I've loved the Mary Russell series since I was a teen and was super excited to get an ARC of the newest one. I was definitely not disappointed. It felt entirely true to the series and I got a real feel for Venice. It made me want to go reread all the other books.
I'd definitely recommend this installment to patrons & have recommended the series already!

I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this book. Accepting it was a no-brainer - I adore Mary Russell AND Laurie King. My Mother-in-law recommended the Mary Russell books to me while I was pregnant with my son - about 18 years ago! I'm not a huge Sherlock Holmes fan but these books are amazing.
Mary is a young, super intelligent Jewish/American girl. She came to Cornwall after her parents and brother were killed in a horrible car accident in San Francisco. Suffering survivor's guilt as well as PTSD she spends hours walking the countryside and happens upon an odd man observing bees. He turned out to be Sherlock Holmes, a friendship was born and bloomed into love after she attended Oxford and went to work with him. These are not fluffy romance stories - they are adventures, thrillers, suspense novels that delve into historical events and let us live them through the lives of these intriguing characters. "The Island of the Mad" is yet another, fascinating case.

The beginning of the book finds Sherlock and Mary on a break - the first one they've had in years. One of Mary's school friends contacts her for help in locating her "mad" aunt who has escaped the mental institution known as "Bedlam" in London. Laurie King manages to work in a discussion of the changes that have taken place in the treatment of the mentally ill - thank goodness. We also learn how many women were locked up by rich, controlling husbands and/or families who did not approve of modern behavior or attraction to members of the same sex. We learn that Aunt Vivian was living at Bedlam voluntarily and left during a leave weekend for her brother's party. She also left with a valuable necklace, Faberge egg and other money. Mary gets herself admitted to "Bedlam" (actually Bethlehem hospital" , escapes and is joined by Sherlock as they head to Venice in order to locate the missing women and, in Sherlock's case, aid Mycroft Holmes in assessing the city's climate in regards to Facism. Throughout the search for the Vivian we get an in depth tour of Venice and the city's history, a look at the high life of the wealthy who party on the beaches, and an introduction to American composer, Cole Porter.
All this is accompanied by King's spectacular attention to detail, and history and delicious descriptions of the food and fashion of the era. This book is one of her best and I highly recommend it to everyone, fans of Holmes, history, women's literature and excellent fiction in general!.

I never get tired of King's mystery series featuring Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. King always manages to capture the attention of her readers with her intriguing plots and settings. Russell and Holmes are on the trail of the missing aristocratic aunt of Russell's old Oxford friend, Ronnie. She disappeared from the Bedlam insane asylum along with some valuable jewelry and her nurse. Russell and Holmes track her to Venice, a hot spot in the 1920s for the rich, famous and titled. The period detail and descriptions of Venice transport the reader back in time on a journey that illuminates the beauty of the partnership between Russell and Holmes. Who could resist a story replete with mad houses, haunted islands, Mussolini's Blackshirts and Cole Porter? King's fans will not be disappointed by her latest. #IslandOfTheMad #NetGalley

I do love the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King. One of my most anticipated reads this year was the 15th in the series, Island of the Mad. Its 1935 and the duo is looking for Mary’s friend’s aunt who has disappeared from Bedlam Asylum. Their search brings them to Venice and hanging out with such colorful characters as Cole Porter. This is a very nice addition to the series.
As a side note, the covers are drastically changing!

Laurie King has returned to her Mary Russell series to do what she does best: write of familiar characters, placing them in situations that are historically accurate, and letting her imagination rip. The plot of Island of the Mad fairly races along, in more ways than one and mostly on track in pursuit of the beloved contemporary aunt of one of Mary’s friends from uni. As usual, King employs many of Sherlock Holmes’s known eccentricities and talents, sometimes stretching them well beyond credulity. And, of course, everything has to fall into place as planned, often hastily. But, no matter. Anything goes and readers of this series will be delighted to have this book in their hands, physically or digitally, and most will be well satisfied with it and eager to read another. Readers who are new to the series or unfamiliar with Sherlock Holmes (assuming that some exist) will be well advised to start with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. They’ll have the treat of discovering this satisfying series.

