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51st out of 738 books
—
1,605 voters
The Moor (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #4)
by
Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)
In the eerie wasteland of Dartmoor, Sherlock Holmes summons his devoted wife and partner, Mary Russell, from her studies at Oxford to aid the investigation of a death and some disturbing phenomena of a decidedly supernatural origin. Through the mists of the moor there have been sightings of a spectral coach made of bones carrying a woman long-ago accused of murdering her h...more
Published
(first published 1998)
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Jan 11, 2011
Hannah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-reads,
mysteries
I was leary of reading this 4th installment of the Mary Russell (Holmes) series. Leary because I love the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories featuring Sherlock Holmes (most especially The Hound of the Baskervilles). It's always a crap shoot when a new author decides to play off well known characters and create a new set of stories (I can't fully describe how most of the Jane Austen knock-offs horrify and disgust me).
But I should have given Laurie King more credit, because The Moor not only held it's...more
But I should have given Laurie King more credit, because The Moor not only held it's...more
Sep 08, 2009
Angie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Sherlock Holmes, strong heroines, historical mysteries.
Wow, I really enjoyed this book. Read it in about five hours at a straight run with only a short pause for lunch. Mary remains a self-assured and interesting heroine/narrator, her relationship with husband Sherlock continues to amuse and entertain, and the historical figure of Sabine Baring-Gould was a great supporting character, fully fleshed out and three dimensional. King also does a great job making allusions to Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles without relying too heavily on the story...more
Dear Miss Russell/ Mrs. Holmes,
Having perused the earlier installments of your chronicles with a good degree of enjoyment, I regret to say that I am somewhat disappointed in this one. The mystery’s premise is valid, if rather simple, but the execution is sorely lacking. I find it to be utterly uninvolving and rather incoherent. Where’s the suspense? And all this traipsing across the moors, abundantly padded with repetitive descriptions of mundane activities such as meals and hot baths, is extrem...more
Having perused the earlier installments of your chronicles with a good degree of enjoyment, I regret to say that I am somewhat disappointed in this one. The mystery’s premise is valid, if rather simple, but the execution is sorely lacking. I find it to be utterly uninvolving and rather incoherent. Where’s the suspense? And all this traipsing across the moors, abundantly padded with repetitive descriptions of mundane activities such as meals and hot baths, is extrem...more
(See my review for book 3, A Letter of Mary....the thoughts below pick up where it leaves off)
...Along the same lines, one thing that surprises me in this book is that Russell complains that the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould's treatment of theology is haphazard--yet doesn't seem to realize that he's not merely evaluating theology, he's doing it. (Which means that as a scholar herself she needs to be evaluating what he's doing on its own terms.) Again--deliberate on King's part, or a flaw in her abili...more
...Along the same lines, one thing that surprises me in this book is that Russell complains that the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould's treatment of theology is haphazard--yet doesn't seem to realize that he's not merely evaluating theology, he's doing it. (Which means that as a scholar herself she needs to be evaluating what he's doing on its own terms.) Again--deliberate on King's part, or a flaw in her abili...more
I ran out of books on my vacation and someone lent me this to read. I was definitely into the book. I thought the play on the well known Holmes and his relationship with his wife was intriguing. Mary Russell is a strong female character but at times seemed to fall into the submissive role. This made her more believable to me as a human.
The disappointment in this book was the ending. It seemed as if there was a huge climatic build up but that was not to be. Instead there was a confusing and jumb...more
The disappointment in this book was the ending. It seemed as if there was a huge climatic build up but that was not to be. Instead there was a confusing and jumb...more
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are investigating the case of strange sightings on the moor in southern England. There is a link to the Conan Doyle story "Hound of the Baskervilles". Although I have never read that tale, I don't think it took anything away from this book but it does make me want to go back and read that as well.
I did not enjoy this book as much as the earlier ones in the series. It could be because I listened to it as opposed to reading it. I was not crazy about the narrator. A...more
I did not enjoy this book as much as the earlier ones in the series. It could be because I listened to it as opposed to reading it. I was not crazy about the narrator. A...more
I have to be honest here. The prospect of another Sherlock Holmes foray onto Dartmoor made me a bit nervous. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of my favorites out of The Canon (or Conan, if you will) and I wasn't sure that my new friend, Mary Russell, should venture there. A baseless fear. I should have known that Laurie King would bring a fresh story to the campfire and she does so with her usual attention to detail and novel approach.
