As usual I was excited to see a new Mary Russell book and of course it didn't disappoint. The twist was so good! Everyone just go get this book and read it!

A couple of the previous books took Russell and Holmes to faraway places and mysteries, but this book brings things closer to home, and back to a more personal connection within the Holmes-Adler family. The journal story Mary uncovered was riveting and I kept wanting to slip back into that story, while the present day case of the strangers chasing Damian was engaging, but didn’t really hold my interest as much.

I enjoyed learning the connection to the indigo dye industry, French Colonial India, and art giving a vivid historical backdrop. But, most of all, I was highly engaged when the reveals came and all the secrets were out for those final scenes. All in all, I was simply satisfied to be right back in the Russell and Holmes world with Mary and Sherlock sharpening their wits and rooting out the secrets. I was glad to see things advance with Holmes and his son, and I look forward to further adventurous cases for Mary and Sherlock

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes seek a peaceful retreat in the French countryside but are drawn into a perplexing and personal case involving Holmes' son, Damian Adler. Arriving at Damian’s home, they find the family has fled a mysterious threat, prompting Holmes to pursue them while Russell, hindered by an injury, investigates the empty house. She discovers crates containing memorabilia linked to Holmes’ grand-uncle, and an encoded journal, unraveling a complex puzzle that ties the past to the present and may reveal hidden aspects of Holmes' own history.

Although titled as a suspense novel, I didn’t find it suspenseful at all. It was more emotional than I was expecting from this pair. I’m always interested in the different backgrounds and history authors will give Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle certainly left a lot to interpretation.

As in the previous book, the tale is told first person when we are with Russell and third person when we follow Holmes. There is also a journal of sorts where we follow a third person’s story. I guessed early on how it all tied together, so perhaps that is why I did not find it suspenseful.

Overall, it was an easy-to-read novel for the weekend. Readers who enjoy Russell and Holmes will no doubt enjoy this one.

A reader looks at a favorite author and hopes they keep writing. I am delighted that King has kept her enthusiasm for Russell and Holmes. Book 18 is the ideal historical mystery. The plot covers the same time period as their Transylvanian adventure. The couple have decided to make a family visit to Holmes' son in rural France. Upon arrival they discover the cottage deserted; the evidence shows the family packed quickly and departed. As in several recent novels, Holmes and Russell separate. Holmes to track his son, Russell hold down the fort. The game is literally afoot this time as Russel is still recovering from her injury. This tidbit is one of King's strengths. It is as if we are reading a lengthy biography of the pair. The settings, dialogue, and even the thought process of the characters are true to the times. Proving once again that King is a careful and diligent researcher. In an online interview with Ronnie L Smith in 2015 King discussed how important her readers are to her. Offering advice to a novice writer she would say "Write your passion, not what you think the market wants: the book you simply have to write, the book you’d love to read." Once again King has written a book I love to read. Thank you. Very highly recommended. Suitable for book club and readers YA through adult.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for this opportunity.

In the latest Mary Russell novel, King reunites readers with Russell, Holmes, and Holmes’ artistic son Damian Adler, who has fled his home with his fiance and daughter for an unknown reason. Separating to find Damian and study four crates and an encoded journal, Holmes and Russell must discover who is after the Adlers and what the connection between him and the Vernet family (via Holmes’ great-uncle the famous artist Horace Vernet) means to those who are after the Adlers. With flashbacks to a mysterious young Indian woman, Russell and Holmes must uncover three mysteries: the young woman and her journal, the Vernet cases, and Damian’s role in all of this. The answer, however, is not what they expect. Returning to Russell and Holmes’s world is enjoyable and easy; the character development is already present, and King knows how to write a good mystery. The new characters and setting in this novel set it apart from previous books, while the addition of flashbacks from a new POV add to the complications of this novel. An incredible read for King’s fans, fans of Sherlock Holmes, and for historical mystery readers, this is an incredible installment in King’s masterful and immersive series.

Holmes and Russell have an adventure a little closer to home in The Lantern's Dance. Laurie R. King has once again crafted a story that holds your attention and reveals surprising information. A coded journal leads the pair to India and introduces them to a cast of characters whose identities play a significant role in their lives. Don't want to give too much away so pick it up and read it!

Fascinating story with a wait until the last mystery solution. Laurie R. King always tells a most excellent tale and so this is. This book does the story told in two timelines better than most. Each feels distinct but when they are tied together it doesn’t feel contrived.
Good deep characters with feelings, motives and hearts. Even when the mystery is uncovered, a reread is warranted to discover more nuances of the story.
Very well done

I must admit that Laurie R. King is one of my favorite authors and her Sherlock Holmes series is one of very few books I re-read. This title is especially worth reading because of the elaborate backstories and mysteries of both items and characters. King always does extensive research and it shows beautifully when the reader is immersed in the scenes, there is very little to jar you out of the spell. I never thought any modern author could do justice with the classic genre of Holmesian mystery but King continues to amaze and give me joy.

This is one of my favorite series. Familiar characters, witty and intelligent dialogue, great plotting, and a long running series that hasn't lost it's punch.

The Lantern's Dance
A novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
by Laurie R. King
Pub DateFeb 13 2024
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine |Bantam
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Historical Fiction| Mystery & Thrillers



Random House Publishing Group's Ballantine | Bantam and Netgalley provided me with a copy of The Lantern's Dance for review.


They are looking forward to spending time with Holmes' son, the famous artist Damian Adler, and his family after their recent adventures in Transylvania. When they arrive at Damian's house, they discover that the Adlers have fled a mysterious threat.



As Holmes rushes after Damian, Russell, hampered by an injury, stays behind to search the empty house. She discovers four crates packed with memorabilia related to Holmes' granduncle, the artist Horace Vernet, in Damian's studio. The room is filled with treasures and clutter, including a tarnished silver lamp with a rotating shade: an antique zoetrope with strips of paper whose images move as the lantern rotates.



An old journal written in a nearly impenetrable code is also in the crate. Intrigued Russell begins deciphering the intricate cryptograph, eventually realizing each entry is built around an image, the first of which is a child being bundled into a carriage by an abductor, watching her mother disappear.



In the beginning, Russell was troubled, but she soon became entranced, but as she decoded each entry, more questions began to appear. What is the name of the young Indian woman who created this elaborate puzzle? She has nothing to do with Damian, the Vernets, or the threat hanging over the house.




It appears that the secrets of the past are reaching into the present. Russell must figure out how the journal and lantern are connected to Damian-and possibly to Sherlock Holmes.


It is possible that even the master detective is not aware of some aspects of his own history?


I give The Lantern’s Dance five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Laurie King has only gotten better. The Bee Keeper's Apprentice was good but this is better.

The mystery unraveled so well that i was so happy that I figured it out a few pages before Mary Russell did.

Mystery isn't my preferred genre but when I do read it, Laurie King is my go to.

This latest entry into the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series offers readers a complex look into the backstory of Holmes and his family. Mysteries from his past are solved in this complicated novel that alternates amongst Mary, Holmes, and a coded diary. As Russell and Holmes seek to keep safe Damian (Holmes' son by Irene Adler), and his little family, they also uncover these mysteries that have lain buried for years.

For readers who enjoy a story that frequently jumps from one character's viewpoint to another, this may be an enjoyable read. I found it to be confusing and quite long-winded and detailed. Although I have read others in this series, I liked the earlier ones better.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Still enjoying this series, even though this is book 18! While I do think I enjoy the joint investigations of Russell and Holmes more, Russell's investigation into the past while sidelined with a sprained ankle was the best part of the book. While Holmes grapples with his personal demons and seeks to protect his son, Russell delves into the contents of a mysterious crate. After languishing for decades in the store room of a museum, Damien's presence in the area triggers the delivery of the crate reserved for "Adler or Holmes". As always, King masterfully ties all the threads together in the end, and we get a singular glimpse into the history of the world's greatest detective.

