Castle Shade
By Laurie R. King

"Castle Shade" is the latest in a series featuring Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. My children were fans of Conan Doyle's Holmes, so I am familiar with Holmes as protagonist. However, I have not previously read any of Ms. King's interpretations of this character and Ms. Russell.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I found myself pulled in quickly. The interaction between Sherlock and Mary fits nicely with the Sherlock Holmes we know from various books and movies. Their conversation reveals that Mary is able to hold her own with her intelligence and intuitive thinking. It is obvious that Sherlock also thinks so.

The story takes the pair to Bran Castle in Transylvania, the summer home of Queen Marie of Roumania (and thought to have been the prison of Vlad Tepes, Count Dracula). Marie, while away, has received a death threat made against her daughter, Ileana, if she returns to Bran. But no one seems to know who is behind the threat…or why.

The story reads much like a fairytale – with a benevolent Queen, a beautiful young princess, a villain more misguided than evil, men of great loyalty and good intentions, and young love. Who could ask for more?

I would highly recommend this book to all fans of Sherlock Holmes and happy endings. I plan to go back and read the previous Holmes/Russell books now that I have found them.

Book Review for Castle Shade
Full feature for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

This Mary Russell story is just loads of fun with lots of great action. Most of the story revolves around the Queen of Romania and castle Bran, which might be the home of Dracula. A missing servant girl, a possible vampire on the loose and a ghost thrown in for good measure makes this story a joy to read.

Note: This review will appear on BookTrib, but has not yet been published.

Laurie R King delivers majesty and enigma in her newest addition to the Mary Russell series, Castle Shade.
Detective work doesn’t sleep. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes have barely closed the door on their latest case when they arrive in Transylvania to delve into another. Summoned by Roumania’s Queen Marie, the pair are commissioned to investigate the ominous happenstances lately encompassing Castle Bran, a structure with sinister and vampiric associations. The queen's foremost concern lay in the written threat recently posed towards her teenaged daughter, Princess Ileana, but Russell and Holmes soon find themselves running headlong into a case as complex as the superstitions shaping how a collection of disturbing events is being told.
No time can be lost in stopping the vampire (or is it ghost? or witch?) responsible. Identifying the obviously human source of the trouble, however, is made more difficult by the want of an obvious motive. The people seem to love the queen...so why is someone orchestrating things so that every portentous incident matches up exactly with the queen’s visits to Castle Bran? Perhaps the matter is political – a conclusion supported by the fact that Sherlock’s influential brother Mycroft, whose say over their lives is an ongoing issue for Russell, has taken an interest from a distance. Or, perhaps, the issue is far more personal than that.
AN ENCHANTING ADVENTURE
As per the customary quality of her work, Laurie R King has imbued Castle Shade with all the creativity and intelligence deserving of a series which both immortalizes an ingenious, feminist heroine of her own making and continues the legacy of the astonishingly observant and eminently logical London gentleman whose name has become synonymous with detection.
We are provided with a delightful ensemble of characters. Russell and Holmes remain as enjoyable as ever, a team perfectly matched in intellect but different enough in the traits they possess that they balance each other out. Meanwhile, the supporting cast quickly wins the reader’s affection. King breathes such vibrancy into these characters that one becomes invested in their history. One wishes the best for their future. One feels their reality.
King has also, once again, proven herself a master craftswoman when it comes to an intricate plot. The circumstances are bizarre enough to justify the attention of a detective who famously looks into only the most intriguing and unusual of cases, while each carefully designed puzzle piece slides into place with seeming effortlessness as the case progresses. Getting protagonists out of impossible situations can often feel contrived, but King somehow manages to get Russell and Holmes out of binds without the reader feeling as though an escape only happened for the sake of moving the plot along. Masterful problem-solving skills under the greatest of pressures are what aid our detectives, not the whim of the writer.
That’s not to say that the writer does not follow her whims. Indeed, King manages to do so in an enchanting way, adding the touches of whimsy necessary to create the kind of atmosphere that Castle Bran is meant to have, with its ties to such tales as Dracula. Such additions provide a magical quality to the already poetic nature of King’s writing style, an eloquence which is both lyrical and clear, melodic without detracting from coherency. Pen at the ready, and plot planned out with expert precision, she sets about bringing us into her world, asking us to use our minds, our imaginations, and our hearts.

As expected, another wonderful story in this long running series. Memorable characters, excellently plotted, atmosphere galore, and fun. Each installment in the series is like coming home to old friends and you never finish disappointed.

