Laurie R. King: Castle Shade (USA 2022)

From the Publisher:
A queen, a castle, a dark and ageless threat -- all await Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes in this chilling adventure.
The queen is Marie of Roumania: the doubly royal granddaughter of Victoria, Empress of the British Empire, and Alexander II, Tsar of Russia. A famous beauty who was married at seventeen into Roumania's young dynasty, Marie had beguiled the Paris Peace Conference into returning her adopted country's long-lost provinces, singlehandedly transforming Roumania from a backwater into a force.

The castle is Bran: a tall, quirky, ancient structure perched on high rocks overlooking the border between Roumania and its newly regained territory of Transylvania. The castle was a gift to Queen Marie, a thank-you from her people, and she loves it as she loves her own children.

The threat is... well, that is less clear. Shadowy figures, vague whispers, the fears of girls, dangers that may be only accidents. But this is a land of long memory and hidden corners, a land that had known Vlad the Impaler, a land from whose churchyards the shades creep.

When Queen Marie calls, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are as dubious as they are reluctant. But a young girl is involved, and a beautiful queen. Surely it won't take long to shine light on this unlikely case of what would seem to be strigoi?

Or, as they are known in the West... vampires.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade. A Novel of Suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Bantam, ISBN: 9780525620884 (June, 2022), 384 p., $18.00.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade (UK 2022)

From the Publisher:
Queen Marie of Roumania, granddaughter to both Victoria, Empress of the British Empire, and Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, is in need of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes' services. The Queen, a famous beauty who has transformed Roumania from a quiet backwater into a significant force, invites the pair to Bran castle, the ancient fortress that sits on the border with the newly regained territory of Transylvania.

The threat the Queen fears is dubious: shadowy figures, vague whispers, dangers that may only be accidents. But a young girl is involved. So, putting aside their doubts, Russell and Holmes set out to investigate the mystery in a land of long memory and hidden corners, from whose churchyards the shades creep.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade. The enthralling new Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Allison & Busby, ISBN: 9780749027568 (January, 2022), 409 p., £8.99.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade (UK 2021)

From the Publisher:
Queen Marie of Roumania, granddaughter to both Victoria, Empress of the British Empire, and Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, is in need of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes' services. The queen, a famous beauty who has single-handedly transformed Roumania from a backwater into a force to be reckoned with, invites the pair to Bran castle. The ancient fortress sits on the border with the newly-regained territory of Transylvania, and was a gift to Queen Marie from her people.

The threat the queen fears is somewhat dubious: shadowy figures, vague whispers, dangers that may only be accidents. But a young girl is involved. So, putting aside their doubts, Russell and Holmes set out to investigate the mystery in a land of long memory and hidden corners - a land that had known Vlad the Impaler.

A land from whose churchyards the shades creep.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade. The enthralling new Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Allison & Busby, ISBN: 9780749027568 (June, 2021), 381 p., £19.99, eBook £12.99.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade (USA 2021)

From the Publisher:
A queen, a castle, a dark and ageless threat -- all await Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes in this chilling adventure.
The queen is Marie of Roumania: the doubly royal granddaughter of Victoria, Empress of the British Empire, and Alexander II, Tsar of Russia. A famous beauty who was married at seventeen into Roumania's young dynasty, Marie had beguiled the Paris Peace Conference into returning her adopted country's long-lost provinces, singlehandedly transforming Roumania from a backwater into a force.

The castle is Bran: a tall, quirky, ancient structure perched on high rocks overlooking the border between Roumania and its newly regained territory of Transylvania. The castle was a gift to Queen Marie, a thank-you from her people, and she loves it as she loves her own children.

The threat is... well, that is less clear. Shadowy figures, vague whispers, the fears of girls, dangers that may be only accidents. But this is a land of long memory and hidden corners, a land that had known Vlad the Impaler, a land from whose churchyards the shades creep.

When Queen Marie calls, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are as dubious as they are reluctant. But a young girl is involved, and a beautiful queen. Surely it won't take long to shine light on this unlikely case of what would seem to be strigoi?

Or, as they are known in the West... vampires.

Laurie R. King: Castle Shade. A Novel of Suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Bantam, ISBN: 9780525620860 (June, 2022), 360 p., $28.00, eBook $9.99 (?).