There are very few authors who can keep up an interesting series of substance for a span of sixteen books. Laurie King is in that special circle. Every book is meticulously researched so the reader feels they have experienced the setting first-hand.
I love Mary Russell's wit and independence. Her competitiveness with Holmes is a delight. Mary would never say it's a competition - but she lives for moments she can be a step ahead of him. Holmes is, as always, quite the man of mystery. He can assume any persona at the drop of a hat.
This installment finds them living the high life in Monte Carlo, hot on the trail of one Mrs. Hudson. For Mary, it's like suddenly realizing your grandmother used to be a burlesque dancer. It just doesn't compute that Mrs. Hudson - HER Mrs. Hudson - could have such a checkered past. Determined to unravel the mystery that is Mrs. Hudson, Russell and Holmes rub elbows with gamblers, smugglers, wealthy Americans, unsavory arms dealers, and a murderer...
A delightful escape as always. I am a long-time fan of this series. It never gets tired, and I continue to look forward to every new book!

Sherlock Holmes is still a favorite of many readers and this adaption of Mary Richards as Sherlock’s young wife does not disappoint. Mary has grown up knowing the famous detective and has been taught by him to observe and think and solve crimes. This author sees Sherlock through Mary’s eyes and it makes for a new look on an old story. In this particular story, Mary is meeting Sherlock at Monte Carlo and on the way she wanders into a mystery. When they meet they work together to find the solution. On the way many colorful characters, and of course a murder, happen to involve both of them. I like this series. It has a new flavor of Holmes and partner. But he is still Sherlock and she is still a young impetuous woman. That makes for clashes Holmes and Watson did not have. This is a good read. The pace is fast and you don’t want it to end. I will read more from this author.

It's always exciting when Laurie King comes out with a new Mary Russell book. They're so well written and so much fun to read. "Riviera Gold" did not disappoint. Mrs. Hudson takes a larger role in this book and we get to learn more about her background & her involvement in the criminal world; not to mention her friendship with a very famous lady.
The story takes place in Europe, mainly the the Antibes and Monaco, in the 1920's. The story abounds in intrigue and mystery, and of course, Sherlock Holmes. There are several plots going on during the course of the story, but of course they all intertwine. Besides being Sherlock's wife, Mary has also been an excellent student of the master. I can't wait for the next in the series.

#RivieraGold, #NetGalley

"Riviera Gold" by Laurie R. King, Bantam, 368 pages, June 9, 2020.

It’s summertime 1925 on the Riviera. Mary Russell is in Côte d’Azur, France. Russell isn't sure where her husband, Sherlock Holmes, is.

Russell strikes up a friendship with an American couple, Sara and Gerald Murphy, whose life on the Riviera has begun to attract famous writers and artists—and some criminals.

Their importance for Russell is that the Holmeses’ former housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, who hasn’t been seen since she fled England under a cloud of false murder accusations, is there. Holmes arrives soon after.

When a young man, Niko Cassavetes, is found dead in Mrs. Hudson’s front room, she becomes the prime suspect in yet another murder. Russell is certain that Mrs. Hudson is innocent; Holmes is not quite so sure. It turns out Mrs. Hudson has a checkered past. Holmes and Russell encounter exiled Russian arms dealers as well as Lily Langtry and Pablo Picasso.

This is the 16th in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. I really enjoy how King has preserved the integrity of Holmes’s character and yet added Russell. The earliest books explain how they met and are among my favorites.
 
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I had read several of the earlier books in the series, and forgot how much I liked them. You do not have to have read the whole series before reading this book.

It's 1925. Mary Russell, wife of Sherlock Holmes, is in Venice; Holmes is off somewhere, and Mary decides to go with Honorable Terry in a sailboat to the Riviera. Mary settles into a hotel in Antibes. There are good descriptions of Monte Carlo and Antibes. Mary knows that Mrs. Hudson is in Monte Carlo. She soon meets Sarah and Gerrald Murphy, an American couple with a lovely home in Antibes, who immediately make her comfortable with them and invite her to dinner with a large number of other people. She finds Mrs. Hudson on the beach helping to watch the children, but Mrs. Hudson pretends she doesn't know Mary. However, Mary later goes to Monte Carlo and finds Mrs. Hudson has been accused of murdering a young Greek. Mary finally finds Holmes in Monte Carlo, and they try to help Mrs. Hudson.

