Laurie R. King, Pirate King

Pirate King is the eleventh Mary Russell novel from Laurie King (and they all, I believe, feature Sherlock Holmes, as this latest volume does). In this latest installment, there is plenty of action, as Mary gets swept up in a pirate adventure while involved in the making of a movie about a pirate adventure within a pirate adventure (there are many layers, and they aren't quite as confusing as it might seem). Mary signs on, at Holmes's urging, for an undercover assignment for Scotland Yard posing as an assistant to a well-known British filmmaker. The film crew and English portion of the cast set off by boat for Lisbon, where they will recruit some authentic-looking Pirates before moving on to North Africa to film their pirate tale. They are met by translator Fernando Pessoa, who will be their guide through Lisbon and who proves to be a colorful and complex host. They hire on a mysterious man, Mr. La Rocha, who will serve as the "Pirate King" in their film, and through him they fill out the ranks of the pirates. The cast and crew finally all set out aboard a two-masted boat that will serve both as their transportation to Morocco and as a primary set for the movie. The voyage proves adventurous, and takes some odd turns that keep Mary Russell on her toes, one of which is Holmes's appearance as a last-minute addition. And the tension builds as their fictional pirate adventure looks like it might just turn into a real one.

Pirate King really is a swashbuckling pirate-filled adventure, wrapped up together with a series of mysteries. Mary Russell especially proves a solid protagonist and interesting character. And though Holmes doesn't figure real prominently in the story, his appearances do cohere nicely with the Holmes I so fondly remember from Doyle's stories. This book proved an enjoyable read, but I wasn't entirely satisfied at its conclusion. I felt like the principal mystery, the one for which Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes were initially engaged, didn't figure very prominently in the major action of the novel, and was solved more as an afterthought once the major action had resolved, and didn't prove to be really integral to the major plotline. That criticism aside, I do look forward to reading other books in King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. While not perfect, it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to the publisher and the Amazon.com Vine program for the review copy.