Pirate King

A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

By: Laurie R. King

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Laurie R. King’s books have received high praise from critics and have earned the Edgar, Creasey, Wolfe, Lambda, and Macavity awards. As Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes embark on their 11th adventure together, they find themselves immersed in the world of silent filmmaking. Here, the pirates are real—and unlike the shooting done with a camera, this sort can be deadly.

In England’s young silent-film industry, the megalomaniacal Randolph Fflytte is king. Nevertheless, at the request of Scotland Yard, Mary Russell is dispatched to investigate rumors of criminal activities that swirl around Fflytte’s popular movie studio. So Russell is traveling undercover to Portugal, along with the film crew that is gearing up to shoot a cinematic extravaganza, Pirate King. Based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, the project will either set the standard for moviemaking for a generation - or sink a boatload of careers.

Nothing seems amiss until the enormous company starts rehearsals in Lisbon, where the 13 blond-haired, blue-eyed actresses whom Mary is bemusedly chaperoning meet the swarm of real buccaneers Fflytte has recruited to provide authenticity. But when the crew embarks for Morocco and the actual filming, Russell feels a building storm of trouble: a derelict boat, a film crew with secrets, ominous currents between the pirates, decks awash with budding romance—and now the pirates are ignoring Fflytte and answering only to their dangerous outlaw leader. Plus, there’s a spy on board. Where can Sherlock Holmes be? As movie make-believe becomes true terror, Russell and Holmes themselves may experience a final fadeout.

Pirate King is a Laurie King treasure chest—thrilling, intelligent, romantic, a swiftly unreeling masterpiece of suspense.

Listen to another Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.

©2011 Laurie R.King (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Not the best, but still enjoyable

This book took a long time to get started. More than half the book elapses before anything actually happens to progress the story. You can leave the story for 15-20 minutes and not miss much.

Not her best

I have enjoyed this series -- really respectful of the Sherlock Holmes mythology, but with a feminine twist -- so I always look forward to a new Mary Russell. This one, however, was missing something for me. Probably Sherlock -- he's barely there! The characters aren't compelling or particularly well drawn and the mystery is pretty predictable. Just not as good as others in the series. If you're starting out on Laurie R. King, try an earlier adventure. If you are a fan, I'd recommend getting this one to read from the library and saving your credit or money for another listen.

Road to Morocco

An interesting change of pace for the series. Although no strangers to international travel, our dynamic duo spend even more time on the road (or sea) than ever. And our femme fatale, Mary Russell, is ever more so in the driver's seat. While in most of the previous novels, her breaking the case always seems to be more happy accident than planned, here she is allowed to flex her muscles despite the appearance of being dumped in a fluff piece of a narrative. Makes one wonder if there will be a future for a set of "Just Russell" adventures.

Not for Everyone

What did you like best about Pirate King? What did you like least?

I liked that Mary Russell was featured and was the heroine. I didn't like so many details about a sailing ship and that one character, Senhor Pessoa, disappeared from the second half of the story.

Has Pirate King turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I love Laurie R. King stories, just not this one.

What about Jenny Sterlin’s performance did you like?

Jenny Sterlin is always the BEST for all of the Sherlock/Mary Russell stories.

Was Pirate King worth the listening time?

Yes, I listened while doing menial tasks at home. I didn't have to pay a lot of attention to either the many details of the story or to the task at hand. It was fine as a distraction.

Any additional comments?

Some might really enjoy the vocabulary and details describing a sailing vessel and the details of the British silent film industry in the 1930s. Ms King must have done A LOT of research to write this book.

Another wonderful Mary Russel book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommended the Mary Russell series to all my friends. This is a great mystery series along the line of Sherlock Holmes.

Have you listened to any of Jenny Sterlin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jenny Sterlin is a great narrator. I have enjoyed her story telling for years.

Any additional comments?

This was not my favorite Mary Russell story but still well worth the read.

Disappointing sequel in an outstanding series

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I found this book tedious to listen to, and the story not easy to follow. There were too many names to unforgettable characters to keep my interest. I did finish listening, but just barely.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I listened to the next sequel, Garment of Shadows, and was delighted to have a great Holmes story back again.

Who's speaking?

Judging by the rating this book's narrator has received, I seem to be pretty much alone with the difficulty I experienced. My problem was that much of the time when the movie director was speaking, I would picture Sherlock in my mind. The narrator did not seem to be able to create a significant difference in their voices.

Loved it!

I enjoyed being able to listen and stop whenever I wanted. The audio was crisp and clear. Also, the story was wonderful. Laurie R King's descriptions were so good that I almost felt as if I were on the pirate ship and actually in London and Morocco.

A deliciously flawed cream puff

Would you listen to Pirate King again? Why?

Probably not, the things that make it wonderful wouldn't wear as well a second time.

What other book might you compare Pirate King to and why?

It reminds me a bit of the second of Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint books, the name of which escapes me, just a bit of darkness wrapped up in well-executed fluff.

What about Jenny Sterlin’s performance did you like?

Everything! She has made the character of Mary Russell something even more special.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Two, but I had this inconvenient need for sleep.

Any additional comments?

I downgrade this, because it comes after the amazing two-book story in The Language of Bees and The God of the Hive, which show Ms. King at the amazing height of her creative powers for suspense. Pirate King is excellent for what it is, a deliciously flawed cream puff of a novel where the urge for cleverness seems to have overtaken in small part the genius of storytelling. I just can't take it as seriously as previous works in the Mary Russell universe. That said, it's still a delightful romp.

Love Laurie R King but not my favorite book.

Great author, great narrator but I struggled with the story. I love Laurie R King but this was not my favorite book.