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Pirate King (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #11)

by Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 2,826 ratings · 643 reviews

In this latest adventure featuring the intrepid Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King takes readers into the frenetic world of silent films—where the pirates are real and the shooting isn’t all done with cameras.

In England’s young silent-film industry, the megalomaniacal Randolph Fflytte is king. Nevertheless, at th...more

Hardcover, 300 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by Bantam (first published 2011)

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May 26, 2011 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, laurie-king

And now for something completely different!! To be honest, I was quite prepared to be disappointed in this unlikely foray by Mary Russell. I mean, pirates? really?? give me a break! I'm not quite sure what I expected this novel to be, but I was thoroughly entertained by what it turned out to be. I'm not going to reveal any spoilers (most of you will just have to wait 'til September!) but I have to hand it to Laurie; in other hands this story could have quickly gone south but Ms. King used her ab...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, historical-mystery, e-books, read-2011

This copy was kindly sent by NetGalley.

Russell is called to go undercover to Lisbon and then Morocco as a director's assistant of the silent movie based on The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. Her job is to investigate strange troubles wit the team and the disappearance of the last assistant's director.

This idea is not so original since François Truffaut wrote and directed his famous movie "La nuit américaine" in 1973.

The plot made by laurie King is quite boring except by the appear...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Emily Childress-Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't know if it's just me, but I have a certain devotion toward authors I started reading at a young age. Right about the time I started venturing out of the juvenile and young adult sections of the library I was about fourteen, and I will always be doomed to give the benefit of the doubt to these first "adult" authors that captivated me.

"Why do you choose the word 'doomed'?" you may ask. My answer to that question is Laurie R. King's new novel Pirate King. Before I enumerate all the reasons...more I don't know if it's just me, but I have a certain devotion toward authors I started reading at a young age. Right about the time I started venturing out of the juvenile and young adult sections of the library I was about fourteen, and I will always be doomed to give the benefit of the doubt to these first "adult" authors that captivated me.

"Why do you choose the word 'doomed'?" you may ask. My answer to that question is Laurie R. King's new novel Pirate King. Before I enumerate all the reasons why you would be best served in leaving this novel on the shelf, I want to praise some of her previous novels. The first novel of Ms. King's that I read was The Beekeeper's Apprentice. The book centers on a young, extremely smart woman who lives in Sussex in the early 1900's. One day she just happens to trip over Sherlock Holmes (who, if you will remember, retires to Sussex post Conan Doyle's stories to be a beekeeper.) Due to her intelligence she makes a spetacular detective in training, and so begins the Mary Russell series, which has, since age fourteen, been one of my favorites.
(photo courtesy of laurierking.com)

The Beekeeper's Apprentice is easily the best book in the now eleven book series. While the books have waxed and waned in terms of readability over the years, the last two books (before Pirate King, that is) gave me great hope for the series as a whole. 2009's The Language of Bees and 2010's The God of the Hive were first rate page turners with depth not often found in the average mystery novel.

Pirate King, however, lacks both depth and suspense. The premise of the novel is a tough one. A famous film maker in the silent film industry is making a movie about people making a movie about Gilbert and Sullivan's opera The Pirates of Penzance. If this is not confusing enough remember that in The Pirates of Penzance there are twelve blonde daughters who end up getting kidnapped by (as luck would have it) twelve pirates who eventually marry them. There are, therefore, twelve actresses in the movie within the novel who are playing these twelve daughters. The reader has to keep track of all of these characters, none of whom are particularly interesting. Mary Russell is called in because there are some fishy things (perhaps drug trade?) going on with the film company. She stays because they end up getting kidnapped by real pirates. (Who saw that coming?!). A novel with this premise could be really fun. Or it could be confusing and tedious. Unfortunately Pirate King is the later.

The novel is not without at least one interesting character, however, and that is the translator, Fernando Pessoa, who is hired by the film crew. An amateur writer, Pessoa finds that by living out several different identities he can hone his craft. (In her acknowledgments King notes that Pessoa was actually a real person.) This makes for a very interesting and unpredicatable scene between him and Russell. After this, however, we don't encounter him again. Instead we are forced to hear Russell speculate over and over (even though her character claims to be annoyed with the whole affair) on possible romantic feelings between specific actresses and the pirates.

