The Lantern's Dance: A novel of suspense featuring (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 18) By Laurie R. King

In this national bestseller, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes find themselves embroiled in a personal and perplexing case while seeking respite in the French countryside. Expecting a peaceful visit with Holmes' son, Damian Adler, the couple discovers the Adlers have vanished due to an ominous threat.

As Holmes rushes after Damian, Russell, hindered by injury, investigates Damian's studio and finds crates filled with artifacts related to Holmes' granduncle, artist Horace Vernet. Among the items is a cryptic journal written in code and a peculiar zoetrope lamp. Intrigued, Russell begins deciphering the journal's cryptograph, revealing a narrative intertwined with disturbing images.

Each decoded entry raises more questions about the enigmatic young Indian woman who created the puzzle and her connection to Damian, the Vernets, and the lurking danger. As Russell delves deeper, she realizes the past's secrets are entwined with the present, urging her to uncover the truth behind the journal and lamp's significance.

The mystery deepens as Russell contemplates the implications for Damian and even Sherlock Holmes himself. With deft storytelling, Laurie R. King masterfully blends past and present, weaving a tale of intrigue, familial ties, and hidden histories. Readers are drawn into a world where the lines between reality and imagination blur, and where even the great detective may have overlooked critical details of his own past.