By Laurie R. King
“I loved my big brother,” the younger man said at last. “He stood up for me, even sometimes when he shouldn’t have. And his wife was the greatest person in the world. Judith always treated me like a trusted friend, even though she must have known I could be pretty crooked. I loved my nephew, Levi, who was a weird kid with a brain like a clock. He’d have done great things for the world. And…” He reeled his gaze in from the far distance to meet Holmes’ eyes. “I love my niece. I let her down when she needed me, and the decisions I made after that might not have been the right ones. But I won’t do it again. Not with anything that matters.” Oh, Jacob, Holmes thought sadly. You just had to add that caveat at the end, didn’t you?
While all of Laurie R. King’s mysteries, after Dreaming Spies have been top tier for me, the one before this one, Lantern’s Dance was on the level of her earlier books and one of the later ones, The Murder of Mary Russell. There definitely have been some peaks and valleys along the way, as is to be expected in a long series. But as with another historical mystery series I was devoted to, Anne Perry’s Charlotte and Thomas Pitt books, they will continue to be auto-buys for me on both Kindle and Hardcover as long as they continue.
In this one, we are re-introduced to Mary’s long lost Uncle Jake. We had met Jake before in a short story, Mary’s Christmas. (Found in Mary Russell’s War.) That little adventure occurred when Mary was 11 years old and her brother and parents were still alive. Reading that story first is not necessary, but would add to the enjoyment of this book. Jake, who was disowned from the Russell Family for bad behavior, shows up on Russell and Holmes’ doorstep after they have returned home from the wedding of Holmes’ son, Damian Adler. Significantly, Jake appears after Holmes leaves to meet with his brother Mycroft at his request about an “old case that had come to life.” As it turns out, Mycroft wants Holmes’ help in locating the stolen Irish Crown Jewels. New information has come to light in this case that Holmes originally investigated back in 1907. His recommendations were ignored, and the jewels were never recovered. The robbery is true history and the mystery of what became of the Jewels is still unsolved to this day. LRK always incorporates real historical figures and events into her books. It is a big part of their appeal for me.
Meanwhile, back in Sussex, Jake asks Mary’s help in locating the same jewels. He was an accomplice in their theft which just might be one reason why Jake has taken pains not to cross paths with the great detective. Even though it goes against her own ethical values and will potentially put her at odds with her husband, Mary decides to accompany Jake to Ireland to try to find the treasure. Despite everything, he was her childhood hero and she still feels love and loyalty towards him. But unbeknownst to Jake, Mary ensures that Holmes will follow them by leaving him clues as to her whereabouts. And that she is safe. When Holmes returns to their empty home and reads Mary’s seemingly innocuous note, it doesn’t take him long to figure it all out. He has no interest in assisting Mycroft find the jewels, but he is very very interested in the health and safety of his wife. Mary and Jake are not alone together in their quest for long.
The books in this series are usually told primarily from Mary’s first person point of view. Sometimes we also switch to Sherlock Holmes’ 3rd person perspective. In this one we also have Jake’s 1st person account of the adventure and it is interesting to see glimpses of Russell and Holmes through his eyes. I love the way Laurie differentiated the first person narration of Mary and her Uncle Jake. Mary says “One could hear America in his voice.” And this was true on the page as well.
My enjoyment of the book was somewhat compromised in that I really did not like Jake right from the get go, and my dislike did not diminish much as the book went on. I found myself rooting for some kind of takedown. I found him shifty and smug, and his supposed charm was lost on me. He is never truthful with Holmes or Mary unless it suits his interests. The fact that they saw through him from the beginning and still he persisted in trying to obfuscate made me feel contempt as well as distaste. We weren’t meant to trust him or take him at face value, so maybe those feelings were unfair. Even the reveal of his true motives at the end did not restore him to my good graces.
As always in the books, Holmes and Mary spend a good deal of time apart, but that only heightens the anticipation for when they meet up again. I’ve long since stopped hoping for warmth or any obvious loving intimacy between the two. In fact, I don’t know what I would think if their feelings for each other were conspicuous rather than between the lines. This is what passes as grand romance between the two:
He stared at me, seated firmly on a man’s back, then saw the front of my coat. “You’re bleeding!” he exclaimed.
I looked down at my front, and my hands. “It’s not mine. The dogs—” But to my surprise, he yanked me to my feet, and flung his arms around me. Then, more reassuringly, he stood back and seized both my shoulders to berate me.
After the matter of the Jewels are satisfactorily disposed of, we are left to wonder if we will ever see Jake again. I wouldn’t bet against it. But I hope it won’t be for a while. Another character is introduced in this one that I know will become a fixture, at least for a while. And we still have Mycroft’s reaction to the secret revealed in the last book to look forward to. The perfect ending. **4 1/2 stars**
Rebekah's Readings and Watchings 