- Mass Market Paperback: 442 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Books; Reprint edition (Mar 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553583387
- ISBN-13: 978-0553583380
- Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 2.5 x 17.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 740,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Game: Mary Russell Series, Book 7
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Product Description
Review
'Daunting, mysterious, warm, inviting and ferocious. Read it!' Historical Novels Review Society
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Laurie R. King’s bestselling mystery series featuring Mary Russell and her husband and partner, Sherlock Holmes, is beloved by readers and acclaimed by critics the world over. Now the illustrious duo returns for their most dangerous exploit yet, in a rich and atmospheric tale that takes them to India to save the life of one of literature’s most fabled heroes.
It’s the second day of the new year, 1924, and Mary Russell is settling in for a much-needed rest with her husband, Sherlock Holmes. But the fragile peace will be fleeting—for a visit with Holmes’s gravely ill brother, Mycroft, brings news of an intrigue that is sure to halt their respite. Mycroft, who has ties to the highest levels of the government, has just received a strange package. The oilskin-wrapped packet contains the papers of a missing English spy named Kimball O’Hara—indeed, the same Kimball who served as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s famed Kim.
An orphaned English boy turned loose in India, Kim long used his cunning to spy for the Crown. But after inexplicably withdrawing from the “Great Game” of border espionage, he’s gone missing and is feared taken hostage—or even killed.
When Russell learns of Holmes’s own secret friendship with Kim some thirty years before, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But even before they arrive, danger will show its face in everything from a suspicious passenger on board their steamer to an “accident” that very nearly claims their lives. Once in India, Russell and Holmes must travel incognito—no small task for the English lady and her lanky companion. But after a twist of fate forces the couple to part ways, Russell learns that in this faraway place it’s often impossible to tell friend from foe—and that some games must be played out until their deadly end.
Showcasing King’s masterful plotting and skill at making history leap from the page, The Game brings alive an India fraught with unrest and poised for change—and an unpredictable mystery with brilliance and character to match.
From the Hardcover edition.
It’s the second day of the new year, 1924, and Mary Russell is settling in for a much-needed rest with her husband, Sherlock Holmes. But the fragile peace will be fleeting—for a visit with Holmes’s gravely ill brother, Mycroft, brings news of an intrigue that is sure to halt their respite. Mycroft, who has ties to the highest levels of the government, has just received a strange package. The oilskin-wrapped packet contains the papers of a missing English spy named Kimball O’Hara—indeed, the same Kimball who served as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s famed Kim.
An orphaned English boy turned loose in India, Kim long used his cunning to spy for the Crown. But after inexplicably withdrawing from the “Great Game” of border espionage, he’s gone missing and is feared taken hostage—or even killed.
When Russell learns of Holmes’s own secret friendship with Kim some thirty years before, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But even before they arrive, danger will show its face in everything from a suspicious passenger on board their steamer to an “accident” that very nearly claims their lives. Once in India, Russell and Holmes must travel incognito—no small task for the English lady and her lanky companion. But after a twist of fate forces the couple to part ways, Russell learns that in this faraway place it’s often impossible to tell friend from foe—and that some games must be played out until their deadly end.
Showcasing King’s masterful plotting and skill at making history leap from the page, The Game brings alive an India fraught with unrest and poised for change—and an unpredictable mystery with brilliance and character to match.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Shortly after the First World War, in 1924, the Labour party has triumphed in England and as a result rumors about what the future will bring are abundant, creating an ambiance of political turmoil. In this setting, Mary Russell and her husband, the famous Sherlock Holmes, travel to London to visit Mycroft, whose health has deteriorated and is cause for concern. Upon arrival Mary and Holmes are presented with three documents Mycroft had received: a soldier's clearance certificate, an original enlistment and a birth certificate. These three items relate to none other then Kim O'Hara, the famous character of Kipling's book. Several rumors about Kim reached England, including that he is held prisoner by a maharaja and that he got ill and died.
Mycroft is worried about the possibility that O'Hara is using the Russians as a tool to free India and since he "cannot" travel, because of his health, he asks his brother and Mary to travel to India on his behalf and unravel the mystery. During the trip to India, Mary establishes a relationship with Sunny Goodheart, who is accompanied by her mother and her mysterious brother Tom. Holmes starts suspecting right away that there is something wrong about Tom and they follow him to the land of the maharaja of Khanpur where further events develop.
Laurie King presents an exotic land, where people practice sports like pig sticking and maharajas rule at their wanting and can indulge every desire they or their guests have. On top of this, the author throws in a mystery to complete the mix.
The second half of the novel is very good, with a good pace and events that are unfolding constantly keeping the reader interested. The beginning of the novel is very slow though, and the journey to India is excessively detailed without any clear point. Even though there are amazingly vivid descriptions of places, people and food, it is still not clear to me what is the objective of spending almost half the book in describing the odyssey to India.
What I think the novel lacks is the usual deductive work Holmes and Russell are involved in. Instead the novel is more an adventure with spies involved, than a mystery involving the celebrated British detective and his sharp wife. Overall, the book is good, but in my opinion the quality has decreased considerably when compared to the first book in the series. For those of you that have been following this series since its beginning, I recommend you read this one too, but try not to have very high hopes. For those of you that are not acquainted with the series I would recommend that instead of this book you read "The Beekeeper's Apprentice".
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
i was really looking for reading this book, the last of the russell-holmes' books. i like it a lot. like all her other holmes' books, laurie king shows sherlock holmes in a closer way than doyles' stories. This books brings you to the india in the begining of last century, holmes and russell have to find a lost spy, and this task took the reader in the middle of a difficult country, with a mess of cultures which can get them in troubles when they cant know the friend and the enemy. The other characters are very good too, and shows the different and oftenly "in war" cultures which lives in india, the militar englishmen, the little indian boy... all of them meet the pair of detectives. i recomend reading this book, the holmes-russell story is pricessless with some of very funny moments, the hardcover edition is very good too with an interesting mape at the begining that guide you in the character's travel.
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you have read the other books in this series, which I think are excellent books, you have to read this one as well.
King has again written a book that combines crime and adventure. I had trouble putting the book down.
More books in this series please!
A fan from Norway
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