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Summary: The Moor, Part 2
Review: I just finished reading this book. I love the way Ms. King has written this series. I have enjoyed the series very much so far adn look forward to reading more adventures of my favorite detective.
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Summary: mary russell is a formidable counter to holmes
Review: this is my first foray into laurie king's world and mary russell. the tale is has a decidely vicrtorian feel and doesn't make her heroine too feminist acting considering the times. mary is a good foile for holmes and the adventures have a nice mystery touch. a new spin on holmes to be sure.
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Summary: If you want to read a M.R. book, don't read this one first!
Review: I love the Mary Russell books, but I must say that this one is my least favorite of the series. While the other books in the series took me only one or two nights to read, this one took me at least two weeks, if my memory serves me. And the fact that I gave it three stars is saying something.The plot is sluggish from the beginning, and only has a few sparkling gems in the heap. Mary Russell might as well not exist during the entire first half of the book. It is only at the end of the book when the truly interesting plot begins, and still Russell is shoved into the background. It is disappointing, to put it lightly. This is definitely not the book to read if you're new to the series. Try starting from the beginning with the first book, "The Beekeeper's Apprentice." If you want a thrilling and well-written Mary Russell book, read "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" or "O Jerusalem", which are my personal favorites, with "Justice Hall" coming at a close second.
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Summary: Clever...maybe too clever for its own good
Review: "The Moor" is the fourth in the series of Mary Russell novels by acclaimed mystery author Laurie R King. For those who haven't kept up to date on the plot developments of the series - Russell is a young woman in her mid-20s and happens to be married to Sherlock Holmes (who is in his 50s or so). In their 1920s world, this partnership investigate a series of mysteries together. "The Moor" takes place in Devonshire, more specifically around Dartmoor. As any Holmes fan can tell you, Dartmoor is the site of Baskerville Hall and thus the site of "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" - arguably Holmes' most famous case. Holmes is staying with his elderly friend, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould, and invites Russell to join him (she is engrossed in theological research). It soon becomes apparent that the folktales of the Moor have come to life again. A ghostly carriage has been seen racing through the Moor, a large dog has made some appearances...and a local tin-hunter has died. Holmes, as a favour to Baring-Gould, has agreed to investigate. What follows is pure Holmes. The smallest thing (in this case, a hedgehog) provides a major breakthrough in the case and a host of shady characters appear to be up to no good. In typical King fashion, Mycroft makes an appearance - this time by requiring Holmes to check on the progress of a top-secret military vehicle stored at the army base on the Moor. Holmes' comment to Russell when she queries the need for such a vehicle following "the war to end all wars" is a cynical one, based around the idea that war is inevitable. As we all know, Holmes was right. The setting of this novel in Devonshire has enabled King to have a considerable amount of licence with the local dialect. Devonshire men don't drink beer, they drink "zyder" (cider) and so on. Perhaps most charming is the nickname Holmes was given during the time of "Hound", "Znoop Zherlock". Russell acquires one of her own, although much to her feminist chagrin it is "Zherlock Mary". Another feature of the setting is that King again plays travel writer, much as she did in "A Monstrous Regiment Of Women" (the second part of the series). Where King's descriptions of the Middle East left a little to be desired, her evocation of Dartmoor - a place which Russell grows to love - is significantly better. The reader can almost feel themselves at the top of the Tor looking out on the bleak expanse. King's humour is also more prevalent here. Upon being asked "What is it, Holmes?", Holmes responds with the wonderful, "What is what, Russell? I do wish you wouldn't ask me questions with no grammatical antecedent". Holmes' additions to Russell's list of important events are also slyly humorous.
It is not only Holmes' wit on show here. The Devonshire locals all exhibit a dry sense of humour which alternately exasperates and charms both detectives.