They get Mrs. Hudson out of prison, but something is still going on. There appear to be some Russians in Monte Carlo who are a bad lot, and Mary does a lot of sleuthing on her own. When Mrs. Hudson's good friend, Lillie, warns Mary that Mrs. Hudson is off on a ship with a Russian who might be up to no good, Mary rushes to help her and gets Terry to help her. This puts them both in a very dangerous position.

I thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

Since 1994, when the first Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice was published, I have waited eagerly for the next mystery for them to solve. Here we are with #16 and I have enjoyed every single one. With an awesome first chapter as an introduction, I settled down to savor every page. The beginning pace was on the slower side but that soon picked up and I was willing to forgo a meal, just to read a little bit more. The best indication of a good book, of any genre.
Ot's now 1925 and the Jazz Age has come to the Riviera. Monte Carlo is thriving moving the money of others from the winners to the losers. Mary Russell has come to try and locate Clarissa Hudson, last reported to be in Monte Carlo. Mary wants to see if she is well. Especially after learning the truth about her past in the Murder of Mary Russell. Mary finds her along with murder. Holmes arrives and his motives are not Mary's. He wants to find out if Clarissa has reverted to her dark past. It's quite a conflict for Mary and Sherlock and the case at hand is a very well crafted puzzle. I'll say no more to avoid any unintentional spoilers.
If you are a long time fan of the series, grab a copy, settle down in a comfy chair with you beverage of choice at hand and get lost on the Riviera with Mary and Sherlock. If you are new to the series, by all means give it a try but be ready to go back to the first book and play catch up.
My thanks to the publisher Bantam and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a number of the books in this series and have enjoyed every one. I am reading them out of order and find that it is easy to read them stand-alone but I want to read all of them because they are just that good.

In this book, Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes are on the Continent. Mary has gone by sailboat (believe it or not, as a deckhand) and has ended up in Monte Carlo.) Sherlock is MIA but will eventually join Mary.

Mary has gone for a specific purpose. That purpose is to find Mrs. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson left their employ and has retired but without letting anyone know where she has gone except a cryptic comment (in an earlier book) as she shook the dust of England off her feet.

What Mary doesn’t expect to find is a murder that has been committed in Mrs. Hudson’s residence with Mrs. Hudson being the prime suspect.

Mary and Sherlock get to work to solve the murder and, hopefully, get Mrs. Hudson freed. That is, if she is not, in truth, the murderer.

This is a book and a series that helped me past many hours in reading enjoyment. I’m looking forward to see where Mary and Sherlock end up next.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Riviera Gold by Laurie R King is the latest Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell novel. It was interesting in that it featured such luminaries as F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Pablo Picasso, Lily Langtry, and the lesser known Gerald and Sara Murphy. It also contained a myriad of information about such topics as the history of Monte Carlo and bronze casting. It takes place in 1925, the height of the Golden Age between wars; a time when only the most astute saw World War II on the horizon as Europe was slowly recovering from the Great War. It takes places in a community of artists. At this time, the Riviera was not a summertime getaway. These folks were at the forefront of making that happen. And, it was where Mrs. Hudson had chosen to retire. And Mary had chosen to follow her...to be sure she was fine.

This series is one of my favorites although it must be said, the exceptional observational power of Holmes, and Mary, as his apprentice, is somewhat lacking. It becomes a standard mystery novel: not necessarily a bad thing, and we do see glimpses. As often happens with older people, Mrs. Hudson has a past...a shady one, at best. She knows many of the wrong sorts of people. In fact, Holmes has been protecting her for years. She takes on more of a personality as Russell and Holmes endeavor to save her from a murder charge. The mystery is a good one and the glimpse of the lives of the wealthy on the Riviera is worth the price of admission. For followers, I recommend Riviera Gold. For first time readers: you will enjoy it and then you will have to return for more.

