This series is an auto read for me. You don’t have to read them order, but you’ll enjoy it more if you at least know Mary. Go grab The Beekeeper’s Apprentice if you haven’t read it yet.

This book, like all of them, has a great historical setting and a fantastic blend of canon and new. Mary is strong minded, brilliant, and likable; and Holmes is a character Doyle would recognize. I still like the earlier books in the series better than the recent ones, but this one doesn’t disappoint. Does the mystery standalone? Yes. Will this book hook you if you haven’t read some of the other books? Probably not. Mary’s brilliance isn’t as much display although we learn more about Holmes. It was a little slow to start and the format of Mary exploring letters didn’t help. But the story that unfolded tied together in a brilliant way. This was a rarity where I found Holmes’ chapters more interesting than Mary’s. But fans will enjoy it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment of the Russell and Holmes partnership. The pair find themselves in France for a visit to Holmes' son Damian Adler and his young family, but upon arriving the Adlers are nowhere to be found with only a cryptic message left with the neighbors to shed any light on their disappearance. What follows is Holmes and Russell separating to each do what they do best -- Russell to researching and decoding, and Holmes giving chase. What follows is a fascinating dive into French colonial India as we peel back the layers on the pasts of both Damian Adler and Sherlock Holmes. This novel feature Holmes at his most self-reflective (not his strong suit) and illustrates the strength and power of both the Holmes/Russell partnership and their marriage. Highly recommended for fans of the series and the Great Detective.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. First and most important, this title just blew me away and I couldn't put it down. This is my favorite Russell title hands down. Mary and Sherlock travel to France to spend some time with Holmes's son, Damian Addler, and his family. When they arrive, they discover the house in disarray and that the Addlers had left in a hurry with exact where abouts unknown. Holmes quickly leaves to track down Damian and ensure that everyone is OK while Mary stays and investigates things on that end. She discovers that several foreigners were seen in the area. While looking through some trunks in Damian's home, she discovers a coded journal that she quickly becomes engrossed with. It tells the story of a woman's life by focusing on several key images/events in her life as a way of a memoir. Spanning locations from France to India to England, the story it tells spans a lifetime. I don't want to include to many details as to avoid running the story, but I will say that readers of the series will be extremely interested and satisfied in the outcome of the mysteries in this book. Although I was able to figure out some of the pieces of the mystery, there was a twist at almost the very end that I didn't see coming. I really couldn't put this title down and resented real life for preventing me from finishing it in one sitting.

I very much enjoyed this latest installment of Mary Russell’s and Sherlock’s adventures. This one is set in France where they are spending time with Holmes's son, Damian Adler and his family. It’s an edge of your seat adventure with an interesting ending.

This new book in the Holmes and Russell stories might be one of the best. A threat on Holmes’ son Damian, some missing jewels and a mysterious woman of mixed heritage round out the story, with a
perfectly wonderful surprise at the end.

I always love a Russell book and this one was no exception however, this time it may have been for the wrong reasons. There's a lovely story within a story that requires Russell to decipher and we see Sherlock's relationship with his son and granddaughter deepen but the ending seems a bit pat and that was okay. Do I want all of the series to go like this? No, certainly not. But this one works as is and I'm content with it (and excited to see where it takes us going forward).

This review is based on an advance copy that I received for free.

Wow! Just wow! Another tour de force from author Laurie R. King. King deftly intertwines not only the Mary Russell memoirs, but also one hundred and twenty five years of Sherlockian cannon. Following their most recent adventure in Transylvania, Russell and Holmes find their way to France to spend time with Holmes's son, Damian Adler and his family (see King's The Language of Bees, The God of the Hive). I could tell you more, but you'll want to be as engrossed as I was in this nail-biter with a topsy-turvy ending.

Do you need to start with book 1 of the series? (This is book 18.) I'd recommend reading at least The Language of Bees and The God of the Hive first, but if you're impatient, you can dig right in and you'll be fine. There's always time to go back and read the earlier memoirs of Ms. Russell!

If only Ms. King could write these stories as fast I can read them!

While in France to visit Sherlock's son and his family, Mary Russell of course becomes embroiled in a new chapter of the Holmes family mystery. Damian has disappeared, and Sherlock leaves in a rush to track him down. Although she is somewhat immobilized because of a recent injury and therefore left behind, Russell goes to work to unravel what has happened, and puts her talents to use to decode a found message in a box of memorabilia she finds. By the end of the novel, much has been learned about the family, in spite of Holmes and Russell going off in different directions, and the resolution is quite satisfying.

