The Moor: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes: Mary Russell, Book 4

Mary is called from her studies in Oxford to join her husband Sherlock Holmes on Dartmoor. At first resentful, Mary soon becomes interested in investigating the death of an itinerant tin miner and rumors of a ghostly carriage and a hound with a single glowing eye. They are staying at the home of the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould who is a long-time friend of Sherlock's. Baring-Gould is nearly ninety and dying but he is still a force to be reckoned with on the moor. He is the author of more than 150 books on a wide variety of topics (and Mary reads quite a number of them while in his home). He's most famous for collecting the traditional songs of Dartmoor and trying to preserve the culture that he fears will be lost when communication gets easier.Dartmoor is the scene of one of Sherlock's most famous cases - The Hound of the Baskervilles -- and Baskerville Hall and its new owner American Richard Ketteridge play an important part in this story. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the land and the people of Dartmoor as Mary came to appreciate the stark beauty of the land. Even without the supernatural creatures who are supposed to inhabit the land, the fogs and marshes provide enough danger for any traveler. Add in the British military using part of the moor to test artillery and test out a new sort of tank and you have a dangerous place to spend time.This was an excellent episode in this series. I liked seeing how Mary and Holmes are getting along after two years of marriage.

As always I enjoyed the antics of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. They are quite the pair. Sometimes it’s hard to get into the story but there is so much heart and soul in these characters that I can’t stop myself from continuing. And then it’s over! And I can’t wait for the next adventure!The Moor seems like a hellish place. You have to be careful where you walk so you don’t get into a bog... and it seems cold and wet...then you have huge dogs that appear following eerie coaches. Not to mention that there isn’t much to eat on the Moor (poor Mary!).Thank goodness Holmes has a plan! Doesn’t he always?A fun and thoughtful read. Don’t miss it!

The first two books in this series were excellent, the last one decent enough. But this book (number four) was, well...boring.The tedious and frequent descriptions of the moor were mind-numbing. If King was trying to invoke suspense with the setting, she missed the mark, merely inducing me towards slumber. Two other mystery books set on the moors evoked much stronger reactions and the books were more thoroughly enjoyed. "Silent on the Moor" by Deanna Raybourn and "A Bitter Truth" by Charles Todd. King failed where these authors succeeded.There was little action in the story with a lot of telling instead of showing. The action only picked up near the very end. I don't want to read a book merely to enjoy the last thirty or forty pages. I hope this is a fluke and the rest of the series lives up to the promising start.

Mary Russell is reluctantly dragged away from her studies after receiving a telegram from Holmes requesting her presence in Dartmoor. Holmes had been in Dartmoor visiting an old friend, but got drawn into an investigation after a local is killed. The case in question involves a ghostly carriage made of bones and a spectral hound haunting the Moor. Rather begrudgingly, Mary helps to scout for clues in the foggy, cold, and damp Moor. What both her and Holmes find are a handful of supernatural sightings that draw suspicious parallels between this case and one of Holmes' most famous investigations, The Hound of the Baskervilles.Like a lot of Sherlock Holmes fans, The Hound of the Baskervilles holds a special place in my heart. So revisiting the setting of that mystery with Mary and Holmes had my geeky heart all a titter.The pacing here was a lot faster than in some of the other Mary Russell books, which was a relief after slogging through the slow moving A Letter of Mary. My only complaint is pretty mild, Mary was going through a bit of a mid-life crisis that involved a hesitance to fully join Holmes in the case until near the end. So she sort of emotionally checked out during the first half of the investigation. While she was still physically involved, there was a lot of background noise involving her reluctance to be there at all. King did a good job of attributing this to a psychological backlash due to the events of the previous three books but, with such an awesome mystery going on, I got frustrated that Mary wasn't getting into it. However, Holmes more than made up for Mary's standoffish attitude. He was, luckily, more present here than he had been in the previous books and seemed really in his element. It was great seeing Holmes get to dash about and really get into the mystery, which is something we hadn't fully gotten to see in the first three novels.Most of the action takes place in a huge echoing mansion and the chilly moor, which seems so far removed from the London/Sussex settings of the previous novels that it was a refreshing change. I also really adored the moor atmosphere because I'm a huge fan of Gothic mysteries. The moor offered a great eerie and isolated feeling typically found in that genre and it really upped the suspense.This is, by far, my favorite out of the series so far. I highly recommend it.

This took a while to get through and it required a bit of effort. Lengthy descriptions of a number of long trips (via foot and horseback) through unfriendly and unfamiliar terrain in cold, wet weather were followed by descriptions of overnight stays outdoors, in homes of a host and inns along the way. The mystery Holmes and Mary Russell set out to solve came together quickly at the end. I really enjoy Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series; but if I had to rank them, this one would not make my list of "favorites".

Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell, his protege, and eventual wife! So cleverly written, I am mightily impressed!A recent “discovery” my finding these stories! I am well and truly hooked. I am amused by some of the “tongue in cheek” clever efforts by the writer, and her knowledge, evident research, and her characterisations. Being very much British, I am so relieved and refreshed by the “Englishness “, and at the same time the cosmopolitan approach and inclusiveness. Even the spelling is British! Probably intentional, of course. Why did I not know about Laurie King sooner?! But....hey....so much to enjoy and look forward to. Very evocative for all Sherlock Holmes fans.....and women who are characters in their own right!

Another in the series featuring Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell. This time, the story sees them returning to Dartmoor, the scene of one of Holmes’ most celebrated cases, The Hound of the Baskervilles.That may sound exciting, but sadly this book doesn’t live up to its premise, with repetitive scenes of endless traipsing across the moor and bath-taking, before everything is wrapped up quickly at the end.This isn’t an essential instalment in the series.

Laurie King is a writer of worthy reputation, and she constructs gripping mysteries time and again. My only reservation - but it is one that I simply cannot overcome - is that this is her Sherlock Holmes, and it only bears a superficial resemblance to Conan Doyle’s inimitable original, so that I read with interest but never conviction.

Laurie R. King has founded a whole genre writing new Sherlock Holmes mysteries with a female protagonist in the lead. To contrive fictions on fiction, renew and maintain the original fictional style, and invent cracking new stories, is no mean feat, and the Mary Russell series is to be highly commended as entertaining novels with clever nuances which always stay just the right side of parody or pastiche.The Moor is no exception to the rather brilliant inventions Laurie King brings to each of Mary Russell's escapades with her hero husband, Sherlock Holmes. Detective stories with a difference, each book sparkles with wit, perception, expertise in story, style, and sensibility, acute eye for detail, and an electric personal touch in the relationship between Holmes and his wife, 30 years his junior, the intelligent, intellectual, dynamic, eclectic, fascinating Mary Russell.I recommend The Moor as I recommend all the Mary Russell books. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a detective novel, and/or who has a secret penchant for Sherlock Holmes, will love them all.

A good book, but not for everyone. Some scenes are quite modern. The heroine is a bit strange. This story is perfect for those who have read previous books with Mary Russell. It is wise to consult earlier books in the series.