Rating: 
Summary: Excellent flashback
Review: Although this book is set just after World War I, the plot is frighteningly close to a scenario feared by Israeli and Muslim authorities: the possibility of a fanatic desecrating the holy sites in Jerusalem. Excellent depictions of post-war life in the Holy Land (especially a sequence by the Dead Sea), sharp characterizations, and enough action to keep the plot moving. A very good addition to the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for Sherlock Holmes Fans
Review: Just another Sherlockian Pastiche that will disappear into the abyss of other poorly written pastiches. The only crime here is that this is one of a series that doesn't seem to end. Fans of Sherlock Holmes would find their money better spent elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Takes place years before the last book
Review: In late 1918, Mycroft Holmes offers his younger brother Sherlock and the famed detective's associate, Mary Russell an opportunity to flee London. To do so they must choose one of five British government operations that Mycroft secretly sponsors. Needing to temporarily leave England, they choose the Palestine scenario where they are to investigate a series of murders that have left the Jews and Muslims ready to fight one another. They quickly make contact with two Arabs, Mahmoud and Ali, who take Sherlock and Mary into the desert. As they investigate the killings, more murders occur, leaving the fate of British rule in the area tottering. Soon Sherlock and Mary conclude that a traitor exists, one whose desire for power includes the use of murder. The latest Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes tale is a terrific entry to a great series that adds to the legend of the great detective. The story line is filled with action, an incredible feel for the time and place, and a warm salute to the lead characters. Fans of Holmes will know something's a foot as O JERUSALEM is a winner. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: O Jerusalem- Different but still great
Review: I have been into the Mary Russell series for a few years, and this book has been one of my favorite books ever since. Although O Jerusalem has a slower pace than The Beekeeper's Apprentice, it still manages to capture the flavor of the Mary Russell series while incorperating a lot of the Middle Eastern culture. It begins with Mary and Holmes escaping from a deadly enemy back in England. Holmes' brother, Mycroft, suggests a few places for them to go, and they end up landing in Palestine. Their guides, Ali and Mahmoud, lead them through deserts, villages, and wadis as they look for the answer to the mystery. What started as a simple murder evolves into a complex mystery involving salt smugglers, bombs, and the famous Dome Rock. It (the mystery) is based on the precarious balence between the different religions living together in the Holy Land, each doubting the other.
What makes this book stand out is the amount of history and culture included, much more than The Beekeeper's Apprentice had. I would say Laurie King chose to focus more on the culture rather than the plot or character developement, because it seems to me that the plot is a bit difficult, and the character's personalities aren't as well described as in The Beekeeper's Apprentice. However, I believe that too is a part of how the Middle East is potrayed to the outside world- in other words, a bit mysteriously. In any case, I think this is one of the best books so far in the series, and it is definitely worth giving a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Descriptive But Redundant
Review: While I love the Mary Russell series, I found that THIS installment was the only one I had to MAKE myself finish.
Saying this book was overdescriptive is an understatement.
How many times do we need to hear about Ali making coffee & Holmes lighting his pipe while she sit's back on her heels?
And, yes, we get the point of how being dressed as a boy makes people treat her differently.
Then, a few hundred pages later, when we finally get to the interesting confrontations, they're done in a snap & it's over.
No thriller, here, but I WILL be reading "Justice Hall" anyway!;)
Rating:
Summary: O Jerusalem- Different but still great
Review: The fifth book In Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series is, in my opinion, the best since the initial book. Holmes and Russell explore their relationship while escaping from danger in the first book and investigating for Mycroft. I found the background of Jerusalem after the first world war intriguing, and the interplay of cultures compelling. It is interesting that the author made references to this adventure in previously written books since this one takes place at and earlier time than some books (the same time as The Beekeeper's Apprentice.) I suspect that she had in mind that she would tell this story at some point. Perhaps the research took some time.
The testing that Russell and Holmes go through in this book make the changes in the characters when they return to London in the first book realistic. I admire the writing craft as true to the individual plot and true to the development of the characters during the series. I'd love to sit down and talk to the author about this book.
Rating: 
Summary: vivid, imaginative, well worth reading
Review: Great cast of characters, wonderful history, and the scenery comes alive before your eyes. I recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: I Don't Care What Others Say: I Loved It!
Review: I don't understand why I've seen so many reviews that put this book down so horribly! I loved this story personally, rivalling it with "The Beekeeper's Apprentice." The setting makes you feel like you're really there and adds to the tension of the story. The plot is superb, with enough red herrings all over the place to make your skin crawl with delight! I simply loved the way Laurie R. King (and because of this, Russell) really and truly understood and recognized these people as who they are and what they are, not trying to hide or disguise it at all. It is refreshing, truly. This fine piece of work was wrought well by the master story-teller Laurie R. King, and is sure to delight you. Just as Russell had to show she was competent to Holmes, so she does now once again, this time to two Arab males that believe women to be inferior to everything else in the world, especially them. It is comic yet heart-wrenching, serious yet light. A hard thing to explain, true...but if you read the book, you will understand.
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