Rasputin's Revenge

Auguste Lupa Mystery #2

by John Lescroart

Auguste Lupa, reputed son of the greatest detective of all time—and possessor of a brilliant deductive mind in his own right—is summoned to the court of the Czar. There, with a bit of assistance from none other than Holmes and Watson, he untangles a chilling plot that holds the Winter Palace in a lethal grip…

*Publishers Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Audiobook, Fantasy

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

John Lescroart (born January 14, 1948) is an American author best known for two series of legal and crime thriller novels featuring the characters Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky.

Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Junípero Serra High School, San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He then went on to earn a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970. In addition to his novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.

Reviews

[Adia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i picked this book up at a library sale and thus went into it with few expectations; this was probably for the best, as the few hopes i had for Rasputin's Revenge were let down.

the story is set in 1916 Russian and is centered around Auguste Lupin, the lovechild of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler. Despite this formidable pedigree, Lupin manages to display an impressive lack of intelligence while investigating a string of murders in the Russian court. the story is narrated by a low level former French spy, who's been sent to Russia with the weighty mission of talking the Tsar into remaining in the war; he soon discovers, however, that this is mainly a cover for his real task: playing Watson for his old friend Lupin.

my critiques:
the plot is built entirely on two highly implausible points, 1) that the Tsarina would ask a little-known private detective from Montenegro to investigate Russian political murders and 2) that someone so underqualified and devoid of diplomatic training as the narrator would be tasked with such a critical mission. still more improbable is that the man is immediately accepted as Alexei Romanov's tutor. i stand by the principle that historical fiction has the responsibility to be at least somewhat believable, and this was not that.

another problem i had was that Holmes' son, purportedly a genius, is astonishingly unclever; in the end it is Holmes himself who helps solve the case. the name Auguste Lupin (a conflation of Arsène Lupin and Auguste Dupin?) annoyed me too. Lupin is described as a large, heavy man whose chief interests are cooking, eating, and drinking beer, so that even in physicality he is unlike Holmes. what i'm saying, basically, is that if you must go against canon and give Holmes a progeny, at least make it one worthy of him.

much of the book consists of drinking, house parties, and conversation about an almost insultingly simplified version of the politics at the time. 1916 Russia was a notoriously troubled period of rioting, regicide, and poverty, yet almost none of this makes it into the story: Rasputin's death is mentioned second-hand in the last few pages, and the end of the Romanov line barely makes the epilogue

one of the few redeeming qualities of this book was the theory (strange but entertaining) that Rasputin was the son of Moriarty and that he committed the murders in order to lure Lupin to Russia to take revenge for his father's death; another was the presence of Holmes and Watson toward the end of the book.

this is the second book of a duology, and despite its faults i liked this one well enough that someday i may read the first. 3 stars.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do Sherlock Holmes and the Russian Revolution have in common? Until Rasputin's Revenge was published, they had nothing in common. John Lescroart, better known for his Dismas Hardy legal series, brings them together in a compelling tale of murder and intrigue set in St. Petersburg during the first world war and the days leading up to the revolution. A series of murders, the victims dear to Tsar Nicholas, has taken place in a matter of days, and the Tsarina has summoned Auguste Lupa and his colleague Jules Giraud to the Winter Palace. They soon come to the realization that if they can't stop the killings, Nicholas may very well sue for peace and desert that allies. What ensues is a murder mystery involving the perils of court intrigue and international politics, played out by a cast of fascinating, sharply drawn characters. There are convolutions aplenty, once "the game is afoot", and while some of the outcomes are questionable in terms of credibility, they are all delightful and satisfying.

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Rasputin's Revenge by John Lescroart at a coffe house's book exchange in San Pedro de Sur, south in Nicaragua. It turned out to be just what I was looking for, and became one of my favorite books. First of all, it's extremely well written. The background being the russian revolution gives it something extra, and for me it really contributed to the book. It was something new, and diff erent.

There is a serial killer on the loose, seemingly killing all that are close to the Czar. The Czar is taking it particulary hard, as his wife the Czarina is drifting closer and closer to the magnetic, yet oddly behaving munk Rapsutin. Frenchman Jules Girard are summoned to help by his good friend August Lupa, son of the most brilliant detective ever Sherlock Holmes. Girard takes on the job of tutoring the yong Czar children in French, which allows him to get some insight into the Czar family.

Even though the book it a bit slow in the beginng, it dosn't matter to much because the author uses these pages to set a tone and an amazingly accurate and intresting background for the story. And for thoose not that impressed with the original idea of placing the mystery in the middle of the Russian revolution, the book picks up speed and delivers a suprising, fun and well written mystery.

[Rob Leininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one amazing novel. Ignored by the public and the media. It never got the exposure it deserved. If you want a real treat, read this one. It is, however, set in the year 1917. But this shows just how good a writer John Lescroart was before he started writing the Dismas Hardy series and finally got the recognition he deserved.

[Gary Hahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having watched several series about the Czar's I knew more of the history of the background for this story, therefore I enjoyed this novel more than the previous in this series. Still I believe I enjoy Dismas Hardy and Wyatt Hunt characters more than Auguste Lupa. It was a good read, but not outstanding.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes' son, Auguste Lupa travels to Russia at the behest of Czarina Alexandra, to investigate several murders of the Czar's closest friends. The Czarina believes the murders are being committed to bring the Czar into a great depression and despair, thus undermining his reign. But Lupa uncovers many plots and sub-plots of a more sinister nature. Great detective story. Page-turner.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

42 WORD REVIEW:

A mystery rich in period detail but lacking a detective. Set in the Russia of Tsar Nicholas II, narrated by naïve French spy Jules Giraud and nominally featuring the son of Sherlock Holmes, this muddles along nicely enough until its absurd dénouement.

[wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished 9th march 2021 good read four stars really liked it kindle owned second in the series have read the first and will look for more. onward and upward. should add conan doyle to my read list and though i think i've read all the sherlock holmes i'm not positive but still. anyway.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in St. Petersburg during WW1 this book combines both historical fiction and mystery. The story starts with Jules Giraud’s arrival at the Winter Palace on a diplomatic mission. Soon it becomes clear he has more than one mission.
With more than one mission and more than one mystery, readers of both historical fiction and detective novels will delight in the intrigue and historical accuracy of the book.
The characters are well written with just enough depth to keep them believable and more convincing than a cozy mystery. The time and place, the war, the Winter Palace, the whispers of revolution all keep this book enthralling.
I loved it because it overlapped two of my favorite genres and I would highly recommend it.

[Mike Bronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading, entertaining story. Interesting piece of historical fiction, especially from our post-1917 perspective.

[Terrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Sami Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting use of characters!

[DD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intrigue, good story.

[Gonzalo Corvera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Divertido pero no extraordinario. De fácil lectura, emula el estilo de Arthur Conyan Doyle pero no tiene su originalidad.

[Rd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could've been better.

[Kevin Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of predictable.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auguste Lupa is the alias that Sherlock Holmes’ son is known by (both in this book and it’s predecessor Son of Holmes) and like Sherlock, Auguste does not tell his own story but has a chronicler to reveal his exploits, in this case the role of Watson is filled by a Frenchman named Jules Giraud. The action in this story takes place in Russia during the first World War. The war against Germany has been going badly for the Czar and to add to his troubled state of mind, his friends and confidants are being murdered. Meanwhile the Czarina follows the guidance of Rasputin above all others and she makes most of the day to day domestic decisions as the Czar is away commanding his army at the front. The common people are starving and rebellion is in the air. Lupa and Giraud have been tasked with keeping the Czar committed to the war with Germany, this would force the Kaiser to continue fighting a war on two fronts and gain the Allies time to regroup with the hope of possible reinforcement by the United States. They operate surrounded by the political and social intrigues of the Imperial Court. Their first objective: discover who is behind the murders.

RASPUTIN’S REVENGE is an interesting hybrid, a work of historical fiction combined with a mystery being investigated by the son of Sherlock Holmes. If you are a fan of either or especially both of these genres you will find this an enjoyable read.

[East Bay J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better. I’m not sure what it is, perhaps my familiarity with the characters or maybe Lescroart’s increased familiarity with his characters and writing style but Rasputin’s Revenge seemed to flow better and get started quicker. I still find it difficult to identify or sympathize much with Lupa, other than to admire his deductive wit and efficiency. Also, Giraud seems better fleshed out. I don’t want to give too much away, considering I would recommend this book, but Lescroart does a nice job of tying in Czar Nicholas and family and that nutty, nutty Friend of theirs. There’s even a neat appearance from Holmes and Watson. In fact, the parallels between Homes/Watson and Lupa/Giraud add a nice touch. All in all, Rasputin’s Revenge was a more enjoyable read than Son Of Holmes.

[John Lyman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very interesting how Lescroart weaves actual historical occurrences into his fiction books. I am not a fan of stories based in, or on, Russia, so this was a hard book to get into. Not to mention that it revolves around WWI, which is also a topic of little interest to me. However, it was enjoyable and did pick up about half way through. I'm glad he changed his style and subject matter because I enjoy his Dismas Hardy books alot, but these Auguste Lupa ones are not nearly as good. It's kind of disturbing to read a novel that could be real and is presented as reality knowing it is not at all factual.

[Marybeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit, I didn't make it very far. I was only able to manage a couple chapters before I had to bail. The way the details are laid out was too cluttered and confusing. I couldn't keep the characters straight, and the high intrigue was too intriguing for me. I wanted to like it because I enjoyed the previous book, Son of Holmes, and I've always been fascinated by Rasputin. Unfortunately I just couldn't stick it out long enough to discover whether the story lived up to the legends. I might give it a try another time, when Son of Holmes has faded a bit. The writing in this one was so different in tone and structure that it threw me off enough that I just couldn't stick with it.

[Donnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes and there is a hint of him in this but not quite enough to thoroughly interest me. To be fair, I haven't read "Son of Holmes" which was the first book introducing the main character so maybe that made a difference. It had moments of real excitement but I was hoping for more.

[liirogue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second book in a series, but it works fine as a stand-alone novel.

It was interesting, and I enjoyed the concept of following the son of Sherlock Holmes, but I knew who the murderer was right away.

[Alan]

The son of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler and his French friend are called to St. Petersburg during WWI to solve the mystery of who is killing friends of Czar Nicholas. Told in the style of Conan Doyle.

[Laurel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author for me and I enjoyed it as an audiobook. The narrator, Tom Batz, was extremely good and I enjoyed learning about the 1916 era of Russia and Rasputin.for someone who is not a history buff, this was an enjoyable painless way of learning about the era of my grandparents.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this immediatley after Son of Holmes. I love the character dynamics.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be reviewed later.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely thrilling read. Full of turns and ever unpredictable. A very satisfying book. Five stars.

[LInda L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like this AT ALL. About Sherlock Holmes' son (?) and his friend and the Russian Revolution. Finished it, but barely.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preferred this to the first book in the series due to the larger cast of characters and interweaving of real history into the story.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light historical confection.