Justice Hall - Softcover

King, Laurie R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553581112 ISBN 13: 9780553581119

Publisher: Bantam, 2003

Synopsis

Only hours after Holmes and Russell return from solving one murky riddle on the moor, another knocks on their front door...literally. It’s a mystery that begins during the Great War, when Gabriel Hughenfort died amidst scandalous rumors that have haunted the family ever since. But it’s not until Holmes and Russell arrive at Justice Hall, a home of unearthly perfection set in a garden modeled on Paradise, that they fully understand the irony echoed in the family motto, Justicia fortitudo mea est:

A trail of ominous clues comprise a mystery that leads from an English hamlet to the city of Paris to the wild prairie of the New World. The trap is set, the game is afoot; but can Holmes and Russell catch an elusive killer--or has the murderer caught them?

About this title

Review:

A lost heir, murder most foul, and the unexpected return of two old friends start Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes--spouses and intellectual equals--on an investigation that takes them from the trenches of World War I France to the heights of English society. In this sixth entry in Laurie King's award-winning series, fans will find the Baker Street sleuth mellowed by age and marriage yet still in possession of his deductive abilities and acerbic wit, and, in Mary Russell, a surprisingly apt companion for the legendary detective.

Justice Hall brings back two colorful characters from earlier in the series: Bedouins Ali and Mahmoud Hazr (now known as Alistair and Marsh), who last appeared in O Jerusalem. At their request, Holmes and Russell take up the trail of the doomed heir to Justice Hall, who has been executed for cowardice in the bloody trenches of France. As the detectives strive to make sense of his death and to locate another heir to the family title, an attempt is made on the life of the man who's soon to be welcomed as the new duke. Holmes and Russell soon realize something sinister is afoot, and that they must untangle a web of deceit to discover which of the many suspects is taking steps to shorten the line of inheritance. Once again, King's satisfying tale stays true to the spirit of Conan Doyle's original stories while extending them into new terrain. --Benjamin Reese

From the Back Cover:

“A spellbinding mystery...superb.”
--The Washington Post

“Consistently smart and poignant...[Conan Doyle] would probably approve.”
--Chicago Tribune

“Audacious...Mary Russell is never less than fascinating company.”
--Los Angeles Times

“Gosford Park with an Arthur Conan Doyle twist...fascinating.”
--The Orlando Sentinel

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0553581112
• ISBN 13: 9780553581119
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 464