Russell's evil twin?

[Elizabeth]

Here's a link to a collection of 1920s Australian mugshots: check out "May Russell" (2nd one down).

http://www.atimetoget.com/2009/07/early-sydney-mug-shots.html

A cousin gone bad?
Russell undercover?
A baddie trying to ruin Russell's reputation?

Or the least interesting possibility ...

A coincidence? :)

[KarenB]

I think I'm going with idea #3. :D We could concoct a whole new plot for Laurie!!

[Jessara]

Here's a link to a collection of 1920s Australian mugshots: check out "May Russell" (2nd one down).

http://www.atimetoget.com/2009/07/early-sydney-mug-shots.html

A cousin gone bad?
Russell undercover?
A baddie trying to ruin Russell's reputation?

Or the least interesting possibility ...

A coincidence? :)
I vote for a cousin gone bad! It can't be our Russell; the eyes are dark. One of her father's poorer cousins, perhaps, using the Russell name as part of a con game. That family had money, and where there's money there are frequently attempts to get it away by illegal means. I wonder if Russell was May's married or "maiden" name. Raffish relations are always entertaining. I may have to go read this book; it's "City of Shadows". Drat, our library system doesn't have it, but there's always ILL.

[Elizabeth]

Jessara, what is this "City of Shadows" of which you speak? Is it the Vicki Pettersson book or have I missed something? (I'm always looking for book recs.)

Maybe she was someone Russell or Holmes caught and part of her sentence was transportation, and as revenge she used the alias of her enemy... Or maybe she was a relative of Russell's evil aunt (we don't really know what happened to her, do we?) and May was hoping to abscond with our Russell's money, as soon as she stole enough for the fare from Australia back to London...

:D

[Jessara]

Elizabeth, a post on 30 Sep at the photo site says :
spacedlaw said...
Those pictures are from the wonderful book "City of Shadows"
September 30, 2009 3:01 AM
-for info, the ISBN is 1876991208; the book was published by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, and I hope this link works: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781876991203/City-of-Shadows
Lucky you, your library system probably carries it. Interlibrary loan is going to take awhile on this side of the pond.

[Millie]

as soon as she stole enough for the fare from Australia back to London...

:D

So THAT'S what happened to the family fortune!:D

[aibrean]

I can't decide between cousin gone bad or enemy out to ruin Russell's name; I mean, every family has its black sheep, so the first is very possible, but given all that Russell and Holmes do, so is the second. After all, they did have to deal with Patricia Donleavy, and while her level of madness was (I hope) exceptional, there are sure to be others with dreams of revenge.

And on a completely unrelated note, though prompted by the women's hats in the photographs, has anyone else noticed that the cloche hat seems to be back in fashion, with a smaller brim than in the photos?

[Shaybo]

Or what about an alternate personality?