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39th out of 788 books
—
1,640 voters
A Letter of Mary (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #3)
by
Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)
Sherlock Holmes and his scholarly companion Mary Russell are caught up in an exciting mystery when an archaeologist leaves them with a treasured find, a papyrus supposedly written by Mary Magdalene. When the archaeoligist winds up dead and someone attempts to make off with the artifact, Holmes and Russel become embroiled in a rollicking story filled with political intrigue...more
Paperback, 339 pages
Published
2001
by HarperCollins
(first published 1996)
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My favorite of the series, for several reasons:
The characters have become even more real and more likable (many complain that Russell is whiny and awful, but I rather like her, perhaps because she reminds me of someone I know... *in my dreams!*);
The villains are villainous, but they too are real and not over the top as in the first two;
The story is awash with red herrings and false trails, and fun ones too;
Cameo appearance by my favorite book character, (view spoiler)...more
The characters have become even more real and more likable (many complain that Russell is whiny and awful, but I rather like her, perhaps because she reminds me of someone I know... *in my dreams!*);
The villains are villainous, but they too are real and not over the top as in the first two;
The story is awash with red herrings and false trails, and fun ones too;
Cameo appearance by my favorite book character, (view spoiler)...more
4 likes · like · see review
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"A Letter of Mary" (Mary Russell 3) by Laurie King is a papyrus scrap, penned by a Mariam, apostle of Jesus, to her sister Judith of Magdala, commending the carrier Rachel, her grand-daughter to their care, days before the fall of Israel to the Roman heathens. Days after Dorothy Ruskin presents the gift in a delicate dainty wooden box to friends Mary and Sherlock Holmes, a car runs down and kills the white-haired intrepid archaeologist. Evidence of a deliberate trip-wire points to murder. Men wi...more
Aug 02, 2012
Laura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Lovers of excellent writing and good mysteries
4.5 stars. A librarian who met her recently told me that Laurie R. King is a "true intellectual," and after reading this third book in the Mary Russell series, I have to agree. Her books read like classics. They are books to savor and to thoroughly enjoy. I truly enjoyed this installment, and will definitely be continuing with the series. It didn't earn a five from me because it lacks the emotional power of my recent fives. However, it's extremely well-written, intelligent, and I love Russell an...more
5 likes · like · see review
Am very much enjoying this!
I think one of the tings I like about this series is that there is considerable intellect involved, both in the characters of Russell and Holmes themselves, and in the manner in which the mystery is solved.
In this 3rd installment we see the continuing development of Russell as Holmes' assistant, partner, and wife, and the evolution of the relationship between the two of them.The mysterious Mary M. letter, and it's implications, reflects the character of Russell, her re...more
I think one of the tings I like about this series is that there is considerable intellect involved, both in the characters of Russell and Holmes themselves, and in the manner in which the mystery is solved.
In this 3rd installment we see the continuing development of Russell as Holmes' assistant, partner, and wife, and the evolution of the relationship between the two of them.The mysterious Mary M. letter, and it's implications, reflects the character of Russell, her re...more
4 likes · like · see review
May 28, 2008
Rachel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
mystery lovers, sherlock holmes afficianados
Shelves:
mystery
Excellent addition to Laurie R. King's alt-Sherlock Holmes universe, A Letter of Mary finds Holmes and Russell, erm, rusticating , for want of a better term at their home on the Sussex downs. Both are relieved to get an intriguing letter from Dorothy Ruskin, an amateur archaeologist Russell had met during their last visit to Palestine.
Russell is shocked when only hours after visiting the couple, Miss Ruskin suffers an "accident" in London, and Holmes and Russell are back on the case.
A very soli...more
Russell is shocked when only hours after visiting the couple, Miss Ruskin suffers an "accident" in London, and Holmes and Russell are back on the case.
A very soli...more
Dec 07, 2010
Kirsty Darbyshire
added it
Another of the curious adventures of the young Mary Russell and her somewhat older husband Sherlock Holmes.
I was pleased to find that this book steered clear of theology for the most part as a tendency to give her readers an overdose of theology is the only thing that I dislike about King's books. The letter in the title has nothing to do with Mary Russell but refers to a letter written by Mary Magdalene. Although this forms part of the plot it's not concentrated on to the exclusion of everythi
...more
Third in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.[return][return]In the summer of 1923, Russell and Holmes are � at home� in Holmes� cottage in Sussex. Russell is concentrating on finishing her first book on theology; Holmes is bored. Into their lives pops Dorothy Ruskin, an eccentric older Englishwoman, an amateur archaeologist, whom they met during their adventure in Palestine. She brings with her a letter written on parchment that could very well have been written by Mary of Magdala--Mary Mag...more
The interesting thing about this book is that the ending does not support a lot of glory intrigue but the results of a character with some very interesting points of view.
