This was my first story with Sherlock and Marry Russell, and while it was slow-moving, it was quite enjoyable. I loved the 1920s Italian setting and the dive into the Bethlem Hospital (Bedlam) environment. I really enjoyed the real-life names and plot points throughout, as well.

Mary Russell is approached by an old college friend because her aunt has disappeared. Said aunt had been institutionalized a few times, including at the infamous "Bedlam," so her friend is quite worried about her. Mary begins investigating and realizes there is more to this disappearance and the aunt's "insanity" than meets the eye. Mary and Sherlock Holmes end up in Venice where they try to track down the missing aunt and Sherlock keeps an eye on growing Fascist activity for Mycroft and the British government. Throw in some mentions and cameos of real people like Mussolini and Cole Porter, and you've got quite the historical mystery!

I have had The Beekeeper's Apprentice on my t0-read list for ages, but NetGalley offered me a free ebook in exchange for my opinion, so I started with number 15 in the series. I'll definitely be going back to start at the beginning, though, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was excellent, and the author did a lot of work trying to make it as historically accurate as possible, which I really appreciated. There was a theory about Ronnie's aunt that led to a pretty significant sub-plot but eventually turned out to be a red herring, which I was impressed with. I also adored Mary Russell almost immediately, which is pretty impressive considering I have never read a book from the series before. It could be because "lady detective in the late 1800s/early 1900s" is one of my favorite genres, so she feels like one of many characters I've already grown to love, but either way, I definitely loved following Mary on this journey and would enjoy reading more of her adventures in the future.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to, but I also didn’t realize it was a late entry in a series. I would likely have rated it higher if I’d read the previous books.

It is always a pleasure to join Russell and Holmes on a venture. Mary agrees to help a friend find her missing aunt, who had been in an institution for mental illness. Holmes accompanies her to Venice with a mission of his own. Russell's intrepid skills, the forward thinking themes of the book were refreshing and Russell and Holmes never grow stale.

Quickly following the event of The Murder of Mary Russell, a character last seen in A Monstrous Regiment of Women comes to Mary looking for help in finding her missing aunt - a woman who was believed to be insane. Mary, of course, looks into it with the help of her husband, Sherlock Holmes.

With this being the 15th book in the series, it helps to have read some of the early books in order to follow along. While an enjoyable mystery, as always, the characters are more interesting. While better than some of the previous books in the series, this one is still missing some of the charm in the interaction between May and Holmes that were present in the earlier books. I did like the reintroduction of an earlier character and hope that it continues.

Another wonderfully written Mary Russell novel. Russell sets out to find a friends aunt who has disappeared after her brother returns to their family home. The adventure begins!

When the aunt of a friend disappears, Mary Russell and her detective husband, Sherlock Holmes step in to help find out what when wrong! But the path to the answer is going to lead from England to Italy, and take a few dramatic turns along the way...

I will admit, when I first started this book, I felt it dragged in the beginning so I set it down. However, I needed something to read and the story quickly picked up, dragging me to where, I now have a book hangover! This is a fun read, and one that is going to lead to a few surprising twists and turns, and leave you wondering what is really going on!

When I read my first Mary Russell novel years ago, little did I know that the series would keep my attention—and continue to surprise and delight!—over such a long period. The adventures only get better for Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Loved this latest installment!

A fantastic new addition to the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series and fans and new readers will not be disappointed.

I loved this book! The time period and setting felt so atmospheric. The mystery was so engaging and kept me interested until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone that loves historical fiction as well as mystery books.

d of the Mad, a Mary Russell novel by Laurie R King is the latest entry into the franchise. It is like going home, reading a novel from such an accomplished author. Mary's friend Ronnie has lost her great aunt Vivian who had been home from a mental hospital on furlough and then disappeared. She has called upon Mary to help. The search takes Mary and Holmes to Venice.

This book gives a nice tour of Venice in the 20s, somewhat damaged from World War I, but more damaged from the current political climate in Italy. Il Duce has brought black shirts to Venice and the populace is slowly growing frightened and wary. Il Duce has a great many supporters in England so Holmes accompanies Mary both to check on the situation for this brother but also to guard Mary who, in her youth, doesn't understand the possible serious consequences of an ill-timed word.

