As usual a very good book in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. Quite interesting mystery and fabulous setting (who doesn't find Transylavina fascinating?)

I've been a fan of this series since I was a teenager and have read every book released. You can read this book and the other ones as stand-alone. However, I do recommend reading from the beginning.

Castle Shade is another in the excellent Mary Russell series from Laurie King.

Set in the world of Sherlock Holmes but focussing on his wife, Mary Russell, the books extend the adventures of Holmes and Russell after Holmes' supposed retirement to the Sussex Downs and his beloved bees.

Castle Shade take the duo to Romania where the adventure entwines the historically accurate account of Queen Marie with the perhaps less truthful legends of vampires.

To say any more would be to give away too many spoilers but if you enjoy a good adventure story of any kind you won't go wrong.

First, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this ARC. I love reading Sherlock Holmes books and so I was very interested to read an adaptation.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get into the book at all. The characters of Sherlock and his much younger wife Mary Russell didn’t do anything for me. They are on a trip to Roumania to assist the Queen, who is a grandchild of Queen Victoria. There have been sightings of vampires and somehow the Queen and her daughter are threatened.
I did not really get what the issue was about, I had a very dark feeling while reading and when nothing exciting had happened when I was at 49% I decided there are too many books and too little time and I abandoned the book.

There will probably be lots of people who this book will be perfect for, just not me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to Laurie King's Sherlock Holmes series. His young wife is such a fun character and her opinions on women's emancipation etc made a good contrast to the difficulties faced by the Queen Marie of Roumania. I loved the descriptions of the castle, based on a real place, and the mystery of witchcraft and ghosts that appeared. It carried me along well, even with a few digressions into European history.

I was absolutely delighted to receive a copy of this book via NetGalley. Many many thanks to the publishers!

I love Sherlock Holmes stories and have consumed much across media (though, embarrassingly, never the original texts!). Despite my extreme love of the TV show, Elementary, King's novels remain my absolute favourite depiction of the classic sleuth. Because really, the joy is from the character Mary Russell. She is just so great and I do love the strong feminist message to the stories.

Castle Shade follows directly on from Mary and Holmes' investigation in Monaco. They travel to Roumania (the spelling in the book), to investigate some strange happenings in the Castle Bran.

This another cracking Russell and Holmes story. As always, King's description of the setting is vivid and captivating. The mystery and adventure is fast paced and intriguing, with a satisfying conclusion.

I do love these books!

"Holmes, I absolutely refuse to believe that the dead are walking in Eastern Europe."
"Of course not. This agency stands flat-footed --"
"On the ground. Yes, I read Dr Watson's story. 'The Sussex Vampire' turns out not to be a vampire ..." [loc. 201]
I'd rather lost track of the Mary Russell series: the last one I read was The Pirate King back in 2012. I've dipped into subsequent novels and not been hooked, which may simply be 'right book, wrong time'. So when this instalment appeared on NetGalley I thought I'd give it a try: and I have to say it was the perfect beach read for my first (and so far only) beach trip this year.

The setting is Transylvania in 1925. Holmes and Russell have been summoned to Roumania by Queen Marie. There are dark tales of revenants in the churchyard, bowls of blood, attacks on young women, et cetera, and recently the life of the queen's daughter Ileana has been threatened. The queen and her household cherish their time in Castle Bran, the gift of a grateful populace: but are they really welcome there?

Not having read the last few novels in the series, there were references that meant nothing to me (though intrigued me enough that I'll probably give them another try): but I didn't feel that the undercurrents were too intrusive, or that they detracted from the main plot. Russell and Holmes, singly and together, unravel a series of mysteries and meet a number of vivid characters, some of them historical. There are quite a few infodumps in Castle Shade, but these didn't really disrupt the flow, and the information being conveyed -- Queen Marie's ancestry, her role in the Paris Peace Conference, her general good nature -- was interesting and pertinent.

Castle Shade was a pleasing mystery, though I didn't enjoy it as much as the earlier novels in the series: however, it's lured me back into the world of Russell and Holmes.

One minor irritation was the anglicisation: it seems that '-ize' had been converted to '-ise' throughout. I recognised this after the third or fourth mention of the maise fields ...

Thanks to NetGalley for my free review copy, received in exchange for this honest review.