I received a free ARC of Riviera Gold from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #rivieragold

Laurie R. King keeps readers guessing with her latest Russell and Holmes mystery, Riviera Gold. Her fans have waited two years to learn what happens to Mary Russell and husband Sherlock Holmes after The Island of the Mad (2018) took them on a case to 1925 Italy as Mussolini was beginning to consolidate his power. These same fans have now waited four years to learn what happens to Holmes’ housekeeper, Mrs. Clara Hudson, after dark secrets of her shady past were revealed in The Murder of Mary Russell (2016)

Set a month after Island of the Mad and two months after The Murder of Mary Russell, Riviera Gold opens in July 1925 with an arms dealer’s gun aimed at Mary, who asks, “I wonder if we might have a little talk? Preferably before you shoot me.”

Mary has arrived in the Riviera on what seems to be a wild goose chase. Knowing only that Mrs. Hudson had suddenly left Holmes’ employment announcing that Monaco sounded good, Mary hopes to find the former housekeeper. Although Mary first spots Hudson on a beach in the French Riviera, by the time she catches up with Hudson in Monte Carlo, Mary is in for another surprise. Did Mrs. Hudson murder young Niko Cassavettes, whose corpse has been found in her Monaco residence? Has the prim and proper housekeeper with the shady past resumed her illegal activities?

Join Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes, and a diverse cast of Americans, Brits, Greeks, Italians, Russians, and Monegasque--arms dealers, smugglers, hotel workers, policemen, dancers, artists, and actors, including Pablo Picasso and Mrs. Hudson’s long-time friend and confidante, the aging Lily Langtry.

Yet another mystery is afoot, and Russell and Holmes have a tangled web to unravel.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bantam Books, and Laurie R. King for an Advance Reader Copy of this delightful Russell and Holmes adventure.

Laurie King involves Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes in a crisis surrounding Mrs. Hudson in Monaco in 1925. Dangerous men are playing at smuggling and political influence. Mrs. Hudson is accused of murdering a smooth young fixer; but is quickly released. Can Mrs. Hudson be extricated from criminal and political complications. Who is criminal and who is just an artist? High stakes gambling for our favorite team of investigators.

I wish that Mary Russell and Phryne Fisher could meet – they are, after all, contemporaries. If it ever happens, I’d very much like to be a fly on that wall. They feel very much like sisters under the skin, so any meeting between them would be explosive. Possibly literally. I would say that I wanted to witness a meeting between Russell and Lord Peter Wimsey, as this is also his era and the world that Russell inhabits, particularly in this story, is also his. But that meeting already occurred, somewhat surreptitiously in multiple senses of the word, in A Letter of Mary.

Not that Mary doesn’t become casually involved with several luminaries of the “Lost Generation” in this story, notably Pablo Picasso, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos and Gerald and Sara Murphy. And that’s after becoming acquainted with Cole Porter during his Venice sojourn in the previous book in this series, Island of the Mad.

Mary gets around, both as the wife of Sherlock Holmes and as herself. And the case in Riviera Gold is one where those two roles come into a bit of a conflict.

As Mary discovered in The Murder of Mary Russell, her now-former housekeeper, the grandmother-of-her-heart Clara Hudson, was not exactly the shy, quiet, retiring and unassuming ladylady/housekeeper that Mary had assumed her to be. Rather, that was a role that Clarissa Hudson camouflaged herself as, in order to stay a few steps ahead of the law, as well as the less-than-savory people who had been hunting her for most of her life. And kept her under the thumb of Sherlock Holmes, who has never completely trusted her and has always been certain that she would return to her actually quite wicked – and thieving – ways the minute his back was turned.

