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Garment of Shadows (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #12)

by Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 2,116 ratings · 495 reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Laurie R. King’s New York Times bestselling novels of suspense featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, comprise one of today’s most acclaimed mystery series. Now, in their newest and most thrilling adventure, the couple is separated by a shocking circumstance in a perilous part of the world, each racing against time to prevent an e...more NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Laurie R. King’s New York Times bestselling novels of suspense featuring Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, comprise one of today’s most acclaimed mystery series. Now, in their newest and most thrilling adventure, the couple is separated by a shocking circumstance in a perilous part of the world, each racing against time to prevent an explosive catastrophe that could clothe them both in shrouds.

In a strange room in Morocco, Mary Russell is trying to solve a pressing mystery: Who am I? She has awakened with shadows in her mind, blood on her hands, and soldiers pounding on the door. Out in the hivelike streets, she discovers herself strangely adept in the skills of the underworld, escaping through alleys and rooftops, picking pockets and locks. She is clothed like a man, and armed only with her wits and a scrap of paper containing a mysterious Arabic phrase. Overhead, warplanes pass ominously north.

Meanwhile, Holmes is pulled by two old friends and a distant relation into the growing war between France, Spain, and the Rif Revolt led by Emir Abd el-Krim—who may be a Robin Hood or a power mad tribesman. The shadows of war are drawing over the ancient city of Fez, and Holmes badly wants the wisdom and courage of his wife, whom he’s learned, to his horror, has gone missing. As Holmes searches for her, and Russell searches for herself, each tries to crack deadly parallel puzzles before it’s too late for them, for Africa, and for the peace of Europe.

With the dazzling mix of period detail and contemporary pace that is her hallmark, Laurie R. King continues the stunningly suspenseful series that Lee Child called “the most sustained feat of imagination in mystery fiction today.”

Praise for Garment of Shadows

“As always, the relationship between Holmes and Russell is utterly understated yet traced with heat and light.”—Booklist (starred review)

“[A] taut tale . . . original and intriguing . . . This tantalizing glimpse into the life and times of a rapidly evolving Arabic society has remarkable resonance for our own uncertain times.”—Publishers Weekly

“Those new to the series are in for a treat.”—Bookreporter(less)

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Bantam (first published September 1st 2012)

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Sep 18, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery-thriller-goodies

Ah, much better..
After being so sorely disappointed in The Pirate King, I was rather hesitant about reading this one. However, my trepidation was unnecessary--Ms King is back in fine form. Russell and Holmes are up to their necks again in international intrigue and all's right in this reader's world.
The plot is an intricate one, involving the Rif Rebellion in Morocco in the early 1920s. I am always happy to learn new (to me)bits of history, so I loved all the background info. The local politics...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Sondra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, sherlock

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The first thing I thought when I pulled the book out of the shipping box was, "It's so thin!" After reading the book I came to the conclusion that I would have waited longer for more story. It's a good book. All of Laurie R King's books are good. The Russell/Holmes series is probably my favorite. I've read all the books in the series multiple times. That being said, I think this book is my least favorite. It's good, not great. Some aspects of the story feel a bit stale, as they have been done be...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Bre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-books

3.5 stars, actually.

I was lucky enough to recieve an advanced reader's copy of Garment of Shadows and devoured it in about 3 days! So...without further ado, here is my review(I swear, I didn't mean to make that rhyme)

As for the storyline itself, without giving too much away, Mary Russell has amnesia. You might think you know amnesia stories, but think again. She wakes up in Morroco, unsure if she's killed someone,covered in blood.

Holmes himself doesn't pop in until around page 36 or so...so I...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Carolyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed in this book. I'm not sure if I am reading a travelogue or an exposition on the early 20th century political history of Morocco. While I appreciate some history, several pages of exposition regarding the Rif Revolt, M. Lyautey, and the Abd el-Krims were superfluous. And the descriptions...yes, she has amnesia and yes, she is trying to decipher clues to her identity, but do we really need several pages of descriptions of the various alleys and shops in...more

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Aug 04, 2012 PatK rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, laurie-r-king

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 09, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries, favorites

My whole thing just disappeared, so will have to try it again. gr is not behaving well tonight.