Holmes is called back to Dartmoor to aid an old friend an...more
Holmes is called back to Dartmoor to aid an old friend an...more
The Moor[return]Laurie King[return][return][return]Fourth in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.[return][return]Barely recovered from an emotionally draining case, Russell receives a telegram from Holmes summoning her to Lew House, in Devonshire, on the edge of Dartmoor. Holmes has gone to the bedside of the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould (a historical figure, 1834-1924) who is dying but who still keeps tabs on what is happening on his beloved moor. There have been strange events, including a...more
This entry in the Mary Russell Series is set on Dartmoor, and the moor is central to the story, brooding over it as the moor broods over the surrounding landscape. It also has Rev. Sabine Gould as a central character - he was a real person of enormous energy, with a strong intellectual curiousity and is the driving force behind the investigation.
There is a deliberate use of many of the elements of Holmes' most famous case - The Hound of the Baskervilles. These elements are introduced deliberatel...more
There is a deliberate use of many of the elements of Holmes' most famous case - The Hound of the Baskervilles. These elements are introduced deliberatel...more
This was by far the worst book of the Marry Russel series. King started off with such a great idea, discovering the reasons behind several legitimate sightings of a spectral coach carrying a cursed woman and her devilish dog on a dark moor. However the execution was tedious. King simply has a difficult time staying on topic with this book. She wrote so much on the geography of the land that the actual mystery itself seemed only to be a side plot in her summation of the landscape. There was very...more
This is #4 in King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. The Moor in question is Dartmoor, where Conan Doyle set The Hound of the Baskervilles, and King dances a fine line between the real people and places and the Dartmoor of the earlier Holmes story. We meet Rev Sabine Baring-Gould, who wrote Onward, Christian soldiers as well as a large number of novels, books of folk songs gathered from the area as well as folk myths and tales, history, sciences and anything else which interested him. He is...more
Whenever I read books in a series, I have a simple policy: if the first book does not grab me, then there's no reason to continue reading the rest of it. But if the first book does grab me, I make an effort to read everything after it. This is especially true for series with more than three books; in general, I've noticed that such long series have high points and low points, and if I can come to the end of the series with a feeling of having encountered more highs than lows, I will gladly wait...more
I read reviews warning the reader to skip over this one in the series, but that advice goes against my nature as a reader.
I wish I had been able to listen.
Meanwhile, the book is summed up as follows. (Here be spoilers)
Holmes--"Russell, come to rainy, foggy Devonshire."
Mary---"No." (Changes mind)
Mary tramps through mud, gets wet, dirty, hungry cold. Takes bath.
The Reverend Baring-Gould, "I won't be around much, but I am old, my house is queer, and I don't think much of you, only Holmes."
Mary, "Li...more
I wish I had been able to listen.
Meanwhile, the book is summed up as follows. (Here be spoilers)
Holmes--"Russell, come to rainy, foggy Devonshire."
Mary---"No." (Changes mind)
Mary tramps through mud, gets wet, dirty, hungry cold. Takes bath.
The Reverend Baring-Gould, "I won't be around much, but I am old, my house is queer, and I don't think much of you, only Holmes."
Mary, "Li...more
The descriptions of the Moor are so vivid and complete, you have a beautiful mental picture to go with this alluring & rainy novel. Even though it sounds like a very hard life, and a very difficult terrain, I would love to visit it, in the spring of course... lol. (I don't know how people stay there, and make a living though. And with all those layers a woman had to wear?? YIKES!!)
I believe I knew who the "bad guy" was before the end, which is ok for me, in this series.. but I hope it doesn'...more
I believe I knew who the "bad guy" was before the end, which is ok for me, in this series.. but I hope it doesn'...more
Mary Russell is one of my favorite "sleuths" in literature. She is basically Sherlock Holmes in female form, but sarcastic, loving, and ultimately human. Laurie R. King never disappoints with a Mary Russell / Sherlock Holmes novel!