But Mary misses Clarissa Hudson, no matter what name she lives under, so when the opportunity arises for her to take a leisurely trip from Venice to Monte Carlo, where Clarissa Hudson might possibly be residing, Mary can’t resist. Only to discover that Mrs.Hudson’s nefarious past seems to have caught up with her, not just in the person of the “Jersey Lily”, but in the matter of the dead man discovered lying at her feet.

Escape Rating A: I have been following the adventures of Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes from the very beginning of this series, back in 1994 with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. The premise was initially a bit hard to swallow – retired Sherlock Holmes takes on 15-year-old apprentice and eventually marries her – but the story and the series went down surprisingly smoothly and I’ve never regretted listening to that first story.

However, after 25 years of eagerly awaiting every story, it’s impossible for me to say that any books in the series stand completely alone, and equally difficult for me to tell a newbie where to begin. They’re awesome. Just dive in.

Mary Russell is one of a number of young female sleuths, whether amateur or professional, who came of age during or just after World War I. It’s a stellar list that includes not just Phryne Fisher, but also Maisie Dobbs, Bess Crawford, Elena Standish and Jane Wunderly. But Mary is special, not just because her story began before any of the others, but because of the inclusion of her husband and partner Sherlock Holmes and all of the canon that he drags in with him. It feels like their story has just a bit more depth, and his reputation – or his brother Mycroft’s – gives them entree into places that the others can’t quite manage on their own.

Like many stories in the series, this is one where the focus is primarily on Mary, while Holmes’ activities are in the background. She comes to find Clarissa Hudson, because the woman was such a huge part of her life and is now off on her own adventures. Mary wants to make sure Clarissa is alright – no matter how clear it is that the older woman is more than capable of managing on her own. Sherlock, on the other hand, wants to make sure that Clarissa is still on the straight-and-narrow.

Neither of them are prepared to discover that the woman is up to her neck in murder and smuggling. But their motives are different. Mary wants to save her. Sherlock wants to discover a truth that he has long feared. Their conflict is poignant, as Mary’s quest puts her in danger for a friend that Holmes isn’t sure is worth the sacrifice. That the danger is covered in molten bronze among stolen artifacts – along with international arms dealers and aristocratic Russian emigres – just adds to the fun and ratchets up the risk at every turn.

A big part of this particular story’s charm is the charm of Monte Carlo itself, not as the glittering confection we know it today, but rather as a slightly down-at-the-heel former hotspot looking for a comeback. It’s a place that was and will be, but isn’t right at that very moment. And it’s lovely and captivating and decadent in ways that are unexpected.

As has been this whole series so far. At the end of this story, there are hints that Holmes and Russell are off to Romania to look into a spot of vampire trouble. I can’t wait!

After three months in lockdown, it is a delight to virtually escape from my living room to go to Monte Carlo with Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. This series has had its ups and downs, but has been on an upswing since the earlier "The Murder of Mary Russell," and I am pleased that its steadiness continues, and pleased that we get to see Mrs. Hudson again.

King has become well-practiced at blending detective stories, and gentle historical travelogues -- this time giving readers glimpses of an artistic community loosely settled in Monte Carlo. As the mystery progresses, readers also learn about the economic history of the principality of Monaco, the economic situation that a city like Monte Carlo would find itself in, and how that might influence relationships between the people who live there, and the tourists and emigrés who find themselves there. We also get a fascinating, and fairly detailed, discussion of the processes involved in sculpting bronze.

Holmes mostly takes a back seat to Russell's investigations, but it's nice to see the two of them working together, and we do get some of that; and I have hopes that the next volume in the series, set in Romania, will bring even more. I always miss King's Kate Martinelli series, but this was a charming diversion, and just what I needed to kick off the summer.

