King Crowns Justice Hall With Purpose, Heartbreak
Justice Hall by Laurie King
There is always something more to Laurie King's books than meets the eye. In Monstrous Regiment of Women she explores early 20th century feminism and mysticism. In To Play the Fool, she expounds on the role of the Fool throughout history. In O, Jerusalem, she opens up an exquisite peephole into Middle East culture and politics in the early 1900s.
In her most recent book, Justice Hall, King tells us about the English boys who were "shot at dawn" during World War I. It is an incredibly moving story and her slow revelation of facts as the characters discover them make the story all the more compelling.
The Russell-Holmes Series
In case you haven't met the two main characters of this series, let me introduce them to you. The first is Mary Russell. She's a young Oxford student (she reads theology) who has incredible talents, intelligence, and strengths. She's a rather even match for husband, the other main character of this series. You've probably met him before. He's Sherlock Holmes.
How did the great aged detective end up married to a Jewish-American woman? Well, to find that out you'll have to read the first two books in the series, A Beekeeper's Apprentice and A Monstrous Regiment of Women. You'll be hard-pressed after reading those two novels to not admit that the two of them are a perfect pair.
Justice Hall is the sixth book in the series.
Back in the Halls of Justice...
Russell and Holmes have just completed a case when an old friend pays them a visit, a friend from O, Jerusalem. His cousin has suddenly been called upon to take the place as Duke of a "big name" English family (the Hughenforts) as those in the succession line ahead of him have been dying rather unexpectedly.They go with him immediately to Justice Hall-the manor home of the Hughenforts where their motto, Righteousness is My Strength (actually: Justitia fortitudo mea est), is emblazoned prominently. We are once again introduced to Ali and Mahmoud from O, Jerusalem, except now they are Alistair and Maurice (Marsh).
Russell and Holmes investigate the hushed scandal around the Duke's nephew, Gabriel, and his death. It takes them back three years to 1918 and the French front against Germany. They also help the family determine whether there are other heirs.
What makes this book special?
Other than that it had Mary Russell and Holmes in it?
Well, if that isn't enough (and since we can always re-read the previous books, it isn't), then let me offer a couple other reasons to enter this stately work.
King's handling of the characters of Ali and Mahmoud is masterful. She completely changes them from what they were in O, Jerusalem, but does it in such a way that we can't help believe in the change. She is so convincing you forget that such a drastic character change is unnatural. She also manages to do it subtly and gradually without hitting the reader over the head with a polo stick.
Iris Sutherland. The book is worth reading just to meet Iris. I've deleted several attempts at describing her for they would spoil the treasured experience of meeting this incredibly strong and textured character. Stereotypes that hang on the labels that might be applied to her might cloud your reading of the book and take away some of the delightful surprises. King must be careful with this character-she could easily shadow her two protagonists if Iris continues to show up in future books.
The most compelling parts of the book, though, are its themes. King explores cowardice and honor through Russell and Holmes' investigation of Gabriel's death. The duke believes that he was executed as a coward, but even Mycroft can't find records to say for certain what happened to him. Without ever getting maudlin, King instills us with a sense of horror for the 300 children and men who were "shot at dawn."
King also explores responsibility and the desire for roots. We tour Justice Hall with Russell. While there are moments where it seems a little like a slide show of someone's vacation, it is masterful in the mood that it creates and in the painting that King draws of nobility and their responsibilities. Russell, a woman with very few roots of her own, is drawn to the age and continuity of what she sees around her.
The Booklist reviewer had little problem with the tour guide, saying, "King breaks most of the rules of mystery narrative with voluptuous abandon, and we don't care. Pages of exquisite description of British stately homes, and what went on in them, propel rather than slow the tale; the accretion of detail mesmerizes."
I'd have to agree with her. I typically don't like reading descriptions but this book kept me fascinated and reading every word.
Was There Anything Bad About It?
Unfortunately, Justice Hall was not as smooth and perfectly crafted as some of King's other books in the series. There was relatively little interaction between Russell and Holmes and they didn't seem very affectionate for a couple in the early years of their marriage. Granted, neither of them has ever been sappy, but it was sometimes hard to tell they were married.
The plot became pretty thinly stretched at time. Partway through the book, I found myself wondering why Holmes and Russell were at Justice Hall. It seemed almost like they were waiting for a mystery to happen so that they could be on the scene. Also, Russell got bullied into doing something that made no sense. The only reason it would make any sense for her to go where she was went was because the author whispered in her ear that the solution to her problems was there. I found it disappointing after King's previously tightly plotted books.
Should You Start With Justice Hall?
Reading the other books in the series isn't necessary, but doing so adds a layer of depth and enjoyment to the experience. Perhaps the most important book to have read is O, Jerusalem. Of course, I still think the first two books in the series are the best and should be read before reading anything else in the series.
So, no, it is better you don't start with this book, but don't avoid it just because you haven't read the others. You just won't get quite as much pleasure out of it.
I wouldn't rank Justice Hall as the best of the Russell-Holmes series, but I would put it well above A Letter for Mary and it competes with The Moor. On the whole, I'm much more partial to her Russell-Holmes series than her Kate Martinelli books, so I suppose it is somewhat unfair to say this book is a notch above those San Francisco mysteries. However, I would also place this smack in the middle of her two non-series books. I still swoon over A Darker Place, but I couldn't even finish Folly, it bored me so.
Laurie King
It is difficult to tell when we don't yet have her entire body of work, but I lean toward thinking that King will be the Dorothy Sayers of our generation. She's intelligent, creates fascinating characters, easily switches between academic and populist voice, and writes with a charm that hooks her readers.
King is from San Francisco and has a few degrees to her name including a bachelor's degree in religious studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master's in Old Testament theology from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. She manages to weave much of those topics into her stories, though always in ways that are accessible to the reader who is willing to be thoughtful.
I have been fascinated with King since I first started reading her books and am eager to see what she comes up with next.
