The Art of Detection, the fifth in the Kate Martinelli series is available to order in the UK from Amazon right now.
It's a novel that not so much crosses boundaries as merges two unique series from Laurie R. King. Where the Martinelli series is contemporary, the Mary Russell series is historical crime fiction, inspired by Sherlock Holmes.
So how do these series converge?
Martinelli, in The Art of Detection is faced with a case that involves San Francisco Sherlockians...
In a nutshell: the body of Philip Gilbert, a true Holmes fanatic, is discovered in an historic place within a San Francisco park. Gilbert's enthusiasm for Holmes has made him a leading expert with a collection of almost priceless Holmes memorabilia. Sherlock Holmes is both his trade and his life. Gilbert's home is a relic of the past over two floors, with only one floor allowing him some modern day creature comforts. But why was he killed and by whom? His consort of Sherlockian admirers makes the list of suspects. And then, a short manuscript, apparently written by Holmes himself, in the possession of the victim comes to light. Something so unique and potentially priceless is surely a motive for murder?
You may know already from reading previous posts that I have been reading the Martinelli series in sequence. As a result, I have grown to love the characters, the contemporary setting and plots. Having a victim who is a Holmes enthusiast is not a problem for me.
But having the manuscript within the plot as feature of this novel, about half way through, was a problem for me. However, there are two sides to every coin. For King aficionados who read and love the Russell series as well, this will be a thriller. For those like me, who have concentrated on Martinelli, I am pleased to report that you lose very little in skimming or completely omitting that manuscript - the rest of the novel tells you enough to move the plot along quite nicely.
For a pure Martinelli reader, the manuscript is a bit of a curve ball, and personally, I did not welcome what I felt to be its intrusion on proceedings. But, and this is indeed a big "but", the whole purpose of the novel was to marry these two series, with the previous in the Russell series "Locked Rooms" being a key link.
But the best thing here is: don't feel obliged to read that "manuscript" story in the middle of The Art of Detection in full, or in detail, or even at all. For the purposes of "stand alone", "The Art of Detection" can indeed stand on its own two feet. For the purposes of a number five in a series, "The Art of Detection" is still good.
One thing King can be relied upon is a set of characters that hold true and move realistically with time. Martinelli is now a mother, along with her partner Lee, and their child Nora is both an apple in their eyes as well as a wonderful reflection on their own personalities.
The plot in "The Art of Detection" simmers at a very low heat until the final boil of resolution.
King's "The Art of Detection" remains a very good novel, even if I didn't like the "intrusion" of said Sherlockian manuscript.
A final note: Laurie R. King's planned UK tour will not happen this year. She has cancelled due to family circumstances - where her husband has been taken serously ill. I wish all the very best to LRK and her family at this time, and a speedy recovery to her husband.
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