Castle Shade stars Sherlock Holmes and his wife of almost five years, Mary Russell. In 1925, they are hired by the Queen of Roumania, Queen Marie, to determine who is sending her threatening notes. However, after arriving at her castle in rural Transylvania, they discover the locals fear a strigol, or vampire, is loose in the village. Holmes and Mary try to solve both cases while befriending the locals.
The best part of Castle Shade is its Transylvanian setting. I learned a lot about the region’s history. Per the end notes, the nobles depicted here are real too. The solutions to the two mysteries, however, are much too simple to solve. Therefore, this book will appeal much more to historical fiction fans than to armchair detectives like myself. 3.5 stars!
Thanks to Bantam, Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.