Part of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, book 8
First published 2006
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes sail from Bombay to San Francisco, where Russell must handle legal matters concerning her family estate. As their ship approaches port, Russell suffers disturbing dreams and erratic behavior that worry Holmes. Russell has blocked all memories of the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed San Francisco when she was six years old. Holmes believes some hidden trauma from that disaster caused her amnesia. Once they arrive, the couple discovers that Russell's father's will restricts access to the family house to immediate relatives only. Someone has broken into the property but stolen nothing valuable. Then Russell becomes the target of an assassination attempt. Their investigation reveals that multiple people from Russell's past have died under violent and mysterious circumstances. Working with Hammett, a young detective and crime writer, Russell and Holmes navigate Chinatown's narrow streets while uncovering family secrets. They learn disturbing truths about her parents' marriage and the car crash that killed Russell's family when she was fourteen. Russell survived that accident alone, but evidence suggests it was no accident at all.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, mystery, thriller, 21st-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Bombay, San Francisco, Chinatown
Period: 1906
528 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam