A Monstrous Regiment of Women

Mary Russell's experiences as a deserving pupil of renowned investigator Sherlock Holmes and as an increasingly accomplished sleuth in her own right are continued in A Monstrous Regiment of Women. In search of some relief in London after an overwhelming visit from family members, Mary meets an Oxford friend. The young lady presents Mary to the object of her current passion, Margery Childe, the mysterious and unusual leader of "The New Temple of God." With a feminist take on Christianity, it seems to be a charismatic group active in the post-World War I suffrage movement. Mary finds the lady intriguing and interested. Is there a darker agenda behind the New Temple? When a number of the movement's affluent young female volunteers and major donors go missing, Mary starts an investigation while Holmes stays in the background. When Mary's quest puts her in the worst peril she has ever encountered, things become more desperate than either of them anticipated.