Deepening Sherlock Holmes: New from Laurie R. King, THE LANTERN'S DANCE

When seeking entertainment, it's not entirely fair, I know, to have to consider a literary definition first -- but if you haven't yet fallen for the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King, which marks 30 years in 2024, you'll benefit from the definition of pastiche: "A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it."

There are many books that wear the pastiche label with pride. Perhaps the largest group of them is made up of books that take Sherlock Holmes into new cases (and there are some now that work from the original minor character of his landlady, too, which I find fascinating). A Holmes aficionado may decline to read such books — they're not written by the long-dead A. Conan Doyle, and even the best of them can't entirely match Doyle's style and tongue.

But New York City's The Mysterious Bookshop, which described itself as the oldest mystery bookshop in the world, devotes almost as much shelf space to Holmes pastiche and parodies as it gives to the original works. I share this photo from the shop's Facebook feed (thank you, Otto Penzler and team) to make the point:

Relevant bookshelves at The Mysterious Bookshop.

So I'm far from alone in treasuring Laurie R. King's lively series. This year King brings us THE LANTERN'S DANCE, and expands the art of pastiche into new Holmesian terrain: the childhood of the great sleuth, and its harsh conflicts and puzzles.

For the most part, King's series has reflected mostly the point of view of Mary Russell, who meets Holmes when she's in her teens and he is old enough to retire—but, as Holmes readers know, such idleness (even leavened by his hobby of beekeeping) won't suit the sleuth, and in fact would plunge him into the dangerous waters of drug use, his shelter when he's bored.

So in King's hands, Holmes and Russell find each other's deepest needs met by first a mentoring relationship, then friendship, and finally marriage. The most recent books of the series have revealed the surprise that Holmes has a son, Damian Adler. Holmes hadn't realized that his "one woman" from the original work, Irene Adler, became pregnant in their affaire. The simple reason is, Irene didn't allow him to know! In adulthood, Damian needed Holmes's assistance and broke through the secrecy that had separated them ... but didn't, of course, reveal all.

As THE LANTERN'S DANCE opens, Holmes and a slightly handicapped Russell (sprained ankle) arrive at Damian's home in France, where they expect to spend time with him, his daughter, and the petite and intelligent Scottish doctor he's soon to marry. Alas, the housekeeper and her husband inform the arriving couple that the Adler "family" has decamped. The reason is quickly clear: Someone broke into their home while they were asleep, and the level of threat shocked them. 

Challenges multiply: Holmes, of course, must protect his newly established family from the threat -- but is this a threat due to something in Damian's past, or an enemy of Holmes himself, or an effort to pressure his brother Mycroft? As he races off to apply his considerable skills of disguise and investigation, Russell is left behind at the Adler home and discovers a coded manuscript that calls on all of her linguistic and scholarly background to determine what it says and, most importantly, what it means, for Holmes, Damian, and herself.

As a pastiche, the book is cleverly done and probes the birth family of the mythical sleuth; language and customs are well matched to the historical period, and King has reached a superb level of narrative. The familial mysteries that unfold (including in India!) fit well with the original Holmes, and are intriguing and quirky. As a novel, its biggest challenge is the author's decision to use three narrators: Russell, Holmes, and the woman who penned the discovered manuscript. Although they are clearly delineated, this device keeps the action mostly at the surface because there just isn't enough time within the "speech" any of the three voices to dip into the emotional quandaries that King has explored in some earlier books.

Nonetheless, for any reader of the series, this is a must-have addition. Those just starting an acquaintance with Mary Russell should probably go back a few titles—maybe not all the way to The Beekeeper's Apprentice, but at least to the closely knit titles The Language of Bees and The God of the Hive, to make best sense of the importance of the events in this new volume.

My personal favorites of the series are The Moor, O Jerusalem, and Justice Hall, and I recommend those to anyone dabbling in King's river of pastiche and her insight into how a young woman might best partner such a difficult yet rewarding spouse as the great Sherlock Holmes. Each of these also brings me much pleasure and education as I continue to work at the writer's craft myself.

THE LANTERN'S DANCE has a February 13, 2024, release date. Don't judge it by the simple cover, or by the cryptic title. There's a very enjoyable read, within.

Wait, What Century Are We In? Radical New Fiction from Sujata Massey, Mick Herron, Chris McKinney

Book recommendations! My recent reading has been all over the timeline and globe, thanks to three summer releases from the Soho Crime imprint of Soho Press. NOTE the release dates, please, for ordering and pre-ordering. I'm not exaggerating when I say that each of these books has given me insight into the mastery of important stories, as well as intrigue and adventure.

