Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5)

The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5)
The Art of Detection - Kate Martinelli, Bk 5
Author: Laurie R. King
ISBN-13: 9780553588330
ISBN-10: 0553588338
Publication Date: 5/29/2007
Pages: 496
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 109

3.7 stars, based on 109 ratings
Publisher: Bantam
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

14 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 48 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I'm a fan of Ms. King's Mary Russell series so thought I would give this a try but have to say that this has an entirely different feel to it though the (very) short Holmes story included in it as part of the main story was excellent.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 57 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I have greatly enjoyed both strands of Laurie R King's novels--the current day Martinelli and the past Holmes-and-young-friend. Reading the blurb on the back of this book got me excited that the two strands would actually merge in this book. I guess I was expecting something a little sci fi--either time travel, or nonaging, or at least a grandson of a character we're familar with from the other series.
Not getting that deep connection was a disappointment for me, but I think it the fault of the jacket blurb rather than the fault of the author.

I'm already hoping for the next book in either series. Soon, I hope!
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 56 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I absolutely loved this book! I love the Kate Martinelli series & like the Mary Russell series, but King has managed to merge (at least Sherlock Holmes) into a Martinelli mystery in this one. And she's done a terrific job of it. I highly recommend this book & no I don't even have a copy to trade....
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I love Laurie King - I think she is one of the best out there, with 2 distinctly different series and several stand alone books. The Art of Detections weaves together two of her series topics. Kate Martinelli, a San Francisco cop, encounters a case involving Sherlock Holmes devotees. (Her other series involves Mary Russell, the wife of Sherlock Holmes). King is a very intelligent, literate writer who can write a great, very human mystery. Compelling characters and good plots. Highly recommended for those who like novelistic mysteries rather than quick and simple who-dunnits.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 59 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Another excellent book, weaving together the story lines of a murder being investigated by Kate and Al, and a 90 year old manuscript supposedly written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The story lines intertwine with a master's touch.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on
Good read - the character development and the story line keeps you in the book.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on
The touch of a history lesson didn't go unnoticed.King once again keep me reading and guessing til the end.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 18 more book reviews
This was a good addition to the Kate Martinelli series with a huge nod to the Sherlock and Mary series. A Sherlock Holmes expert is murdered and a possibly previously unknown Conan Doyle manuscript is at the heart of it. She even includes the complete "manuscript" in the book. Last 100 pages are unputdownable!
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on
Very tedious. Should have listened to my gut instinct and stopped reading after the first chapter. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because of the positive portrayal of Kate and her family and friends.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 318 more book reviews
A big fan of King's Mary Russell/Holmes mysteries, this was my first trial of a Kate Martinelli mystery. It's a good read, is about a Holmes fanatic (why I chose it) and has good detective work by the San Francisco cop and her partner.
my2luvsemmyandmally avatar reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 758 more book reviews
Was just an okay read for me......
bookmanpc avatar reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 53 more book reviews
Not bad. I vastly more enjoy the Mrs. Sherlock books.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 988 more book reviews
In this thrilling new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King''s Edgar and Creasey Awardsâ -- winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes -- âin a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the "âintelligent, witty, and complex"â mind of New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. Kingâ¦...

Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop, but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight out of a Sherlock Holmes storyâ -- complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late queen.

Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated decor to his vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction''s great detective, but a leading expert with a collection of priceless memorabiliaâ -- a collection some would kill for.

And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript purportedly written by Holmes himselfâ -- a manuscript that eerily echoes details of Gilbert''s own murder.

Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted trail of a killer -- âone who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of all times.
reviewed The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, Bk 5) on + 5 more book reviews
I have read all the Laurie R. King Holmes' themed books and found them great, but this will be my last Kate Martinelli book. This book is filled with ultra-liberal propoganda, and celebrates the gay lifestyle. I always try to give a book 100 pages to interest me, but this one never got my interest. In the first 100 pages, nothing has happened except descriptions of 2 gay couples, mentioning of the new mayor of SF - liberal of course. This was supposed to be a murder mystery....I tolerate the gay lifestyle, but I choose not to read books about it.