accompanied by nurse, she received permission to leave to attend her brother's 50th birthday party. Sometime during the festivities the two of them left. Vivian took a few of her more valuable possessions with her. Ronnie asked Mary to locate her aunt.Mary and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, decided there were questions to solve in order to determine the whereabouts:I. Did she leave of her own volition taking the nurse with her? 2. Did the nurse forced her to leave?3. Did she force the nurse to go with her?In all these cases, why?4. Were either or both of them still alive?Mary, with Sherlock’s help, began her investigation. She learned about Vivian's medical history, including her mental and emotional states and that many of her incarcerations had been involuntary. She finally decided that Vivian had left voluntarily, possibly with the nurse, and didn't want to be found. Determined, Mary set off from London to Venice where much of the action takes place. Meanwhile Sherlock's brother Mycroft asked him to accompany Mary and do some work for him in Italy. Fascism was just beginning in there and life was starting to change. ISLAND OF THE MAD has numerous descriptions of Venice, including the history of the city and its surroundings.Real historical characters, Elsa Maxwell and Noel Coward, play important roles in helping Mary find Vivian. There are references to homosexuality and issues that tie into current political news, such as election fraud and corruption. Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell series does a good job adding an unusual character, an independent, young women, into Sherlock Holmes’s life. Her descriptions make readers feel they are participants in the story. The characters are consistent. The writing draws you in and carries you along. There are three negatives:1. At one point Mary entered an asylum to gather information. She pretended she had received a blow to her head and didn't know her identity. She made up a name but at one point used her real name.2. Mary's Jewish religion and dietary requirements have been mentioned in several books in the series but she ate beef in a restaurant. I doubt if it was kosher.3. Several chapters break in the middle of scene and continue in the next chapter. They should have remained a single chapter.Tidbits: “An evil reputation can be a protective wall. Those who imagine a vicious dog behind a fence don't climb over and discover the spaniel.“At the end of the chorus, he shifted into C minor, and with the darkening of keys, his word shifted as well.”“[Elsa] Maxwell was amiable with the shallowness of those around her, and only mildly impatient with drunks, but when it came to fakery, rejection was scathing and absolute.”

[eyes92c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A tricky enquiry!Not only but also! An absorbing investigation by Mary and Sherlock that takes us from Bedlam to the Lido and onto the Venetian asylum island of Poveglia.What a fabulous conondrum for the wonderful Mary Russell and her ever fascinating husband Sherlock Holmes. Mary is asked by an old friend to find out about her aunt Vivian Beaconsfield who seems to have absconded from Bedlam along with some family jewels. The whole family seems cowered by Vivian's brother the Marquess of Selwick, who may or may not have been responsible for confining Vivian to Belam.The search leads Mary to pre war Venice when Mussolini in in power and his Blackshirts are instilling their reign of terror. Wonderful descriptions of the Lido and the going on of the permanent visitors to Venice, including Cole Porter are detailed. (Mycroft has asked Sherlock to look at the Fascists. He is disquieted!) I love the way King has Holmes dropping one off lines to Cole that end up as songs that are well known down through the generations. An amusing way to have Sherlock's influence quietly confirmed, all fiction of course, but a titillating idea.Venice, it's gondoliers, it's residents, the islands that served as places and asylums are all well interpreted. The threat of the rise of fascism thinly veiled.A very clever and racy read that had me fairly galloping towards a satisfactory Holmesian end. A brilliant foray into pre war Venice of 1925.A NetGalley ARC

[brangwinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great Mary Russell mystery! In this Mary Russell has to find a woman who has been confined to a mental institution. Her search takes her and Sherlock Holmes to Venice. Of course, Venice is no match for these two indominable detectives. Not only was I caught up in the story but I leaned a lot about Venice after World War I.

[spencer28-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell (and of Mary’s biographer, Laurie King), but was disappointed in the last episode (The Murder of Mary Russell), which seemed to me to be very dark. I’m happy to say that the joy has returned in the latest adventure Island of the Mad.