The letter of Mary is about the Gospel of Mary Magdalene as it would have been dealt with during Mary Russell's post World War I timeframe. By this time, Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell are married but they are stumped by all of the evidence that pours in concerning to death of Mary Russell's friend. It is only at the end of t...more
The letter of Mary is about the Gospel of Mary Magdalene as it would have been dealt with during Mary Russell's post World War I timeframe. By this time, Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell are married but they are stumped by all of the evidence that pours in concerning to death of Mary Russell's friend. It is only at the end of t...more
A very neat little mystery that promises a great deal in the way of theological intrigue and misogyny yet resolves itself in a mundane way. Much to Holmes's chagrin. How boring for him and a nice change for the reader.
I liked this installment of Mary Russell's "memoirs". It continues in Mary's theological vein, with the arrival of a purported letter from Mary Magdalene where she identifies herself as an apostle, but rather than the death-defying cat-and-mouse games of the first two books it has...more
I liked this installment of Mary Russell's "memoirs". It continues in Mary's theological vein, with the arrival of a purported letter from Mary Magdalene where she identifies herself as an apostle, but rather than the death-defying cat-and-mouse games of the first two books it has...more
I like the premise of this series.. that Sherlock Holmes unofficially took on a young female apprentice and trained her to see as well as he did. And eventually married her. But often as in THE MOOR and THE GAME, I feel the author falls in love with her research and the story takes second place to the setting and the atmosphere. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the research she's done and I'm impressed with it, but as a writer of historical fiction myself, I feel that story should always come first.
S...more
S...more
Guilty. I committed a great reading faux-pas.
Years ago I read The Beekeeper's Apprentice and A Monstrous Regiment of Women. My book group was reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice , so I reread it and loved it even more than I remembered. I decided to buy the next two books in the series, A Monstrous Regiment of Women and A Letter of Mary, but alas, book #3, A Letter of Mary, arrived first.
This was quite frustrating. I was so excited to read them and now I was presented with a dilemma. On the one...more
Years ago I read The Beekeeper's Apprentice and A Monstrous Regiment of Women. My book group was reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice , so I reread it and loved it even more than I remembered. I decided to buy the next two books in the series, A Monstrous Regiment of Women and A Letter of Mary, but alas, book #3, A Letter of Mary, arrived first.
This was quite frustrating. I was so excited to read them and now I was presented with a dilemma. On the one...more
I didn't like this book as much as the first two. I actually put it down twice in the middle to read other books and then again twenty pages from the end (mid-reveal). I just didn't care how the case ended.
The victim of the case was meant to be a personal friend of Mary's, which is why they get involved with the case at all, but I just didn't see the connection. They had only met once. How close of friends can they be?
Also, Mary ended up following the wrong lead on the case. So, half of the case...more
The victim of the case was meant to be a personal friend of Mary's, which is why they get involved with the case at all, but I just didn't see the connection. They had only met once. How close of friends can they be?
Also, Mary ended up following the wrong lead on the case. So, half of the case...more
4 likes · like · see review
This is #3 in Laurie King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. As usual, fascinating and very different from the usual sort of mystery. Mary Russell is doing theology at Oxford (I wonder if Oxford is chosen so often because it's closer to London.) but is visited at home in Sussex (she's married to Holmes by now and the year is 1922)by an "amateur" archaeologist who leaves a puzzle with her, an ancient letter that appears to have been written by Mary Magdalene (Mary from Magdala) as she is prep...more
After the disappointment of A Monstrous Regiment of Women, I was not very much inclined to read the next installment in the Mary Russell series, titled A Letter of Mary. I decided to forge on, though, in the hopes that this will prove better than the last one, and that it might wash away some of the bitter aftertaste of disappointment in the last book.
In this novel, Holmes and Russell appear to be settling well into married life after the events of A Monstrous Regiment of Women, when they are vi...more
In this novel, Holmes and Russell appear to be settling well into married life after the events of A Monstrous Regiment of Women, when they are vi...more
I continue to adore the Mary Russell series, although A Letter to Mary turned out to be a weak link for me. Partly because the meaty, intellectual subject that Mary Russell chews on through the book is the historical Mary Magdalene's role in the early Christian church, and even though it's more interesting, more intelligent, more thorough here than in Dan Brown...the subject feels a little tired to me right now. What can I say, I'm not a fan of the Da Vinci Code and anything that reminds me of i...more
Late in the summer of 1923, Mary Russell Holmes and her husband, the illustrious Sherlock Holmes, are ensconced in their home on the Sussex Downs, giving themselves over to their studies: Russell to her theology, and Homes to his malodorous chemical experiments. Interrupting the idyllic scene, amateur archaeologist Miss Dorothy Ruskin visits with a startling puzzle. Working in the Holy Land, she has unearthed a tattered room of papyrus with a message from Mary Magdalene. Miss Ruskin wants Russel...more
A Letter to Mary the third of the Russell/Holmes series is in a nutshell, entertaining. You can read it before falling asleep, on the bus, or beach and enjoy the plot which in this case is not overly complex but is not dull either. I enjoyed this book as much as I did because of the subject matter, the banter between Holmes and Russell and the interesting secondary characters. The case begins with a mysterious letter dated 70 A.D. from the "apostle Mary", Russell is just a little skeptical when...more
Another that I am glad I have gone back to reread lo these years later.