I tried to read this one slowly, because all the politics involved and the machinations of governments makes no sense to me. I guess all that deviousness is not in my genes. I am not sure it is Russell's either. I kept want to tell her, don't DO that! YOu are smarter than me, you should know better. But I guess she was working with a handicap. Holmes seems to have come off better than in some of the vo...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This latest offering in Mary Russell's memoirs (ahem) was astounding, but I STRONGLY recommend that any interested parties read O JERUSALEM, JUSTICE HALL, and PIRATE KING first for a proper understanding of certain events (and an appreciation for just how much Mary has lost, with her loss of memory).

The plot of this one was *deliciously* twisty-- I freely admit to swallowing a number of red herrings along the way. The history behind this adventure is likewise fascinating; my schooling tended to...more This latest offering in Mary Russell's memoirs (ahem) was astounding, but I STRONGLY recommend that any interested parties read O JERUSALEM, JUSTICE HALL, and PIRATE KING first for a proper understanding of certain events (and an appreciation for just how much Mary has lost, with her loss of memory).

The plot of this one was *deliciously* twisty-- I freely admit to swallowing a number of red herrings along the way. The history behind this adventure is likewise fascinating; my schooling tended to focus on the European battlefields more than North Africa, but I feel like I understand the complicated history of that region much better for having read this (work of fiction or not). In writing historicals, there's always the danger of putting TOO much in: "just LOOK at all the research I did for this book! I sweated through big huge books for this, and now YOU WILL, TOO!" Miss Russell (or her editor, Ms. King) stays firmly on the other side of that line, feeding the reader bits of history in a completely unforced way and imbuing her books with the atmosphere of the time and place. She also has a particular gift for communicating the greatness of major players in history but still making them feel like real people, MORE than just their legends.

I also loved how Mary's amnesia was handled from the beginning-- her stabs at guessing what she did for a living (circus performer? thief?) and the way that the scent of honey would trigger memories for her. In many ways, this book felt like a gift to long-time readers of the series, as Mary's scraps and flashes of memory would recall previous meetings and adventures. Perhaps my only quibble with this book was that I'd have liked to see how the amnesiac Miss Russell might have fared on her own for a little bit longer-- it seemed she got reunited with her party awfully quickly.

A most worthy addition to the Holmes and Russell canon. (Now I'm going to have to go reread it, to see what clues I missed the first time through.)(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, adult-lit, historical-fiction, thriller

Sherlock Holmes is a name many of us grew up with. Any time a mystery would crop up, we would either say aloud or think to ourselves, "Elementary, my dear Watson!" and imagine the funny detective hat and large pipe he always used.

Garment of Shadows is part of a fictional series that presents itself as the memoirs of one Mary Russell Holmes: The wife of Sherlock Holmes. These books contain the meeting of Holmes and Russell and follow them through adventure after adventure. Russell is every inch H...more Sherlock Holmes is a name many of us grew up with. Any time a mystery would crop up, we would either say aloud or think to ourselves, "Elementary, my dear Watson!" and imagine the funny detective hat and large pipe he always used.

Garment of Shadows is part of a fictional series that presents itself as the memoirs of one Mary Russell Holmes: The wife of Sherlock Holmes. These books contain the meeting of Holmes and Russell and follow them through adventure after adventure. Russell is every inch Holmes' equal (and very often his superior!) in divining the truth from the fiction and finding out that all-important mystery of 'whodunnit'.

In this installment (Garment of Shadows is, in fact, number 12) Russell and Holmes are in Morocco. They encounter all sorts of problems and find themselves in the middle of a large scale political rebellion. The details and setting are well laid. Every inch of the city of Fez in Morocco is laid out intricately. The people are described in great detail. Perhaps one might feel as if the detail goes a little overboard and becomes somewhat tedious. The dealings are not so much action-packed this time, as political in nature. The question of which leader has the most backing and the best chance of dominating is the main idea. While it was all very interesting and intellectually thought provoking, the plot itself wasn't enough to keep one thoroughly interested.

Russell and Holmes are a team that you wouldn't want to cross! They are always either one step ahead, or at least in-step with the 'bad guys'. Russell has an almost MacGuyver way as she is always picking locks and making different instruments out of whatever she happens to have on her person. That does make for some fun reading. If you are a fan of the Russell/Holmes novels, this is a nice, if not overly enthralling installment. I highly recommend starting at the beginning with book one (The Beekeeper's Apprentice) as the first few books of this series are great fun!

