Monday With Kaye: The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King (Reviewed by Kaye George)

As Kaye George points out in her latest “Monday With Kaye” review column, there are a lot of books in this series along with several short stories. According to Amazon it all began in 1994 with The Beekeeper's Apprentice: or, On the Segregation of the Queen.

The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

Fans of this series will be shocked by this title! Is King going to kill off Mary Russell, just like Doyle killed off Holmes? To find out, get the book and read on. If you’re new to the Mary Russell books and you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan, get busy—there are a lot of novels in this series.

Although the title leads one to believe that the story will be solely about Mary Russell, readers are taken deep into the life of Mrs. Hudson, where her startling background is laid bare to them. This is after the initial shock, when a man purporting to be Mrs. Hudson’s long-lost son shows up at the house in Sussex.

As the novel opens, Mary Russell is visited by this unpleasant man saying he is the son of their housekeeper. Mary has no reason to disbelieve him, but is unprepared for what a vulgar and violent person he is. At first she thinks he must be a salesman, but soon discovers he wants to kill her.

Very soon after the first scene, Mrs. Hudson walks into the last room Mary was in to find a large puddle of blood and a bit of mayhem. Mary is gone and it looks like she has been murdered. Bit by bit, we learn that Mrs. Hudson is not at all the person we’ve always assumed her to be. In fact, she’s had a bit of a rough life. No, more than a bit. She’s had to face heart-wrenching happenings and has been forced to make unbearable decisions.

Another fine addition to the series. Is it the last?

Reviewed by Kaye George, Author of Eine Kleine Murder, for Suspense Magazine