The Game: A novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes (A Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes Mystery Book 7)

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Laurie R. King's The God of the Hive and Pirate King. Its only the second day of 1924, but Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, find themselves embroiled in intrigue. It starts with a New Years visit from Holmess brother Mycroft, who comes bearing a strange package containing the papers of an English spy named Kimball OHarathe same Kimball known to the world through Kiplings famed Kim . Inexplicably, OHara withdrew from the Great Game of espionage and now he has just as inexplicably disappeared. When Russell discovers Holmess own secret friendship with the spy, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But Russell soon learns that in this faraway and exotic land, its often impossible to tell friend from foeand that some games arent played for fun but for the highest stakes of alllife and death. From Publishers Weekly The seventh Mary Russell adventure (after 2002's Justice Hall) may well be the best King has yet devised for her strong-willed heroine. It's 1924, and Kimball O'Hara, the "Kim" of the famous Rudyard Kipling novel, has disappeared. Fearing some kind of geopolitical crisis in the making, Mycroft Holmes sends his brother and Mary to India to uncover what happened. En route, they encounter the insufferable Tom Goodhearta wealthy young American who has embraced Communismtraveling with his mother and sister to visit his maharaja friend, Jumalpandra ("Jimmy"), an impossibly rich and charming ruler of the (fictional) Indian state of Khanpur. With some local intelligence supplied by Geoffrey Nesbit, an Englishman of the old school, and accompanied by Bindra, a resourceful orphan, the couple travel incognito as native magicians (Mary, it goes without saying, learns Hindi on the voyage out). Ultimately, their journey intersects with the paths of the Goodhearts and the mysterious Jimmy. At times, travelogue and cultural history trump plot, but the sights, smells and ideas of India make interesting, evocative reading (Mary's foray into the dangerous sport of pig-sticking is particularly fascinating). If for some Mary Russell is too perfect a character to be as enduringly compelling as Holmes, all readers will appreciate the grace and intelligence of King's writing in this exotic masala of a book. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library Journal Adult/High SchoolOnce apprentice, now investigator, Mary Russell travels to India in 1925 with her former mentor, now husband, Sherlock Holmes. In this seventh adventure, the duo is searching for Kimball O'Hara, the Kim of Rudyard Kipling's eponymous novel. On a mission from Sherlock's brother Mycroft, long involved in British espionage, they are tasked with finding Kim or evidence of his status as victim or traitor. Sailing to India on a luxury liner, they meet an American family with a debutante daughter, a social-climbing mother, and a left-leaning son, who of course reappear at a strategic moment. Upon their arrival, Mary and Sherlock disguise themselves as native traveling magicians and seek out an anti-English and very sadistic maharaja, "Jimmy." With her usual thorough research, King imbues the mystery with lots of historical detail and a real sense of time and place. This is one of the best in the series and can easily be read on its own, though readers will then want to go back and see how the strange, but surprisingly plausible, meeting and union between a young Mary and a considerably older Holmes actually occurs. Likewise, a previous reading of Kim is unnecessary, but teens will likely be intrigued enough to go on to read that as well. A sure bet for mystery lovers and historical fiction fans. Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Mary Russell and her husband and partner, Sherlock Holmes return for their most dangerous exploit yet in a rich and atmospheric tale that takes them to India to save the life of one of literature's most fabled heroes. But the fragile peace will be fleeting--for a visit with Holmes's gravely ill brother, Mycroft, brings news of an intrigue that is sure to halt their respite. Mycroft, who has ties to the highest levels of the government, has just received a strange package. The oilskin-wrapped packet contains the papers of a missing English spy named Kimball O'Hara--indeed, the same Kimball who served as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's famed Kim. An orphaned English boy turned loose in India, Kim long used his cunning to spy for the Crown. But after inexplicably withdrawing from the "Great Game" of border espionage, he's gone missing and is feared taken hostage--or even killed. When Russell learns of Holmes's own secret friendship with Kim some thirty years before, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But even before they arrive, danger will show its face in everything from a suspicious passenger on board their steamer to an "accident" that very nearly claims their lives. Once in India, Russell and Holmes must travel incognito--no small task for the English lady and her lanky companion. But after a twist of fate forces the couple to part ways, Russell learns that in this faraway place it's often impossible to tell friend from foe--and that some games must be played out until their deadly end Its only the second day of 1924, but Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, find themselves embroiled in intrigue. It starts with a New Years visit from Holmess brother Mycroft, who comes bearing a strange package containing the papers of an English spy named Kimball OHarathe same Kimball known to the world through Kiplings famed#160; Kim . Inexplicably, OHara withdrew from the Great Game of espionage and now he has just as inexplicably disappeared.#160; When Russell discovers Holmess own secret friendship with the spy, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But Russell soon learns that in this faraway and exotic land, its often impossible to tell friend from foeand that some games arent played for fun but for the highest stakes of alllife and death. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Laurie R. King's #160;Garment of Shadows