To see the full content review, visit Compass Book Ratings!(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-fiction-read, 1115-holmes, 1000-fiction

I listened to the audiobook version while I was doing some other things, so I definitely feel like I should read the book again; I got confused at the end. I definitely need to go back and re-read the Damian Adler pair of books, because they're really important for shaping the Mycroft-Russell relationship, and I don't have a solid memory of how that came out there; it's important for understanding how exactly this book ended. If the previous book was (marvelously) fluffy, this one swung the pend...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Consistent with all the others, and makes me want to go back and review a couple to fill in current facts.

I am somewhat surprised how much I like this series, given its almost studied removal from emotionality. Most of the series I really like are filled with private, (mixed with, and often directly related to socio-political), turmoil. These stories, in contrast, much like the originals, carry a distaste (stiff upper lip, as it were) for emotional depth, even though emotion is ultimately what...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: derivative-fiction, fiction, historical

I genuinely like this series of memoirs from Sherlock Holmes’s late-life partner and wife, but I shake my head in bafflement over every second or third one. This is a story of amnesia and intrigue in French and Spanish Morocco in the early 1920’s. A lovely sense of place, as usual, but otherwise . . . no. There is a good book here, it’s just that this book only intersects with that one for about twenty pages. The emotional crux of the book lies neither with Holmes nor Russell, and we only get to...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Meredith rated it 5 of 5 stars

This latest Russell/Holmes novel of suspense came out in September, 2012. It's a tale of adventure with a focus on a small cast and the complicated political situation in Morocco in 1924.
I really liked PIRATE KING and I loved GOD OF THE HIVE. But PIRA was just for fun and GOTH was incredibly complex, as well as beautifully executed. This is more vintage Russell, with the initially odd device that Russell has no idea who she is or why she's there.
I couldn't help thinking, as Laurie has said so...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Always like these books. Good mystery intertwined with a great setting and fun adventures.

Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, are separated by a shocking circumstance in a perilous part of the world, each racing against time to prevent an explosive catastrophe that could clothe them both in shrouds.

In a strange room in Morocco, Mary Russell is trying to solve a pressing mystery: Who am I? She has awakened with shadows in her mind, blood on her hands, and soldiers pounding on the door....more

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Oct 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a mystery novel about Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell Holmes. She is actually the main character, but he is also in the book. The book is part of the Mary Russell series written by Laurie R. King. Until I read this book, I did not know that the series existed.

It takes place in North Africa in the period between the two world wars. It has international intrigue (Britain, France, native African tribes). It has kidnapping, violence, and death. It has an exotic foreign setting. As...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally published at Reading Reality

So many shadows. The story begins in the shadows of Russell's memory...she has been struck on the head and has forgotten who she is. All she knows is that she has enemies after her. If only her life were that simple. But it never is.

If it were, she would not be Mary Russell, and she would not be the partner and wife of the world's first consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. And, most importantly, her life would not interest us.

The shadows of the title are...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: british, historical-fiction, mystery

i am so glad I have discovered Laurie R. King. If you love historical fiction and Sherlock Holmes you will love this book. Who knew Sherlock Holmes had a wife? Ms. King decided he needed one and Mary Russell is his equal in every way. It is Mary who writes the memoirs of her adventures with our beloved Holmes.

In this case Mary, called Russell by her husband as she calls him Holmes are in Morocco where, while pursuing different interests, they become separated. Mary, when summoned to help a frien...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Kerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

