Mary Holmes eases Sherlock into the Golden Age, 8 April 2002

There he is, improbable guest at a shooting party, camouflaged in fancy dress at a fancy-dress ball, quietly tucking tobacco into pipe or quietly tucking into his dinner, the great detective of the gaslight era, at a country house for a week-end, looking into the mysteries enfolded in that tight, wound society.

Mary Holmes was a great, gracious lady; one who brought out the best in people, and through art drew light out of the dullest material. Yes, that was Mary Holmes, professor of Art at Cowell College, Santa Cruz. Mary Russell, the fictional Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, shares some of these qualities, certainly in her generous, transforming contacts with young people.

There are certainly young people to be transformed in this story, and Mary Russell takes a hand with some of them. There are a pair of young Irregulars, not yet formally pressed into service, but already in a sort of training as they tail Holmes & Russell through the rooms of the great mansion. And there is the memory of a young man to be un-tarnished, a young man who died "under a cloud" during the Great War of 1914-1918.

We have visited that territory before, most of us through the memories of others, from popular imagery, and from what we have read-in Pat Barker's trilogy, Japrisot's book, memoirs saying "Good-bye to all that" and novels declaring "All quiet on the western front" at last-or perhaps in letters from Sgts. Scofield & Leech, or stern faces filled with memories.

Justice Hall stands its ground where its family raised it, on land they have held since William the Conqueror. Their name inscribed in the Domesday book, their motto bestowed by the Duke himself: "Righteousness is my strength." And they live by it, and die by it.

The last duke left behind him a confused succession. The war has destroyed so many connections, and this great house could pass into uncertain hands.

The heir apparent is M-- Marsh: an old friend of Mary's from "O Jerusalem" days. In the first of many revelations, that ease our way into the golden age story to come, we discover that as a truly Holmesian character, the English adventurer has brought home some of the mystery and romance of the East. Marsh served in Palestine, and Arabia, for many a year, as did his cousin Ali -to be more formal, Alistair.

The young man who died on the Front Line was to have been the 7th Duke. But he is gone. Why?

Holmes & Russell investigate.

The author leads readers gradually deeper into the mystery, building her book without undue haste. She anticipates us-just as we begin to wonder if Aircraftsman Shaw will put in an appearance, a flicker of yellow hair disappears around a pillar, and (we imagine) the exhaust of a departing Broughton Superior 1000 reverberates in the still air. Set pieces-the party in the Hall, a rooftop chase with trusty service revolver in hand (the wrong hand, actually, this time)-introduced quietly.

Thoroughly satisfying, and accomplished in its storytelling, "Justice Hall" is the new "best" of the Mary Russell series.

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Good book but..., 23 May 2004

I only recently discovered the Russell-series, so I had the advantage to read all the books in short order. I would wholehearteadly say that I like Justice Hall most of all but not for Holmes, Russell or the interaction between the two of them.

I like it for another resson: Ali and Mahmoud or in this case Alistair and Marsh (and also in addition Iris) are the best "guest"characters Laurie R. King wrote in the whole series. They are vivid, believable, interesting and the relationshsip between them is just fascinating (a shame-marriage between Iris and Marsh on one side, a strong subtext between Marsh and Alistair on the other). I definitely hope there will be more of them in future books.

But there is too less Russell in the book and even lesser Holmes. And Holmes is - at least for me - the reason why I buy the series. I don't necessary expect him to be more involved in the mere "action"