Book Review - 2 Mary Russell

I cannot stop myself.

I am gorging on these Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books like Little Debbie cakes during an ice storm.  And my excuse for both scenarios is the same.  They're just so stinkin good.

A Monstrous Regiment of Women finds Mary Russell about to turn 21.  This is a big deal because she will finally be old enough to inherit her parent's estate and send her mean old guardian aunt packin.  As part of her new freedom, Mary heads to London to propose marriage to Sherlock Holmes.  Before she gets a chance to propose, Holmes guesses her plan and this makes Mary real, real mad.  She goes off on her own for a few chapters.  While there, Mary meets up with an old friend from Oxford who then introduces Mary to The Temple.  The Temple is a church run by a very charismatic female preacher.  Mary is intrigued and mistrustful of the preacher.  She insinuates herself into the organization to solve the mystery of the disappearing benefactresses.  And when I say 'disappearing", I mean murdered.

It's a very interesting book.  The author is also a Old Testament scholar (although this is not a Christian book, so don't be scared) so the sermons and discussions between Mary and the Temple members are quite thought provoking.  But, in the end, it's just a great story and the chemistry between Russell and Holmes is what makes it so immensely readable.

Here's the thing.  O, Jerusalem is one of the last novels written in this series.  But the story occurs much earlier in the timeline.  It actually falls chronologically before A Monstrous Regiment of Women.  For that reason, I chose to read it next.  Also, the library had this one but the next book was checked out so I decided this was the way to go.

This book was difficult to read.  It took forever.  I wasn't sure if I had just read too many of this series in a short time or what.  The story is set during a break in one of Russell and Holmes most dangerous cases.  They leave London for a while to kind of smoke out the target.  They head to Jerusalem to work on another case for Holmes brother, Mycroft who is an official with the British government.  But for about half the book, you just aren't sure there is a case.  They mostly wander around the desert with two surly guides.  The descriptions of the physical discomfort, including thirst, hunger, bad shoes and no showers, were enough to depress me.  I like showers and toothbrushes.  It bothers me when people don't have them.

By the time you realize that they are, indeed, working on a case, the payoff is pretty good.  The last half of the book redeems the tortuous first half.