I received access to a copy from NetGalley on Monday, and finished reading it on Tuesday (luckily for me that I was on spring break and had no pressing obligations that I was ignoring). This is clearly Mary’s investigation and story as Sherlock plays only a supporting role. It was interesting to see some cracks in his stoic facade as he wonders if Mary had any regrets about their marriage and their vocation (as it was thrust upon her), but she reassures him that she is content.

While the mystery seemed somewhat contrived (and I quickly, unlike Mary, deduced the reason behind Lady Vivian’s madness), I enjoyed the story and the details of Venice during the onset of facism. All in all, a great addition to the Mary Russell canon, and I recommend “Island of the Mad”.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another fine entry in this excellent series. Seeking the missing relative of her longtime friend, Holmes and Russell travel to Venice. Fascist influence and values are just beginning to infect Italy as Mussolini takes charge. Noted names, Cole Porter and Elsa Maxwell are the epicenters of activities for the rich and licentious crowds gather there. Laurie King aptly captures the Roaring Twenties mood as she seeks and later extricates the lost woman. Not much mystery but still a lively tale of logic and sleuthing.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very good installment of the Mary Russell/ Sherlock Holmes series! As always, the plot is intriguing, with sympathetic victims, wonderful disguises and subterfuge, and a nice ending. There is always a hint of feminism, and in this particular installment support for LGBT persons in the days preceding WWII. Good, satisfying read!

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary gets a call from an old friend saying that a beloved aunt has disappeared with her nurse from the sanitarium she was in on a day pass and jewelry is missing and money. Mary agrees to search for her friend’s aunt and interviews family members, especially a snobby brother. Believing that Vivian is in Venice, Mary heads there and Sherlock goes along at Mycroft’s request because of the rise in Fascism. There they enmesh themselves in the party atmosphere with Else Maxwell, Cole Porter and his wife and the gay scene before finding Vivian and helping her.

[herenya_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The fifteenth novel about Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, appealed to me much more than the previous installment did -- which wasn’t really a surprise, given that this isn’t a series in which each book is just like the last. (Instead, this series has a tendency to explore new places, involve different types of adventures, and every so often, return to characters or ideas from earlier books, or venture into even the past.) It’s 1925, Russell is asked by an aristocratic university friend, Veronica, to investigate the disappearance of Veronica’s aunt, a long-time resident of Bedlam.I was impressed with the way Island of the Mad manages to weave together all its different threads: Venice’s nightlife for bohemian aristocrats and socialites, Holmes’ investigation into Italian Fascism, Cole Porter, the experiences of women in mental asylums, and the personal circumstances of Lady Vivian.This isn’t a dramatically tense mystery, just a quietly interesting one. The historical scenery is vivid and fascinating, especially once Russell’s investigation takes her to Venice. As I’ve said before, I love Russell's first person narration. I enjoy the times she goes undercover, her comfortable teamwork with Holmes, and seeing the world through her eyes, especially as the places she goes are so interesting. I was satisfied. We were on our balcony at dawn, watching the city creep into existence.Shapes emerged from the darkness, shy, deceptive. Across the San Marco Basin, the pale front of Palladio’s San Giorgio took on substance: a domed outline, the tower. Off to my left grew the hump and jumble of trees in the public gardens, their organic shapes foreign in a city where ‘soft’ referred to marble and lead. [..] It was a city with a feminine face over masculine features. Where larch pillars sunk in mud help up palaces of Istrian stone -- stone that itself was a product of the sea. A place where one’s main floor was above the ground, where a thousand years of work could be wiped out by a wave, where a city ruler could be felled by a an anonymous note or a labourer’s family sleep beneath a Tiepolo fresco.Venice begged or metaphor, and at the same time, defied any attempt at reducing it to words, notes, or pigment.

