Another great story weaving Sherlocks Holmes into a strong supporting character, sidekick to his strong, independent wife, Mary Russell. This one is vital to any Sherlock Holmes fan, because it creates a fascinating past life for Mrs. Hudson and how she came to be the Holmes housekeeper. According to Laurie King, there’s a lot more to the quiet, dignified woman than she permits the reader to see in previous books. Well-written and a book that makes great escape reading.

After reading a few chapters, I decided this book held no interest for me at this time nor was it a good fit for my blog.  I elected not to finish the book now, but it may well be a case of "the wrong book at the wrong time" syndrome and I might be willing to try it again in the future.  Thank you to Random House - Ballantine / Bantam and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to sample this title.