Halfway through the novel I was really hoping Holmes would show up so that I could be treated to some of his and Russell's intellectual banter. When he does show up, however, we only get pages of Russell repeating to Holmes all of the clues that have already been pointed out to the reader. This is just redundant.

In the end Pirate King feels like just what it describes: being on a film set. You wait around for something to happen and then when it does it is almost not worth the wait. Read Ms. King's wonderful first novel of the series The Beekeeper's Apprentice, but leave Pirate King on the shelf. (less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Cynthia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was a mess. I understand that it is the latest of a long series of novels, all with the premise of having been penned by Sherlock Holmes' wife, Mary Russell. This falls so short of anything aspiring to a Holmes mystery. Anachronisms! Sloppiness! Awkward and just plain silly plot. I was embarrassed for the author as I was reading along, hoping that some brilliant stroke would calm my fears and make the time spent worthwhile. It never came about, and loose strings were so abruptly and ca...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Kennedi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, interesting-idea, mystery, sherlock-holmes, weirdly-fascinating

Pirate King (Mary Russell #11) by Laurie R. King

Genre: Mystery

Rating: Compared to everyday books, 5 stars; Compared to series, 4.5 stars

While reading other reviews for this book, I saw that not many people liked it as much as the others. Apparently it had too little Holmes in it, or the plot was too silly.

Well, for me, as much as I love Sherlock Holmes to death (and did miss him a bit), I thoroughly enjoyed Pirate King. The plot wasn’t as serious as the other books, but after all of the drama in...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Owen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, detective, historical-fiction

A clever idea, that of basing this 11th Mary Russell novel around the G&S light opera, Pirates of Penzance, but that part didn't really come off. Nevertheless, King's writing is always (to date - I have read some 12 of her books) sharp and observant, with an attention to detail that should be a byword in the greater writing community. She has that wonderful knack of "speaking" to the reader here and there in her works without ever being intrusive. This is a quality one does not often find in...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Dorothyanne Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

Way back when my daughter was a youngish teen, she and I enjoyed mightily the storied of The Beekeeper's Apprentice and the ongoing story of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. So recently, in my hunt for mystery authors for Bloody Words Stormy Weather in Halifax, I grabbed this book from the library to see what Mary Russell was up to now.
Well, maybe I'm older and more cynical (I read Swedish authors, after all) but this book didn't grab me at all, with it's lengthy and needlessly complex setup. I...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

TL;DR - Worth reading if you can't get enough of Russell, but you can skip the book and not miss anything important

The writing is excellent, and once more Laurie King transports us into another time and world, evoking sights, smells, and sounds. She provides background information with a deft hand, setting the era and outlining the politics and social constraints that drive and shape the characters without the dreaded info-dump syndrome. That said, Russell and Holmes do not mature nor develop in...more

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Aug 25, 2012 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

For those who enjoyed the original Sherlock Holmes novels, the novels penned by Laurie King are a bit different. They imagine Holmes as a senior citizen and married to a much younger Mary Russell, the narrator of the story. This is book eleven in the series. While each stands alone, they are much better if read in series. This latest story begins as Holmes and Russell are recovering from their laast adventure. Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard requests them to undertake an undercover assignmen...more

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May 16, 2012 JayeL rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, audio, own

I am kind of afraid that audiobooks are ruining me for fiction. It is so pleasant to have someone read to me even if I have no idea who they are. I did not enjoy Laurie R. King's last two books, The Language of Bees and The God of the Hive, very much. I think I just didn't understand them. Thus, I wasn't that excited about reading this book, but I found it on sale, had a coupon and tried again. It was enjoyable and makes me think I should read the previous two books via audio. I think I would al...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, historical, mystery

Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes have just returned from a heart-wrenching case when Mary discovers that Mycroft intends to park himself with them for some time while he has the builders in. This prompts her to accept a case from Lestrade, investigating a film company that seems to have a shady side. From the moment she joins the company as assistant to one of the producers, Mary's life is turned upside down with constant chaos. The company, known always for shooting on location, is...more

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Apr 25, 2012 AJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Even books that are on the low end of the scale for Laurie R. King are usually miles better than most of what's out there. She is a no-brainer "buy in hardcover" author for me. However, I'm glad that I spotted this at the library before making my way to the bookstore, because Pirate King was a rare miss for me in the King oeuvre. The previous two books were rather dark and heavy, so perhaps she just wanted a change of pace in this light, operetta-inspired novel. But it just didn't work for me. I...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Where I got the book: purchased at indie bookstore (author event, signed).