I had a lot of fun with this book. There are a lot of instances where Holmes has the narrative, which I like. This book also reminded me how little time has passed between books. I often think that the time in the books is longer, like the publication schedule, and this book reminded me that a lot has happened all at once (and alludes to other mysteries that they've done in the space between books that we haven't seen). I still, like Mary, have trouble reconciling the past and fate of Mrs. Hudson, but it makes for a unique connection between me and the character. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the mystery, I liked the beach pyjamas (I want a pair of my own) and I liked all the Cole Porter musical references. Definitely check this one out!

The earlier King books were better, then she went off the tracks. This book is a return to form, more or less, but not as entertaining as the first books, which I suppose is par for the course. We do get more Sherlock this time around.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. This is the eighteenth entry (including short stories) featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes; one need to not have read all books to enjoy this title - I've read some of the earlier ones but haven't made it through the entire backlist and found this title works well as a stand alone. After the recent departure of Mrs. Hudson, Mary and Holmes are lost in domestic matters, but soon find themselves engrossed in another mystery. Mary's friend asks her to look into the disappearance of her aunt from a family event several weeks prior. Her aunt was on a short pass from Bedlam to attend a family party when she, her nurse, and several valuables disappeared. The case soon takes Mary and Holmes to Venice during the rise of the Fascism and Mussolini. The mystery features several twists and turns that kept me guessing and provided a satisfying conclusion, but for the second part of the book what I loved the most was the descriptions of Venice during this time period. Venice is a character itself and Ms. King does a fantastic job providing readers a glimpse into the Bright Young Things over on Lido and their frantic lifestyle following WWI. Cole Porter also makes an appearance; the author provides a glimpse into his life during this period. Holmes and Russell work best when working together and this book is no exception - despite their age difference, Russell more than holds her own in their partnership and marriage. I look forward to catching up on previous titles while awaiting the next entry in this long running series.

This is another title in the excellent Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Both the setting (Venice) and time period (1925), with the menace of the rise of fascism add to the already suspenseful plot. I also loved the addition of the Cole Porters to the mix.

I am a very big fan of Laurel R King and especially of the Mary Russell series. For some reason, Venice has figured into much of my reading lately, and I had to laugh (because I didn’t read the Net Galley blurb, just requested the book) when the plot brought Mary and Holmes there. Venice is brilliantly rendered under the author’s pen—I dreamed of gray-green lagoons all night long last night—as is Cole Porter and his wife, the gandolieri, the Bright Young Things, the Blackshirts, and Bedlam, to name a few reasons to love this book. The plot moves along quickly and logically with a wonderful smash-bang superhero scene before the big reveal.

This is one of my all-time favorite Holmes spin-off series. In Laurie R. King's oh-so-capable hands, the Great Detective is handled brilliantly - and his wife and co-conspirator, Mary Russell, is one of my favorite heroines in fiction. She is sassy, brilliant, and holds her own more than admirably as she matches - and shares - wits with her husband, Sherlock Holmes. It is extra impressive that King has managed to run this series well into double-digit books with so few missteps (the Pirate book aside) and with so many original and unique mysteries that cross so many borders (thematically, sociologically, geopolitically) and are consistently so entertaining.

This latest installment takes us from England to Venice, and the social and political issues (homosexuality, the role of women in society, the rise of Fascism) are as wide-ranging as the geography. King has a remarkable gift for bringing history to life amidst a character-driven mystery, and her touch is as deft here as it always is. The supporting cast includes a blend of new and old faces (as is typical), and - as is also typical for King but rarely typical in fiction, to my taste - includes a blend of historical and famous figures that are as organically well-placed within the story as any other characters. The plot is a marvelous blend of action, adventure, character study, and pure entertainment, and King's writing style is - as always - engaging, drawing the reader in from the opening pages. The humor and sly wit are Holmesian in all the best possible meanings of the word - particularly when they come from the deliciously droll Mary Russell.

If you aren't familiar with the series, you really should pick it up - it's one of the best in this area.

I am always eager to read each installment in the Mary Russell series, and this book did not disappoint.
As with the last few books, in this story Russell and Holmes are brought into a new case almost immediately following their last. This time the case involves Mary's old friend from Oxford, Ronnie, and her family. After investigating clues in England, including breaking into Bedlam Hospital, Russell and Holmes make their way to Venice to try to solve the case.
This book was fast paced and an enjoyable read. While not the best in the series, it is definitely good addition to the series.