On board a ship heading home to England from India (fresh off the adventures chronicled in The Game), Holmes and Russell meet a young Japanese woman. Haruki Sato comes from a family of acrobats, but her skills go far beyond athleticism. Educated in the U.S., she is a quietly lethal combination of ninja and diplomat. Sato asks Holmes and Russell for their help with a small but dangerous task involving blackmail and forgery--a task that will take them from the villages of Japan to a private meeting with the Prince Regent (and future Emperor) Hirohito.
King begins her story in March 1925, when Holmes and Russell find a mysterious carved stone from Japan standing in the garden of their Sussex home. Trying to ignore her suspicions of danger, Russell returns to Oxford, where she finds Sato waiting her house, bleeding, with one request: "Mary-san. Help me." From there, the story unfolds in two long flashbacks, as Russell narrates her experiences on the ship and then her time in Japan. King uses Holmes and Russell's journey to give readers a crash course in Japanese culture, but since every experience provides information vital to the case, it never feels like overkill. Longtime King fans will appreciate frequent references to previous cases, though the book stands on its own as a compelling adventure. Russell's intimate knowledge of Oxford also proves helpful, as the case--which seemingly came to a tragic end in Tokyo--takes a new and surprising turn.
Although series like this one are best enjoyed in order, Dreaming Spies will give new readers a brief but thorough introduction to Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Their unusual partnership is, as always, a delight to observe, and King expertly combines rich historical detail, deftly drawn characters and taut suspense. For Holmes fans, mystery lovers and those interested in either Japan or Oxford, this novel is a multilayered and entirely enjoyable journey. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Rich with historical detail, Laurie R. King's 13th mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell chronicles the duo's journey through Japan.