I loved this book. Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes and vampires!

Mary and Holmes go to Roumania to help solve who is threatening the Queen and her daughter. All sorts of scary, mysterious stuff happens….

I always enjoy Mary’s fierce intellect and voice.

A definite must read!

Interesting mystery when the book finally takes off. It took about a third of the book to really get to a point where I wanted to keep going. There are a lot of guide book scenes and long explanations of things that did not move the story along. It was more of a book about Mary Russel and a side note of Sherlock Holmes.

(NetGalley gave me a preview e-copy of this, for which I thank them but wish the accents in Romanian words would display correctly.)

I'm a longtime fan of the Russell and Holmes books, but I didn't think some of the recent ones (Island of the Mad, particularly) lived up to their predecessors. Castle Shade is an upturn after that dip. I enjoyed the location and setting, and I think it came together well at the end.

I loved that this story took up right where Riviera Gold ended. I also enjoyed the research about Romainian history that King did. She is superb at weaving the story into the times. That said, this was not my favorite plot, it seemed a little thin, almost tossed off. There was plenty of action for her character of Mary, who has thoroughly shaded Sherlock in this story. It is a very enjoyable quick read though and I recommend it after reading some of the others in this series. Thanks for the opportunity for ARC. from Netgalley

I discovered this series 2-3 years ago and enjoy it immensely. If you are a Sherlock purist, it probably isn't for you, but if you enjoy a good mystery with a strong female protagonist, you should definitely give it a try. I strongly recommend starting with the first book in the series, but not having read the previous books won't affect your enjoyment or understanding of this one. The story begins with Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell, traveling to Castle Bran in Roumania, which was given to Queen Marie as thanks from her people after she convinces the Paris Peace Conference to repatriate Romania's long-lost provinces, including Transylvania, where Castle Bran is located. Mycroft has asked his brother and Mary to investigate after Queen Mary receives a letter threatening her youngest daughter, Ileana. Upon arriving in Bran they find evidence of a plot against the Queen, but it is not immediately clear whether the threat is political or personal. As with most of Ms. King's books in this series, there are many layers --to the characters, the mystery and the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine (Bantam) books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Mary and Sherlock's next adventure takes them to Roumania where Marie, Queen of Roumania, has a problem. Mary has caught quite a head cold which she blames on the children of her hosts in Monaco and isn't tracking well as Holmes bundles her onto a train. When she recovers somewhat, she takes charge of their travel plans and gets them to the country sooner.

When they arrive, they learn that someone is trying to ruin Marie's reputation with the people near her castle in Bran. Some of the things they have tried is trying to make it look like Marie is using witchcraft and harassing some of the young women in town with rumors of vampires. Things escalate until Mary is attacked and abducted, drugged and left in a small underground room which was described in great detail along with Mary's fear of small, enclosed spaces and fears of being buried alive.

When one of castle servants who bears a strong resemblance to Marie's daughter Ileana is also abducted, Holmes and Russell need to discover the villain and save the girl which entails a wild motorcycle ride through the countryside.

I loved the historical detail about the time and place. I knew nothing about Marie of Roumania before reading this book and was intrigued to learn about her. The descriptions of the people and the castle were both vivid and detailed. They were also intriguing. I liked that both Holmes and Russell had chapters from their viewpoint. It was interesting to see Holmes's viewpoint of the state of his marriage to Mary Russell.

This is a wonderful historical mystery series and this seventeenth episode was a great entry into the series.

I really love this series! This was not, however, one of my favorite books in it...

I really really enjoyed the beginning - but the big reveal and the wrap-up felt both rushed and unnecessarily drawn-out, and something about the way this one ended started to lose me... I'm not sure exactly what it was. The beginning picked up right after Mary left the Riviera, and I found the trip to Transylvania with Holmes engaging and entertaining as the banter between them always is. The setup and descriptions of Queen Marie and her family were fascinating. I do enjoy the way King brings history and fiction together in this series.

Yet despite all of those positives, I found myself skimming the last 15 or 20% of the book to get through the resolution. I'm not exactly sure why, and can only state that it's what happened even if I can't describe the reasoning behind it. Still, it is one of my favorite series and I already can't wait for the next book!

Another great addition to the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Always fascinating history [Great War, Romania, lead-up to WWII] and wonderful characterizations.

Juxtaposing vampires, hexes, a beloved Queen and ancient fortress with the ever-rational, quick-thinking Mary Russell and her famous detective husband requires a stretch of imagination. It’s worth the effort.