I am a die-hard Laurie R King fan and have been since I read her first book not long after it was published. I can't think of another author who has written as many different kinds of protagonists and set stories in as many different kinds of settings as she has, or who has crossed genre lines as successfully. Her sense of place is always a joy to experience, her research impeccable, and her prose extraordinary. While those elements are present in this latest installment of her Mary Russell seri...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Garment of Shadows begins with our intrepid heroine, Mary Russell escaping from her room in an unknown place with injuries from an unknown fight, because she has amnesia. What follows is a scarey ( for me, anyway), series of events as she wanders about trying to figure out who she is and what happened to her. She uncovers some unusual skills and reaches some amusing conclusions about herself. It probably isn't revealing too much to add that one of the most enjoyable scenes in the book is when Ma...more Garment of Shadows begins with our intrepid heroine, Mary Russell escaping from her room in an unknown place with injuries from an unknown fight, because she has amnesia. What follows is a scarey ( for me, anyway), series of events as she wanders about trying to figure out who she is and what happened to her. She uncovers some unusual skills and reaches some amusing conclusions about herself. It probably isn't revealing too much to add that one of the most enjoyable scenes in the book is when Mary finally meets up with Holmes and because she doesn't know him, she attacks. There are several harrowing events to follow for all characters and as usual, attention to detail, time and place. The characters are given a chance to grow a little bit more as both Holmes and Russell realize what life might be like without the other, even if it is just implied in brief moments. I particularly liked King's description of Holmes' feelings when he feared Mary was missing. It was subtle but very poignant.

There are several things that put Laurie King at the top of my list as a mystery writer and this book helps to keep her there: the characters continue to evolve, particularly Mary, but King's characterization of Sherlock Holmes has become who I accept him to be now. I picture him in my mind has Jeremy Brett, but his personality no longer belongs to the Holmes described by Conan Doyle. Second the plots are masterful. I get scared reading them because I'm never certain just what horrible thing King is going to allow to happen to our heroes. Even minor characters evolve as the series is developed like Mamoud and Mycroft. Another element that makes the novels fun is the mixture of suspense and humor throughout. The balance is about right in each novel, although some have been funnier than others depending on the plot line.

One of the details I really appreciate is the historical information in the afterword. The history of the area was not something I was aware of. Morocco is clearly still important in the geopolitics today, but reading Laurie King's historical fiction is much more fun than the news!(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 S. J. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the series, Sherlock Holmes fans

Recommended to S. by: The Series/Author

Shelves: awesome-heroines, favorites, historical-fiction, mystery, sherlock-holmes, sherlock-holmes-pastiche, the-shelf-of-awesomeness

*5 Stars*

*The Gush*
Wow. What a ride and what a trip. I'm still checking my clothes for hints of spice, sand, and sweat. Once again, Laurie R. King has done a beautiful job of transporting the reader to another place and another time. I feel like you need a passport for this series or something. What I think I love most about being a long time fan of the series is seeing the books evolve. I think that if she had written this book right after The Beekeeper's Apprentice, I would not have liked it n...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hist-fic, mystery-crime

Though she's living in the 1920's, Mary Russell is a thoroughly modern woman. She's married to Sherlock Holmes, now retired, and she's his match in every way. When Garment of Shadows opens, however, she has no idea who or where she is, the fallout from a violent encounter of some sort. As the pieces fall one by one into place, Mary recovers her memory, and once reunited with her husband, becomes embroiled in the Moroccan war for independence from Spain. Assassination attempts, dark underground p...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Great Minds Think Aloud

Shelves: june-2012-reads, summer-reading-challenge-jun1-aug31

In this 13th of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, Author Laurie R. King once again impeccably delivers the background of history as seen, and lived, by two beloved fictional characters-Sherlock Holmes, and his intellectual wife, Mary Russell. Continuing on from “The Pirate King,” and also referencing events in “O Jerusalem,” “Garment of Shadows” opens with Mary missing in Morocco-not just missing as far as Holmes knows, but actually temporarily amnesiac, her hands gritty with blood. Whose...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Brenda Hawley rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed all of Laurie R King's Mary Russell series, especially the toungue-in-cheek Pirate King. This novel, however, is not one of my favorites. Mary wakes with amnesia (a convention I still find pretty trite) and wanders around Fez, Morocco looking for clues to her identity. Two comrades from other books, Mahmoud and Ali, are involved with political upheaval in the country centering around two opposing factions,as well as the Spanish and the French. One positive was that I did learn som...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Garment Of Shadows
By
Laurie R. King

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Mary Russell wakes up in Morocco without her memory...Sherlock Holmes needs her to get it back!!!

My thoughts after reading this book...

