Island of the Mad

I have been a fan of Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books since I stumbled across O Jerusalem many, many years ago.  I love stories set in Israel/Palestine and Jerusalem is my favorite city in the world. 

In Island of the Mad, King once again takes you on an adventure that is worthy of the best mystery writers.  What I appreciate more than anything else is her constant sense of detail.  When we are taken inside Bedlam I could smell the place and hear the sounds that were going on.  And having never been to Venice, I felt like I have been and can’t wait to go.

The thing that surprised me the most is how well King did and bringing some of the issues that we are struggling with today with the wit and wisdom of 1925.  There are some lessons to be learned if we are willing to open our eyes and ears.

Mary Russell Novel

I am a huge fan of Laurie R. King and her Mary Russell Novels.  If you have never read any of her books, and you love a good mystery you need to.  She picks up the Sherlock Holmes tales and introduces Mary Russell who is Holmes’ young wife.  The stories are engaging and fun, yet like the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novels, full of twists and mental challenges.

I have just finished her newest book, having secured an advanced copy of Dreaming Spies.  I don’t believe that I am supposed to review the book before it is published, so let me just say --- it is great!  Even though I have written my comments, I will wait until February 24^th to post them.

What I will say is, if you are looking for a great Christmas present for somebody who loves a good story --- pick up some of the Mary Russell novels.  I have now read eight of them and have found that I can’t put them down.  I look forward to reading the others in the series.  I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Transitions

A lot has been going on over the last couple of weeks. Lindsey is doing great since her surgery. I have noticed a change in her condition, she seems much more stable than she had been prior to the surgery. In a couple of weeks we will do some blood work to see if we have found the right amount of synthroid that she is taking every day.

Jeff and Heather headed back to Kansas this morning. I wish them well as they begin this new phase in their lives.

I am moving my office back into the office I started with 10 years ago. I moved when Jeff came and then had to move again (into a smaller room) because we needed the space for the Sunday School. It is a pain to move but I know I will be happier in this new room. I also am trying to get my new computer up and running, I have transferred most of the files, now I just have to re-install all of the programs. WHAT A PAIN!

At lunch today I went and holed myself up so that I could do a little reading --- I just needed to get away for a while. I finished a great novel by Laurie King. I had previously read a book in her Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series called O Jerusalem --- which I loved, because it took me back to Israel/Palestine. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first in this series in which Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes meet. The book is slow at times, yet I wanted to finish so that I could figure out who the villain was. King does an interesting job in tying together the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with her version of an older (and "retired") Sherlock Holmes.

O Jerusalem

I picked up this book a while back at the local library in their book sale section. I figured for a $.25 I couldn't go wrong. After getting back from Israel, I needed a Jerusalem fix so I began to read it. WOW.

I had never heard of Laurie King, or her Mary Russell novels before. Mary Russell becomes the apprentice of Sherlock Holmes and Ms. King has Russell narrating the stories much like Watson does in the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books. I loved the book. Maybe because she does such a good job describing the land of Israel and in particular the Old City of Jerusalem. I was walking down many of the same streets with Russell and Homes, even if the story was set 100 years ago.

It is interesting to read the various reviews on Amazon about the book and the series (this was the 5th in the Mary Russell series). Why people connect with a book is always fascinating.

If you are interested in a good mystery, and want to experience Jerusalem I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading some of her other books.