King, Laurie R. The Language of Bees.I always enjoy the Mary Russell/ Sherlock Holmes series. After a long period of time away from England, Mary and Holmes return home to a small mystery about the disappearance of a hive of bees. This mystery is followed by a much more pressing one when Holmes' son Damian Adler (ah, yes, remember Irene?) arrives seeking help in locating his missing wife and child.
This is only Mary's second meeting with Damian, a bohemian and talented surrealist painter, and the fact that the first was when he was accused of murder, doesn't ease her mind. His past and his paintings are disturbing, and Mary remains somewhat skeptical about the man Damian has become.
The entire Holmes clan becomes involved in the search for the missing mother and child. Holmes, Mary, and Mycroft each have a niche to fill and each works in different avenues toward the same goal. Things become darker with the realization that a religious cult is involved and that several deaths at ancient monuments seem to be linked.
As usual, an entertaining adventure, although I found the amount of time spent on the plane ride a distraction that slowed down the plot at a point the action should have been moving more quickly. Another quibble is the lack of conclusion. I'm not unhappy to have the prospect of continued characters and/or issues that are not fully resolved, but the conclusion seemed abrupt and a bit of a cliff hanger.
Other reviews: A Striped Armchair and Books & Other Thoughts.
Fiction. Mystery, Historical fiction. 2009. 433 pages.
Not my usual read, but I might see if the library has the first book...
ReplyDeleteKailana - I'm just going to read some more fantasy. However, it is a bit difficult to find some you haven't read! :)
ReplyDeleteI checked this out at the library the other day. Sorry that it didn't totally satisfy. I'll still have to read it because I've read all the others.
ReplyDeletebooklogged - I'm eager to hear what you think. As usual, I enjoyed the Russell/Holmes duo, but the lengthy digression concerning the plane ride seemed unnecessary, and I would have preferred a less abrupt conclusion. Not that it will stop me from Mary's next adventure!
ReplyDeleteI admit I've actually avoided reading this series. I'm not sure why. I have no good reason. I'm sorry this one didn't quite live up to expectation, but it sounds like it's a good series just the same. I'll have to get over my aversion to it and give it a try.
ReplyDelete