[pomo58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Laurie R. King's Russell/Holmes series is a fun series that maintains a high level of storytelling with the newest volume, Island of the Mad.As usual the characters, from Russell and Holmes all the way to the gondoliers, are brought to life. The interactions and dialogue have both a humorous tinge while maintaining a certain level of mental engagement. Rarely does a character do something out of character just to move the plot along. I particularly enjoy having Russell as the lead "detective" and Holmes as her willing assistant, though they always work as a team.The descriptions of Venice and high society of the period is wonderful and I loved the fictional back story to some of Cole Porter's songs. It added an extra bit of fun to the mystery.I would recommend this to any fan of mysteries whether they be cozy or cerebral. This has some elements of the first and certainly qualifies as the second. Readers who prefer a lot of action but periodically enjoy something with less action should also find something to enjoy here. Though the action is minimal there is always the threat of something that will require quick action.Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary gets a phone call from a college friend which sends her off on her next case. Ronnie Beaconsfield Fitzwarren is concerned about her Aunt Vivian who has disappeared. Vivian has spent years in and out of asylums, most recently Bedlam for a series of mental health issues. Mary met her once when she accompanied Ronnie and her new baby son to Bedlam to show him off to her aunt. Apparently, she and a nurse got a weekend pass to visit her older brother Edward, Marquess of Selwick, on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday. She disappeared along with jewels she inherited from her mother and a few other trinkets from the family safe. She had a pretty good head start since she left before the birthday celebration and wasn't noted as missing until she didn't return to Bedlam some days later. Mary goes down to Selwick to investigate and get a better picture of Lady Vivian than her one meeting afforded her. She meets the Marquess and takes an immediate dislike to him as he is a rather unintelligent misogynist in love with his own opinions and the sounds of his own voice and who has taken a strong interest in Benito Mussolini who is bringing fascism to Italy. Her other interviews with staff who remembered her don't really give her any clues to where she might be.Meanwhile, Holmes has been looking for Lady Vivian in London including checking jewelers and pawn shops which might have received her jewelry. Mary decides she needs to check Lady Vivian's medical files at Bedlam and manages to get herself committed - briefly. Speaking with other inmates and checking Lady Vivian's files leads her to think that she might have gone to Venice.Holmes was all set to let her go to Venice alone until Mycroft drafts him to go along and look into the fascists who are gaining control there. Together and separately, Russell and Holmes investigate with Holmes becoming an acquaintance of Cole Porter and his wife and Russell becoming part of Elsa Maxwell's Lido set. Secrets are discovered and the two cases come together. Along the way, the reader sees what Venice was like in 1925, what is was like to be a woman at that time, what the social and sexual mores were, and what fascism was doing to Italy. The clever conclusion allows right to triumph and villains to get their well-earned comeuppance. This was another wonderful entry into a long-running series.

[jennybeast · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, as one loves it when old friends come to visit -- easy, uncomplicated delight, with a good story thrown in. I very much enjoyed the historical content -- on psychological care, Venice, the rise of the facists, homosexuality and the party set abroad, Cole Porter -- I feel that I learned quite a lot.
I found that the mystery side of things left a little to be desired, because I felt that Vivian's situation was transparent to me from the start, but I fear that was more because of the times I live in. I found the transparent sexual abuse to be deeply depressing, in a how much things have not changed kind of way, but at least the autonomy of women has somewhat improved. Nonetheless, timely. Nonetheless, a fascinating and pleasant sojourn between the pages.

[gmathis_7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed the two Mary Russell installments that (I believe) directly preceded [Island of the Mad], [Dreaming Spies] and [The Murder of Mary Russell]. After some mid-series klunkers, Mary was coming back a little leaner, cleaner, and better edited. I was primed for another "new and improved" escapade.The series has shifted to a much heavier focus on Mary, which is acceptable, as Holmes isn't getting any younger. The mystery leads the couple to 1920's Venice, and Laurie King did a superb job of plunking the reader smack dab in the setting, as well as blending in some actual historical personalities.However, Holmes' role in this episode (discovering the whereabouts of a missing heiress) is almost parenthetical, and the danger level was so low it didn't raise a single goosebump. Come on, Mary, you've got more spunk than that!

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Russell and Holmes are in Venice on dual missions -- the saving of a Lady in distress and the investigation of the growth of Fascism in Italy. All this takes place in the hedonism of the 20s. There y also an interesting collection of side characters. I love this series.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As always, if you're looking for a solid mystery with a well-researched historic setting, then the Mary Russell series is a good bet. Island of the Mad was a fun read with plenty of historical fiction elements that take Russell and Holmes from the insane asylum at Bedlam to the pre-world War II party lifestyle of Venice. I especially loved the descriptions of Venice, the gondolas, the different islands, the carefree lifestyle of the ex-pats staying there, but especially the ominous presence of Mussolini's black shirts. Laurie King does such an amazing job not only describing the physical setting but giving you a sense of the overall feelings in Italy on the brink of war. And as I read more books in the series, I definitely become more and more attached to Russell and Homes. Totally enjoyable!I received a free copy from the publisher through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. Thank you Library Thing and Bantam Books!

[karieh_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve read all of Laurie R. King’s Sherlock & Russell books and have loved almost all of them. This one was no different, except one of the things I appreciated the most about it was the underlying and not very subtle comparison that is made between the start of the Mussolini era in Italy and the era we are living through today. The banter, admiration and love that Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes have between one another is, as always, the heart of these books. But their fierce intelligence and sharp perception gives the reader a clear look at the similarities between Venice in the beginning of the Mussolini dictatorship and the run-up the world is experiencing now to more of the same. Mycroft & Sherlock Holmes observe and start in probe at the happenings in Italy, “The two were going on about Mussolini again, the unexpected fervor with which his country had embraced him, how economic pressures and Great War losses could shape a country’s wishes and expectations, how a harsh message of patriotic destiny and racial superiority could get a nation to overlook a brutal murder and clumsily staged cover-up.”And later, “If one plays on fear, takes away any remotely complicated ideas, and offers people a sense of confidence and right, one’s followers will beat to death any enemy they are pointed at.” The line sent a chill down my spine. Knowing how these tactics worked in that time frame makes the atmosphere we are living in right now even more terrifying.This book introduces Cole Porter as a character. His relationship with his wife is a fascinating one – a marriage of mutual affection with many underlying secrets. When confronted with a Blackshirt thug and his homophobic disdain, Porter touches her with just a finger, and communicates the need to stay silent in the face of this hate. “She held his gaze, an argument of a thousand words taking place in utter silence and in the space of four seconds.” The following scene, full of his shame and the stark realization of the danger they are living in, was extremely powerful.I love these Russell & Holmes books for the mystery, wit and the match of equals. Now I like them even more for what they say not only about them, but about us.

[thosgpetri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked this story! Well told and held my interest all throughout. Europe between the wars was an interesting time and Ms. King truly brought it to life. She made the culture and politics come alive, and gave me a pause about ---well lets stick to the story! Ms. King captures the spirit the cannon. I did wonder about Holmes in such a relation ship with a woman until I thought about his feelings toward Irene Adler as given by ACD. And given more life by William S. Baring-Gould in his fine Holmes biography "Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street A Life of The World's First Consulting Detective". I have read the Mary Russell series with much pleasure over the years only occasionally thinking about this question, but now I have resolved even this quandary(at least in my mind) . Now I can enjoy the stories as a well written continuation of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries!