I am always thrilled when a new installment of the Mary Russell series is available from Laurie R. King. The Lantern's Dance is an intriguing tale ostensibly centered around Damian Adler - Sherlock Holmes' son and Mary Russell's stepson - but as the book progresses, it becomes apparent that the story is about a different, rather surprising, character. Told in the excellent voice and style as all of the Mary Russell books, this is another enjoyable read. Unlike the others, however, this book is light on action and light on detection. More cozy than suspenseful, but still an enjoyable interlude with detecting's favorite duo.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I have always enjoyed following the excellent stories of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell written by Laurie R. King. The Lantern's Dance is another great episode in the lives of Holmes and Russell.

In this book, the reader gets to learn more about Holmes' background and family history as he reconnects with his son, Damian Adler. When Holmes and Russell go to visit Damian, they discover that a break-in has occurred and the family has decamped for their safety. Earlier, a shipment of crates has arrived for Damian, containing paintings and a "magic" lantern or zoetrope, hence the title of the book.

There is also a journal, written in code. Mary manages to decode the journal while she is home-bound with a sprained ankle. At the same time, Holmes is trying to find Damian and discover who broke into the house -- and why!

I look forward to future adventures written by Ms. King.

The Lantern's Dance is delightful for Mary Russell fans. Not so much a Sherlockian adventure as a research and discover the puzzle exercise for Mary. While sidelined from following the trail of mysterious strangers by having a bum foot, Mary discovers a coded diary from long ago that fits right into the Holmes family tree. Her skills at decoding and linguistics solve the puzzle. A fun read.

It's been over two years since the last installment of this series, and this was worth the wait! I thoroughly enjoyed Russell and Holmes in their latest escapade, this time in France. It often feels like they barely have a moment to catch their breaths from one adventure before being plunged into the next; they have yet to return home after their time in Romania. Look for the return of Damien and his family to bring a new mystery for our favorite pair to solve, namely, who has been asking questions and even broken into their home? With Mary nursing a sprained ankle, they divide and conquer: Holmes taking the family to a safe hiding place while she remains to evaluate the evidence left after their hasty departure. A coded journal holds the key to many locked doors if only she can translate it in time.
It's been a while since a book made me jump out of my seat in surprise. I wanted to read slowly and savor, but the story compelled me to gobble it up quickly. It's definitely best to have read previous entries in the Russell and Holmes series. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
Highly recommended

While this one felt very different from a lot of the other books in the series (more history, less action), I really enjoyed it. It’s hard to say much without giving any spoilers, but I loved following Lakshmi’s (the owner of the journal Mary finds - see synopsis below) story and loved how similar her life was to Mary’s.

Fans of this series will love this one as much as the rest!

Synopsis:
After their recent adventures in Transylvania, Russell and Holmes look forward to spending time with Holmes’ son, the famous artist Damian Adler, and his family. But when they arrive at Damian’s house, they discover that the Adlers have fled from a mysterious threat.

Holmes rushes after Damian while Russell, slowed down by a recent injury, stays behind to search the empty house. In Damian’s studio, she discovers four crates packed with memorabilia related to Holmes’ granduncle, the artist Horace Vernet. It’s an odd mix of treasures and clutter, including a tarnished silver lamp with a rotating shade: an antique yet sophisticated form of zoetrope, fitted with strips of paper whose images dance with the lantern’s spin.

In the same crate is an old journal written in a nearly impenetrable code. Intrigued, Russell sets about deciphering the intricate cryptograph, slowly realizing that each entry is built around an image—the first of which is a child, bundled into a carriage by an abductor, watching her mother recede from view.

Russell is troubled, then entranced, but each entry she decodes brings more questions. Who is the young Indian woman who created this elaborate puzzle? What does she have to do with Damian, or the Vernets—or the threat hovering over the house?

The secrets of the past appear to be reaching into the present. And it seems increasingly urgent that Russell figure out how the journal and lantern are related to Damian—and possibly to Sherlock Holmes himself.

Could there be things about his own history that even the master detective does not perceive?

If you have been reading the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, you will be familiar with the characters in The Lantern’s Dance, book 18 of the series. No worries if you have not though. Laurie R. King fills in the background expertly and you will not be lost.

Russel and Holmes have traveled to rural France for a visit with Damian Adler, Holmes’ estranged son. Irene Adler kept her pregnancy secret from Holmes. Damian didn’t meet his father until he was an adult and needed Sherlock’s help. Now the two are trying to build a relationship but are very awkward with each other. When the couple arrive to find Damian and his family have gone into hiding. The pair begin to investigate who could be after the couple and why.

The mystery goes much farther back into the family history than they could have known. Sherlock’s mother had a very big secret. A delightful read as always, I personally love the character of Mary Russell and she really shines in The Lantern’s Dance as a determined, intelligent, woman of her times.