While at Oxford studing Theology, Holmes telegraphs Russell and demands she join him in Dartmoor. Russell is annoyed but does as her husband asks. Once there, it becomes clear that someone is trying to resurrect the old folklore of the moor, and is mixing it with the c...more
While at Oxford studing Theology, Holmes telegraphs Russell and demands she join him in Dartmoor. Russell is annoyed but does as her husband asks. Once there, it becomes clear that someone is trying to resurrect the old folklore of the moor, and is mixing it with the c...more
The Moor, the fourth of the Russell/Holmes series is one of my favorites. The mystery again is subtle and really doesn't play out in full until the end of the book. The climax is much less dramatic than in other installments but none the less enjoyable reading. This book is more descriptive in character, an interesting journey into the life of the moor. I enjoyed reading about the landscape, the animals, and culture of Dartmoor. What I enjoyed most was King's ingenious inclusion of the The Hound...more
Love, love, love, love, love this book. (Can you tell I like this book? My colleagues used to say "don't hold back, Meredith, tell us how you really feel.") I found it in 2004 after someone assured me this woman (King? was that the name?) had written Holmes a partner. I was certain it would be sooooo disappointing, as dozens of pastiches were, so I refused to read any of the Russell series. I finally picked this up (and I know the precise place and date) and was so pleased I could hardly see str...more
Dec 07, 2010
Kirsty Darbyshire
added it
This is the first book in this series to completely fail to interest me. Though I've found Laurie King's favourite theological themes to get a little wearing in the past I'd rather read about them than the interminable trips across Dartmoor that make up this book. Something here just didn't work for me.
At the end of the book there are about a hundred pages when things come together and the plot becomes interesting but the rest of the book has little mystery to entrance the reader and I found a l
...more
I love that Holmes sends Russell a telegram that pulls her away from her books at Oxford and they are able to spend time together on the moor. At first Mary is not pleased because of the less than warm greeting that their host, the rector, gives her and wants to go back to Oxford but Holmes tells her he needs her to help solve the mystery on the moor and no woman worth their salt can resist being needed. Slowly through the investigation Mary realizes the beauty of the moor and gains clues to sol...more
Oct 19, 2009
Sharon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sherlockians/Holmesians, mystery lovers
Shelves:
hist-myst
I very much would like to have had an extra half-star for this fourth in the Mary Russell series. Although it didn't grip me enough for a full 5 rating, it still is in the same league as The Beekeeper's Apprentice insofar as its closely woven threads and satisfying, if not altogether unforeseen conclusion. Learning about Sabine Baring-Gould was also delightful, and I came away wanting to know more about this intriguing man and the world in which he lived.
This very personal story read more slowl...more
This very personal story read more slowl...more
I picked up this book that I’d grabbed at a library book sale years ago because my partner and I have been watching the BBC Sherlock series. I figured that this book could only complement what we’d been watching on tele.