A particularly well-written scene deals with Russell's first-person account of riding a horse across the Moor. Without ever having taken this action, I found myself laughing out loud at the sardonic humour with which Russell gets used to the foibles of her mount. As well as playing "guide to Devonshire", King also provides some interesting information about English folksongs - a passion of Baring-Gould. These insights in themselves, along with the scene of the "singing battle" between the Moor men and the villagers, are worth the read. Of course, Holmes could hardly appear on Dartmoor without some sort of "Baskervilles" reference. In this case, the old Hall has been purchased by an American who made his money in Alaska. At dinner at Baskerville Hall, the man's secretary proves himself an avid Conan Doyle fan. Even Holmes himself suggests to Russell that she read Conan Doyle's work again to pick up what proves to be a relatively irrelevant clue - but a recurrent theme of King's work is the difference between the reality of Holmes' work and the version of it portrayed by Doyle. In the event, the solution to the mystery appears almost to come from thin air. In this case, there is a section during which the reader is presented with all the clues to see what they can do with them - although there is not much of a chance that the average reader will come to the same conclusion Holmes and Russell do. Where "The Moor" suffers is by its references - on a regular basis - to "Baskervilles". While King has done a good job of returning someone else's literary creation to the scene of one of his great triumphs without simply retelling the story, there is certainly something to be gained by reading "The Moor" with a copy of "Baskervilles" nearby. This is not a major problem, but King does become heavy-handed in her references at times. Overall, this book should be taken as the fourth in the series and should be read after the first three. This is to ensure that the reader does not miss anything in the dynamic between the two partners. As a mystery novel, "The Moor" holds up quite well and can be recommended - although more to those who are already familiar with Russell.
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Summary: A bit disappointing.
Review: THE MOOR starts well and ends well, but it's way too long -- with a lot of seemingly repetitive sequences (how many baths? how many walks on the moor?), at 369 pages I was begging for it to be over. I think a good editor could have cut out almost 100 pages. This is the fourth entry in the Mary Russell series, and Holmes is much less active this time. King continues to create a definite sense of time and place, and excellently weaves an eery mood. All the travel on the moor definitely makes you feel cold and wet. The plot provides great fun in that it revives "The Hound of the Baskervilles" story in detail. You do NOT need to read the previous books in the series to understand THE MOOR. But quite frankly I enjoyed the previous books much more.
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Summary: Where's Mary?
Review: I am reading the Mary Russell books in order so I, obviously, don't have a problem with the premise of Mary and Sherlock working together. My problem with "The Moor" is that Mary is reduced to a mere plot device in the first half of the book. The only reason she is there is to give author King an excuse to write a Sherlock Holmes mystery. When Mary finally gets going in the second half, her role is much more diminished than in previous adventures. The second half of the book does make it all worthwhile, though. While not outstanding, "The Moor" is a decent read for fans of the Mary Russell series. If you haven't read any before, though, for heaven's sake don't start here. Go back to "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" and welcome aboard.
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Summary: Awful!
Review: This was my first and last Mary Russell novel and it doesn't surprise me that I'm not the first reviewer to say that. I'm not a purist so I don't mind it being unfaithful to the canon, but this book was just awful on its own merit. I agree completely with those who thought that this book was boring. I feel that "The Moor" was just a complete waste of my precious time and hard earned money. I will definitely not be reading anymore Laurie R. King books.
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Summary: Well-crafted and entertaining
Review: In The Moor, Laurie King presents a skillful and sympathetic portrayal of the bleakly beautiful world of Dartmoor. The Moor is not, as many have suggested, a true sequel to The Hound of the Baskervilles, but is instead a re-visiting of the same geographical area with an entirely different viewpoint. Leaving behind the breathless sensationalism of the orginal Conan Doyle tale, King creates a world centered on the moor itself. To be certain, King's Holmes differs greatly from the man Doyle wrote about. The Holmes of The Moor is less supernaturally prescient and much more human, his formidable detecting skills almost overshadowed by his concerns for his ageing friend and mentor, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. King brings Holmes to life as Doyle never did, fleshing in the cold-blooded skeleton. This book may not please those who are rabidly dedicated to the canon, but it is ideal for any Doyle reader who has wondered "What was Holmes REALLY like?".
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Summary: Sherlock meets Scooby-Doo
Review: Of the four Mary Russell novels I have read, the plot for this is the weakest. While King's descriptions and characters still make the book a decent read, the ending has all the suspense of a Scooby-Doo cartoon, and is just as inventive. Don't let this be the only Mary Russell novel you read. The first three are definitely better.
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Summary: a superbly rich read that would please Doyle himself
Review: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes return to the moors of the Hound of the Baskervilles, investigating another haunting hound. This one may be the death of Holmes. A great story with tremendous sense of place. It got me cruising the web looking at pictures of the sites described in the book. Dare I say I like this series better than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's? It's great to see Holmes matched up with a woman who is his equal in brains, curiosity and ambition. Her independence delights. I have always been disappointed that Conan Doyle deprived Holmes of the incomparable Irene Adler and though Mary Russell is not quite Irene, she is quite something It's back to the Hounds of the Baskervilles for this case, but in this case, the relationship between Holmes and Mary Russell overwhlems the mystery. It's okay this time, but just this once.
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