This, the 18th book in the Russel and Holmes world is a bit different as it involves Holmes history in a surprising way. Due to an irritating minor injury Russel has to stay behind and Holmes has to head off to do the sleuthing as his families safety is at stake. Russel and Holmes interactions are my favourite parts of the books and there is little of that in this book but there is an interesting mystery and the ending is a stunner although not a great surprise. As always the writing is wonderful and every page keeps your interest.
If you haven't ready any of the series I would start at the beginning. You have.a real treat in store.

This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review, May 2024.

This is the latest entry in Laurie R. King's long-running mystery series about Sherlock Holmes and his brilliant, much-younger wife Mary Russell. In 1925, Holmes and Russell arrive at a French village, hoping to spend time with Holmes' son, the surrealist artist Damian Adler, and Damian's fiancée and daughter. But they find that the Adlers have fled the house after a break-in by an armed man. Holmes goes to look for his family, while Russell, who stays behind because of a sprained ankle, finds four crates containing paintings by Holmes' great-uncle, Horace Vernet, as well as a diary in code. Russell deciphers the diary, which tells the story of Lakshmi, the daughter of a liaison between a married French woman and a man from a wealthy Indian family. Lakshmi's father takes her to India, where she has many adventures, often in male disguise. The diary reveals a link to Holmes' family, and Russell realizes Damian may be in danger because of past events.

To fans of the series, of which I am one, this book seems like a visit to old friends. I am happy to say the Holmes/Russell series is still going strong after thirty years. Russell's brilliant mind is easily a match for Holmes. King always gives the reader an excellent sense of setting, and this is no exception, with scenes set in Paris, the French countryside, and India. Lakshmi is a fascinating character, and the scenes from her diary are central to the book. You feel her despair as her comfortable life with her father's family goes horribly wrong. The reader also learns the history of Holmes' family--King's version of it, at any rate, because there are not many details in Doyle's originals, even though one story mentions Vernet as a relative of Holmes. Highly recommended.

I've read several of these Sherlock Holmes stories as told by his wife, Mary Russell. They have all been enjoyable, as is this one. I like the different personalities and learning about Laurie King's version of Sherlock's family history.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Another riveting novel centered around the lives of Sherlock Holmes and his wife Mary Russell. Mary is the center and heart of Ms. Kin's book. I love the relationship between the much older Holmes and his brilliant wife. The respect he has for her really resonates.

This new book has Holmes and Russell racing around the clock to safeguard Holmes' son Damian. An unknown intruder broke into his home and left a daunting weapon behind.

In pure Mary Russell fashion, she sets out to figure out why this man broke into the artist's home and what he wanted. Unable to accompany Holmes on his venture she sorts through Danian's home and discovers a journal. Soon the reader will find themselves immersed in the exotic land of India and the intrigue continues to build throughout the entire novel.

This was a very captivating read that had me intrigued and at the edge of my seat. I so highly recommend this and can't wait to see Mary's next adventure.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my reading pleasure.

Thank-you, NetGalley for the ARC, and apologies for being utterly behind on reviews.

In the pages of Mary Russell’s latest narrative, The Lantern’s Dance, Holmes & Russell have stopped off in France to visit Holmes’s son, artist Damien Adler and his family, including his delightful daughter Estelle, but they arrive to an empty house and servants suspicious of anyone inquiring after their employers. Eventually, our detectives extract the story of how the Adlers fled threatening circumstances, and Holmes rushes off after them, leaving the injured Russell to discover what she can in their abandoned household, the one-time residence of Damien’s mother, Irene Adler.

Laurie R King continues to build background to small details from ACD’s Canon. In the short story, “Adventure of the Greek Interpreter”, Sherlock Holmes mentions that his grandmother was “a sister of Vernet, the French artist.” Russell, inspecting Damien’s painting studio, discovers not only some canvases of young Estelle, but also some boxes belonging to Horace Vernet, which contain odds and ends including a dancing lantern or zoetrope, and the coded journal of a young woman. All too appropriately, it would seem a mystery lies buried in Holmes’s family history, perhaps one effecting the family’s present circumstances.