Fans of this series will be pleased to finally learn more about Mrs. Hudson, the long time employee of Sherlock Holmes, who, btw, went missing. Others will be unhappy that she, and not Sherlock, is the biggest focus but hey- it's still terrific. Mary Russell is in Monaco in 1925 when she spies Mrs. Hudson on the beach with the Murphys, an American couple who throw wonderful parties (some fun cameos). Then, however, a young man is found dead, Mrs Hudson is a suspect because she was, ahem, found standing over him with a gun, and Sherlock appears. Mrs Hudson has more layers than we knew (no spoilers) and, of course, the victim had more than one person unhappy with him. There isn't as much Sherlock in this as there is Mary but that was ok by me. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books (or have only read one or two)- this multilayered mystery has such great characters, period atmospherics, and a well done plot that you'll be perfectly happy as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

This is such a fun series for Sherlock Holmes fans. The adventure of Sherlock & Mary continues in Monaco as they chase around the riviera trying to keep an eye on Mrs. Hudson and several well-known shady characters up to no good. Some famous names are dropped as well, as Mary hangs out with the Murphys, Picasso and Fitzgeralds. The adventure is complicated and writing is clever.

It is 1925, and 25-year-old Mary Russell--the wife of Sherlock Holmes--is on her way to Monoco with friends, hoping to find their erstwhile housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, who is not who Mary thought her all these years. She does find her quarry, also danger, arms dealers, smugglers, and the satisifaction of figuring a few things out before Holmes does.

This series has been going on for quite a while now. If you liked the earlier entries, you'll probably like this one, too.

Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell #17). 4 stars

A sequel to “Island of the Mad” (2018), we see Holmes and Russell traveling from Venice to the Riviera (Monaco). Island of the Mad was a kind of interlude and Riviera Gold could have been a follow up to “The Murder of Mary Russell” (2016). In “The Murder of Mary Russell “, we discover a great deal about the past of Mrs, Hudson and a young Sherlock Holmes. In Riviera Gold, the mysterious past of Mrs. Hudson unfolds through chapters depicting events from her past.

Riviera Gold takes place in a time between wars, where fascism is holding power in Germany and Italy. The Riviera is a playground for the wealthy, but this book takes place during the “off season” with the weather oppressively hot. Mary is introduced to a cast of characters through her travel companion/new friend, the Hon. Terrance Shields-McClintock (Terry). A chance encounter on a beach excursion has Mary finding Mrs. Hudson. The story unfolds with a homicide and a smuggling scheme involving treasures from Russian royalty. I think you need to read “The Murder of Mary Russell” to really understand all the backstory in Riviera Gold.. The story was a bit slow in parts, but the action picks up towards the last third of the book. One thing I took from this book was the complex relationship between Mary and Mrs. Hudson. I did enjoy this book and look forward to vampires and Romania.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing / Ballantine Bantam for this ARC.

I requested this book not realizing it was the 16th in the series of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Nonetheless it was enjoyable Set Côte d'Azur in the summer of 1925, we are treated to watch the inhabitants in the hot sun listening to cool jazz, What's not to like especially in that time period? My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many things about this book that I enjoyed; the drama, the glamour, the characters. The one thing that I didn't enjoy was that too much of the book was taken up with descriptions of bronze casting.

Slow going, slightly humorous and way too descriptive. I had little or no interest in the ins and outs of bronze castings and there were pages devoted to this artistic, sweaty craft. There is a plot, there are glamorous people, the beach, house parties and the high life of the Riviera. In the center of the glitter, the Russian ex-pats and the criminals, is Mrs. Hudson, her new life and troubles. The story assumes the reader has a background with Mrs. Russell, Sherlock Holmes and his former housekeeper and I am unsure how a newbie would handle coming to this dance without any previous history of relationships and events. The marginally unbelievable chase scene was yet another “oh really”?!

Not a great hit nor a total miss, just sort of blah. Thank you NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine/Bantam for a copy.

3 stars

This is the sixteenth book in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I think the main problem was that the Sherlock Holmes parts didn’t come in until later near the back of the book. I think that was a mistake. The author is going to lose a ton of readers before SH even makes his appearance.

I thought it was overall okay. There seemed to be a lot of “Mary went here and did this.” “Mary went here and did that.” All that stuff seemed like pointless narrative. I wanted the book to start off with a bang and draw me in. It never did that. And that makes me sad.

If you love a good historical mystery, definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.