Book Review of Castle Shade by Laurie R. King

Note: Thank you, NetGallery and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, for giving me a free ARC of Laurie R. King’s newest title, “Castle Shade,” for my honest review.

I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes stories for a long time, especially re-imagining versions of the stories, such as the Robert Downey Jr. movies and, of course, the excellent BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
This latest installment in Laurie R. King’s series focused on Mary Russell is right up there with the others for me. I love Mary’s ingenuity and her relationship with her husband. I’ve only read one other book in this series, and that was the first book, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice”.

Castle Shade brought elements in a story I enjoy. History, the supernatural, mystery, and folklore.
The setting in Bran was familiar to me as I had previously read a historical non-fiction book on the Crimean war. I also felt that the small town featured in the story felt like any small town. I think whether it’s the early 20th century, 19th century, or today, small towns have the same feel all over, especially in fiction. There are family ties, legends, and feuds.

Using Dracula’s castle was delightful as I am a big fan of Bram Stoker’s novel and myth surrounding the most famous vampire.

The relationship between Mary and Sherlock is wonderful. They make it work despite their huge age gap. If anyone could get the eternal bachelor to settle down, it was definitely Mary. I love their banter. I also enjoy that Sherlock doesn’t talk down to his wife. He encourages her to come up with her own opinions, and even if he disagrees, he doesn’t tear her down. At least in this book, I have yet to read the other books in this series.

I highly recommend picking this installment of Mary and Sherlock’s adventures. It’ll keep you guessing until the end.