Laurie R. King

Mary Russell and her famed sleuthing spouse, Sherlock Holmes, journey to one of Britain's stately homes as they investigate a dark secret whose origins reach deep into the very soul of England. By the author of The Beekeeper's Apprentice. 40,000 first printing.

A Mary Russell Novel

Justice Hall

Sarah Sammis

Whenever I think of the Holmes and Russel series that started with The Beekeeper's Apprentice, I think of trains. I read the first five of the series on Amtrak going up and down from Los Angeles to San Diego to visit my parents. When we were making the big move up to the Bay Area from South Pasadena, my mother gave me her copy of Justice Hall (in the pre-BookCrossing days) and I've only just now taken it off my shelf in the interest of reading for fun.

Justice Hall stands well on its own but does refer back to two previous books: The Moor and O Jerusalem. Russel and Holmes are invited to Justice Hall by friends met in O Jerusalem to help investigate the death of the young man who should have been the next duke.

The book takes a little too long separating out the personas of the brothers when they live abroad (Bedouins Ali and Mahmoud Hazr) versus their more genteel personas (Alistair and Marsh) when at home in Justice Hall. Once Russel starts to investigate the history behind Justice Hall and the death of the youngest heir, the story comes alive. King captures the brutality of WWI and how it swept across all facets of British life.

Justice Hall A Mary Russell Novel

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