The Art of Detection: Summary and book reviews of The Art of Detection by Laurie King, plus links to an excerpt from The Art of Detection and a biography of Laurie King.
The Art of Detection A Novel of Suspense
by Laurie R. King
Hardcover: May 2006,
368 pages.
Paperback: May 2007,
496 pages.
In this thrilling
new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King’s Edgar and Creasey
Awards—winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary
Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with
Sherlock Holmes – in a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the
“intelligent, witty, and complex” mind of New York Times bestselling
author Laurie R. King….
Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop,
but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight
out of a Sherlock Holmes story – complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian
slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late
queen.
Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated décor to his
vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction’s great detective, but a leading
expert with a collection of priceless memorabilia – a collection some would kill
for.
And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript
purportedly written by Holmes himself – a manuscript that eerily echoes details of
Gilbert’s own murder.
Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted
trail of a killer – one who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of
all times.
So far, Martinelli has encountered a female Rembrandt, a modern-day Holy Fool, two difficult teenagers and a manifestation of the goddess Kali. Now she takes on the mystery of a dead Holmes fanatic in this very satisfying 5th in the series, which has the added advantage of showcasing King's encyclopedic knowledge of all things Holmes. (Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Publishers Weekly
A fine, perceptive storyteller, King is particularly adroit at capturing the milieus in which her characters reside.
Kirkus Reviews
King's imagination is as generous as ever, and her use of the Sherlockian canon to ventilate contemporary issues is clever and impassioned.
Library Journal
King knows both Holmes and the Bay Area, and this book is a delightful mix of the two.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Velma A Touch of Holmes A very entertaining read. Well written as usual for Ms.King. I love the novel in the novel idea. Ends with a twist.
Laurie King was born in northern
California, the third generation in her
family native to the San Francisco area.
According to her bio she "spent her
childhood reading her way through
libraries like a termite through balsa,
and her middle years raising children,
traveling the world, and studying
theology, earning a BA degree in
comparative religion and an MA in Old
Testament Theology. She now lives a
genteel life of crime, back again in
northern California."
She published her first book, A Kate
Martinelli mystery, in 1993; the
following year she came out with her
first Mary Russell novel, The
Beekeeper's Apprentice, for the next
couple of years she managed to turn out
a book from both series each year,
before focusing on the Mary Russell
series. In addition she has written a
handful of...
This subtle and wise work is more than a re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes but a profound meditation on faultiness of memory and how, as we grow older, the way we see the world is inevitably altered.
An utter astonishment that captures an era through one life celebrated internationally - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; and another entirely forgotten - George Edalji.
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(665 words).
Publishers Weekly
of 5
by Velma
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