RIVIERA GOLD Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 16

Jenny Sterlin narrates this 17th Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes adventure, which begins immediately after ISLAND OF THE MAD ends. Holmes's landlady/housekeeper and Mary's dear friend, Clarissa Hudson, has disappeared. Months later, while on holiday on the French Riviera, Mary spots Mrs. Hudson, who deliberately avoids her. This piques Mary's detecting instincts; she suspects Hudson's up to her old, unsavory, sometimes criminal, tricks. Sterlin's Mary is witty, wily, and every bit her husband Sherlock's match. Sterlin's vocal portrait of the great detective is so precise that we completely believe it's Holmes. The big surprise is Clarissa, who, along with Lillie Langtry, Pablo Picasso, and Cole Porter, supplies the glamour to a backdrop of intrigue and mystery. Delightful listening. For maximum enjoyment, start with Book 1, THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]