Rating: 
Summary: Holmes, Russell, Danger, Adventure -- What More Could I Ask?
Review: I notice that some readers feel that dropping back to the time of "The Beekeper's Apprentice" for this fifth book, rather than continuing in chronological order may have been a mistake. Personally, i don't.If nothing else, it gives King a chance to establish Russell's feelings toward her background and her heritage as a young Jewish woman in the period just after World War 1, as she travels through the Holy Land. It gives her a chance to again depict and to clarify the early relationship of Holmes and Russell, and to show us the beginnings of the change in that relationship. And it gives an excuse to write a grand, old-fashioned but quite "modern" adventure novel -- exotic places! Strange customs! Assassins in the night! Plots and counter-plots! Hair's-breadth escapes! It's all there. Needing to lay low ofr a while, Holmes and Russell accept a request from brother Mycroft Holmes and head out to the Holy Land, newly-conquered by the British under Allenby, and to discover just what is going on. Accompanied by a pair of alleged Arab allies, Ali and Mahmoud (there's something just a bit too good to be true about these fellows...), Holmes and Russell begin their investigation. And the plot that they discover -- and find themselves called to thwart at the last instant -- is one to rival or even surpass Guy Fawkes's Gunposder Plot in the scale of consequences. Fawkes, after all, was only looking to blow up Parliament; this plot strikes at government, clergy and some of the world's holiest sites simultaneously. As would be expected from Laurie King, though there are some *very* funny moments -- the dinner at the American Colony in Jerusalem, with Russell and Holmes, both in disguise, acting the parts of complete strangers, for instance. (Holmes chooses the alias "William Gillette" for this...) But there are some dark moments, indeed -- Mary's loss of family in a car crash is vividly recalled, Holmes is tortured, several killings take place -- staged in a manner to stimulate unrest/rebellion. But in the end, of course, our heroes *do* save the day. As musch as anything, this book is a set-up for the next to come, in which i understand that Homes and Russell return to the Holy Land; by teaching Russell what she needs to operate undercover there in this story, she avoids the necessity to slow down the next.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not the best of the series
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly Disappointing
Review: After reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice, I was expecting more of a mystery. I would classify this book as an adventure story rather than a mystery novel. While entertaining in its own way, this book lacks the essential problem solving element. I would have liked to see Holmes and Russell doing more sleuthing. Another thing, one reason I liked the first one so much was the interaction between the two main characters. In this one, I was disappointed by the flat relationship between Russell and Holmes in the first half of the novel. I still reccommend it, but those expecting a deeper mystery might be unsatisfied.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating mix of history and suspense
Review: Laurie King captivated me in the first four books of her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery. I thought the fifth would follow chronologically. It does not--taking a Star Warsesque type turn with fitting in between the first two books-- Beekeepers Apprentice and Monstrous Regiment. While Mary always tells the story in this series, this story is truly hers--in her "homeland" the focus of her Talmudic studies Mary is forced to don men's arabic garb and live as a nomad while she and Sherlock travel to solve the mystery of who is working to undermine the British occupation force. I felt the hard ground under me and tasted the unleaved bread and bitter coffee with Mary as she made her journey. Sherlock is here and has a role too, pushing Mary to speak Arabic (which he does fluently) and taking on various disguises and roles to better ferret out information. If you like a good story, with an interesting historical background, this is your book.
Rating:
Summary: King's latest book a work of triumph
Review: Laurie R. King's fifth book in her Mary Russell series continues the saga she began with "The Beekeeper's Apprentice". My personal feelings for this book, this series, and this author are of best report. King's writings are not for the juvinile reader. She often uses words that are at times archaic, and the complexity of her sentances do require a certain level of concentration. This is not a book to be read while watching television or rooting for your daughter's softball game. This is a book for curling up by the fireplace with a solid hour-- and an hour is a conservative estimate. This is truly one of the books that you may lose track of time with. It is enveloping and intoxicating. I do not recommend starting with this book if you are new to King's works. In order to understand her characters and writing style, I suggest you start with either the first Russell novel "The Beekeepers Apprentice", or her non-Russell "A Darker Place". It doesn't truly matter where you start, for with either beginning, you will always end in the same place - by the fireplace with a stack of all of King's books.
Rating: 
Summary: O Dear!
Review: I LOVED the first two books of the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes series. I didn't like the third (A Letter from Mary) but things were looking up in #4 (The Moor), despite the fact that it was the Hound of the Baskervilles II. But try as I might I simply cannot get engrossed in this book! O Jerusalem takes place chronologically in the midst of the first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, when Russell and Holmes were still in the process of getting to know each other. To protect themselves, the two go off to Palestine with the assistance of Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft. In Palestine, Russell and Holmes meet several British spies, encounter the Holy Land, and solve some dark political problems. Russell is occupied during most of the novel either deploring the dirt and smells or fighting for respect from their two closest companions, Mahmoud and Ali. The whole thing left me cold, and I am not encouraged that the forthcoming book in the series is more of the same.
Rating:
Summary: Rewarding Blend Of Fiction And Fact
Review: I have now read all of her books (that I know of), this and her other series, and she is an extremely perceptive author. There is enough interplay of personalities and setting in this book to both entertain and inform (I checked on a few facts to confirm at least some of the content).
Rating:
Summary: If I forget thee, O Jerusalem...
Review: Actually, I don't think it's likely that I'll ever forget this book. Some fans have commented that they felt the pace was too slow, but I disagree. Everything in this book, including the pacing, language, and especially vivid descriptions and sensory impressions, serves to further transport the reader to the exotic and awe-inspiring historic location. I actually expected to be in the Holy Land when I looked up from my reading (what a disappointment to find only snowy and frozen East Lansing, instead)! In addition, Ali and Mahmoud are welcome new characters, about whom I would like to learn much more, and the technique of setting the story in past events adds many dimensions to the events and novels which follow it chronologically. I see many things in a different light, with this back story added, and it also explains a good deal about how, exactly, Holmes and Russell developed their understanding of, love for, and mutual dependence on one another. Fascinating, beautiful, and as always, well worth my time. It will be worth yours, as well.
Rating:
Summary: Darker tone than other Mary Russell's
Review: Given what was said in Beekeeper's Apprentice, I would have thought the trip to Jerusalem was a little more pleasant, but it did not disappoint. I hope that there are many more Mary Russell books on the way.
Rating:
Summary: When is the next one coming!?!
Review: At first I did not like this book because of the tenson of Ali &Mahoud and Russell & Holmes. But it got better and better as the book went on. I liked it when the "blood insult" happened because it showed that there was a bond between the four. I did not think this book had too much description so that you got totally lost. And now I refer to my earlier question, when is the next one!
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