The vivid settings, wry humor, and interesting twists that make Russell’s accounts so readable are all here, ready to carry readers familiar with this series away on an adventure. I highly recommend you pick up the latest entry!

(For the rest of you, I recommend grabbing a copy of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and finding out what occurs when Sherlock Holmes is born an American woman in 1900 and has the fantastic luck to run into her Canon self in 1915, after ACD’s stories end.)

The Lantern's Dance
By Laurie R. King

This book is the 20th in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. This series is interesting because it introduces a love interest for Holmes – long after his affair with Irene Adler. If you are a Holmes fan you will know that Irene was an American singer with whom Holmes was deeply in love. Unfortunately, Sherlock seemed, from the Conan Doyle stories, to have very little understanding of women.

In this series, Holmes meets up with a much younger Mary Russell. Over time and through several books, Mary and Sherlock grow to love each other and eventually they wed.

As the series has progressed Holmes is shocked to discover that Irene Adler has born him a son – Damian Adler – that Irene never told him about.
While Sherlock and Damian cautiously enter into a familial relationship, they are still uneasy with each other. Additionally, Damian presents Sherlock with a granddaughter, Estelle, who is four years old.

In this latest book, Damian has invited Sherlock and Mary to his wedding to Aileen, a doctor who has saved his life in an earlier book. When Russell and Holmes arrive in France for the wedding, they find that someone has broken into Damian's home and others – unknown strangers – have been nosing around and making inquiries about Damian and his family. Sherlock and Mary jump into action to keep them all safe – and as the saying goes,
"the game's afoot".

Many years ago I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, but somehow lost track of the following volumes. I enjoyed this one so much that I will have to go back and read all of the books in between!

Laurie R. King is one of my all time favorite authors, and “The Lantern’s Dance” is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so I was incredibly excited to be granted an ARC of the book. And it completely and utterly exceeded all of my expectations. An amazing read and earns a very well deserved five stars. Even more “The Lantern’s Dance” is one of the very best entries in the Russell and Holmes series - an incredible feat in an already amazing series and even more remarkable after thirty years and seventeen previous books.

The plot is very well paced, and the alternating time lines and points of view weave together exceptionally well. I’ve found a few of the other books in the series a bit slow going when a non-Russell or Holmes narrator is used so I was hesitant when I encountered the first entry in the image journal. I need not have worried - this book handles the multiple narrators deftly and all of the voices work together to keep building the tension. You’ll want to clear your schedule for the last third of the book - nothing will be able to tear you away from finishing it! I was completely unable to put it down and definitely stayed up way too late. The ending was completely worth the missed sleep!

I do have a few quibbles that keep “The Lantern’s Dance” from being my personal favorite in the series. Without giving too much away, I feel that part of the central mystery was too easily solved even for the combined detective genius of Russell and Holmes. The fact that this part of the mystery was solved in an evening - after lingering for decades and impacting several lives - felt too convenient and rushed. This issue also feeds into my larger problem with the book: I felt like it was overall too short and the ending was incredibly abrupt. Maybe I was just enjoying it too much? But I do feel like the ending could’ve used another thirty to forty pages to help round out all of the revelations and implications that were revealed in the last third of the book. I would have loved to have had a scene between Russell and Holmes that addressed everything that happened in that ending. One of my favorite parts of this series is the emotional vulnerability between the pair, and it’s what made “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” (in my opinion) the best of the series. If the end of “The Lantern’s Dance” had leaned into this strength and added just a few more scenes between them then it would have easily replaced “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” as the best entry in the entire series. I just hope that the next book picks up right where this one left off!

Laurie King’s writing is always incredibly beautiful, emotionally resonant, and meticulously researched and “The Lantern’s Dance” is absolutely one of her best books. I’ve recommended the Russell and Holmes series so many times over the years and I can’t wait to share “The Lantern’s Dance” with new readers!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!