If you aren’t familiar with Laurie King’s books, her most famous series follows Mary Russell who is Sherlock Holmes’ much younger wife that helps him solve mysteries later in his life. In this book, Mary and Sherlock revisit the home of the Hound of the Baskervilles to help solve...more
If you aren’t familiar with Laurie King’s books, her most famous series follows Mary Russell who is Sherlock Holmes’ much younger wife that helps him solve mysteries later in his life. In this book, Mary and Sherlock revisit the home of the Hound of the Baskervilles to help solve...more
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes go to Dartmoor to investigate the mysterious death of a tin miner on the moors. The murder appears to resemble the murder described in The Hound Of The Baskervilles. There also unexplained events like the sighting of a coach made of bones at night. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes search the moor to find clues and a pattern to all the events. Another murder occurs before Mary and Sherlock begin to see how all the events are tied together and who might be behind i...more
Regarding the advent of the radio..."I imagine that the resultant instant communication will complete what modern education and quick travel have begun, and we will soon see the death of regionalism and individuality.... The world is becoming filled with sameness." "In my advanced old age, I really entertain more delight in the beauties of nature and of art than I did in my youth. Appreciation of what is good and true and comely grows with years...." Laurie R. King has a gift for describing ordi...more
Love this series and can't wait to read more. Mary Russell is quite the intrepid young woman and investigator. She can compete with any modern female investigator. She and Holmes have a very unique relationship and understand one another completely. This story features Dartmoor in SE England. Mary is intrigued but repelled by the moor and its people at first. After tramping all over the moor, frustrated at the very least; and slightly arrogant in her higher intellect, she succumbs to the simple...more
Holmes and Russell travel to Dartmoor, to the aid of Holmes's longtime friend, Sabine Baring-Gould. The locale is foreign, and initially disagreeable, to Russell; it is familiar, though, to Holmes, as the setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles
Plot is distinctly secondary (tertiary?) to setting and character. It's interesting to see how the clues fit together, but the real pleasure is the company of Russell, and her evolving relationships with the three other main characters of The Moor; namely...more
Plot is distinctly secondary (tertiary?) to setting and character. It's interesting to see how the clues fit together, but the real pleasure is the company of Russell, and her evolving relationships with the three other main characters of The Moor; namely...more
Laurel Sheffield
Ms. Minniear
English 9
October 11, 2010
The book I recently read is called The Moor, written by Laurie R. King. The story takes place in Dartmoor. The majority of the story takes place on the actual moor. This is also the same area where the book about Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of Baskervilles took place. The book is told in a first person point of view. The main character is Mary Russell Holmes (also the narrator).
Mary Russell Holmes is an extremely intelligent woman. She is mo...more
Ms. Minniear
English 9
October 11, 2010
The book I recently read is called The Moor, written by Laurie R. King. The story takes place in Dartmoor. The majority of the story takes place on the actual moor. This is also the same area where the book about Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of Baskervilles took place. The book is told in a first person point of view. The main character is Mary Russell Holmes (also the narrator).
Mary Russell Holmes is an extremely intelligent woman. She is mo...more
May 04, 2010
Portia Costa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sherlock Holmes fans, anyone who enjoys detective fiction with a twist
Have just finished reading this book, and like all the other Mary Russell stories I've read so far, I loved it!
Mary makes a very beguiling storyteller and I find her description of her adventures and her unconventional marriage utterly captivating. The prose is full of sly wit and clever observation of the human condition, and even though it evokes the period beautifully, it seems to say a lot about contemporary life too.
I must admit that I have not yet actually read 'The Hound of the Baskervil...more
Mary makes a very beguiling storyteller and I find her description of her adventures and her unconventional marriage utterly captivating. The prose is full of sly wit and clever observation of the human condition, and even though it evokes the period beautifully, it seems to say a lot about contemporary life too.
I must admit that I have not yet actually read 'The Hound of the Baskervil...more
I was looking forward to reading this book in the series the most because it connects with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles tale. I was somewhat disappointed--the thin plot line does not become clear until 170 pages in, and much of the book is simply Russell wandering the Moor. There are only so many ways to describe lichen-covered rocks and bogs, or the old priest's house. The bulk of the story comes together in the last 90 pages, and the story is literally resolved in the las...more
2.5
A return to Dartmoor, where one of Holmes' most famous cases took place - The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I haven't read since high school, but remember the general gist.
I think this was the weakest book of the series so far. I complained, in 'Monstrous Regiment of Women', how much time was spent of theological and historical issues, which were interesting but not entirely relevant to the case. But while that book meandered about in various directions, those philosophical ponderings were...more
A return to Dartmoor, where one of Holmes' most famous cases took place - The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I haven't read since high school, but remember the general gist.
I think this was the weakest book of the series so far. I complained, in 'Monstrous Regiment of Women', how much time was spent of theological and historical issues, which were interesting but not entirely relevant to the case. But while that book meandered about in various directions, those philosophical ponderings were...more
I had a hard time getting through this story. It started out on a good note but very quickly went south, with Holmes treating Russell as if she were Watson--not explaining things, leaving her to flounder on her own a lot--and Russell acting if she were Watson--getting spooked easily, ignoring key clues and rolling her eyes when Holmes insisted they were important. Finally about two thirds of the way through the book Russell seemed to find her stride and buy into the case, the integrity of the pe...more
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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
More about Laurie R. King...
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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