Play Audiobook Sample
Pirate King: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 2,849 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
In England's young silent-film industry, the megalomaniacal Randolph Fflytte is king. But rumors of criminal activities swirl around his popular movie studio. At the request of Scotland Yard, Mary Russell travels undercover to the set of Fflytte's latest 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.
As the company starts rehearsals in Lisbon, the thirteen blonde-haired, blue-eyed actresses whom Mary is 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 senses ominous currents of trouble: a derelict boat, a film crew with many secrets, decks awash with budding romance—and now the pirates are ignoring Fflytte and answering only to their outlaw leader. Where can Sherlock Holmes be? As movie make-believe becomes true terror, Russell and Holmes themselves may experience a final fadeout.
Download and start listening now!
"Russell and Holmes - great as always. This one would work particularly well as a movie, I think....although that might have been the film references scattered throughout. I liked that this one brought out Russell's exasperated funny side. These are just my kind of mysteries. :) "
— Laura (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Charming.”
— Washington Post -
“Entertainments’ of the highest order.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“King is having as much fun as her readers...As intelligent as it is entertaining.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“An engaging romp guaranteed to please...perfectly written in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
— USA Today -
“Intelligent characters, clever plotting, and an imaginative author.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“A charming, exciting, great mystery. It is also very funny and not to be missed…The characters are flamboyant, as both pirates and actors can be, and the themes of pretending, misdirection, and deception are used to great effect.”
— RT Book Reviews (4½ stars, Top Pick!) -
“Sterlin delivers Russell’s droll observations with perfect timing...[Her] intelligent performance keeps Laurie R. King’s delightful descriptions, breakneck action, and appealing characters humorous and captivating.”
— AudioFile -
“Brilliant and beautifully complex...Her descriptions of locales are voluptuous, and her continued delineation of the relationship of Russell and Holmes exquisitely portrays the eroticism of intellectual give-and-take.”
— Booklist (starred review)
Awards
-
A New York Times bestseller
-
Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
Pirate King Listener Reviews
-
" Another amazing Mary Russell novel. A bit more playful than the rest, but no less brilliant than her others. "
— JJ, 2/3/2014 -
" I usually love love love Laurie King but this mystery fell a little flat. The first half of the book was too cute, the silent movie of a movie of a musical felt like an inside joke that wasn't funny for the rest of us. And I love Gilbert and Sullivan. "
— Miranda, 1/30/2014 -
" Not my Favorite Mary Russell book. Only picked up in the last fifth but then it was really good. Although I still don't think that Holmes would have kept quiet during the penultimate scene. "
— Rachel, 1/28/2014 -
" This was a fun and silly romp for Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. I think the plot and "mystery" aspect were a bit on the thin side, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it quite thoroughly. Not to mention singing along, especially since every chapter heading had a quote from "The Pirates of Penzance"! "
— Heidi, 1/27/2014 -
" By no means the best in this series Disappointing, in fact. Thank goodness the narrator was excellent. "
— Sharron, 1/26/2014 -
" I kind of got lost reading this, it's entertaining enough and I certainly didn't dislike it, but it didn't hold my attention as much as the recent Mary Russell books have done. "
— Kirsty, 1/26/2014 -
" This was a disappointment, given how much I've enjoyed King's other books. Flat. "
— Dana, 1/20/2014 -
" Not my favorite in the series, but still good. "
— Julia, 1/2/2014 -
" This was dissapointing (as were the two previous novels in the series).I love every book through "Locked Rooms" and it is a vey strong series, but maybe it has run its course. sad...... "
— Tamara, 12/25/2013 -
" Frothy fun with the behind the scenes antics of a silent film company. "
— Suburbangardener, 12/18/2013 -
" I hate it when these books end...I feel like the characters are old friends! Loved this book, just like all the others! "
— Kelsy, 12/5/2013 -
" Read my review next week on Bookreporter.com . "
— Ray, 10/4/2013 -
" More of a comic romp than most of the books in the Mary Russell series, but Laurie King can write comedy. A lot of fun to read. "
— Teresa, 10/1/2013 -
" I love this series, but was disappointed by The Pirate King. I like it best when we see lot of Russell *and* Holmes. "
— Mkb, 7/13/2013 -
" The first half moved very slow and was uninteresting to me. But halfway through it finally reached the material I'm used to expecting from Mary Russel. "
— Jess, 7/3/2013 -
" Not bad, it took a while for Sherlock to appear though. "
— Tracy, 5/10/2013 -
" The best Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery in awhile. "
— Candace, 4/25/2013 -
" I love Mary Russell but this was not her most sophisticated lark. Is Ms. King getting tired of this character? This novel was missing the depth of the other novels in the series. "
— Julie, 1/2/2013 -
" Sadly, not the best of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. It lacked some of the precise flavor and unique worldview of the previous novels. "
— Devin, 12/25/2012 -
" A disappointing departure in tone and style from the previous books in the series. "
— Kim, 11/1/2012 -
" This was just odd "
— Heather, 6/24/2012 -
" Splendid! Just a fun book, interesting period piece, extremely well written. "
— John, 5/8/2012 -
" Maybe it's just that I'm not a theatre-lover, but I just couldn't get into this book. I think I might have needed to know a little more about the history of theatre to really appreciate this one. And the tie-in to Sherlock Holmes was a LONG stretch in this one. "
— Alison, 3/12/2012 -
" It was a fun read and a good introduction to the Mary Russell world. (Since I didn't realize I was starting smack dab in the middle of an established series.) "
— Beth, 1/27/2012 -
" This is the first book of this series that I read, so I guess I am a little out of order... It was pretty enjoyable. Think I may try another of her books. "
— Caitlin, 1/15/2012 -
" One of her more light hearted Mary Russell mysteries, there is layer upon layer of story telling here and a funny look at movie making in the early days. "
— Heather, 11/2/2011 -
" I usually love love love Laurie King but this mystery fell a little flat. The first half of the book was too cute, the silent movie of a movie of a musical felt like an inside joke that wasn't funny for the rest of us. And I love Gilbert and Sullivan. "
— Miranda, 11/2/2011 -
" Review to follow soon, but thoroughly enjoyable, series gets better an better. "
— Carol, 10/31/2011 -
" A nice musical theater story but not what I expect from the wonderful Laurie R King. Slow, plodding and not much of a mystery. "
— Diana, 10/30/2011 -
" dissapointed after her other good books "
— Janzey, 10/23/2011 -
" This was a fun adventure book. I was drawn to it for it's Pirates of Penzance connection, which is one of my favorite musicals. I like the author's style and will definitely read her again. "
— Lisa, 10/20/2011
About Laurie R. King
Laurie R. King is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes stories. She has been nominated for a multitude of prizes, and her fiction has won the Edgar, Creasy, Nero, and Macavity awards. She has been guest of honor at several crime conventions, and she was inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars in 2010.
About Jenny Sterlin
Jenny Sterlin, winner of several Earphones Awards, has more than ninety audio titles to her credit, including Laurie R. King’s popular Sherlock Holmes / Mary Russell series. Before beginning her narration career, she helped found England’s experimental Living Theatre.