The Mary Russell series written by Laurie R. King is among the most read and loved detective series featuring the most famous literary detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his incredibly thrilling and mysterious adventures along with Mary Russell and her incredible intellect that perhaps even surpassed Sherlock’s.
The two brilliant minds team up on a series of murder cases filled with suspense and thrill. Here are all the books in chronological/reading order from the Mary Russell Series:
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice is an excellent book along with its portrayal of characters, writing style, and amazing story plot. This book presents the story of Sherlock Holmes after his adventure days are over.
He likes the company of his bees and lives peacefully, believing that no one had the same intellectual level as him. However, he then met a fifteen-year-old, Mary Sue Russell, who matched his intellect and reasoning abilities and is surprised and pleased and decides to teach the girl more.
Soon there are a series of mysteries, plot twists, and a rival who puts the relationship between the teacher and pupil to the test. This is an excellent piece of work with suspense and thrill and is sure to be loved by Sherlock Holmes fans as well as anyone who likes a great detective novel with an impressive female lead.
A Monstrous Regiment of Women
This book features the protagonist, Mary Russell in a plot filled with thrill and mystery. Mary is about to face complex issues as she reaches adulthood. The story presents how Mary met Margery Childe and is intrigued by her lifestyle leading people and feminist members toward Christianity.
That’s when 4 members are mysteriously murdered and Mary takes up the duty to investigate and find out who is responsible for this terrible deed. The mystery lies with the questions of who, why, and what. While reading, the book will unfold all mysteries and will keep you on the edge of your seat with your eyes wide open.
A Letter of Mary
The story and the writing get even better with the third book of the series along with new relationships and mysteries. Holmes and Mary discover a papyrus upon meeting with an old archeologist who claims it was written by Mary Magdalene, the Saint who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Soon after this incident, the archeologist mysteriously dies in an accident, and Holmes and Mary investigate to uncover the mystery and the truth behind what happened. Filled with suspense and action, this book is surely very interesting to read.
The Moor
This book brings back elements from “Hounds of Baskerville” which is a treat for all Sherlock Holmes fans. This book presents the story of a detective along with horror and supernatural elements which makes it even more interesting and fun to read.
Sherlock and Marry head out to solve a case that has him confused. The residents of Dartmoor have witnessed a horrific vehicle made of bones transporting a mysterious woman who is supposedly long dead and was accused of the murder of her husband and a hound. This book is sure to give you chills down your spine and still make you want to keep reading.
O Jerusalem
The fifth book from this series brings an exciting and brilliantly crafted story plot along with intriguing characters and locations. This book features the travel of Holmes and Russell to solve mysterious murders in Palestine filled with adventures, suspense, and thrill.
Justice Hall
The sixth book of the series grabs the reader’s attention with the writing style and the specific detailed descriptions throughout the book that allows readers to picture the entire story in their minds, making it even more intriguing and fun to read.
The Game
The seventh book in the series brings the detective duo to the mysterious and fascinating land of India to find a spy and a close friend of Sherlock Holmes named Kimble O’Hara.
He was involved in The Great Game of Spying and mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Brace yourselves to read the adventure of the Detective Duo as they set out to find the missing spy and to find who is behind this.
Locked Rooms
The eighth book of the series comes with a twist. Contrary to all the other books in this series, this book delves into Mary Russell’s past and her childhood incident, however, things begin to get complicated as past crimes resurface and Detective Holmes must learn more if he hopes to find a solution.
The Language of Bees
The Language of the Bees portrays Sherlock Holmes and Mary who are in distress upon finding that one of Holmes’ treasured bee colonies is missing. However, as the story continues things appear to be more puzzling and unsettling with Sherlock Holmes’ son named Damian Alder reaching out to him to help find his missing wife and son.
With their life in danger and the killer on the loose, this book is filled with exciting adventures, twists, and thrills that make it very interesting and worth the read.
The God of the Hive
The God of the Hive brings an even more exhilarating and exciting plot with higher stakes and a seemingly unstoppable and lethal assassin on the hunt for Holmes and Mary. This intense thriller plot is about saving lives and solving crimes with mysterious twists and suspense that will have you hooked to the book.
Beekeeping for Beginners
This book is more of a short story portraying how Sherlock Holmes met Mary Russell, although as a reader you may be aware of how they met, this story includes more details. It is a fun-to-read short story through the eyes of Mary Russell.
Pirate King
Pirate King is the most controversial book in the series, you can either love or hate its complicated plot. Some readers praised the book for its rich plot, multiple locations, events, and intriguing characters. Readers may notice a slight tone shift with a lot of things going on.
Garment of Shadows
Garment of Shadows brings us an amazing espionage mystery with a great foundation, intriguing characters, and the growth of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. However, this novel lacks a proper murder mystery plot and enthusiasm for some unexplainable reason. So if you’re looking to read a nice old-fashioned murder mystery, this may not be the best pick.
Dreaming Spies
This book brings Sherlock and Russell to a country they’ve always wanted to visit: Japan after receiving a decorative stone with something inscribed on it. Read the book to experience the adventures and mysteries in Japan.
The Marriage of Mary Russell
This book brings us another short story portraying the marriage of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes and their journey from the proposal to the marriage ceremony. It is a wonderful read for the fans with a beautiful story.
The Murder of Mary Russell
This book brings us one of the most fun-to-read story plots and as the title says, it is about the murder of Mary Russell, wife of Sherlock Holmes, however, there is more to the story involving Mrs. Hudson and her past may be critically helpful to solve this mysterious murder.
Mary Russell’s War
This book includes nine short stories about the crime-solving thriller tales of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. An excellent read with the perfect amount of thrill and suspense.
Island of the Mad
An excellent murder mystery with a complicated yet fun-to-read plot is undoubtedly the perfect choice for readers looking for an incredible murder mystery plot.
Riviera Gold
The next to last novel in the series is a remarkable blend of an excellent plot, mystery, and environment. Her writing style and composition of the entire novel will get you hooked on the book
Castle Shade
The last book of the series brings us the most peculiar, intriguing, and complicated story plot with immense tension running across every page and it is definitely a treat for murder mystery fans to witness two great minds solving complex cases filled with mystery and thrill.
Conclusion
This article contains all the books from the Mary Russell series in reading order, so grab the books, sit back, and start reading this incredible series of detective stories that features two of the most brilliant and intriguing characters in the literary world, filled with excitement, mystery, horror, and complex stories to feed your curiosity. Enjoy every bit of it, happy reading!
Also read: Every book by Val McDermid in reading order