Descriptions of Morocco, spices, pungent smells...sort of mingle through the pages of this book. Mary Russell wakes up in a strange place without anything familiar around her. But most of all she has no clue who she is or what might have happened to her. She manages to find her way through an unfamil...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Stephen Ormsby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me start with this – I loved this book. I had not read any of Laurie R King’s novels before this one, so I thought it was going to be just another Sherlock Holmes novel, but I was greatly mistaken. The first 15% of this book centres on Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes’ wife as she tried to remember who and where she is. I am not going to go into the story too far, as I think more than enough has been said by the marketing copy above.

I will say this though. The author has an amazing style that j...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Linda Baker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

Garment of Shadows opens with Russell waking up in an unfamiliar room in Morocco with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she has a blinding headache and that her hands are covered with blood. When she sees soldiers arriving she knows she must escape.

Thus begins the twelfth Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes adventure and Laurie King returns to the territory that I so enjoy in the novels and make them "must buys". Garment of Shadows is an artful mixture of history, adventure and the sort of...more Garment of Shadows opens with Russell waking up in an unfamiliar room in Morocco with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she has a blinding headache and that her hands are covered with blood. When she sees soldiers arriving she knows she must escape.

Thus begins the twelfth Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes adventure and Laurie King returns to the territory that I so enjoy in the novels and make them "must buys". Garment of Shadows is an artful mixture of history, adventure and the sort of descriptions that are well written enough to make one feel the heat and smell the odors of the Moroccan bazaar. Mixed in are the return of Mahmoud and Ali Hazr, two of my favorite characters who appeared in earlier novels, O Jerusalem and Justice Hall.

The year is 1924 and Russell and Holmes become embroiled in international politics or "the Great Game" played by Great Britain. The Rif Rebellion by the Berber tribesman of the mountainous northern region of Morocco is ongoing and has nearly defeated the forces of the Spanish. The question is whether France will become involved and if so, will they back Spain or the tribesmen? As Holmes is the cousin of Hubert Lyautay, Resident General of the French Protectorate, he is in a position to influence the French decision. Many historical figures play a part in Garment of Shadows: Lyautey, Abd el-Krim of the Rif and Raisuli, "the last of the Barbary pirates".

Those who have followed the adventures of Russell and Holmes will be glad to know that Holmes is very much present in Garment of Shadows. The oddly assorted pair of Holmes and his much younger wife are true equals in skill and intellect, making the partnership believeable. Along with the history and adventure there is nail-biting suspense as Russell and Holmes are endangered both together and separately.

The audio book is as always ably narrated by Jenny Sterlin. However, part of the book is narrated by Robert Ian MacKenzie. I generally don't care for dual voice audio books but MacKenzie's narration is also enjoyable. I highly recommend Garment of Shadows in either spoken word or print form.(less)

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Aug 11, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell find themselves in Fez, Morocco, this time. Mary and Sherlock are separated. Mary wakes up in a strange place, injured, and without her memory. She runs from soldiers and wanders the poorer area trying to remember who she is and learn where she is. She does learn that she has some skills as a pickpocket, acrobat, and thief but doesn't really learn much about herself in her explorations.

Meanwhile, Sherlock who had been off visiting a distant cousin, returns to rej...more Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell find themselves in Fez, Morocco, this time. Mary and Sherlock are separated. Mary wakes up in a strange place, injured, and without her memory. She runs from soldiers and wanders the poorer area trying to remember who she is and learn where she is. She does learn that she has some skills as a pickpocket, acrobat, and thief but doesn't really learn much about herself in her explorations.

Meanwhile, Sherlock who had been off visiting a distant cousin, returns to rejoin Mary only to discover that she is missing. He immediately begins a hunt for her which leads him to Fez. In 1924, things in Morocco are tense. The country is divided between the Spanish and the French and the natives are unhappy with both. The man in charge of the French Protectorate is Holmes' cousin. The native rebel forces are well-armed because they have had victories over the Spanish and gotten a lot of their arms from the captured armies.

The rebels themselves are not united. The two factions are controlled by Raisuni who is the last of Barbary pirates and who has made substantial funds by kidnapping and ransoming Europeans and the Abd al-Klims who are Western educated and anxious for independence for their country. The land is full of spies and supporters of all political interests. Mary soon learns that her friends Mahmoud and Ali Hzir (from O Jerusalem and Justice Hall) who are British agents controlled by Mycroft Holmes are deep in the mix of spies.

