I just LOVE the Mary Russell books by Laurie R. King! Mary Russell is so intelligent and clever, along with being quite plucky, and she gives her husband Sherlock Holmes a run for his money in terms of intellect. The mysteries are always well-plotted but I delight in these books primarily due to the unique and wonderful voice of Mary Russell. If you enjoy women sleuths and/or Sherlock Holmes, do check this series out! Each one is a stand-alone.

I should add that I think Laurie R. King captures Sherlock Holmes better than any other interpreter outside of Sir C-D himself!

Here’s the overview:

A queen, a castle, a dark and ageless threat—all await Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes in this chilling new adventure.

The queen is Marie of Roumania: the doubly royal granddaughter of Victoria, Empress of the British Empire, and Alexander II, Tsar of Russia. A famous beauty who was married at seventeen into Roumania’s young dynasty, Marie had beguiled the Paris Peace Conference into returning her adopted country’s long-lost provinces, singlehandedly transforming Roumania from a backwater into a force.

The castle is Bran: a tall, quirky, ancient structure perched on high rocks overlooking the border between Roumania and its newly regained territory of Transylvania. The castle was a gift to Queen Marie, a thank-you from her people, and she loves it as she loves her own children.

The threat is . . . well, that is less clear. Shadowy figures, vague whispers, the fears of girls, dangers that may be only accidents. But this is a land of long memory and hidden corners, a land that had known Vlad the Impaler, a land from whose churchyards the shades creep.

When Queen Marie calls, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are as dubious as they are reluctant. But a young girl is involved, and a beautiful queen. Surely it won’t take long to shine light on this unlikely case of what would seem to be strigoi?

Or, as they are known in the West . . . vampires.

Thanks for my review copy via Net Galley!