| Mary
and Sherlock, traveling in disguise on board a cruise ship,
meet Miss Sato Haruki, a Japanese acrobat. Haruski agrees
to tutor Mary and Sherlock in Japanese language and customs
in preparation of their pending arrival to Japan, but Mary
soon suspects there’s more to Haruki than meets the
eye. Meanwhile, Sherlock recognizes the blackmailing Earl
of Darby on board, along with his young wife and son. When
a woman aboard ship goes missing, Sherlock believes Darby
is the cause of her obvious suicide.
After
arriving in Japan, Haruki introduces Mary and Sherlock to
her father, who asks them to take on a sensitive case involving
Japanese royalty. They realize that meeting Haruki was not
accidental, and soon Mary and Sherlock disguise themselves
as Buddhist pilgrims to follow the path taken by Masuo Basho,
a long dead wandering poet, to better understand the Japanese
culture and their case. After their return to Oxford, Mary,
Sherlock and Haruki search for the object of their case: a
rare book being used by Darby as blackmail.
Mary
is a strong protagonist and a perfect match for Sherlock in
her detecting skills. Miss Sato Haruki’s character provides
added interest, with the skills of a ninja and the eagerness
of youth. I hope to see her in future releases.
Dreaming
Spies is among the best in the Mary Russell/Sherlock
Holmes series. I was entertained with Miss King’s a
beautiful rendering of Japanese life, customs and history,
and her solid, spellbinding plot. I love Miss King’s
descriptive style of writing, which made me feel as though
I was right beside Mary and Sherlock on the cruise ship, enjoying
the Japanese baths, and traversing the ancient historic route
for pilgrims. Dreaming Spies is an engrossing mystery
and yet another excellent release from this highly talented
author.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
The
Beekeepers Apprentice #1
Island
of the Mad #11
Garment
of Shadows #12
Dreaming
Spies #13
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