Mary Russell’s childhood friend, Ronnie Fitzwarren, contacts her asking for help in finding her Aunt Vivian. Lady Vivian, it seems, was home visiting her family, released from Bethlem Royal Hospital (known to most as Bedlam) temporarily. She was accompanied by a nurse from the hospital. Mary recalls a visit to Bedlam with Ronnie several years before and finding Lady Vivian at ease with her surroundings and admitting to feeling safe there. Mary always thought it was an interesting idea to feel safe in such an institution. But now, after visiting her sister-in-law and half-brother (who lived in the largest part of the house), Vivian and her nurse have vanished.

Selwick Hall, where Vivian’s half-brother, the Marquess, lived was Mary’s first stop in her search for Ronnie’s aunt. When Vivian left, she apparently took some family jewels and other items. Vivian’s sister-in-law was pleasant but not very helpful, and the Marquess came off as a nasty piece of work. Mary’s search of Vivian’s room reveals other items that were missing, mostly artwork that Vivian created. Still, there wasn’t much to go on except for the fact that Mary discovers some of the missing items were masks similar to ones worn in Venice.

Despite this being Mary’s friend, and even though Mary is totally capable of investigating the situation in Venice by herself, she is surprised when her husband, Sherlock Holmes, decides to accompany her. He is, however, doing so at the request of his brother, Mycroft, who is a senior member of British Intelligence. The rise of Mussolini and Fascism has Mycroft and other government officials concerned. So, in disguise and using fake names, Mary and Sherlock arrive in the lovely city of Venice.

Mary and Sherlock work together, but each with separate goals. Mary fits herself into the party atmosphere, making friends with various interesting people, as well as finding two gondoliers who gladly assist her when she hires them to transport her exclusively. There are local stories about an island where the insane are housed, and another where stories of a mad doctor abound. As for Sherlock, in his disguise, he takes up a violin and makes friends with Cole Porter and his wife. They seem to have attracted a myriad of interesting people, including some of the Black Shirts under Mussolini’s orders.

ISLAND OF THE MAD is a page turner with a typically entertaining ending compliments of Mary and Sherlock. The pair are an odd team, she being in her twenties, and he being considerably older. But a team they are and equal in all ways.

Readers of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books will enjoy this latest installment. Meticulous research and beautifully written, ISLAND OF THE MAD is a great summer read.

Jani Brooks

I love historical mysteries and Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are must haves on my list. Island of the Mad is another winner. The time is 1925 and Russell and Holmes need a break, to find peace and quiet. That won't happen because the aunt of a friend has gone missing from Bedlam, the insane asylum. The lady in question has spent many years institutionalized and, at the time of her disappearance, she was attending a family event in the company of her nurse. Why did she leave and where did she go?
Not only does the mystery feature Bedlam but the story moves from London to Venice, another favorite city of mine. To the Lido populated by Cole Porter and Elsa Maxwell. The times are changing and the drum beat of fascism can be heard. Russell, Homes along with Mycroft are trying to find answers. I was eager to read Island of the Mad and I enjoyed every single word of it.

This was another entertaining addition to the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mystery series by King. I was fascinated to learn about the history of the notorious Bedlam hospital in London, and the fact there was a whole island in Venice supposedly for the "mad" of the world. Laurie King does an excellent job of painting the pictures of the two very distinct locations (London and Venice). Of course, there is also an underlying darkness in the novel in the form of the rise of fascism in Italy at the time. I'm fascinated to see where the next book will take the pair of sleuths.

It would be great if we could agree on what number in the series this book is, but it is uncertain. The publisher lists 17 previous titles in the front of this book. Amazon lists it as #11. Another authoritative mystery website shows it as #17. Just be aware that there are a lot of books ahead of this one in the popular best-selling series. The series has five awards and one nomination, so far. This alone should tell you what the bottom line of this review is going to be….

Let’s pretend you’ve never heard of this series. Among mystery fans, that’s not likely, but we’ll pretend. In the first book, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, one of the award winners, we meet a teenage girl, Mary Russell, who intrigues the old semi-retired Sherlock Holmes in his beekeeper phase of life. She is brilliant and extremely capable in all sorts of covert activities. They form a loose partnership as he teaches her his methods. He is the mentor and she is avid learner.

As the years pass, she matures, their relationship changes, and finally they marry and become partners in detection—a team like no other in world-class brilliance and competence. These things develop in all those books in the series before this one.

