What do You think about Justice Hall (2015)?
Another fantastic adventure of Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes. Seemingly unevenly matched, Mary is quite a bit younger than her husband, interested in theology, and rich as can be. However, they are a match, mind to mind, wit to wit, and adventurous spirit to adventurous spirit.In this sixth volume, Mary and Holmes are invited to Justic Hall. A familiar stranger visits them and invites them to the home of the Duke of Beauville, Justice Hall. A very prominent family guided by duty, honor, and justice. The current duke was called back from the mysterious life he was living after the sudden death of his brother. His brother's heir had died during the Great War.The identity of the current Duke is revealed (this is not a spoiler) as the Muslim travelers Russell and Holmes had encountered in the previous book. A reluctant heir with no children, they are to investigate a claimant to the dukedom. Before long, greater mysteries present themselves including the death of the young soldier, an attempted murder, and at least two suspects with power and money wishing for more.This is another grand adventure with amazing depth of detail and description, a rousing adventure, edge of the seat suspsence, and a deeply moving picture of a soldier's life in the trenches. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, again, does a fantastic job. She a vibrant storyteller.
—Gail
This is the 6th in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. It picks up very shortly after the 5th book's conclusion and, indeed, involves two of my favorite characters from the series (outside of Holmes and Russell): Ali and his brother Mahmoud. In fact, the attraction of this particular entry in the series is not Russell or Holmes or even the mystery that permeates this story. Rather it is those two "supporting" characters and the mystery of their lives and backgrounds. Throw in the setting itself, Justice Hall and you have the makings of a great novel. I did not award 5 stars simply because I listened to the audio version of this one and I found the narrator's voice a bit tedious at times. And I didn't care for her voice for Sherlock at all. I suspect reading the book versus listening to it might well have bumped it up to the 5 star level for me.
—Benjamin Thomas
Justice Hall begins with a bang, when Russell opens the door and finds their friend Ali (whom we met in O Jerusalem) wounded and fainting on the doorstep; it turns out that Ali and his cousin Mahmoud are really Alistair and Marsh Hughenfort, and that Marsh is in fact the Duke of Beauville. Ali asks for Holmes and Russell to help Marsh, thus drawing them into a web of family loyalties and treacheries dating back to the execution of the ducal heir during WWI. The mystery is intriguing, the pacing taut, and the characterization superb; this remains one of my favorite books in this series.
—Margaret