Mary has to recover her memory, rescue her friend Mahmoud, and determine who is pulling the strings, and what strings they are pulling, in this very troubled region. She is battered, shot at, and kidnapped in the course of her investigation.

What I really like about this series of historical mysteries is that I learn so much about pieces of history that I never knew about. I also really like Mary as a main character. She is an intellectual and physical equal to her husband Sherlock Holmes even though she is probably 50 years his junior and only about 24. She is a scholar and a reluctant investigator. She also has a strong moral compass that has been putting her at odds with Mycroft's machinations in these last couple books.

The language, because the stories are told in Mary's voice, is articulate and descriptive without being flowery. Mary has a dry sense of humor.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this series and this latest episode of Mary Rusell's and Sherlock Holmes' adventures.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Sheila Beaumont rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-and-adventure, adult-fiction, historical, mysteries-suspense-thrillers, sherlock-holmes, spies

I loved it! This twelfth installment in the delightful Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series is a very exciting, suspenseful mystery and thriller. After last year's Pirate King, a lighthearted detour into Gilbert & Sullivan and silent-film making, with Holmes notable mostly for his relative absence, Garment of Shadows, set in 1924 Morocco, gives us plenty of action and adventure, and no one can complain that there's not enough of Holmes.

The story starts out with Russell awakening, with a throb...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Dorothy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pastiche-mysteries, historical-mysteries

Morocco, 1924. Control of the country is divided between two European nations - Spain and France. But that control is slipping as a native revolt gains momentum.

It is not only Spain and France that maintain an interest in Morocco. Germany has mining interests there and seeks to promote and protect those interests, and England, (or, at the time, the British Empire) by nefarious means, tries to guide events into pathways that will benefit its own foreign interests. At the center of the British eff...more Morocco, 1924. Control of the country is divided between two European nations - Spain and France. But that control is slipping as a native revolt gains momentum.

It is not only Spain and France that maintain an interest in Morocco. Germany has mining interests there and seeks to promote and protect those interests, and England, (or, at the time, the British Empire) by nefarious means, tries to guide events into pathways that will benefit its own foreign interests. At the center of the British efforts, in Laurie R. King's fictionalized telling of the events, is Mycroft Holmes and, of course, where Mycroft spins and weaves, his younger brother Sherlock lurks in the shadows.

Sherlock Holmes and his young wife Mary Russell were already in the area in a continuation of the action which we saw in the last novel in this series, The Pirate King. They are participating in the filming of a motion picture about - yes - pirates. Sherlock breaks away from the company to pursue his own adventure, while Russell continues playing her part in the filming. Then, one day near the end of filming, Russell walks off into the desert, hand in hand with a strange child. And disappears.

Sherlock and Russell had planned a rendezvous in Fez a few days later. Sherlock waits for her but she doesn't appear. Alarmed, he begins to search for her.

Meanwhile, an injured Russell is lying in an unknown house also in Fez, although she doesn't know where she is. In fact, she doesn't know who she is. A head injury has induced amnesia, but her instincts are intact, and when French "soldiers" come looking for her, her instinct tells her to escape and, incredibly, she does, wandering into the city.

As she wanders, she gathers information, and as Sherlock looks for her, he, the ultimate gatherer of facts, also receives a tangled web of information. At first, all those bits and pieces seem disjointed and unrelated, but this is, at base, a Sherlock Holmes mystery and so everything connects in the end.

Along the way, we once again meet up with Mahmoud and Ali, brothers whom Holmes and Russell had met and bonded with during a previous adventure in Palestine, and, of course, they turn out to be at the very center of the unfolding events. It seems touch and go as to whether the four friends, not to mention that strange child with whom Russell had disappeared into the desert, will survive the brutal Moroccan political climate of 1924. But, since this is Sherlock Holmes, we have a sneaking suspicion that they will, in spite of all odds.