Frankly, I was reluctant to read the series in the beginning. While I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories by his creator, I had absolutely no interest in reading imitations by other authors. When I finally broke down and read the first book, I had to rethink my philosophy—because the book was fascinating. The Mary Russell character was new, fresh, and fascinating. And hoary old Sherlock was still himself. I believed it was really Sherlock. Thus, over the years since the series began in 1994, I’ve eagerly read each new entry in the series without any disappointments.

Given that background, I have to tell you NOT to read this book without having read earlier books in the series. You really need to get to know these characters in some of their earlier adventures before this one will be satisfying.

Before we get to the story, let me tell you about Laurie R. King. I perceive in Ms. King's books a frequent theme of people who are out of the ordinary, who are unusual, different, and often alone. She certainly has a hearty sympathy for lesbians and by extension, male homosexuals. In other books, we encounter people with psychological oddities, mental illnesses, and other quirks. Her characters want independence, especially the women. The Mary Russell series is a great example of her characters who are out of step with the times and normal situations. Consider Sherlock Holmes--an odd duck in any circumstances--and his mentorship (at the beginning) of a teenage girl of surpassing intelligence and competence. Then eventually they marry--he is at least twice her age and they are about as an odd a couple as can be imagined.


Now, about the story. In this book we meet the aunt of one of Mary's oldest friends. She is an unmarried noblewoman of small stature and delicate psyche. She has been in and out of insane asylums (including England's infamous Bedlam) since a teenager. At the outset of this story, the aunt, Lady Vivian Beaconsfield, has disappeared along with her nurse from Bedlam. She conspired to take with her the family diamonds ("the family jewels" is too cliché, even if it is totally accurate) and a few other valuable items that are rightfully hers from her brother's safe. Her brother is her guardian, since she is female, unmarried, and of uncertain mental competence.

Mary's friend asks Mary and Sherlock to find her aunt.

In the ensuing investigation, troubling facts surface concerning the brother's guardianship. The Marquess of Selwick is a misogynistic tyrant of undeniable greed and self-importance. He is attracted to the politics of fascism, as this is the time between the Great Wars when Mussolini has taken over Italy.

The investigation leads to Venice, where the missing aunt and her nurse may have gone. Holmes and Russell go there. Holmes, as Mr. Russell, is in disguise as a middle-aged violinist. He is also there on a mission from Mycroft, his brother and higher-up in British intelligence and government, to investigate the fascists and their progress in ruling Italy, specifically in what they will do with Venice.

Holmes makes friends with Cole Porter, the composer, who is in residence with his wealthy wife in the grandest local palace. Porter and Holmes play music together while Porter's wife puts on grand balls and other entertainments that draw the wealthy and powerful socialites of the city.

Mary investigates as only she can, eventually locating her quarry, though she can't make contact with them until it is almost too late. Lord Selwick has also come to Venice seeking his sister. He takes up with the fascists, wearing their fearsome grim black uniforms. The fascists are courting him, hoping to gain his substantial influence in Parliament for their cause.

The many pages and many days of investigation leading to this climax led me to the threshold of boredom. There is only so much of the history and geography and society of 1920's Venice I can stand in one sitting, to mix my metaphors. I also pity non-Italian speakers like me who are inundated with Italian words and phrases at every turn. Luckily, I was reading on a Kindle, where I could long-press on a word or phrase to get a translation and Wikipedia explanation, if appropriate. Who knew there were so many Italian-named kinds of boats in use in Venice? Gondolas are only one of many ways to get around there.

I was bogged down at this stage such that a chapter or two a day was enough, as I waited and hoped for a breakthrough to speed up the story. I also grew weary of the constant presence of gay and lesbian characters and activities, which, in all fairness, are essential to the story.

The breakthrough comes finally, and I could not put the book down as the final resolution built up through the final chapters. I will not spoil anything by revealing the nature of the resolution, but it's eminently satisfying. It's clever, it's a bit funny, and it metes out well-deserved justice on the miscreants we have had to put up with throughout the book. I loved it.

It makes me wonder if Ms. King thought up the image in the final scene and worked backward from there to create the story that would give the scene its maximum impact. If so, hurray for her!

So, if you know Mary Russell and her famous husband, you will undoubtedly like this book. If not, get to know them in the earlier books, then gird up your loins, get an Italian to English dictionary (or a Kindle), and dig into this book. You will be happy you did.

If you haven't read this series before, don't be concerned- you can hop right in and be well rewarded for doing so. King's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russel is sensitive and well rounded. In this installment, they're a bit at sea initially but when asked to look into the disappearance of Lady Vivian Beaconfield, they find more than they bargained for. Viv has been in institutions for many years but now she's gone loose in Venice. 1925 Italy is a wonderful setting for this series as it's a time and place that hasn't received much fictional attention and yet has so may fascinating aspects. This is about more than just the mystery, it's also well done historical fiction. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Can't wait for the next one.

