And next….

In celebration and thanks for today’s NYT and Indie bestseller lists—where you put Dreaming Spies—my publishers have given me permission to make a little…announcement. It concerns the name of the next novel in the Russell & Holmes universe. Want to know it? You sure? Even though you’re not going to see the book, or even any snippets, for a long, LONG time?

Well, okay.

Its name is…

The Murder of Mary Russell.

Now: let the discussion begin.charles-dana-gibson5

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25 Comments

  1. Constance Hall on March 8, 2015 at 7:48 am

    OH NO, this makes me sad and worried.

  2. Mary Glascock on March 8, 2015 at 8:28 am

    There is a famous mystery called The Murder of My Aunt. Hmmmm

  3. Pamela Gibson on March 8, 2015 at 8:30 am

    ‘The Murders of Richard III’, the Elizabeth Peters novel, jumped immediately to mind. It’s going to be a long year.

  4. Merrily Taylor on March 8, 2015 at 8:33 am

    Well, I happen to know that Russell and Holmes are extremely devious when it comes to tracking down felons, so I am quite sure that this “murder” is all part of a plot to stop something nefarious going on. Which does’t mean, of course, that I am not going to be camping (metaphorically) outside the bookshop door….

  5. Patti on March 8, 2015 at 8:50 am

    Aaarrrggghhh! I see constant visits to the website in my future…much mental pacing.

  6. Tricia Mills on March 8, 2015 at 8:57 am

    Ha Ha, Laurie, you little devil!

  7. Sue Thompson on March 8, 2015 at 9:28 am

    Well since Ms Russell is still with us (I expect a tweet on this subject) she clearly was neither the murderer (since she would have been hanged), nor the victim. Is there another meaning of the word that escapes me? Mmmmmm, a puzzle worthy of Holmes, perhaps. Once we have more data.

  8. ann on March 8, 2015 at 10:54 am

    oh those publishers, always playing with the sentiments.emotions of the readers… Why do this to loyal readers? The murder of Ms Russell will do nothing to entice new readers, it will only agitate and distress her fans. we can only hope that the surmises of those already commenting are on target…

    • Merrily Taylor on March 8, 2015 at 11:13 am

      I’m not worried, even if Laurie had taken leave of her senses and wanted to kill off Mary Russell, Random House would never permit it. They’d lock her in a closet until she came to her senses.
      I think it’s Russell taking a leaf from Holmes’ book and perhaps staging her own Reichenbach Falls….

  9. Debbie Kuchciak on March 8, 2015 at 11:01 am

    “Say it ain’t so Laurie, say it ain’t so!”

  10. Diane Hendricksen on March 8, 2015 at 11:15 am

    OMG is my first reaction, but then sice Mary is relating these stories when she is an old woman, I would suspect that the plot will have to do with faking her death for a reason. My anticipation has begun.

  11. Wendy Martin on March 8, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    You are an evil woman!

  12. Nora on March 8, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    At least I’m sure you’re not thinking of a death/resurrection scenerio like Doyle did to Sherlock, I hope! Know you love Mary (along with your readers and publisher) so doubt if we have anything to worry about! (so why am I worried? LOL)

  13. Lisa Conner on March 8, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    *watches everybody’s brains exploding with spectacular pyrotechnics* XD

    • Judith on March 8, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      Aaaaaaaggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh !!!

  14. Tim H. on March 8, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    If you’re willing to deal with the continuity error mentioned above, you will be able to write in a different time period, for a change. But I’ll miss Mary Russell.

  15. Carol Molina on March 8, 2015 at 7:03 pm

    A case of mistaken identity.

  16. Linda Hay on March 8, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    I read the post before going to church this morning, but luckily I was very involved in the service so I didn’t let myself be distracted until later … but then phew! Glad to read all the reassuring posts. Mary has to stay alive to sent the trunk, right.

    And it’s lovely to know that there is another Russell and Holmes in the works. I’m planning on re-walking the South Downs way this fall in the reverse direction (Winchester to Eastbourne) after Hamlet in London. Luckily with a i Pad in my backpack I can have all the books to date with me to check favorite references … and to help me get to sleep in the youth hostels along the way.

    Thanks for the news!

    • Laurie King on March 9, 2015 at 6:54 am

      Let us know which village YOU think is Russell’s–have you seen the discussion in the Companion?

  17. Tricia Mills on March 8, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    I wonder who Mary will murder? Not Holmes, please not Holmes!

  18. Ray Riethmeier on March 9, 2015 at 5:14 am

    My guess (or hope) is that it will be a Stuyvesant & Grey book.

  19. Jan Collins on March 9, 2015 at 9:18 am

    As IF!!!!

  20. ann on March 10, 2015 at 8:48 am

    Mary Russell is not an uncommon name, mistaked identy any one?

  21. steve on March 12, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    I personally wouldnt mind. Mary russell is becoming quite a tedious person in my opinion

  22. Nancy Beckham on March 26, 2015 at 7:55 am

    YOU CAN’T MEAN THIS!!!!!!!!!

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