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The Lantern's Dance

A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes (Mary Russell Mysteries, Book 18)

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The Lantern's Dance

Written by: Laurie R. King
Narrated by: Amy Scanlon
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About this listen

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, hoping for a respite in the French countryside, are instead caught up in a case that turns both bewildering and intensely personal

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’ grand-uncle, 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 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?

©2024 Laurie R. King (P)2024 Recorded Books
Detective Fiction Historical International Mystery & Crime Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Sherlock Holmes Suspense
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The Lantern’s Dance

As usual some lovely twists and turns by Ms King. A good story. I was disappointed to not hear Jenny Sterlin narrate and was saddened to hear of her passing. I look forward to the next Russell/Sherlock novel.

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Disappointing

I’ve read all of the Russel & Holmes books. This is the first one I found disappointing. It seems like it was written by someone else. The character development is weak, the plot was obvious from the beginning, and the dialogue didn’t sound at all like the characters we’ve come to know & love. There weren’t any deep dives into the socioeconomic context - instead a romanticized account of a young girl moving from France to India.
The narrator is very skilled. But her interpretations of Holmes & Adler were muddy and weak compared to the narrator of the previous books. In her defense, a French/American accent influenced by years in England & Shanghai must be very difficult to interpret. And Holmes’ dialogue in this book didn’t give her much to work with.
If you loved the other books you may want to skip this one.

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5 people found this helpful