Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am a lifelong Holmesophile and recently read all the Mary Russell novels. I heave enjoyed them all and reread them many times. Not only do the novels continue and develop Holmes as an immensely intelligent and humane observer of the human condition, but each novel has an interesting underlying theme. Justice Hall reflects on the impact of the 14-18 war on the English psyche, Locked Room meditates on how to deal with childhood trauma, The Moor evokes the archetypal strangeness of a wild and remote landscape. With humor, wit and reasoning thrown in who could not enjoy such a multi-layer literary cake? In Pirates, Ms King has abandoned all this and appears to have chosen to write a completely dumbed down novel. Holmes and Mary Russell have each lost 40 IQ points. The plot is a farce, in both senses. It is as if she decided to write a screenplay for a summer tentpole movie where any trace of thought, complex ideas or character development has to be carefully expunged to leave something understandable by a four year old. The transition from the earlier novels is so gross, and the author so intelligent, that one feels this must have been a decision rather just a tired author throwing out the next in a series to garner some cash. In short, if you enjoyed the earlier Mary Russell novels save your dollars and don't buy this one.