Pirate King (2011)

I've enjoyed most of Laurie King's Sherlock Holmes spin-offs, but this one was a yawner. The up-coming tricksy plot twist was visible from the moment she introduced the key plot-twisting character. Disappointing. ( )

Overall I thought this to be a well written volume filled with interesting characters, a mystery that keeps the reader turning the pages, and even some humor mixed in here and there. So I did enjoy this book. I do, however, have some criticisms that kept the star numbers down. First, while she kept the general 'flavor' of the Holmes' books, I was disappointed that the actual appearances for Holmes were slim. I confess that this is my first King book and my first experience with Mary Russell as well, so I do not have gauge by which to measure this book against her others, and it may be that Holmes finds a larger part of her other adventures. I hope so, because I would like to venture into some of the other Russell stories, but I would also like to see more Holmes. My second criticism is one of personal taste: I don't care much for Gilbert and Sullivan and it is their "Pirates of Penzance" that forms the central plot. This made the book tedious for me in places. But, again, I recognize and emphasize that this is my personal foible and should not necessarily detract others from this as a potential read. Again, overall, I enjoyed the book and found it to be well written, entertaining, and engaging. ( )

Long term readers of a series generally keep reading because they come to love the characters. That is certainly true for me with Laurie R. King’s version of Sherlock Homes and her creation Mary Russell. So even though The Pirate King is almost goofy compared to most of Mary Russell’s thought provoking adventures, I accepted it as a lighthearted jaunt into Gilbert & Sullivan and early film making. I enjoyed it and think most fans of the series will, as long as they are somewhat flexible in their expectations.

Fantastic read full of twists and turns. I love all of Ms King's Russell and Holmes novels. ( )

The eleventh in her series of Mary Russell mysteries, this is a clever mystery-adventure wrapped around the well-known Gilbert and Sullivan musical "Pirates of Penzance." Laurie R. King continues to impress me with her detail and extensive research into her scenes and scenarios and I have become increasingly appreciative of her efforts in resurrecting the flavor of Sherlock Holmes through her Mary Russell character.

Having said that, I found the details laced with humor which at times transcends the element of mystery, although King does keep the reader guessing throughout the novel. Overall, a 3-star for the mystery and 4-star for the writing give it a 3.8 on my scale. ( )