The theme is intriguing, and I love the integration of subtle themes. I am adding Laurie King to my list of people to try to get to see sometime. As I am reading the series together again, the continuity is clearly noticeable. I am loving the bees (does Ms King have beehives I wonder?), and much as I enjoyed some of my OT studies and get jolly about the unpacking of the context and history etc, I surely never moved to writing...more
The theme is intriguing, and I love the integration of subtle themes. I am adding Laurie King to my list of people to try to get to see sometime. As I am reading the series together again, the continuity is clearly noticeable. I am loving the bees (does Ms King have beehives I wonder?), and much as I enjoyed some of my OT studies and get jolly about the unpacking of the context and history etc, I surely never moved to writing...more
What struck me most about this book is Mary's ability to acknowledge Holmes moods and to love and accept him no matter what and even adjust her wants and needs so her husband who is set in his ways, is able to pursue his own. Holmes is capable of great sensitivity and love but the way he shows it may not be apparent to anyone but his wife, brother or Watson. Holmes gives Mary clues as to his restiveness when he doesn't read the newspaper--a habit which gives him basis for lots of his investigati...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Almost at the end, I figured out King's main theme for this series -- and that is, you can be intellectual and analytical while also being religious. Ergo our protagonist Mary (who, distressingly, seems more and more modern with every novel.) I do have to remind myself that these novels are set in the 1920's and NOT in the 1890s. Sherlock is nicely humanized in this series, without being completely altered. It's just that Sherlock and Mary's relationship still makes me raise my eyebrows -- it is...more
This is the third Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell mystery, and I read it, hoping to find the magic that captivated me in “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.” It isn’t here. The plot is poorly constructed, mainly focusing on a wild goose chase concerning a character that might possibly be the killer. Then, the real killer pops in out of the blue, and we realize that we were completely suckered, having wasted our time with 200 pages of nothing that mattered at all! And then there’s the title, which refers t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Connecting back to book one, where Holmes and Russell spend a month working in Palestine, a friend from their past comes for a visit, only to die suspiciously in a hit-and-run accident later that night. Before departing their Sussex cottage for London, the archaeologist leaves a box with an ancient manuscript that hints Mary Magdalene was an apostle of Jesus, with the potential of turning the male-centered history of Christianity on its head. Holmes and Russell follow competing lines of inquiry,...more
I find this series of books fascinating, not so much for the mystery plot but rather the interpersonal relationships between Mary Russell and her husband/partner/mentor Sherlock Holmes. In this, the third book, the plot is a little thin although it starts out well with the discovery of a letter purported to be written by Mary Magdalen and hinting that she may have been one of the apostles of Jesus. Murder ensues and the letter becomes somewhat lost in the investigation. The reason for the crime...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 30, 2009
Tricia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tricia by:
Local librarian
A Letter of Mary, the third Mary Russell mystery from author Laurie R. King establishes the adult relationship between Russell and Holmes more substantially than the previous novels and offers an intimate look into their everyday lives.
The novel opens in their hometown cottage with Russell killing her back and eyes over Biblical Hebrew translations and Holmes creating some "malodorous" substances in the lab. This domestic tranquility is briefly interrupted after a visit from Dorothy Ruskin, an a...more
The novel opens in their hometown cottage with Russell killing her back and eyes over Biblical Hebrew translations and Holmes creating some "malodorous" substances in the lab. This domestic tranquility is briefly interrupted after a visit from Dorothy Ruskin, an a...more
Eh. The first book of this series (The Beekeeper's Apprentice) was the richest and most satisfying, with an entertaining thicket of plot points and a trail of compelling characterization to lead you through. The second book was suspenseful and immersed in social details from the period. This third book was filled with red herrings and detours, and the central theological intrigue was not that exciting to me after The Da Vinci Code. I will admit that I didn't read this book quickly enough; it's a...more
Closer to 3.5 stars than 4.
This one took me a little while to really get into. For the first 75-100 pages it was slow going for me. After 100 pages or so, I was completely drawn in and devoured the rest in two sittings.
The mystery is a bit convoluted and unfocused, but I think that was the point. There is no clear cut path for anyone to follow, so Holmes, Russell, and Lestrade end up going their separate ways for large portions of the book. Because everyone is pursuing a different investigation,...more
This one took me a little while to really get into. For the first 75-100 pages it was slow going for me. After 100 pages or so, I was completely drawn in and devoured the rest in two sittings.
The mystery is a bit convoluted and unfocused, but I think that was the point. There is no clear cut path for anyone to follow, so Holmes, Russell, and Lestrade end up going their separate ways for large portions of the book. Because everyone is pursuing a different investigation,...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
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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 hand of bone and sinew and flesh achieves its immortality in taking up a pen. The hand on a page wields a greater power than the fleshly hand ever could in life.”
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