Justice Hall [Hardcover]

‘Crime fiction’s most unlikely but utterly credible romance… Laurie King is the most interesting writer to emerge on the American crime fiction front in recent years’
Val McDermid (of THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE)

‘A novel which challenges the cliches of history’
Indpendent (of A MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN)

‘King’s novel is civilized, ingenious and engrossing’
Literary Review (of THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE)

The latest in Laurie R King’s hugely popular Mary Russell mystery series: ‘Beguiling variation on Sherlock Holmes sequels… civilized, ingenious and engrossing’ – Literary Review

Hours after Holmes and Russell return from solving the murky riddle of The Moor, a bloodied but oddly familiar stranger pounds desperately on their front door, pleading for their help. When he recovers, he lays before them the story of the enigmatic Marsh Hughenfort, younger brother of the Duke of Beauville, returned to England upon his brother's death, determined to learn the truth about the untimely death of the hall's expected heir… a puzzle he is convinced only Holmes and Russell can solve.

It's a mystery that begins during the Great War of 1918, when young Gabriel Hughenfort, the late Duke's only son, died amidst scandalous rumors that have haunted the family ever since. While Holmes heads to London to uncover the truth of Gabriel's war record, Russell joins an ill-fated shooting party. A missing diary, a purloined bundle of letters, and a trail of ominous clues comprise a mystery that will call for Holmes's cleverest disguises and Russell's most daring journeys into the unknown… from an English hamlet to the city of Paris to the wild prairie of the New World. The trap is set, the game is afoot, but can they catch an elusive villain in the act of murder before they become his next victims?

Hours after Holmes and Russell return from solving the murky riddle of 'The Moor', a bloodied but oddly familiar stranger pounds desperately on their front door, pleading for help. When he recovers, he lays before them the story of the enigmatic Marsh Hughenfort, younger brother of the Duke of Beauville, returned to England upon his brother's death.

Not until they set eyes on Justice Hall can Holmes and Russell appreciate Marsh's dilemma. Set in a garden modelled on Eden, it is a home of unearthly perfection. But the heirs to this splendour are haunted by tragedy and scandalous rumours surrounding the death of Gabriel Hughenfort, the late Duke's only son, in the Great War of 1918.

While Holmes heads to London to uncover the truth of Gabriel's war record, Russell joins an ill-fated shooting party. A missing diary, a purloined bundle of letters, and a trail of ominous clues comprise a mystery that will call for Holmes' cleverest disguises and Russell's most daring journeys into the unknown – from an English hamlet to the city of Paris to the wild prairie of the New World. The trap is set, the game is afoot, but can thy catch an elusive villain in the act of murder before they become his next victims?

Praise for LAURIE R KING

"Beguiling variation on Sherlock Holmes sequels…civilized, ingenious and engrossing"
'Literary Review'

"Simultaneously inventive, charming, witty and suspenseful"
'Elizabeth George'

"One of the most literate and gifted writers the mystery world has seen for some time"
'Val McDermid'

"Mary Russell combines the quirky intellect of her mentor with a modern modus operandi – a heroine to contend with"
'Time Out'

"The great marvel of King's series is that she's managed to preserve the integrity of Holmes' character and yet somehow conjure up a woman, astute, edgy and compelling enough to be the partner of his mind as well as his heart"
'Washington Post'

"If there is a new P.D. James…I would put money on Laurie King"
'Boston Globe'

Laurie King lives with her family in the hills above Monterey Bay in northern California. Her background includes such diverse interests as Old Testament theology and construction work, and she has been writing crime fiction since 1987. The winner of the Edgar, the Nero, and the John Creasey awards, her most recent novel is Folly.