I'm never sure quite how Laurie R. King manages to pull these things off. I really enjoyed learning about Bedlam as well as the expatriate community in Venice in the 1920s. The book also touches on the beginnings of the rise of fascism.

I love that after all of these years I can still come back to Mary Russell. I have been reading this series for more than half my life at this point. This book also did me the favor of telling me exactly how much time has passed since Mary Russell met Sherlock Holmes: only ten years. Well, thank goodness. At this rate they’ll never retire.

This book was just OK for me. I think that it may have something to do with the fact that it is #15 of a series of books that I have not read.

My thanks to netgalley and Bantam books for this advanced readers copy.

This book is one of the Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell series of books. Sherlock Holmes is in his sixties and Mary Russell is a teenager when they meet, and get married when she is in her twenties. In this book, one of Mary's college friends comes to them to get help finding her missing aunt. From a wealthy family, Vivian Beaconsfield had been placed in Bedlam (a famous real life asylum) for many years, and went missing while on a weekend pass from the asylum. Mary gets committed to Bedlam to find out what happened, and then also has to escape from it.

Mary and Sherlock end up in Venice, looking for Vivian. Throughout the book, one gets snippets of Vivian's life, and horrible details emerge, about her life, and why she was put in the asylum. The book is action packed, and I can't mention much more about it, without giving away crucial details that emerge during the course of the book.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an advance digital copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for my review.

I quite enjoyed Island of the Mad. I didn't realize until I started reading this that I had read another by Laurie R. King and fortunately enjoyed it. King is a talented writer and a good storyteller. In Island of the Mad, she tells the story of Sherlock married to his apprentice, Mary Russell and hints at past cases they have worked on together (maybe other books I didn't read?). In this novel, Mary is asked by a close school friend to help find her aunt, a patient from the mental asylum who went missing after a home visit for her brother's birthday. I really enjoyed the story of Sherlock married and working with his wife, Mary Russell.(although it was hard to not picture the BBC cast the entire book :-) ) I liked how Sherlock and Russell worked together, but were also playfully competing to solve the case first. The characters were likable, interesting, clever. The setting in Venice was fun and gave enough description and history to take you back there with them. King gave enough information throughout the story for you to play along in trying to figure it out. I would recommend this to those who enjoy Sherlock or just enjoy historical mystery. I think both fans would be pleased with King's Island of the Mad.

As with all of Laurie R. King's books featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, we are all given a reprieve against never having fresh Holmes' books to read! I have read each and every one of them and this one does not disappoint. The tone of Holmes is so accurately representative of the original as to draw no critical reviews on that note! Mary is a gem and so beautifully counters Sherlock that it is pure magic to read their conversations.

I thank Ms. King, Bantam and Netgalley.com for allowing me the privilege of reading another in this series.

As a big Sherlock Holmes fan, I was very excited to read this. However, this is my introduction to this series and I suspect that changes perception of the story. If you are a long time reader of these, keep that in mind.

Mostly, I found the story line a bit flat. It took me some time to even care what happened to the characters and I was disappointed with the Holmes angle. He seemed like a convenient plot point more than his own character - almost like he was there to give the main character more credibility as a detective. This mystery definitely felt like one from the original Canon, but not a favorite or fun one, more like one where it turns out there was no real crime at all. Overall, this was OK and perhaps if I'd been into the series and already loved the characters it would have been more enjoyable. But as a standalone, it was meh.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Laurie R.King's series featuring Mary Russell. I wasn't a big fan of Sherlock himself until reading this series years ago so that should tell you how good I think this is.
However, it's taken me a while to get through this one and I'm trying to figure out why. The historical setting of course is terrific. Russell and Sherlock are working together, a plus. The only thing I can perhaps put a finger on is that I wasn't really drawn in to caring for the case this time. Perhaps it's a feeling that the premise of it is just an excuse to go traipsing through Venice in the time between the wars.

I look forward to the next book. This isn't a bad read, it just didn't knock my socks off this time.

Normally I enjoy Holmesian fiction, but I had mixed feelings about Island of the Mad.  On the one hand, it is a well plotted mystery filled with interesting subplots, on the other hand, it is not really what I would define as Holmesian.  Holmes plays a much smaller role than Mary Russell, and his character is less developed, relying on the reader’s knowledge of Sherlock Holmes and imagination to fill in the gaps left by the author.  I’m inclined to believe that the novel would be better with a more developed character in the place of Holmes, or greater effort placed on making the reader truly believe Holmes would be there in that position.

