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O Jerusalem

a Mary Russell Novel
May 18, 2017jsjs rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
It's easy to see why the author needed a few years to prepare this flashback story after introducing it in book one. There are multiple layers of remarkable research evidenced here. The story does wind on longer than it needs to, but I didn't mind until... well, let's just say that despite the intricate plot, there are two exasperatingly undeveloped threads. One is a twist the author suddenly takes but never explains. Surely Conan Doyle would have added a summary at the end to clarify the whys and wherefores of this twist. The other undeveloped thread is a behind-the-scenes character who appears early on. He says some oddly dismissive things, but King doesn't flesh out his character enough that we can understand his reasoning. My rating is four and a half stars because Laurie King writes so intelligently and perceptively, and because Russell and Holmes continue to be a delight. The two weak spots are very weak -- one in particular. Yet what's done well is done so well that it outweighs the bad for me, so... four and a half stars it is.