One American reviewer once described Laurie R. King as the new P. D. James, which begged the question as to whether he or she had actually read books by either author? The only similarity is that bookstores would place books by each author on their 'crime' shelves, and there the similarity ends.
Laurie R. King has published eighteen books, ranging from the Kate Martinelli police procedurals set in modern-day San Francisco, to the thought-provoking yet fascinating Mary Russell series which, incidentally, features Sherlock Holmes as the mentor to the young Russell in the 1920s. I first read a Kate Martinelli title ten years ago when I spotted the setting as San Francisco, a city I was just about to visit for the first time. With only four titles in the series, but being impressed by the quality of the prose and the originality of the story, I persuaded myself to try a 'historical' novel with the first Mary Russell book. I have to confess that I hadn't been a fan of historical fiction before, not being partial to Victorians in togas (well, you get my drift), and it did take me two or three of the Russells before I welcomed them as equally as Mrs King's other work. The sense of time and place is so real, but never at the expense of the story, and I never felt as if the period in which the novels were set were being hammered home unnecessarily - indeed, with varied locations used to backdrop each book, they are as important and relevant as the stories being told.
Which brings me to Laurie R. King's latest offering, Touchstone, a stand-alone novel set shortly after the Great War in locations as diverse as London and Cornwall. I must confess immediately to a preference for novels which stand by themselves away from a series; as the author says on her own blog, it gives her 'a chance to flex her literary muscles', with the opportunity to develop a unique selection of characters and background that support the story in its entirety. Touchstone is no exception; a rich and diverse offering which challenges the mind and demands a single-sitting reading - no easy task at 500 pages plus. Indeed, part of the pleasure of this novel is in the savouring, with the lead character of Bennett Gray a superb vehicle from whom to provide just one of the many perspectives in this book.
Followers of Laurie R. King's blog will know how much time, care and love goes into her books. No corporate publicity machine producing multiple titles each year; indeed, often eighteen months or more may elapse between her books, and are welcomed with open arms by an extremely loyal readership. With Touchstone as the latest example of how this author keeps in touch with this reader, I would always welcome a more prolific output; however, I am glad Laurie R. King doesn't feel the need to compromise in any way, and continues to produce absolute gems.
[Note: The American edition of Touchstone, from Bantam, is available now. The UK edition, to be published by Poisoned Pen Press, is scheduled for 1 June 2008.]
The author of this review is my good friend Chris in Scotland, who is also a good friend of this blog and a well-embedded crime fiction afficionado. My thanks to Chris for his allocation of time and enthusiasm in providing this review.
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