The latest installment in Laurie King’s Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes series takes readers to the Transylvanian region of Romania in 1925 and to the real-life Castle Bran, where they aid Queen Marie, the actual queen of Romania during this period. Mixing the legends of vampires and folklore with the real people and places amid the political backdrop of Europe between the World Wars, “Castle Shade” feels pleasantly different and somewhat more whimsical than some of the recent Russell-Holmes adventures.

For me, as an ardent Mary Russell fan, this story started more slowly than some. King’s captivating descriptions of the landscape, history, the Castle Bran (Google it) as well as the entertaining twists and turns along with the Russell-Holmes interactions soon made me forget the slow start. This turned out to be among my recent favorites in the series but I highly recommend readers start with the first book, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.” I ended up researching Castle Bran and Queen Marie after this read so it was educational as well a thoroughly entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #NetGalley #CastleShade

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Laurie King never disappoints. - She comes again with another historical mystery starting Mary Russell and Sherlock -
Maria, the queen is a famous beauty - Her castle is an given to her from her people - but - - there are threats, whispers, fears, and danger - She calls for Mary Russel and Sherlock - - soon she will have answers -

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55421263-castle-shade" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Castle Shade (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #17)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602910186l/55421263._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55421263-castle-shade">Castle Shade</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6760.Laurie_R_King">Laurie R. King</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3979089286">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Note: Thank you, NetGallery and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for giving me a free ARC of Laurie R. King's newest title, "Castle Shade," for my honest review.<br /><br />I've loved Sherlock Holmes stories for a long time, especially re-imagining versions of the stories, such as the Robert Downey Jr. movies and, of course, the excellent BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. <br />This latest installment in Laurie R. King's series focused on Mary Russell is right up there with the others for me. I love Mary's ingenuity and her relationship with her husband. I've only read one other book in this series, and that was the first book, "The Beekeeper's Apprentice". <br /><br />Castle Shade brought elements in a story I enjoy. History, the supernatural, mystery, and folklore. <br />The setting in Bran was familiar to me as I had previously read a historical non-fiction book on the Crimean war. I also felt that the small town featured in the story felt like any small town. I think whether it's the early 20th century, 19th century, or today, small towns have the same feel all over, especially in fiction. There are family ties, legends, and feuds. <br /><br />Using Dracula's castle was delightful as I am a big fan of Bram Stoker's novel and myth surrounding the most famous vampire. <br /><br />The relationship between Mary and Sherlock is wonderful. They make it work despite their huge age gap. If anyone could get the eternal bachelor to settle down, it was definitely Mary. I love their banter. I also enjoy that Sherlock doesn't talk down to his wife. He encourages her to come up with her own opinions, and even if he disagrees, he doesn't tear her down. At least in this book, I have yet to read the other books in this series.<br /><br />I highly recommend picking this installment of Mary and Sherlock's adventures. It'll keep you guessing until the end.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1860116-tina">View all my reviews</a>

I thoroughly enjoyed this entry into the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. It was set in Transylvania, during the time period between the First and Second World Wars. There was an odd, unexplainable mystery and Russell and Holmes found clues and sollved the mystery.

4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest entry in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series and was delighted to have early access to it. (Thank you, NetGalley!) The narrative begins abruptly with Russell waking up from a fevered nap on a stopped European train. In the previous book, Riviera Gold, Holmes mentioned a case he was working on, merely referring to it as relating to an interesting woman in Romania with an “intriguing problem…with vampires.” I had forgotten that almost casual remark until Holmes tells her they are in Slovenia, en route to Transylvania.
Thus begins another caper for Holmes and Russell, as they seek to unravel the source of mysterious threats made to Queen Marie of Romania (or “Roumania” as it appears throughout) before any harm is done. I appreciated the descriptions of the Romanian countryside, the castle of Bran, and the various characters who inhabit both. I have been a fan of this series for a while and this one doesn’t disappoint.
Highly recommended

Laurie King can do no wrong. This is an exciting new adventure, so wildly different than the last entry that it completely sparks new life into an already stellar series.

In a classic return to form, Laurie R King gives us a stunner set in Romania. Mary Russell and Holmes need to help the Queen find out why her subjects are struggling and could it be... VAMPIRES?! Not going to even lie and say this was my favorite Mary Russell book since the Moor (and I'm a stan for Mary Russell, I have all the books). Its tongue in cheek, with a sweeping setting, and the combination of Gothic setting with Holmes style mystery was a win win. A must read for any fan of Laurie King, Dracula, or mystery fan.