Island of the Mad addresses the mistreatment of women who don’t fit, either by nature or by choice, as well as the rise of fascism in Italy, both topics of pertinence today.  Don’t get me wrong, I liked Island of the Mad. It is simply that the inclusion of Holmes didn’t ring true and distracted me from an otherwise good story.


3 / 5 (4 if you disregard the Holmes issue)

I received a copy of Island of the Mad from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


--Crittermom

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are searching for Lady Vivian. Mary has been asked to look into the disappearance by one of her best friends. Her friend's aunt disappeared from a birthday celebration. She has had special permission to leave the insane asylum where she has been locked up. Then Aunt Vivian and her nurse disappeared. All Mary and Sherlock know us that Vivian is running and hiding from something or someone that has terrorized her.
This is an interesting read. It navigates you through what it may have been like to be "different " in a society that is quick to judge. Storyline is good, characters, good. Recommended.
4 Stars

I discovered Laurie King's masterpiece, "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" quite by accident several years ago and have continued to follow the exploits of her heroine, Mary Russell. Ms. King continues the tale of Mary's relationships with several previously introduced characters in her newest novel, "Island of the Mad." including Mary's college roommate, Ronnie, and Mary's long=time mentor and now husband, the beloved Mr. Holmes. Ronnie, who has fallen on hard times, enlists Mary's help in locating her beloved and deeply troubled aunt, a resident of a notorious London mental hospital, who has suddenly disappeared without a trace. Mary and Holmes find themselves repairing to another iconic European location, which Ms. King paints in lovely, fluid brushstrokes with her pen. (Another city has been added to my bucket list.) She also gives a lovely nod to the jazz era and one of the musical giants of the roaring '20s, Cole Porter.

Fans of Ms. Kings earlier novels will find this one much the same - she continues the Russell and Holmes partnership, dancing along the edges of a stereotypical marriage for the period and eschewing convention. I personally found the occasional change in the novel's point of view a distraction in this work, and missed some of the livelier tension and banter between Mary and Holmes present in her earlier novels. It was, however, an enjoyable read and a generally satisfying whirlwind of intrigue and immersion in the historic context.

I continue to admire King's ability to keep this series fresh, intriguing, and entertaining. Granted, I've been obsessed since book one, but the characterizations, atmospheric settings, historical and cultural references, and subtle, witty humor are such a treat. This story takes us to Bedlam and Venice, and the plot is a bit less high-stakes than some of the recent books. The only downside is I devoured it over the course of two afternoons, so the joy of revisiting Russell and Holmes was short-lived.

It's 1925, and Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are still recovering from the events of The Murder Of Mary Russell and the loss of their longtime friend and housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson. Her departure forces Russell to undertake domestic duties with frustrating and less than stellar results. One evening Russell receives a call that will upturn their lives and take them into the fledgling fascist state taking shape in Italy. Her friend Ronnie Beaconsfield's aunt Lady Vivian Beaconsfield has disappeared from a family gathering, along with her nurse. Lady Vivian, still young in her early 30's, has been in and out of asylums most of her adult life. Her most recent home is Bethlehem Hospital, the notorious "Bedlam." Bedlam is a far cry from the nightmare it was in previous centuries, and Vivian is now voluntarily committed, having been placed there by a less than sympathetic half-brother. Ronnie is unable to help in the search as she is still a recent widow, in straitened circumstances with a toddler to raise on her own.

As their investigation proceeds, Russell and Holmes discover that there is more than there appears to be to Vivian and her half-brother. Vivian is not mad, and her brother may be more sinister than the average upper-class twit. They are lead to believe that Vivian fled on her own, with the aid of her nurse, and may be hiding among the louche expatriate society which congregates on the Lido in Venice in summer. Sherlock's brother Mycroft importunes him to investigate what is going on in Italy, in the fear that fascist ideology is gaining a foothold in England. Russell and Holmes encounter Black-shirted brutality on their first evening in Venice and learn to steer away from the thugs. Both Elsa Maxwell (who I actually remember from the ancient TV show, Whats My Line?) and famous songwriter, Cole Porter, play a part in the search for Vivian. Both Russell and Holmes are playing roles; Russell as a rich party girl and Holmes as an itinerant violinist

