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Book Review of Island of the Mad (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Bk 15)

Island of the Mad (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Bk 15)
cyndij avatar reviewed on + 1032 more book reviews


15th in the series. Lots of atmosphere in this one, almost exclusively set in Venice in the 1920s. There's no real puzzle to solve - the obvious reason for Lady Vivian's disappearance is the correct one, the villain is who you think it is, and the enjoyment comes from how Russell and Holmes track her down. Compared to some of the others it's pretty lightweight - the duo are never in any danger nor does there seem to be much to anyone else. There are a couple very small segments from Holme's POV, so small they are rather jarring to read. However, I did enjoy the depiction of Venice, the brief historical bits about the rise of Fascism, and it was nice to see the two finally working together. I would have liked a little more in-depth look at Mary's brief thoughts about her life choices, perhaps. All in all, not the most exciting or thought-provoking, but enjoyable.