Knave of Diamonds
In the first decades of the last century, crimes and mysteries abound. Mary Russell, wife of the famous Sherlock Holmes, receives an unexpected visit from her long-lost and mysteriously colorful uncle Jake Russell. Jake is a favorite family member of her childhood but has a strange and urgent request. He needs her to assist him to solve an old enigma – the disappearance of the Irish Crown Jewels from an Irish castle. Her success may explain Jake’s long absence and preserve her father’s family name.
How can Mary help her uncle while not alarming or implicating her mega-inquisitive detective husband? The adventure proceeds with complex investigative trips back and forth from Ireland and the introduction of a myriad of curious characters on both sides of the Irish sea. And, of course, Sherlock becomes involved.
This book is another in the always continuing and ever popular genre of Sherlock Holmes sagas. It is alternately presented from the perspectives of Mary, Jake, and Sherlock and features all the clever and period-appropriate dialogue one would expect from a Holmesian tale. At times, it is daunting to keep up with the vast array of characters but some of them, especially Uncle Jake, “Mrs. Walsh,” and three loveable Irish wolfhounds are charmingly appealing. Aside from a brief and singularly inane account of thousands of years of Irish history, Knave of Diamonds will attract fans of the great Sherlock in general and especially the readers of the previous eighteen books in this particular Mary Russell series. A fun read.
