review by lindsaywrites

I discovered Mary Russell several years ago when, desperate for something to read while visiting my aunt and uncle, I plucked “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” off an over-crowded bookshelf. I’m really not much of a mystery reader, and hadn’t read any Sherlock Holmes related works prior to Laurie R. King’s first book in the Mary Russell/ Holmes mysteries. Basically, I was going in blind, and just hoping the book would be entertaining enough to get me through my Spring Break.

I never expected to develop such an insatiable addiction.

King’s writing is, first off, fast-paced and completely engrossing. Despite my lack of Holmse-ian knowledge when I started the series, I never felt lost with the characters. And while the mystery of each novel is as masterful as it is gripping, the real love affair for me with these books is in the characters. Sherlock Holmes is everything you expect him to be: intelligent, brooding, quick with a dry wit, and some how, despite his tendency to remain distant, lovable. Mary Russell, who enters the series as a 15-year old genius with a knack for stepping into trouble, remains charming and effervescent while simultaneously maintaining her independence as a strong, fiercely intelligent and capable woman.

I tell you, I want to hang out with Mary Russell. I adore this woman.

In King’s latest addition to the Russell/ Holmes series, the characters find themselves facing an advisory whose powers seem as vast as they are mysterious . Holmes, who is caring for his ailing son and trying to keep him hidden from the authorities, is relying entirely on the cunning of his wife, Russell,  and the strength of his brother, Mycroft–both of whom are in another country and incapable of communicating with one another. As Russell tries desperately to protect her husband’s young granddaughter from the man who tried to kill the girl’s father, she is forced to put her trust–and their lives–in the hands of a man whose sanity is as questionable as his past. But when Holmes and Russell are dealt the ultimate blow, their paths take a turn they could never have predicted.

“God of the Hive” will not leave fans of the Russell/ Holmes series disappointed. King has once again proven herself a master of suspense and storytelling in this riveting novel.

Just a note: “God of the Hive” is a continuation of the mystery started in its predecessor, “The Language of Bees.” I strongly recommend reading “The Language of Bees” first–but I even more strongly recommend starting the series at the beginning!