Garment of shadows

This novel is the twelfth installment in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. While it features a self-contained mystery, readers new to the series may benefit from starting with earlier books to fully appreciate the character development and ongoing relationship between Russell and Holmes.

The narrative unfolds across two distinct time periods: the present day in 1920s Morocco and flashbacks to Mary Russell's earlier life and training with Sherlock Holmes. These interwoven timelines gradually reveal the origins of her amnesia and the deeper connections to the unfolding events.

The story is set against the backdrop of the Rif War, a real historical conflict in the 1920s involving Spanish and French colonial powers and the indigenous Rifian tribes. The political tensions and cultural dynamics of this period are integral to the plot and the dangers Mary Russell faces.