Rating: Summary: Couldn't Even Finish It Review: I've read Laurie R. King's work before, but this is the first "Mary Russell" novel that I've read, or tried to read, and it will be the last. It's premise of Sherlock Holmes marrying this boring shrew of a woman was unbelievable to me. Also, he seemed to have become dumber in his old age, asking questions that would have been "elementary" to the old Holmes. The plot, a phantom coach and a ghostly hound on the moor, is poorly developed and while supposedly a sequel to "The Hound of Baskervilles" isn't nearly as interesting as it could be. The book was incredibly slow to start, and I was so bored I couldn't read it for more than five minutes when I can usually sit and read for hours. There's hardly any mystery, no adventure, no sense of thrill, no brilliant deductions by Russell or Holmes, nothing which would mark a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Apologies to Ms. King, but she is no Doyle, and should stick to her non-Mary Russell novels.
Rating: Summary: Don't Waste Your Time Review: After a few rather good works in this series, The Moor is a big let down. It is one of the most boring Sherlock Holmes pastiches I have ever read.Don't waste your time on this one.
Rating: Summary: Very slow moving and below her usual standards Review: It took me six weeks to get through this book ... and only because I was determined. The start was dreadfully dull. It was so slow every time I'd pick it up I'd fall asleep. I have to agree with the reader who said it was like a sleeping pill. The 3rd book wasn't as good as the 1st and 2nd, and this 4th installment was awful. If not for the interesting literary tidbits incorporating Sabine Baring-Gould into the story, I probably would have turned the book into the used bookstore. The ending was dull and uninteresting and did not make this read worthwhile. It was a simple and silly and too quick ending after all that work to get there.
Rating: Summary: An Expensive Sleeping Pill!! Review: First, I have to say that it took me a month to read this book. I fell asleep after every ten pages. This was my first Laura King novel, and my last. The characters were uninteresting, the plot virtually nonexistant, completely nothing to hold a person's interest at all. I can suspend my belief far enough to accept Holmes getting married, but losing his deductive skills? When Holmes is in the novel, which is few and far between, he is constantly asking, "Who are you?", "What do you do for a living?", "How did you get those bruises?". Holmes would have deduced all that information within the first few seconds of meeting someone. Furthermore, how could Holmes ever forget who his Godfather was? Come on, Ms. King, did you do any reading of Doyle's novels at all? A very lame attempt at what could have been a great novel. A ghostly carriage on the moor, the return of the "hound", Sherlock Holmes, murder...who could ask for anything more? I could...I want my money back. Don't waste your time or money...unless you have insomnia.
Rating: Summary: No sinking feeling here Review: The fourth in Laurie King's series featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, this one returns to Dartmoor, the setting of the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. And, like in its predecessor there are tales of a ghostly hound out on the moors, this time accompanying an equally ghostly carriage. This series are always well worth a read. Laurie King brings carries off three significant tricks, each alone being worth the price of admission: characterisation of her leads, local and contemporary colour, and a great plot. In terms of the first, both Holmes and Russell are depicted as somewhat prickly characters, unwilling to suffer fools gladly, and each with their own areas of interest and expertise. Russell works well by herself, but sparks of all kinds fly when her husband is around (being narrated by Russell, we never see Holmes by himself). In this book, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould also features strongly, and occasionally view with the leads for our attention. Given he is virtually bedridden, this is no small feat. The depiction of different kinds of characters and their environments helps bring the story to life. Between those who live on the moor and those who live in the village, lords of the manor and their servants and so forth, we have no opportunity to mistake where and when the book is set. Two scenes which didn't really advance the plot but were wonderful are Russell's meeting with the local witch (as the moor dwellers call her), Elizabeth Chase, and a scene set in the pub where the locals spend the evening singing to entertain themselves - with its attendant rivalry between those who live in the village and those who live on the moor. Russell's growing understanding of the moor as a place and a presence in the life of its inhabitants also works very well. And lastly the plot: it's a cracker! I'm not going to give anything more away, but the final outcome was not what I had expected at the beginning of the book. In summary: what are you waiting for?
Rating: Summary: Well now Really! Review: I guess that we should hand one star over to the author for creativity, but any true Doyle fan knows that Sherlock Holmes would never marry anyone. This novel is a disgrace to literature,and I am sure the great creator of Holmes is rolling over in his grave at the thought of this almost blasphemous pastiche. Not a good read. Go find the originals.... with this you are just wasting your time.
Rating: Summary: Great continuation of her series Review: This book continues on in the tradition set by the Beekeepers Apprentice. It is wonderfully developed with a good plot line with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoy the character of Mary Russel and have been a sherlock holmes fan since I was a child. Great installment in a very good series.
Rating: Summary: Great Expectations Review: I must agree with a reader from Worcester, MA. The Beekeepers Apprentice continues to be my favorite book of all time, but starting with "A Monstrous Regiment of Woman" and going through "The Moor" Ms. King has completely bottomed out. I have not yet read "O Jerusalem", i will try it, but if it continues in the pattern of the previous three I plan on not finishing it. "The Moor" had great possibilities, but the solution is given away by the end of chapter 13. I was extremely disappointed by the amount of time she used describing the moor. All around it was a disappointing read.
Rating: Summary: Holmes is back! Review: As a great fan of Sherlock Holmes, I could not resist buying this book. Although the book was off to a slow start, I soon became immersed in the story. I might call it, Hound of the Baskervilles, part 2! The story was great. It captured the spirit of the Sherlock Holmes novels. It made the story of Holmes' marriage quite convincing (no small feat). I intend to read more of the Mary Russell stories.
Rating: Summary: Well written, but exceedingly slow story Review: The Moor, another adventure of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie King, gets off to a slow start and never really picks up. The writing is flawless (King's talent in this regard is exceptional)but the story consists almost entirely of Holmes and Russell walking the Moor and finding nothing. While the Moor itself may be the focal point of the book, it's hardly enough to sustain real interest for mystery fans. This has been an entertaining series to date, but to continue in that vein, King must deliver exciting stories to accompany the mood and settings of turn of the century Britain.
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