O Jerusalem (Mary Russell Novels) [Paperback]

Laurie R. King (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mary Russell Novels | Publication Date: April 28, 2009

At the close of the year 1918, forced to flee England, Sherlock Holmes and his nineteen-year-old apprentice Mary Russell enter British-occupied Palestine under the auspices of Holmes’s enigmatic brother, Mycroft. Their arrival coincides with a rash of unsolved murders that has baffled the authorities and seems unrelated to the growing tensions in the area among Jew, Moslem, and Christian. Still, no one is too pleased at Holmes’s insistence on reconstructing the most recent homicide in the desert gully where it occurred.

What they unexpectedly uncover will lead Russell and Holmes through an exotic gauntlet of labyrinthine bazaars, verminous hovels, cliff-hung monasteries—and into mortal danger. In the jewel-like city of Jerusalem, they will at last meet their adversary, whose lust for power could reduce the city’s most ancient and sacred place to rubble and ignite a tinderbox of hostilities just waiting for a spark.…

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although O Jerusalem is Laurie King's fifth book in her Holmes-Russell series, it actually takes us back to the era of her first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Perhaps King was afraid that her characters, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, were becoming too cozy as an old married couple, and she wanted to recreate the edgy sexual tension of their first encounter.

It's 1918. Nineteen-year-old Mary and her fiftysomething mentor are forced to flee England to escape a deadly adversary. Sherlock's well-connected brother Mycroft sends them to Palestine to do some international sleuthing. Here, a series of murders threatens the fragile peace.

Laurie King connects us, through details of language, custom, history, and sensual impressions, to this very alien environment. Russell, Holmes, and two marvelously imagined Arab guides named Mahmoud and Ali trek through the desert and visit ancient monasteries clinging like anthills to cliffs. They also find time to take tea with the British military legend Allenby in Haifa and skulk through or under the streets of Jerusalem. King puts us into each scene so quickly and completely that her narrative flow never falters.

Stepping back in time also gives King a chance to show us Holmes through the eyes of a Russell not yet as full of love as a honeymooner, nor as complacent as a comfortable wife. "There it was--sardonic, superior, infuriating," Mary says about Holmes's voice at one point.

Wisdom is knowing when, and how much, to shake things up--even in a successful series. Laurie King is a wise woman indeed. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

O Jerusalem marks the fifth appearance of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes (The Moor, LJ 12/97). This time around they have fled to Palestine on a mission for Mycroft Holmes. Disguised as itinerant Muslims and paired with two Arab spies, Russell and Holmes travel through the Holy Land trying to figure out exactly why Mycroft has sent them. A pair of seemingly unrelated murders sets them on the track of a brilliant and power-hungry killer. Only Holmes and Russell (along with some unexpected allies) can stop their adversary from destroying JerusalemAif they can get to him in time. King's clear prose and her vivid depiction of a British-occupied Palestine torn between opposing cultures are the book's main strengths. A bit slow at the start, the action gradually builds to a satisfying and dramatic conclusion. Strongly recommended for all public libraries.
-ALaurel Bliss, New Haven, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553383248
• ISBN-13: 978-0553383249
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling crime writer Laurie R. King writes both series and standalone novels.

In the Mary Russell series (first entry: The Beekeeper's Apprentice), fifteen-year-old Russell meets Sherlock Holmes on the Sussex Downs in 1915, becoming his apprentice, then his partner. The series follows their amiably contentious partnership into the 1920s as they challenge each other to ever greater feats of detection.

The Kate Martinelli series, starting with A Grave Talent, concerns a San Francisco homicide inspector, her SFPD partner, and her life partner. In the course of the series, Kate encounters a female Rembrandt, a modern-day Holy Fool, two difficult teenagers, a manifestation of the goddess Kali and an eighty-year-old manuscript concerning'Sherlock Holmes.

King also has written stand-alone novels--the historical thriller Touchstone, A Darker Place, two loosely linked novels'Folly and Keeping Watch--and a science fiction novel, Califia's Daughters, under the pseudonym Leigh Richards.

King grew up reading her way through libraries like a termite through balsa before going on to become a mother, builder, world traveler, and theologian.

She has now settled into a genteel life of crime, back in her native northern California. She has a secondary residence in cyberspace, where she enjoys meeting readers in her Virtual Book Club and on her blog.

King has won the Edgar and Creasey awards (for A Grave Talent), the Nero (for A Monstrous Regiment of Women) and the MacCavity (for Folly); her nominations include the Agatha, the Orange, the Barry, and two more Edgars. She was also given an honorary doctorate from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

Check out King's website, http://laurierking.com/, and follow the links to her blog and Virtual Book Club, featuring monthly discussions of her work, with regular visits from the author herself. And for regular LRK updates, follow the link to sign up for her email newsletter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King's Best!, October 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: O Jerusalem (Hardcover)

When I first discovered that the latest adventure of Holmes and Russell wasn't in chronological order with Kings' previous novels in the series, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. That thought didn't last long. Kings' latest is, in my opinion, her best. . She always writes well, but she out did herself with this latest edition to this very enjoyable series.

This is a story rich with history, imagery and wonderful characters you really care about. Set in the Holy Land, the historical references meld neatly with Holmes' and Russell's present. Ancient history and post-WWI history is anything but dull as King paints a picture both realistic and captivating.

Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell are, as always, strong characters, but the other central characters are well rounded and real as well. I came to care about them and hated to come to the end of this novel. I hope that we'll meet up with Ali and Mahmoud, the odd detecting duos reluctant cohorts, again soon.

If you're uncertain about whether or not to buy this novel, don't be. Buy it now and feel the heat of the ancient desert between your toes. :o)

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost As Good As Being There . . ., March 17, 2001

By 

Brandon K. (WA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: O Jerusalem (Mary Russell) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had the luxury of reading this book second, where it naturally fits timewise in the series, and I could not find the lack of plot and cold narration that other readers noticed. In fact, to me, this book is as good or BETTER than Beekeeper's Apprentice, simply due to the very details that some said would better fit in a travel guide. The way to snare a reader is to make them feel they are really there. I could almost feel the sand between my teeth and smell the smoke from the campfires. I'm sorry, but I love that kind of detail. Why read if all you want is taut dialogue? Might as well listen to the radio or something . . . Give me the descriptions anytime. All in all, I have found King to be a lovely read, and all too often, I find that I have over-stayed my time on lunch breaks because I've detoured through the Holy Land with Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not the best of the series, June 23, 2000

By 

"julies_27" - See all my reviews

This review is from: O Jerusalem (Mary Russell) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read most of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books, and was excited to see this one in paperback, but found it a less enjoyable read than her previous books (especially Beekeeper's Apprentice). It's tone and plot were a bit of a departure from the usual, which might be related to the "exotic" setting and, as another reviewer said, it's not really that much of a mystery. I felt like the book was loaded down with a lot of action that made it less interesting to me, because it was hard to figure out what the story was going towards, and hard to figure out what exactly was going on. One of the things I did find interesting was the beginnings of the romance between Holmes & Russell. I would say this book was well-written and evocative, but if you are looking for a page-turning mystery, this is not the book for you.