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The Art of Detection
by Laurie R. King
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Bantam (2007-05-29)
ISBN: 0553588338
EAN: 9780553588330
Dewey Decimal #: 813
Binding/Media: Mass Market Paperback - 495 pages
Edition: First Thus
Release Date: 2007-05-29
SKU: DS-PL7X-PBGX
Condition: As New
Comments: Mass market paperback from Bantam Mystery, this is The Art of Detection by Laurie R. King. Another treat for Sherlockians by Laurie R. King, author of The Beekeeper's Apprentice. This copy looks like it jumped new off a shelf in a drugstore, but I acquired it secondhand. Clean and tight.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
In this thrilling new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King’s Edgar and Creasey Awards—winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes–in a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the “intelligent, witty, and complex” mind of New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King….
Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop, but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story–complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late queen.
Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated décor to his vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction’s great detective, but a leading expert with a collection of priceless memorabilia–a collection some would kill for.
And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript purportedly written by Holmes himself–a manuscript that eerily echoes details of Gilbert’s own murder.
Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted trail of a killer–one who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of all times.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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A Queer Tale
Rating  (1)
Date: 2010-07-27
Prospective readers should not imagine that this is a Sherlock Holmes book, nor even that it is much about detection. It is mainly a wail about the troubles of homosexuals, and if the reader is as little interested in that subject as I am he should avoid this book.
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Crossed Paths
Rating  (4)
Date: 2010-06-24
THE ART OF DETECTION combines two of Laurie King's series - the 'Kate Martinelli' series featuring SFPD detective set in the present day and the longer running 'Mary Russell' series set in the 1920's and featuring Mary and her husband, Sherlock Holmes.
As the story opens Kate and her partner Al Hawkins are summoned to investigate a dead body found in an abandoned gun emplacement in the Marin headlands, somewhat outside of their usual jurisdiction of San Francisco. As they delve into the case the circumstances become increasingly odd, the dead body was wearing pajamas and a dressing gown, and had obviously not arrived at his isolated location on his own. Oddities only increased when the victim as identified as a dealer/collector of items relating to Sherlock Holmes, one who had been so obsessed with Holmes that he had attempted to live his life as much like the great detective as possible. It also seemed possible that this fascination with the subject may have lead to his death. It seems that the victim, Philip Gilbert, had come into possession of a previously unknown manuscript that might have been written by Arthur Conan Doyle, and that might feature Sherlock Holmes investigating a crime occurring in San Francisco in the early 1920's. As Kate began to ferret out the truth behind the crime she found herself drawn deeper into the world of Holmes and Holmes fanatics.
The manuscript that could possibly be the motive for the crime involves a visiting investigator who is confronted with a dead body located in the same location as the one Kate is investigating. Various other elements of the two plot lines entwine as the novel continues, combining to two series in this crossover novel. Those who are fans of the Mary Russell series will have no doubt who the detective of the manuscript is, the timing and events coincide quite neatly with the events of THE LANGUAGE OF BEES. Kate Martinelli fans will delight in discovering what has been happening in the lives of Kate, her family and others who have figured so prominently in previous novels. Herein lies the problem, those who are unfamiliar with either of these series will not appreciate large sections of this story. This reader is a fan of the 'Mary Russell' novels and delighted in the details that had only been hinted at in THE LANGUAGE OF BEES but was more than a little bored by updates on and allusions to the people and events that had occurred in the earlier books in the 'Kate Martinelli' series. For maximum enjoyment the reader should be at least familiar with both of these series to fully appreciate this novel.
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The Art of Detection
Rating (4)
Date: 2010-05-27
This is a delightful Sherlock Holmes-centric story set in San Francisco. Ostensibly a Kate Martinelli tale, it's a real treat for Holmes fans to savour, especially those who have had any contact with the Baker Street Irregulars, the international tribe of Holmesians. The book's main characters actually seem not to know or care about the BSI, so the uninitiated can become familiarized with this diehard group of Holmes fanatics. An entire "lost" Holmes story is contained within the book. Loads of fun.
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Another Winner from Laurie King
Rating  (5)
Date: 2009-10-05
I'm a fan of both Laurie King's Mary Russell series and the Kate Martinelli police procedurals. This novel lets the two distinct series brush gently past one another, as Martinelli tries to solve the murder of a serious Sherlock Holmes fan, and finds ties to a long-ago Holmes visit to San Francisco.
I love the depth of the relationships in the Martinelli books - Kate's relationship with her life partner Lee and their young daughter, her police partner Al, her neighbors and friends. They read like real people rather than characteres in a novel.
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Holmes in San Francisco?
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-09-04
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
The Art of Detection (2006) finds lesbian SFPD detective Kate Martinelli and her partner Al Hawkin confronted by a body dumped in the gun embankment of Battery DuMaurier in the Presidio of San Francisco. The body is identified as Philip Gilbert, a Sherlock Holmes fanatic who collected valuable Holmes memorabilia and turned the bottom floor of his house into a replica of 221B Baker Street, complete with gas lighting and a tobacco pouch stored in a Persian slipper nailed to the wall. The members of Gilbert's monthly Holmes-themed supper club don't seem to know much about Gilbert outside his Holmes mania, but do reveal that he was excited about a new discovery: a possible unpublished Holmes story that could be worth millions. In the story, the unidentified narrator chronicles his search for the missing lover of a transvestite nightclub singer. As Kate reads the story, the astute reader will discover that it is Holmes own account of how he spent his time while Mary Russell dealt with family obligations in Locked Rooms, great fun for fans of both series. The juxtaposition of the present day police procedural with the period Holmesian narrative adds depth to both investigations, highlighting the similarities and differences and underscoring the essential qualities of a good detective in any era.
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