Rating: 
Summary: Terrific addition to the series
Review: My only beef was that it wasn't long enough. The descriptions were wonderful, the foreshadowing marvelous and tragic (especially when true heir to Justice Hall is taken under the wing of a Nazi sympathizer...and it was such a refreshing change *not* to have the Nazis take over the plot, or for someone in the 1920s to feel The Cold Winds of Evil Blow In From Germany), and the setting evocative. I look forward to the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: Who are these people?
Review: I just read the reviews below from those that didn't like Justice Hall, and I wonder what book they read? This latest Mary Russell book was terrific, veddy British, multiple characters, nice bit of Holmes but not too much as Mary comes to the fore. The end was a little predictable, but still a page turner. Mary Russell is terrific, and this is one of the best books of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Seeking Justice
Review: Russell and Holmes set out seeking a kind of justice that is somewhat denied by the end of this rambling tale of constant characters and changing landscapes. King has great descriptions of all of it. The story is somewhat ragged. Holmes is shuttled off to London to rummage papers while Russell has her diversions in the country side along with a fast trip to Canada. Occasionally they get together, but not often enough. The two 'Arabs' from their previous trip to Palastine become very English along with all the trappings of a proud but disappearing family. The revealing of little discussed English history during WWI is sad, and one that most of us find hard to understand today, and the justice sought can never be found. This book is not light hearted entertainment. I want more of Russell and Holmes interaction that appeared in the previous books. Holmes is made to appear old and somewhat useless with Russell making too make quick moves with too many other people.
Rating:
Summary: Justice Hall
Review: It was good being reacquainted with the characters. I enjoyed the way the story linked all the characters and brought the story to such a satisfactory conclusion. I thought it was hard reading for the first 25 or so pages and then found that I didn't want to stop reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best of the series, but still extremely enthralling.
Review: To be fair, I've not yet finished "Justice Hall" (I'm three-quarters of the way through), so if the ending of the book alters what I have to say in any way, I apologize beforehand. But, hey, at least I can't give it away, right?I've been a fan of the Mary Russell series since "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", and haven't failed yet to read one of the books. I was a bit nervous about the latest (the sixth!) enstallment, since, in my opinion, the series peaked with "A Monstrous Regiment of Women" ("A Letter of Mary" was pretty good, but a shadow of the first two; "The Moor", dreary as the setting; only "O Jerusalem" seemed redemptive). Apparently, I've underestimated Ms. King. "Justice Hall" is wonderful, with characters and situations the reader can care about, and containing a terrific surprise within the first chapter for those who have read earlier books in the series. My only quibble: far too little Holmes. Russell carries her novels, yes, but Holmes is their backbone; after all, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't care, or know, about Mary! Still, I'm enjoying this installment immensely, and plan to finish it as soon as I'm done writing this review.
Rating:
Summary: A good story... if you've been following the series
Review: This is a detailed story, anchored with real-world political details which do fold into the plot, but if you havent been following the series, you probably wont get caught up in the characters. Ali and Mamoud, characters from Oh Jeruselem, are central... with such a surprising past that it almost seems hokey. Holmes is much more distant and peripheral, to my disappointment; I enjoyed the Mary/Holmes interplay in the first novel.
In some ways, this is just another English Country House novel, but I find it saved by the references to real-world events. Also, King has made sure that all character's motives are consistent and believable- there's no random actions just to get the plot moving. (Except I do wish she didnt have Ali show up on the doorstep injured- I suspect this was done to get an exciting and extractable first chapture!)
Rating:
Summary: rich multi-textured Holmes tale with a twist
Review: Four years ago in 1919, Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell were in Palestine working a case. Their paths crossed that of two Arabs, Ali and Mahmoud Hazr, two agents of Mycroft who reported on German movement. These four people worked so closely together, breaking bread watching, each other's back and taking care of business that a bond was formed, closer than that of family.
In the present (1923) a knock on the door of Holmes and Russell's home reveals a wounded and desperate Ali who says he needs their help. It seems that the Hazr's are descendants from one of England's oldest families, one who came over with the Conqueror. Mahmoud is now the Seventh Duke of Belleville and he is on the family estate of Justice Hall. Duty forces him to come to England though his heart and soul yearn to be with Ali in Palestine. Mary and Sherlock must find out if there is anyone of the blood to take Marsh's place, a job that is fraught with danger and peril.
It's hard to imagine any author writing about Sherlock Holmes in a manner that is significantly different than his creator and having it come out fabulous but Laurie R. King makes the impossible possible. JUSTICE HALL is a rich multi-textured tale that is as much a historical mystery as it is a parable of the human condition. This book as well as the series is a must read for Holmes fans as well as anyone who wants to read something unusually good. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied
Review: I am a great admirer of Laurie R. King. I have especially enjoyed the Mary Russell series, and in the past, have looked forward to the release of every book in the series with great anticipation. This latest seemed to take a particularly long time to come out, and it appears that the date of release was delayed several times. After finally receiving and reading it, I am forced to admit - it was not worth the wait. I think Ms. King must have struggled with writing this as much as I struggled with reading it. It's a jumble of mismatched characters and incidents, with little flow and less plot development. This is something that just doesn't work, and I think Ms. King must've known it. What has kept me so involved in this series is the depiction of the unfolding, developing relationship between Mary Russell and her partner Sherlock Holmes. The tension, the intricate balance between two strong characters, the complexity and conflict that has marked their relationship in past books is totally lacking here. They rush through a variety of scenes, pinballing off each other periodically as they rush, somewhat inexplicably, between London, France and the Canadian prairie. Depite their furious activity, there is really nothing going on between the two, or with the characters they are investigating. The book is a hodgepodge of architectural description, complex geneology, snippets of wartime history. A bewildering and unnecessary cast of characters clutters the book, none of them nearly as interesting as they could be. Although there are rather heavy-handed references to personalities as diverse as T.E. Lawrence and Adolph Hitler (the appearances of whom might have enlivened things somewhat), there is nary a motorcycle or armband in sight. One hates to suggest this, but is it possible that King has grown tired of her characters? Rather than sending them off to her own version of Reichenbach Falls, she instead seems to be sentencing them to death by boredom. If that's so, then it remains to be seen who'll succumb to it first - Holmes, Russell, or the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Just As Well To Pass On "Justice"
Review: I have been a huge fan of King's books, particularly of her previous works in the Mary Russell series. I had great expectations for this book as well, and got impatient at what seemed to be several delays in the release of this latest installment. I should've realized that there are some things not worth waiting for. I found myself really having to work at plowing through this. Between the long, stultifying descriptions of architecture, a complicated and confused family tree, and endless intrusions of extraneous minor characters, there was precious little plot. One of the best features of the earlier books - the complicated and intense relationship between heroine MAry Russell and her partner Sherlock Holmes - was almost absent from this book. They appear to pinball through France, England and Canada, rarely interacting and even less frequently doing anything sensible. The passing references to characters as diverse as T. E. Lawrence or to the leader of a failed German putsch, Hitler, were tantalizing but meaningless. Once these characters have been mentioned, one keeps expecting them to re-enter the plot, but there is nary a motorcycle or armband in sight. Within all the dense description, unnecessary characters, and meaningless movement, there is little plot and no noticeable interaction between Holmes and Russell. One wonders if the author has grown tired of the characters and the series, and instead of sending them off to Reichenbach Falls, intends to kill them off some other way. There are already no signs of life from Holmes and Russell in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: UnJustified
Review: Had I not read all of Laurie R. King's books, I would have found "Justice Hall" enjoyable. Having read, and reread them, this latest addition to the "Beekeeper's Apprentice" series left me disappointed. This novel is about family, injustice, war, and friendship, all certainly noble subjects (no pun intended) in this case covered admirably, but not fabulously by the talented King. This novel focuses on certain injustices handed out by the British Army during WW I, and its effects on one family. Readers used to the rich multi-textured King novels will be, I think, disappointed. Interaction between Holmes and Russell is limited, the burning questions are soon answered, (I even saw a few coming, which is unlike me) and I just can't work up much interest over the traditons and foibles of peerage. (The movie Gosford Park is a far sharper example.) I miss the firey interchanges between two sharp minds, Holmes' immensely satisfying sarcasm, Russell's theological inquries, and genuine peeks into what life must have been like back then. Some of that is present, but seems to be shadows of what went on before. Russell doesn't even get dirty very often or into odd get-ups; that's an indication of how little action is going on in the book! Here's hoping that King will choose a subject she can attack with more passion next time, and that our next adventure with Ali and Mahmoud, if there is one, will be as rich as Mahmoud's coffee and as dangerous as Ali's knife.
|
