Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Castle Shade by Laurie R. King

Marie, Queen Consort of Romania

Castle Shade
 
Laurie R. King
2021
5/5 stars

When Mary Russell's husband and partner, Sherlock Holmes, announces they are going to Transylvania to sort out whispers about vampires, she laughs at him.  It turns out, however, that Queen Marie of Romania  is in genuine need of help to stave off a spate of rumors of supernatural events, and to protect the Princess Ileana from threat.

As usual, King blends her original story with the canon personality of Holmes in a convincing way.  The story goes between Russell's first-person point-of-view and the third-person chapters that follow Holmes both smoothly and naturally.  Russell is genuinely likable, Holmes garners respect and admiration, and their relationship is as believable as possible, given the circumstances, and immensely entertaining.  Actual facts are woven in with the fiction nearly seamlessly, with the personalities of the historical figures being convincing, and the supporting cast, as it were, seeming lively and realistic.  It's not difficult to determine the culprit in this adventure, but the characters, plots, atmosphere, and general personality of the book make it completely engrossing and memorable.  Castle Shade is closer to 4.5 stars technically speaking, but it's worth the higher rating for the pure pleasure and satisfaction it gives.