Laurie King's pastiche series based on the great Arthur Conan Doyle's consulting detective has been one of my guilty reading pleasures for years now. Sherlock Holmes was my first literary crush when I was twelve years old. All these years later, he still has the power to fascinate me. King, I feel, has caught the essence of his personality, even though she's given the confirmed bachelor a young wife, his former Beekeeper's Apprentice. Mary Russell is the focus of these stories and the narrator of her share of the tales. (Sherlock's part is told in third person.) It is from Russell's "notes" that Laurie King constructs her stories, of which Garment of Shadows is another winner.
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Nov 11, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Even though it clocks in under 300 pages, this is a strong return to dark form for King. The last book was a light-hearted break from the building confrontation between Russell and Mycroft Holmes, with Sherlock somewhere in the middle. Here, we return to just after the end of The Pirate King to find Russell an amnesiac (who keeps discovering odd talents such as balancing on a narrow wooden beam high above the streets and picking locks) and Holmes in a bit of a panic (darn those emotions, mucking...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Stef rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fiction, historical-fiction, mistaken-identities, violence

As the 12th installment in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, this book does not disappoint. When I discovered the Beekeeper's Apprentice during college, I immediately admired the smart, strong, and courageous woman that King created as an equal to the brilliant Holmes. It has been nice to see her character grow up and develop since the series started in Mary's teens and I believe now she is almost 30. Her perception of the world changes with her age in the stories and I think that is one...more As the 12th installment in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, this book does not disappoint. When I discovered the Beekeeper's Apprentice during college, I immediately admired the smart, strong, and courageous woman that King created as an equal to the brilliant Holmes. It has been nice to see her character grow up and develop since the series started in Mary's teens and I believe now she is almost 30. Her perception of the world changes with her age in the stories and I think that is one of the most interesting things about her character. Since Mary is also very detail focused and observant, the details she immediately picks up on shift slightly as she ages. She is the heroine, so she always picks up on the clues that need to be picked up on, but I think it was very smart of King to alter what kinds of things Mary picks up in her first sweep of a scene and her second sweep.

Unlike some of King's other books, Garment of Shadows picks up immediately following the events of the Pirate King. Holmes and Mary are still in Morocco but have stumbled upon a political plot involving the Rif Rebellion and the French protectorate. Meeting up with some old friends from Justice Hall and O, Jerusalem, Mary and Holmes have to figure out who is attempting to harm Marechel Lyautney and the Emir. To make things more difficult Mary has been knocked on the head and seems to have lost her memory.

The story is winding and often doubles back on itself in an attempt to revive Mary's mind, but I also think that the twisting story is employed as a way to describe Fez itself. The descriptions of the town, especially the roads and narrow passages between buildings lend themselves to the maze of political intrigue King has created. I do think it's a little cliche to have Mary lose her memory, but I have to commend the author not to fall into that kind of trap in any of the 11 books that preceeded. Mary has had other memory issues in previous books, but more the kind of traumatic black out that is a good basis for mystery. Having your main character show up 15 pages in without any memory of who she is or what's she's doing felt hollow to me. King did make it as plausible a head injury as possible and did make other characters with the novel suspicious of the amnesia precisely because it sounded like a plot out of ladies novel of the time.

I tend to enjoy the books in this series that are set in more exotic locations best because of the sumptuousness of King's descriptions (seriously now I want to go to Morocco) but any of the books in this series are excellent in their writing and description. Her books are also history lessons in and of themselves. As a reader you can tell that a detailed level of research went into the planning for each the stories because many of the events that Holmes is called in to help with relate to international politics following WWI. If you read any of the original Holmes stories you will appreciate how King has really brought the character of Mycroft Holmes to life, even when he's not actually appearing in a particular novel. WWI strained the relationships between the European countries and since Mycroft basically runs the British government behind the scenes it makes sense that whereever Mary and Holmes go, Mycroft would have an interest in their adventures.
However, not everything in this story goes according the plan. Suspecting traitors all around them Mary and Holmes need to protect themselves and the Marechel (who happens to be a distant cousin). But personal feelings and attachments can get in the way of the most well thought out political maneuver.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. I wish it was longer so that I could have spent more time immersed in Mary's world. Now I'll just have to hope that King comes out with another fabulous book soon.(less)

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About Laurie R. King

Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum, the LRK Virtual Book Club, is here on Goodreads, so please check there to join in the book-discussing fun.

King's next novel The Bones of Paris, will be out in September 2013, seeing Touchstone's Harris Stuyvesant and Bennett Grey find the darkness beneath the light of 1929 Paris. In the Russell se ...more

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell, #1)

A Monstrous Regiment of Women (Mary Russell, #2)

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Garment of Shadows (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #12)

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