Vivian was the daughter of William Reginald George Beaconsfield, Seventh Marquess of Selwick. She had been happy living with her brother, Thomas, and his family (including Ronnie) but after Thomas' death her grip on reality seemed to fade and she has been sent to one private hospital after another. She would appear to have regained her senses until she was sent home and then things had started to unravel for her again until she arrived at Bedlam where she has now lived for years, apparently happy there. Her older brother, Edward, seemed happy with the situation as well...until she disappeared.

Can Mary find her? Was it foul play or something else?

King writes with subtle nuance and brings current social issues out in the open a hundred years ago when they existed but were kept behind closed doors. There are several in this novel which cannot be discussed at this juncture without revealing things that would spoil the novel for the reader. They are poignantly and gently treated and explain the solution quite nicely. The Mary Russell stories on one of many takes on the Sherlock Holmes saga and one of the most creative. Very descriptive comments about not only the physical surroundings but also the mores and political climate of the time make this more than an enjoyable read, but rather an experience...one that should not be missed. I highly recommend Island of the Mad.

Another amazing Mary Russell novel! Laurie King continues to take the Sherlock Holmes subgenreto new heights with this series. Island of the Mad is engaging, intriguing Holmesian fiction.

This book was provided to me for free for an honest review from Netgalley. I have tried rereading this book three times and could only get about 100 pages in. It wasn’t a book for me. I felt the lead character was vapid and the imagery of Holmes was very one-dimensional. The dialogue was flat and the description of the setting was monotonous.

This book was much anticipated by Mary Russell fans and it doesn't disappoint. Russell and Holmes are at work in Venice in 1925 - Russell searching for an old schoolmate's missing aunt; Holmes keeping an eye on the fascists. The allegedly insane missing aunt turns out to be an independent woman running from convention to the life she wants in a wonderful twist. Then there’s Cole Porter’s appearance in this novel to spice things up. For those of us who love this series, this is another terrific read.

For newcomers, my advice would be to start the beginning. You could read it without the context of the 14 previous books, but you’d miss a lot along the way. The first book, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” remains a favorite for me.

Laurie R King's latest Holmes and Russell mystery takes them to Venice to track down a madwoman who has absconded with the family jewels. The story isn't as simple as it seems, and as Holmes and Russell explore the shadowy canals and bright islands, they discover that murder is afoot.

Laurie King’s best outing yet! It’s rare to see an author’s work consistently improve this far into a series, but King’s work gets better every year.

This is the 15th in the series and I think it's one of the best. Mary is asked by her friend Ronnie to find her aunt Vivian, who has disappeared from a house party while on leave from the mental hospital (Bedlam) where she had been staying as a patient. The nurse she was accompanied by has also disappeared. Ronnie is worried about her aunt because it seems strange that she would vanish with no note as to her whereabouts unless something was seriously wrong. Russell and Holmes follow some clues to Venice where they encounter many notable figures of the time including Cole Porter and his wife and Mussolini's black shirts. It was exciting and a great puzzle. It was clearly well researched. It is a great addition to the series.

This is one of the best mysteries I have read in a long time. I love the chemistry between Sherlock and Mary Russell. They have such a cute relationship. The mystery itself was very compelling and engaging! This was a another winner and was everything to expect from Laurie R. King!

Not my favorite but not terrible. I enjoyed how Holmes and Russell are in Venice together but each have their own investigations to pursue. I always enjoy when they go into disguise mode and have to integrate themselves in a certain setting or group. The only thing that bothered me was Russell's general disdain for men makes me wonder how she can stand to be married to one. The author seems to really push her personal opinions in this one which is fine but it got a bit repetitive at times. I still love these books but hope they can come back to what they were in the first half of the series.

This is one of my favorite series and this one did not disappoint. There are some recurring characters from a long time ago so if you've been following along since the first book you're in for a treat!