1920s India, Courtrooms and Crime (JULY Release)

The 1920s gave women freedom of dress, dance, and hair in the United States, as well as the vote -- but social change moved differently in India then, and Perveen Mistry, British-trained daughter in a Bombay law firm, can't find her footing. She should be recognized as a solicitor. But when she rashly tries to stand up before a judge on behalf of another family's injured servant, her credential aren't good enough: "I completed the bachelor of civil law education at Oxford University. Following this, I clerked at Freshfields which granted me the rank of solicitor." The judge traps her with an inquiry into her grades on the law exams, which of course she hasn't taken. "Female law students were not permitted ..." A very embarrassing move by the judge banishes Perveen from the courtroom, threatens the liberty of the woman she'd tried to rescue, and sweeps her career faux pas onto the gossip mill.

Death, poisonings, and legal manipulations with the upper-class that used to hire that now-injured servant as a baby nurse escalate the crises around her. Despite its supposedly sedate setting, THE MISTRESS OF BHATIA HOUSE turns into a page-turner of betrayal, dishonesty, and by necessity, bravery, as Perveen risks her most important relationship—with her powerful father—for the sake of her surging principles. 

Followers of the series (this is the fourth of Massey's 1920s India mysteries) will get little more of the romance between Perveen and the British man who's won her heart in earlier books. But oh, what an education in customs, cruelty, and courage!

Cold War Refresher for Awkward Spies (SEPTEMBER Release)

The "Slow Horses" Apple TV series has brought fresh attention to Mick Herron's addictive espionage series set "today" (more or less) in London. Although THE SECRET HOURS is billed as a stand-alone, it's slowly revealed to be a Cold War back story to some of the most compelling characters of the book series. Discovering which of the ardent young people from 1994 Berlin match the partners in the current investigation of MI5 is half the fun. When they start to key into the Slough House itself, though, forget putting the book down. As the unnamed "First Desk" at MI5 refects, "You never know. You never know when treachery might strike, or from what quarter. ... What we do in the secret hours reveals who we really are." Soon various forms of skullduggery, including betrayal and murder, rack up: "Killings happen It is not a matter of whether this is true or not; it is more a matter of whether it is justifiable." 

Herron's crime novels feature sharp threads of wry humor, and every triumph gained by his spooks and "joes" come with a huge serving of regret. THE SECRET HOURS gains double poignancy if you've been reading the earlier titles (I actually re-read them, almost annually). But if you're a novice, plunge in anyway. Odds are you'll then email the local librarian for earlier books in the series, and work your way back to this 2023 release with delight and escalating appreciation.

What Could Go Wrong With Artificial Intelligence That Hates You? (JULY Release)

My grown sons speak Asian languages—it's unusual for Vermonters, granted, and they've been given quite a few side-eyes in Asia for the unexpected sounds coming from their mouths. I think that enhances the fascination I find in Chris McKinney's "Water City" series, with its multiple scenes of Japan and more. McKinney, despite the sound of his surname, is native-born Hawai'ian and his ocean savvy formed the fabric for the first book in the future-utopia neo-noir of Midnight, Water City. With EVENTIDE, WATER CITY,  the threads of manipulation that might have been excused on the part of world-saving science in the first book start to bite ... and draw blood.

McKinney's protagonist, whose name we still don't have, served as risk-it-all detective in the first book. But now he's retired, letting his wife do the career climbing, and instead he tackles the daunting task of teaching and then keeping up with his daughter Ascalon—who, like her father, is a synesthete, someone whose perceptions arrive in the form of colors, sounds, even messages that don't mirror everyday reality. 

The idyllic life of water exploration with Ascalon ruptures under the intrusion of the potent and often cruel (needlessly? or correctly?) Ascalon Lee. By the time this strange villain-rescuer is captive, the roles of father, detective, bounty hunter, and world-saving hero have whirled into enormous confusion for McKinney's narrator: "She's got her gun raised to my belly. This should be easy. So easy. How many times have I pulled a trigger before? Then a single thought floods my mind. Anger. Rage. It's this emotion that makes it possible for me to make everything all about me. The thought melts and oozes into a deep self-loathing." There, bet you didn't see that coming — but if you savor well-written noir, you should have guessed. 

In this year of ChatGPT and other mixed monsters, the role of artificial intelligence in McKinney's series can't avoid a mix of promise and menace. Keep your eye on both Ascalon and Ascalon Lee, to gather hints of where this frankly terrifying series is headed for its finale, as the last of the trilogy, Sunset, Water City, will release in December.

I'd like to send all three of the books to my Congressional delegation. If only I thought they'd read them. Well, at least we the voters can be forewarned.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.