I am a big fan of King's Mary Russell series, but Pirate King will not number among my favorites. King has stated that she agreed to write this book (under, I assume, the usual publisher pressure to keep churning on) with the proviso that she would go back to the light-hearted feel of the early Russell books. I would actually say that she went beyond her remit and came up with something that is so much more light-hearted t...more

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Mar 19, 2012 M Christopher rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

It's been awhile since I've been so disappointed in a book. Connie and I have become great fans of Laurie King's series of books about Mary Russell, the young woman who becomes Sherlock Holmes' apprentice and then his wife. Overall, the series is clever, well-written, and a true homage to the great stories of Arthur Conan Doyle.

But "Pirate King" falls flat. I think the reason is that Ms. King tries too hard to match her style and plot points to the central conceit of the story. Russell and Holme...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Sheilagh Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you haven’t read the series let me stop you right now and send you back to the beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice (1994) ISBN 0-312-10423-5 The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first in the series of books about Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. I never thought that anyone could do Holmes the justice that the original author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but Laurie R. King comes awful close. Scroll down to below the list of the Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell for the review of Pirate King.

A Mo...more If you haven’t read the series let me stop you right now and send you back to the beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice (1994) ISBN 0-312-10423-5 The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first in the series of books about Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. I never thought that anyone could do Holmes the justice that the original author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but Laurie R. King comes awful close. Scroll down to below the list of the Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell for the review of Pirate King.

A Monstrous Regiment of Women (1995) ISBN 0-312-13565-3
A Letter of Mary (1997) ISBN 0-312-14670-1
The Moor (1998) ISBN 0-312-16934-5
O Jerusalem (1999) ISBN 0-553-11093-4
(Although written fifth in sequence, the events in this book take place during the latter part of those described in The Beekeeper's Apprentice)
Justice Hall (2002) ISBN 0-553-11113-2
The Game (2004) ISBN 0-553-80194-5
Locked Rooms (2005) ISBN 0-553-80197-X
The Language of Bees (2009) ISBN 0-553-80454-5
The God of the Hive (2010) ISBN 0-553-80554-1

I love Pirates of Penzance I was very excited but I wondered how Ms. King would take this story and use it with in a story about people making a movie. At first I was disappointed that Sherlock Holmes didn’t appear in the story until much, much later but as I followed along with Mary and her adventure I became intrigued with the story and the characters she was meeting. The background and research for this story was done well as are all her books the historical facts are extremely accurate and fun to read. I loved how she tied the story together with the movie making and the actual events that take place, however I must say I was still a little disappointed in how tiny the role of Sherlock Holmes there was in the book itself .It takes nearly two one third of the book before you really even read about Sherlock and then it seems to be more of an after-thought then the Sherlock Holmes she wrote about in previous books. That said the storyline was very good despite the missing Holmes and I did enjoy it. It was a rich fun story and if you like a great pirate story you will enjoy this book.
(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 CJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

I will admit to being something of an Anglophile. I do love the British and their unique way of seeing things. Except...I emphatically do not love Gilbert and Sullivan. Never understood the attraction, don't understand what people see the plays/operettas. I suspect the mashup of all that singing and all that duty are just too much for me. That said, the first half of this book focuses on The Pirates of Penzance. This is a book about making a movie about the making of a play within a play. Confus...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

While I really like King's writing style, I'm completely puzzled as to why she felt the need to insert the character of Mary Russell into the world of Sherlock Holmes. I can totally see Mary Russell in her own world and doing just fine. Tying her to Holmes confuses me because I keep expecting serious bouts of deductive reasoning and feats of intuition that border on the mystical (until they're explained of course!) In short, I expect more of an original Holmes feel, with a new perspective brough...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Investigating possible evildoers while filming a silent movie about a movie about a comic opera. It should have been a farce. But in Laurie R. King's The Pirate King, it's Holmes and Russell, so it's an absolutely marvelous froth instead.

Mary Russell does not particularly want to spend a fortnight (that's two weeks to us Americans) cooped up in Sussex with her brother-in-law Mycroft. In their last meeting (The God of the Hive) Russell discovered that some of Mycroft's actions on the part of the...more Investigating possible evildoers while filming a silent movie about a movie about a comic opera. It should have been a farce. But in Laurie R. King's The Pirate King, it's Holmes and Russell, so it's an absolutely marvelous froth instead.

