Tangled Web UK Review March 2007
The Art of Detection by
Laurie R. King
pbk out July 08
(Poisoned Pen Press)
at £9.95
Laurie R. King has had the fascinating idea of introducing into her series about San
Francisco cop Kate Martinelli an element taken from Locked Rooms, a novel in her
very different series featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. One suspects that
King's imagination was sparked by a tragic real-life incident, the mysterious death of
eminent British Sherlockian Richard Lancelyn Green. In her story, an equally
enigmatic enthusiast for Holmes, the wealthy bibliophile Philip Gilbert, is found
murdered, and his fellow fans are the principal suspects. There is much to relish here,
not least a pastiche Holmes story – set in San Francisco - with a startling theme and
cast of characters. But it is a lengthy pastiche, and the pace of the first two-thirds of
the book is stately, although the quality of the writing always maintains interest. King
clearly enjoys describing Kate's domestic life, but this too slows down the action, and
it is a long time before Kate makes meaningful progress with her detective duties.
When she does, the mystery does not prove difficult to solve, perhaps because few of
the suspects are portrayed in depth. As a result, this novel rates as a very good read,
but not the masterpiece it might have been.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
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