In this latest King novel, Mary Russell is once again drawn into a mystery that she will solve with her husband of four and a half years, Sherlock Holmes. As the story starts in 1925 Mary is suffering from a fever and wild dreams and these are a strange introduction to her intended destination, the Castle of Bran in Roumania. Where Holmes has been asked to meet its owner Queen Marie who has been receiving threats to her youngest daughter Ileana. Bran is close to the old kingdom of Transylvania and so it carries many of the old beliefs of the past, tales of vampires and witches abound. A series of lurid happenings seem to be proliferating in the area that are making the local people uneasy, complicating the investigation.
Without acting as a spoiler one can say little except that Marie, a granddaughter of Queen Vitoria and a cousin of the recently murdered Russian royal family is both culturally and politically active on behalf of her new country and people. She had apparently persuaded the powers that be that Roumania should receive the return of extensive lost lands as part of the First World War Peace Treaty. Holmes will be asked by brother Mycroft to explore any possible political backgrounds to the threats as Eastern Europe evolves through its post war hardships into countries ruled by new Communist regimes and the Ottoman Empire collapses.
Mary, based at Bran castle, will have to try and determine the truth and implications behind the reports of strange events occurring in the area of the castle whether Holmes is there or away. These, eventually include an attack on herself and the abduction of one of the castle maids. Through her we are shown the post war life of the area evolving with some of the younger people moving away to urban life and culture, while in others ancient beliefs are still deeply held. But if it is not a “political” attack, then it might be personal to the Queen, or someone around her. In a foreign land, with little local knowledge – except perhaps the deeper tales of folklore - Mary and Holmes will need to negotiate their way through the community links, loyalties and issues and find the truths of the matter.
So the success of this novel lies on King’s ability to create a realistic sense of time and place and a suite of believable key characters that will interest the reader. She has of course selected an “interesting” time of post war damage and change. Women are subject to different rules then men of course and the exploration of Marie a queen who from seventeen has built a life in a foreign country with very old (masculine) standards introduces a little recognised but cultured woman of influence. Then she has to effectively meld all these things with the “mystery/crimes” that need to be resolved successfully. It should be said that she is an excellent storyteller and she has researched her places and sub plots in depth, but my instinct is that this novel is not quite as crisp or balanced as her previous ones. But nevertheless it is a compelling crime read for all that.

I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. Haven't read Laurie R King for a while but was not disappointed. Good mystery Mr & Mrs Holmes work well together.

As a long-term Sherlock Holmes fan, I absolutely love these books, and this one was no exception.

Holmes and Russell are off to Bran Castle in Transylvania, home to Queen Marie of Roumania, also granddaughter to Queen Victoria to investigate a threat to Marie's daughter.

Reading this book, was like peeling an onion with so many layers/mysteries to unveil.

Highly recommended

I found Castle Shade to be a real page turner, which moved along rapidly. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who likes a good mystery, and a Sherlock Holmes mystery is quite irresistible anyway. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's 1925 and Sherlock Holmes and his wife Mary Russell are headed across Europe to Roumania. They've been summoned to Castle Bran, on the border with Transylvanian and recently come into the possession of the formidable Queen Marie of Roumania. However, there is something odd going on; the local villagers are telling tales of noises in the night and sightings of those who were long thought dead...

It's certainly, as Holmes would put it, a five pipe problem.

Castle Shade is a witty and fun historical adventure, which keeps you guessing until the end. Our hero and heroine are well matched, working well together but also following their individual lines of enquiry, and the dialogue that sparks between them is always a particular highlight. The cast of other characters are well drawn, and I love how King describes the culture as well as the political situation of the time, being informative and offering a great historical backdrop to the story, without overwhelming the reader with too much detail.

Of course Holmes adds appeal to any mystery novel, but readers will find all the characters fascinating. I was so excited to learn this is one of many by this author and look forward to reading more. The plot itself pays respectful homage to original Holmes stories but the characterisation beyond that is utterly original. I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

This a series that I have long admired - it's Sherlock Holmes, one of the best characters ever devised and Laurie plays great homage to the originals. Also, in this outing you have vampires and as a long time lover of Dracula, this was a marvellous combination.

Holmes has been asked to consult for the Queen of Roumania no less, as she feels that her daughter is under threat and believes the cause to be vampires. Holmes and his worthwhile companion of Mary travel by train and there is a great opening scene of the between the two of them. They are to present themselves to the court as architects to give them the access they need and this case really does test them both physically and mentally.

I adored all the historical aspects in the book as Queen Marie was a person whom the country did love. She was a beloved leader and helped make Romania into what it is today.

Returning to a series like this that I love is so important to me. It allows you to escape the world for just that little bit and when you have stuck around for so many books as I have, it begins to form a part of your world and the characters feel like people you know. There are so many authors that try to do Sherlock books but Laurie is the best! They feel like an extension of Conan Doyle’s work and that's the best compliment I can give. I would recommend reading the series from the beginning but you can read this as a standalone as there aren't as many references to past adventures.

The game is afoot!

Richly Embellished…
Another fast paced romp and the seventeenth (no less!) in the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes mystery series. A complex and in depth tale which is richly embellished with historical detail and populated with a colourful cast of characters and likeable protagonists. Enjoyable storytelling and a worthy addition to this long running series.