How very enjoyable to encounter these characters (and then some) again! I read a couple of these books many years ago, but have missed most of the series in between. It doesn’t matter. There is enough information here for anyone to enjoy this book, whether or not they’re already familiar with the series. Part of the outcome was obvious from the start, but the colorful journey there kept me turning the pages. Well-written, well-crafted, and deftly woven fiction+canon+history.
I look forward to the next one - and will very likely go back and read the books that came before in the meantime.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of "The Lantern's Dance" by Laurie R. King, for allowing me to read this pre-pub edition of the book.
I have, for years, enjoyed reading the Sherlock Holmes books and watching the movies about Mr. Holmes. When Ms. King came out with her first Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book I was a little wary of what Ms. King would do with this legendary fictional character. I need not have worried.
"The Lantern's Dance" is less of a true mystery than a history of the characters who have resided between the many,many pages of Ms. King's books. As a started the book, I was a bit confused as the chapters varied in their points of view; from Mary to the diary she was reading to the third person in Holmes' chapters. But as I continued to read, it became a more and more comfortable and I became engrossed. We meet a young girl, Lakshmi, as well as Holmes' adult son Damian as we travel through India, and France. Mary, as the narrator of most of the story, and she does the most sleuthing, almost relegating Holmes to a secondary role. But of course his presence is needed as the final chapters bring everything together. And Ms. King even hints of a next book!
It's not easy to describe the story itself because that might give away too much. But I invite you to read this very enjoyable book and find out for yourself what happens.

Seeing a new release from Laurie R King inspired mixed emotions. First, delight at the prospect of a new Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes read. Second, concern that a quite elderly Holmes was no longer going to be credible. And who wants to bear witness to the decline of the great detective? Happily, my fears were quickly put to rest. King has delivered another wonderful addition to a.much loved series. And I suspect there may be more to come.

A talent for setting the scenes-France, India visual background , characterization and landscape, descriptive word choice.
The book can be read on its own, but it has more depth to the reader to have followed Holmes through the many adventures and relationships over time.
Holmes and his wife Mary Russel have arrived at the home now of his very avant-garde artist son, the home where Damien grew up with Holmes and his enigmatic mother Irene Adler who had abandoned them.
Damien’s family has quickly that home now their own when an intruder with a large knife appeared in the night.
As Holmes leaves to follow the intruder, Mary, who has a broken foot, stays to search the home. Every little space in every room and its contents are intentionally described.
Mary finds a small notebook penned with a series of coded words in the side of an old trunk, and begins to focus on the mystery of its writer while burying herself in deciphering the words from various sources.
There are two interwoven narratives over generations as Holmes with hope of bringing Damien closer narrates the story of his own mother as well as Damien’s. “Throughout history, one finds a scattering of women who do the unexpected”.
Expect the unexpected: Questions asked. Answered?
You easily feel yourself in the midst of these generational historical secrets.
Family mysteries of the past will be revealed.
Laurie Kings books are always as educational as compelling, enigmatic and colorful , your trip through history. Atmospheric in every way.

Book 18 in Laurie King's Sherlock Holmes pastiche is her best.

A twisted ankle forces Holmes' wife, Mary Russell, to stay at Damian Adler's home in France while Sherlock spirits his son by Irene Adler and his family to safety. Someone burgled Adler's home and it could be the bad guys Holmes and Russell battled a few books ago.

Russell discovers a coded diary among Damon's things, labors to translate it and opens a whole new aspect to the famous detective's story.

I hated for it to end.

Laurie R. King's long-running Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series continues with The Lantern's Dance, book #18. It hasn't been too long since Sherlock discovered he had fathered a son with the now-deceased Irene Adler. Damian Adler is an avant-garde artist and widower with a young daughter and a fiancee who is a physician. As he has invited Sherlock and his much younger wife to visit them in France, Sherlock is dismayed to discover that Damian and his family have left suddenly for another part of France in response to mysterious strangers asking about him in a town near his home and an actual break-in by a knife-wielding trespasser.

Sherlock leaves to find and assist Damian while the temporarily injured Mary stays behind to see if she can break the troublesome code used in a journal seemingly authored by a precocious young girl many decades ago. The mystery involves the Vernet family of famous artists, one of whom is a forebear of Sherlock's.

What I appreciate about this series entry are the tightly-plotted mystery, the attention to detail that immerses the reader in the sights and smells of every venue in which the story takes place, and especially the story of an engaging, precocious young girl taken away from her mother to spend many years of her life with her uncle in India. As Mary decodes the journal, we are treated to more and more about the girl's life and who she really turns out to be. It's also helpful that the author gives us enough information about previous series entries to better understand the current book's plot. Her writing style is as compelling and interesting as ever, so I look forward to more about Sherlock and Mary in the near future.

My thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.