The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 24 books · 1993 to 2025

Laurie R. King

Crime and mysteryPolice proceduralHistorical crime

Mary Russell, a brilliant teenage orphan, meets a retired Sherlock Holmes on the Sussex Downs in 1915 and becomes his apprentice, then his partner and wife. King’s earlier series follows San Francisco detective Kate Martinelli.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. King’s standalones are left out.

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Who appears in which book

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Laurie R. King books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

19 books · Set in various placesHistorical crime
  1. 1The Beekeeper’s Apprentice1994CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  2. 2A Monstrous Regiment of Women1995CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  3. 3A Letter of Mary1997CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Moor1998CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  5. 5O Jerusalem1999CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Justice Hall2002CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  7. 7The Game2004CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Locked Rooms2005CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  9. 9The Language of Bees2009CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  10. 10The God of the Hive2010CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Pirate King2011CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Garment of Shadows2012CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  13. 13Dreaming Spies2015CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  14. 14The Murder of Mary Russell2016CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Mrs HudsonSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Island of the Mad2018CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  16. 16Riviera Gold2020CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Castle Shade2021CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  18. 18The Lantern’s Dance2024CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon
  19. 19Knave of Diamonds2025CrossoverWith Mary Russell and Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes also appears in books by Arthur Conan DoyleBuy on Amazon

Kate Martinelli

5 books · Set in San FranciscoPolice procedural
  1. 1A Grave Talent1993With Kate MartinelliBuy on Amazon
  2. 2To Play the Fool1995With Kate MartinelliBuy on Amazon
  3. 3With Child1996With Kate MartinelliBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Night Work2000With Kate MartinelliBuy on Amazon
  5. 5The Art of Detection2006With Kate MartinelliBuy on Amazon

Characters

9 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Russell and Holmes

Mary Russell

Oxford theology student turned detective, Holmes’s partner and wife

19 books · 1994 to 2025First appears in The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
Buy the first book

San Francisco