In the fourth Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mystery, our pair travel west to the wild region of Dartmoor, partly at the request of Holmes's aged godfather, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. There have been reported sightings on the moor of a ghostly coach carrying a long-deceased noble lady, and a man is found dead with large paw prints on the ground near his corpse. Could it be the Hound of the Baskervilles has somehow returned? As well written as its predecessors, this mystery has a bit too much atmosphere and detail about the setting and its inhabitants, and takes too long to gather speed. Though the denouement is suitably ingenious, it's somehow not as compelling as several of the earlier books. | ||
Plot & Themes Time/era of story: Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 60 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Small town? Yes Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee - dumb rednecks, like Gomer Pyle Misc setting - fancy mansion Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Unusual forms of death - drowned - blunt clubbing (like seals) Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |