Island of the Mad, by Laurie R. King, historical mystery

Summary:

An old friend of Mary Russell’s asks her to help find the friend’s missing aunt. Tragic losses left her always fragile mental health compromised and Lady Vivian voluntarily lives in the mental hospital known as Bedlam. During an outing to celebrate her brother’s birthday, Lady Vivian and her nurse go missing. Did she leave willingly? Has there been foul play? How is the nurse–a favorite companion in Bedlam–involved? Mary’s friend asks her and Mary’s husband (better known as Sherlock Holmes!) to find Vivian. Meanwhile, Sherlock’s brother Mycroft requests help, too: could Sherlock visit Italy? Mussolini’s rise to power has Mycroft and others worried. Though both Mary and Sherlock are reluctant to get involved in the situations, they agree. Soon the couple is in Venice, a city famed for not always being what it appears . . .

Note: I’m a relative newcomer to the Mary Russell-and-Sherlock Holmes series. Though there are references to previous events, this novel can stand alone. One doesn’t even have to be a Sherlock Holmes fan to appreciate it.

What didn’t work for me:

The map of Venice

This probably sounds petty. It probably is petty. But the map of Venice in the book is not as clear as it could be. There are three different sections (general one of Italy, one of the Venice Lagoon, and one of Venice City), but they are basic drawings with little detail. I didn’t find them helpful. As I’m a visual person (as you can tell from the gobs of photos on this website!), this irked me.

The Mussolini/Fascist political scene

I wasn’t as interested in the details about the rise of fascism in Italy as I was with Lady V’s disappearance. I tend to prefer personal over political. The two stories come together in a satisfying way at the end.

What worked for me

Mary and Sherlock’s relationship

Holmes is much older than Mary; apparently they met when she asked him to mentor her. Yet they treat each other as respected equals. They engage on a mental/intellectual level, but with a fondness that hints at tenderness, love, and passion. Like many long-married couples, they know how to “handle” each other: he knows when to push her to the edge and she knows how to force him to look at things he’d rather not remember. They are believable as a couple. (I’d like to have them over for dinner. Imagine how fun the conversation would be.)

There’s a touch of humor in their dialogue.

(Sherlock): “You wish me to commit you to Bedlam?”

I pushed away the faint stir of horror at the phrase and looked up into his eyes. “Oh, admit it, Holmes: you’ve often been tempted.” (pg. 68)

The chapters alternate between Mary’s POV (in 1st person) and Sherlock’s (in 3rd person). So we get to see each’s view of the other. Holmes worries that Mary might not be content with marriage and the detecting life. Mary knows when her husband isn’t telling her everything, and she’s not afraid to confront him over it. When she questions him about why he dislikes Venice, she knows that his answer isn’t quite a full answer:

“It is a place of masks over masks. Only in the subcontinent does one find a people so cavalier about facts, where a Yes is so apt to hide a No. It is . . . inefficient.”

“You prefer to keep the vaporetti running on time.” To my surprise, his face closed up. “Damn it, Holmes, what is it–what does Mycroft have you doing? It’s something I’m going to hate, I can tell.” (p. 176)

And she’s right: she certainly does NOT like the answer.

Mary’s character

She’s a vivid character. Strong and opinionated, with progressive views. When dealing with her friend’s toddler, she thanks “all the domestic gods that I had not been chosen to reproduce” (p 24), yet she is not condescending about motherhood (as some characters in “feminist” historical novels are).

Sherlock’s character

Sherlock Holmes-inspired fiction tends to be hit or miss for me. I’ve read a few books where he borders on psychopathic and is oblivious to other people’s feelings. But King portrays Holmes as rough, snarky, intelligent, and fond of his much-younger wife. When he slips into sweetness, he turns gruff. It’s endearing.

References to current events

King does a good job working in references to events in the 1920s without being heavy-handed about it. For example, there are passing references to the Scopes arrest (the arrest of U.S. teacher John Scopes when he challenged a state law forbidding evolution from being taught in public schools); Nellie Bly’s exposé of the American asylum; Cole Porter (who appears as a character); and, of course, the rise of Fascism in Europe.

Portrayal of the time period’s prejudices

Historical novelists have an inherent problem: the time period contemporaries would hold certain prejudices (for example, racist attitudes) that modern readers find offensive. So how can a novelist make the characters both realistic for their time and sympathetic to 21st century readers?

King handles the problem well. Both Mary and Sherlock are eccentric, which partially excuses the progressive nature of their views. Neither cares for public opinion. Both think for themselves. So their views aren’t shocking or out of character. When they express a modern sentiment, they aren’t strident. The view is mentioned in passing. At times, it feels a little forced–would even forward thinking people like Russell and Holmes be that accepting of homosexuality?–but overall, King handles it well.

Overall, Island of the Mad is a strong novel. Fans of Sherlock Holmes and historical fictional will enjoy this.

For another Sherlock Holmes mystery, check out my review of Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse and The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer (review coming October 10th, 2019).

For more mystery books set in Venice, see this past Top 5 Tuesday post.