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Mary Russell's War

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
Laurie R. King illuminates the hidden corners of her beloved Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series in this dynamic story collection. In nine short stories, seven of which have never previously been available in print, and one brand new, never-before-seen Sherlock Holmes mystery-available together for the first time-Laurie R. King blends her long-running brand of crime fiction with historical treats and narrative sleight of hand. At the heart of the collection is a prequel novella that begins with England's declaration of war in 1914. As told in Mary Russell's teenage diaries, the whip-smart girl investigates familial mysteries, tracks German spies through San Francisco, and generally delights with her extraordinary mind-until an unimaginable tragedy strikes. Here too is the case of a professor killed by a swarm of bees; Mrs. Hudson's investigation of a string of disappearing household items-and a lifelong secret; a revealing anecdote about a character integral to The God of the Hive; the story of Mary's beloved Uncle Jake and a monumental hand of cards; and a series of postcards in which Mary searches for her missing husband, Sherlock Holmes. Last but not least, fans will be especially thrilled by Mary's account of her decision, at age ninety-two, to publish her memoirs-and how she concluded that Ms. King should be the one to introduce her voice to the world.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 29, 2016
      Fans of King’s Mary Russell novels, which starting with 1994’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice chart her relationship with Sherlock Holmes, will welcome this collection, which includes extracts from the novels, short stories, and the diary that Mary kept as a teen during WWI. Readers will learn about Mary’s wily Uncle Jake, Holmes’s marriage proposal, the couple’s eccentric wedding, and Mycroft Holmes’s political activities. The one selection original to this volume, “Stately Holmes,” is a Christmas tale, complete with a gaggle of children. The heart of the book, however, is Mary’s wartime diary, punctuated by headlines announcing war casualties and zeppelin attacks and interspersed with Mary’s not always kind assessment of the periodical installments of The Valley of Fear, the last Holmes novel. The text is richly illustrated with period photos. Admirers of Mary Russell will be pleased with what amounts to an autobiography of her early years, but those expecting the “suspense” promised in the subtitle may feel misled.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Susan Bennett, John Keating, Robert Ian Mackenzie, and Jenny Sterlin, the narrators of this (let's be honest) uneven collection of audio stories, are absolutely stellar, with dazzling vocal range and skill with characters of all ages and backgrounds. King's idea is to fill in how Russell became the woman who could capture Sherlock Holmes's respect and affection, let alone hold his interest. It is clever period fiction, presenting the conceit that Holmes and Russell were real people who pretended to be fictional to fool the armies of groupies and fanboys who otherwise plagued them. There is no suspenseful through line, some of the pieces are extremely slight, and when in the Christmas story Mary is 92 and Holmes is still alive (at 132), you do start to wonder. It's silly, but great fun. B.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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