Mary Russell does not particularly want to spend a fortnight (that's two weeks to us Americans) cooped up in Sussex with her brother-in-law Mycroft. In their last meeting (The God of the Hive) Russell discovered that some of Mycroft's actions on the part of the government were even shadier than she had thought. And Russell, being Russell, didn't cavil at letting Mycroft know exactly what she thought. This does not contribute to family harmony, even in the Holmes family.

Inspector Lestrade needs someone to infiltrate a film company that seems to have a run of bad luck. Fflytte Films makes a film about gunrunning, and suddenly there's a rash of illegal firearms everywhere. Fflytte makes a movie about rum-running, and there's bathtub gin all over the place (1924--Prohibition, remember?) When the producer's assistant goes missing, Lestrade wants someone who can type to substitute, so he can get a man on the inside. Russell "volunteers" to get away from the Holmes brothers' family reunion.

Fflytte Films leaves London for Morocco by way of Lisbon to film a movie about a film company making a movie about the making of a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Which is in Wales. But Fflytte Films would never do anything so boring as to film in Wales. Or so boring as to use anything like the real story of the opera. Instead of 4 daughters, the Major General of famous song has 13 daughters. And then, there are the pirates. Since there are 13 daughters, there need to be 13 pirates. And because Fflytte Films is famous for its realism, Randolph Fflytte recruits real pirates, along with a real, honest-to-goodness (or badness) Pirate King.

Escape Rating A+: I stayed up until 1 am to finish this book. This was the lighter side of Holmes and Russell, and was a welcome antidote to the darker doings of The Language of Bees and The God of the Hive. The Pirate King is a lark. Some serious events happen, but there is a happily ever after in this one. Even though it turns out that all of the events were manipulated by Mycroft from the beginning, it is worth it just for the image of Holmes playing an actor playing the Major General courting Russell under the eyes of the entire film cast and crew. Priceless!(less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wasn't up to her usual thrilling plot. Worth the read, but not one of her best.....

In England’s young silent-film industry, the megalomaniacal Randolph Fflytte is king. Nevertheless, at the request of Scotland Yard, Mary Russell is dispatched to investigate rumors of criminal activities that swirl around Fflytte’s popular movie studio. So Russell is traveling undercover to Portugal, along with the film crew that is gearing up to shoot a cinematic extravaganza, Pirate King. Based on Gilbert and S...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All fans of Sherlock Holmes

I have read all of Laurie R King's books and enjoyed all of them. To readers who may not be familiar with King's books, her central characters are Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell, together with Holmes's brother, Mycroft, and Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade.

In this latest adventure in the series, Holmes and Russell have become involved with Randolph Fflytte, a film maker who is trying to make a film loosely based on "The Pirates of Penzance." Russell has serious misgivings about bec...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Lana Kamennof-sine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I broke down and ordered an author signed copy when I realized that a) local bookstores didn't have it as soon as I'd like & b) the public library had a lengthy queue for it long before publication.

I had it in hand in timely fashion & then the dilemma presented itself. Do I stop everything to read this immediately - instant gratification OR do I wait, to savour it, over a long thanksgiving weekend when I'd be alone in the house & could give it my full attention.

Delayed gratification...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Marlyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-galley, historical, mystery, net-galley

Those who believe that a series gets weaker the longer it goes on have not read Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books. This is the eleventh title in the series, and while it may not be the best of the bunch, it certainly ranks in the top three or four.

Russell/Holmes aficionados will know that Mary does not feel kindly towards her brother-in-law Mycroft. (Something about him being manipulative...?) So, when her husband tells her that his brother will be coming to stay for a few wee...more Those who believe that a series gets weaker the longer it goes on have not read Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books. This is the eleventh title in the series, and while it may not be the best of the bunch, it certainly ranks in the top three or four.

Russell/Holmes aficionados will know that Mary does not feel kindly towards her brother-in-law Mycroft. (Something about him being manipulative...?) So, when her husband tells her that his brother will be coming to stay for a few weeks while some work his done on his own house, Mary feels the need to be elsewhere. But her flat in Oxford has been flooded due to a broken pipe, so it appears she has no recourse.