4.5* rounded to 5
It’s been some time since last I read a Mary Russel and Sherlock Holmes story but I remember them as gripping and entertaining.
I was curious to read this book because I wanted to know if the series is still as exciting as i remember and wasn’t disappointed.
Mary Russel is a great heroine: logical, strong willed and clever. She could be the grand daughter of Irene Adler aka “The Woman”, one of the four people who were able to beat Sherlock Holmes (according to the Canon). I like her and I like how she deals with her husband as a partner and his wife.
If you are a sticker to the “Canon” maybe you could not like the Sherlock Holmes in this series. The character is as logical as was written by Conan Doyle but there’s a more human side and he’s even married. But even if there are difference the Holmes in this series is thinking about his relationship with the women and the way he does is a reminder of what is said in the Conan Doyle stories (see “The Adventures of the Second Stain” ).
Going back to this story I found if gripping and highly entertaining even if it’s a bit slow at the beginning.
It’s a complex story that starts with some facts that could be related to paranormal but, as in other Holmes stories, can also be explained in a rational way.
The historical background of the story is well researched and vivid. I learned a lot about Romanian recent history and some of its historical characters. I also appreciated the well researched part about Romanian myths and legends.
Even if it’s set around 1925 the aftermath of WWI are stil present and the history often refers to ongoing historical facts.
As for castle Bran it’s a real castle and one of the most famous landmarks in Romania.
The author is a talented storyteller, she delivers a complex plot that flows and it’s full of twists and turns.
I read it as fast as I could because I wanted to know what was happening and who was the culprit.
At the end of the story I decided it would be great to travel to Transylvania as I was fascinated by the places and what i read in this book.
I hope to read another book in this story soon as I’m curious to learn what will happen and how some situations will be faced.
It can be read as a standalone but it would be better to read the previous books to some backstory.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the Allison&Busby and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Castle Shade, the latest in the Laurie R King Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, is a well-executed gothic thriller set in Transylvania among castles, Roumanian locals and royalty. Using Dracula-type tropes, the novel begins with a feverish Russell suffering through an extended train trip in the company of her husband, Sherlock Holmes, and ends with their sojourn in a gothic castle assisting the Queen of Roumania to discover who is threatening her daughter, Ileana.
The use of first and third person narrative effectively gives a voice to each of the main characters and allows the reader to see through the perspective of each in turn. The affection between the two is typically understated - as it is throughout the series - with little given apart from descriptions of the consideration Mary feels for her husband’s feelings, and the reflections of his emotional distress through physical descriptions as Mary digs herself deeply into the mystery surrounding Castle Bran.
In Castle Shade, King deftly weaves pieces of historical and geographical fact with pastiches of the relationship between Holmes and Russell into an engrossing tale of folklore and magic. It is a fitting continuation of the series that leaves me wanting to read more.

Castle Shade is the latest Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book. This time our heroine is transplanted to Romania where Holmes has been asked by the Queen of Romania to help her in connection with incidents near Bran Castle, which was gifted to her by the grateful population of Transylvania. She has received a note threatening her daughter and is very concerned. When Holmes and Russell reach the castle they find that there have been a number of minor occurrences which seem to be playing on local fears connected with vampires.

Very much a page turner. The partnership between Russell and Holmes continues to flourish. Another good addition to the Russell/Holmes series.

The eccentric queen Marie of Romania, a beautiful but menacing Transylvanian castle, fangy thingies and witchcrafty shenanigans are at the center of this delightful and entertaining novel set around 1925 in the rather enigmatic and mysterious Romanian countryside. Fiendishly plotted and blessed with a cast of very colorful and unforgettable characters, this delicious romp sank its fangs deep into me as I faithfuly and breathlessly followed Holmes and Russell, the genial and clever couple so reminiscent of John Steed and Emma Peel, as they painstakingly try to untangle the many goings-on of unusual and suspicious nature plaguing the castle, its inhabitants and the surrounding area.
A compelling & humorous whodunit that should be enjoyed without any moderation!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Allison&Busby for this thrilling ARC

I loved this so much! I loved everything from the cover to the character’s and the story.

This is number 17 I believe, but it’s standalone completely, though I was shocked to see Holmes married....but what a woman she is. Absolutely formidable!

This kept me griped without being heavy, or too light a read, it’s exciting, and set in Transylvania, you just know where all the suspicions point...

Just a fantastic read, and exactly what I needed right now.

My thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

This is my first foray into the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes novel, and even though it's number 17 in the series I felt I could drop in without having to read previous books. There are a spate of unusual incidents at Castle Bran in Transylvania where Queen Marie of Roumania ofter stays, Holmes and Russell are asked to look into the matter. The location and subject matter were key to me reading this, the hints of vampirism and the history of Castle Bran were interesting. This is an entertaining and easy read, the only part I found slightly strange was the relationship between Russell and Holmes, this could be because I haven't read any of the previous books.