Riviera Gold (Mary Russell Mystery, #16)

by Laurie R King

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Riviera Gold is the 16th book in the Mary Russel/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King. Released 9th June 2020 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 368 pages (print edition) and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This entry in the series is set in the Riviera in 1925. Mary Russel has accompanied a friend on a sailboat and winds up in Monte Carlo and is soon mixed up with arms smuggling, crime, murder, and the long shadow of Mrs. Hudson's past. Holmes does make a significant appearance later in the book.

I liked that the narrative is worked around a framework of actual historical events, people, and occurrences. The author is skilled enough that it's sometimes difficult to distinguish where one ends and the other begins.

This is an enjoyable (but not quick) read. Fans of the series will find more of the same to like here. More rigorous fans of canonical Holmes will spend this book grinding their teeth. (Holmes and Mary Russel are married, she's the focus of the mysteries, and a lot of the action and the denouement stretch the bounds of suspension of disbelief to the limit). I did enjoy it a lot though. Highly recommended. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.