Inspector Lestrade to the rescue! He asks Mary to be his "mole" in a silent film company owned by megalomaniac Randolph St. John Warminster-Fflyte ("Fflyte films -- Fflytes of fancy") who has decided to make a film about a film company making a film of a production of The Pirates of Penzance. And Mr. Fflyte has a need for authenticity, so they will be filming on location. No, not in Penzance. In Lisbon. You'll need to read the book to find out why.

From the time that Mary appears to the offices of Fflyte Films and introduces herself to general manager Geoffrey Hale, whose assistant she is replacing, the narrative begins to resemble an episode of I Love Lucy, with the distinction that if Mary takes one action things could be fine, the opposite could mean death or worse.

Yes, the tale is more humorous than other stories in the series, but that doesn't make it trivial. Trying to keep track of the whole cast and crew of the production is no easy task, but of course Mary manages magnificently. And in the process, she just happens to solve a mystery or two (with some help from her husband).

This book is truly a delight. It will certainly be enjoyed by Mary Russell fans, and might even draw some more into the company.

*Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.(less)

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Oct 03, 2011 Ron Arden rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was a bit disappointed by this book. The front cover says it is a novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately the first half of the book was a nice story with Russell, but hardly suspenseful at all. The only time one sees Homes is at the very beginning. Finally about half way through the book, Russell and Holmes come together and the suspense starts.

The story was interesting with a British film company planning to make a pirate movie based on their interpretatio...more

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Oct 01, 2011 LauraRW rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was so excited to download this...and so let down as the book plodded on...and on...and on...with no hint of a mystery in sight.

Really, some sort of mystery should be present before the book is mostly over.

Perhaps some readers might be amused at Mary Russell being surrounded by a gaggle of mindless actresses, egotistical directors, and various other insipid personae surrounding a motion picture. I found it probably as trying as Mary Russell to be constantly sorting through the 13 female actres...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Gemma rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm not sure why but something about musical theatre pleases me. And when you throw some Gilbert & Sullivan into the mix it should be evident that I will want to read it and will no doubt enjoy it, and this latest release from Laurie R. King is no exception.

The story is brilliantly composed. There are small intricacies within the tale that suck you in, so much so that I found myself wanting to wield a cutlass and go swashbuckling.
Unlike a few of the previous books in the Russell series, the...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes--but start at the beginning of the series.

I will admit right now that I wasn't feeling too optimistic about this book. My reaction, when I first read the title was along the lines of "Pirate King?!!! Ugh."

However, I love Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, so of course I read the book. As I expected, I wasn't overly enthralled at first though the pirate aspect did grow on me. My complaint was the usual Russellian one--not enough Holmes/Russell interaction. I'm not looking for cooing and billing. They are most definitely not lovebirds nor...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

For over 10 years, I've enjoyed reading King's novels because of her incredible dedication to research, unfailing ear for dialogue and fantastic use of detail. However, in this book, the most recent in her Mary Russell series, all three of those staples are missing. Even for a series that posits that Holmes is some 10 years younger than generally accepted and married to a woman half his age, this addition strains credulity. Set in the mid-1920s on the moving set of a silent film about pirates, M...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: derivative-fiction, fiction, historical, mystery

So this is Laurie R. King writing a book about fictional Mary Russell who has written another memoir of an adventure with Sherlock Holmes, this one about the time she went undercover as an assistant to a crew making a silent movie about a crew making a movie about The Pirates of Penzance.

By all rights, you should need to diagram out the layers of narrative and meta narrative, but you don’t. As usual, King passes but lightly over these points, and in fact pauses briefly to make fun of critical r...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Laurie King's latest Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes offering is about the silent film era and a flamboyant director whose film company seems to be followed around by criminal characters and tragic events. Scotland Yard has asked Mary to go undercover as part of the film support staff and unravel exactly what is going on.

If you are a fan of The Pirates of Penzance, then you are in for a treat. In this story, the filmmaker wants to make a film called The Pirate King, which is about a company of acto...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Megan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads and Random House for sending me a free copy of this book!

This review contains mild spoilers...

I feel I should start this review with a few caveats.
1) This isn't a bad book, just not what I was expecting.
2) I've only read this and the first two novels in the Mary Russell series.
3) Prior to reading this I knew nothing about 'The Pirates of Penzance'.

That being said, I've come to associate Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes with mystery and suspense (the very title claims...more

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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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Books by Laurie R. King

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

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

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