[theokester · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've only read the first couple of books in this series so I've missed some elements of the character development between Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. My wife has read them all and she's kept me abreast of which can be read out of order without spoiling things later on. I've always had a fascination with Italy and especially with Venice, so I was excited to check out this Mary/Sherlock novel with the canals of Venice as the backdrop. Naturally then, I was a little let down that it took about half the book to finally arrive in Italy. I wasn't upset or overly disappointed with the story but I was hoping for a bit more Italian intrigue.The book starts out with a brief catch up of things mainly to set the stage and the state of Mary's mind. She's had a lot going on lately and so she's caught a little off guard (and perhaps also a little relieved) by a request from her old friend to help track down a missing person...her friend's aunt who disappeared from an asylum. Mary begins digging into the life of Aunt Vivian and the rest of her family. Slowly but surely she finds threads and hints of clues. In spite of very thorough and methodical searching it felt like any chance of success kept getting pulled away. Finally, about halfway through the book, Mary infers that dear Aunt Vivian may have run away to Venice and she heads off in pursuit.As the series promises, this is a book about Mary Russell AND Sherlock Holmes. Apparently, Sherlock's interactions are sometimes more backgrounded and such is the case in this book. He helps with a little legwork here and there and gives Mary bits of advice and helps her work through ideas but for the most part, the case of the missing aunt is a case that Mary works through on her own. In fact, Sherlock has alternate motives for going to Italy. His brother has asked him to look into the "fascist" influence in the city. While Holmes helps Mary with a few inquiries he also makes his own inquiries and investigation into Mussolini's Blackshirt militia that's appearing in the city and keeping his eye out for the elusive British Lord planning to make a deal with Il Duce.Without spoiling too much, the book ends with both Mary and Sherlock solving their case and melding the ends of the two cases together into a sort of slapstick finale.To a large extent, I felt like this book was less a mystery and more an expose on the attitudes and behavior towards women in the early 1900s. Perhaps its the social climate in present times that makes this theme feel even more weighty in the book but it felt like the commentary, while truthful and well formulated, overshadowed the plotline of the book. As Mary searches for Vivian and learns more about her confinement in asylums we learn more about how prevalant it was for families (primarily the men) to send their "inconvenient" female relations to be "treated" in asylums. As the book uncovers more details about this practice and others in Vivian's family, the discussion felt like a distant echo of 21st century news.Beyond the observations about women, another theme that skirted along the edges of the book was that of Mary's age and her life with Sherlock. Fortunately this theme was less overt than the feminist explorations but my problem with it was that I didn't feel it was satisfatorily surfaced enough to be resolved and as such I would have preferred it left out entirely. While there is clearly a significant age gap between Mary and Sherlock it's also been made clear that Mary is more interested in an intellectual connection than a physical one. As she interacts with people her own age in the social events of her age, it's clear from her behavior and thoughts that she's not interested in that kind of relationship so it felt odd that the question popped up from time to time. The idea of seemingly mismatched relationships is explored in multiple times and multiple ways in the book. In one case the relationship is shown to be very successful. In another case it appears to be a relationship of convenience for both parties but it's hinted that maybe there's a bit more. The question of where Mary and Sherlock's relationship fits is one that just didn't feel well answered mainly because the question was left hanging. To me, their relationship feels great but for some reason the book left inklings of doubt fluttering at the surface making me wonder if perhaps there's an intent to either sever them or to drive a wedge between them and force them to come back stronger. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.Overall I found the writing engaging, the attention to detail excellent and the story was entertaining. It reminded me in many ways of an original Conan Doyle Sherlock story. At the same time, I felt the book lacking in something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Missing person cases are naturally a little more slowly and with less tension than other mysteries and yet the pacing seemed adequate for the story being told. I think perhaps I wanted a little more interactive sleuthing with Holmes and Russell. In one brief scene they sneak onto a supposedly desert island with plans to break into a cabin there. That scene was still methodic and slower paced but was more engaging than many of the other mystery moments of the book. The tone was less mystery and more historic fiction. It was still a good read but I'd recommend earlier books in the series over this one.***3 out of 5 stars

[patriciau-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been a fan of Laurie King’s Mary Russell series for years, but the last couple felt a little played out. This one, unfortunately, continued that trend. The younger Russell would have twigged on the reason for Lady Vivian’s “madness” long before this Mary Russell figured it out. I found myself shaking my head at her thickness by chapter 4. I think it’s time to move on.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As always it is great to be back with Mary Russell and Holmes. The mystery ends up being quite straight forward but the commentary on madness and the Injustice of innocence versus power is deftly done... There are layers going on, with the rise of fascism and the inequality of men and women and the differences in classes.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary is asked by an old friend for help in finding her aunt. Aunt Vivian has been in and out mental institutions for years, and after a recent home visit, she and her nurse failed to return to the asylum and have gone missing. Mary, as determined as ever when a mystery arise, goes to extreme lengths, including searching the asylum from the inside. Sherlock accompanies her on her quest, as it coincides with a request from Mycroft. They go to Venice, ingratiate themselves with some of the upper-crust there, including Cole Porter and his wife. The research that author Laurie King did in advance of penning this intriguing story is evident in the details she included concerning the Fascists, Mussolini, the Blackshirts, and the lunatic asylums of that time period. The excellent writing, well-developed characters, and complex plot all add to the enjoyment of this fascinating mystery.

[drapple_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very enjoyable mystery featuring Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes. They spend the majority of the novel is Venice, which is wonderful, interacting with fascinating people including Cole Porter and his wife Linda. This is a fun, atmospheric mystery.