I was not on board with the Russell-Holmes series in the beginning. The idea that Holmes might have an adolescent girl as a partner and later wife seemed absurd. It only took reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice to win me over, however. Ms. King has a beautiful knack for bringing places in particular and history into focus. We have traveled all over the world with Holmes and Russell; Palestine, France, Japan, San Francisco, and more. Each place is so well-described that I felt I had visited there myself. Actual historical figures who appear in the books are always accurately represented, even though they are placed in fictional situations. There is a broad vein of feminism running through all the books and political commentary on the times. Ms. King makes a tongue in cheek disclaimer in her afterword about the book "not being political." It is hard to not draw parallels to our own times, with the rise of right-wing politics, intolerance for homosexuality and attempts to roll back hard-won women's rights. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the Holmes oeuvre and historical fiction. I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series to get the full enjoyment. Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

When Mary Russell’s dear friend asks for her help tracking down her aunt, who vanished while on leave from Bedlam, Russell cannot say no. Lady Vivian is an artistic waif who has spent her adult life drifting between asylums. To find her, Russell will have to follow in her footsteps, from her childhood home now run by her tyrannical dolt of a brother, to Bedlam where she seemed to find peace, to Venice, scene of her youthful delight. At Russell’s side is her famous husband Sherlock Holmes, an able helpmeet when he’s not hunting fascists for his brother. A fun read full of colorful period detail and characters.

The plot of this book revolves around the search for Lady Vivian Beaconsfield, the young aunt of Mary Russell's college friend Ronnie). Specifically, Lady Vivian has gone missing from (sorta) Bedlam. She's spent most of her adult life in various mental institutions, at first against her will and then eventually by choice (of a sort) because it is where she is safe.

As per usual, Laurie R. King weaves together a few distinct threads into one story. In Island of the Mad we've got mental institutions (specifically Bedlam), fascism, Venice, and Cole Porter (really, if you haven't seen De-Lovely, just watch it first). It can feel a bit hodgepodge as there is a fine line between character profile and caricature. However, the saving grace is the amount of love and curiosity King brings to her subjects, specifically Venice and Cole Porter, in this book. If it works for you and you are interested in these subjects, it'll be great. If you aren't then hopefully, by the fifteenth book in this series, you are able to enjoy what you enjoy and leave the rest.

My favorite parts of Island of the Madwere the interactions between Russell and Holmes, the Holmes pov sections (brief, but well used), and recurring consideration of what safety means especially for people in vulnerable situations. Through all of the romp through Venice with Cole Porter, King still *says* something worthwhile in Island of the Mad. It isn't my favorite of the series, but it is a strong addition to a longstanding and fun series.

Laurie R. King’s Island of the Mad is the fifteenth entry in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, which imagines the characters as a married couple who are always willing to dive into a new case. This episode is set in 1925 and sees the pair on the trail of a woman who, formerly an inmate of Bethlem Royal Hospital, disappears into thin air during the festivities of her marquess brother’s birthday.

Vivian Beaconsfield is the aunt of Mary’s good friend so, when that friend asks Mary to find out where Vivian went, Mary can only agree. Besides, if Russell and Holmes don’t have a case, they tend to get a little itchy. Mary starts asking questions at the family estate—Vivian’s last known location. Holmes snoops around London to see if Vivian pawned her share of the family jewels. The trail leads to Venice and Mary and Holmes set off in hot pursuit.

Unlike some of the other books in the series, Island of the Mad doesn’t seem to be about solving a mystery so much as it is about the setting. Mary and Holmes—who also has a task from his brother, Mycroft, to perform—decide to divide and conquer. Mary puts on the disguise of a Bright Young Thing and hangs around Venice’s Lido, hoping to catch word of Vivian among scads of people intent on having a great time. Holmes sidles up to Cole Porter, where he might catch word of Vivian through the artistic crowd. Readers who know the songwriter’s oeuvre will be tickled pink at all the references to his songs.

The pairs’ points of view show the frenetic decadence of the Roaring 1920s. Everyone drinks and parties like it’s their last day on earth. As a dark counterpoint to all this high-octane frivolity, Blackshirts roam the city in increasing numbers and throwing their weight around. It doesn’t take too long to see the dichotomy of the times. On the one hand, you’ve got the live-and-let-live crowd. On the other, there are fascists who will violently assert their version of how they think people should live.

Island of the Mad is a mostly languid mystery, with most of the action crammed at the end. Readers should be prepared for regular doses of Venetian history and plenty of foreshadowing about what the fascists are going to get up to in about a decade. Even though it’s not the most gripping of mysteries, Island of the Mad is an entertaining jaunt to the height of the 1920s in always popular Venice. The scenery is so richly described that I started to feel like I should put on some sunblock as well as Russell as she zips up and down the canals. This is very much a summer read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration. It will be released 19 June 2018.