FREE: The Language of Bees, by Laurie R. King

The listing, The Language of Bees, by Laurie R. King has ended.

Paperback, Like New condition
5 Out Of 5 stars: Russell and Holmes at Their Collective Best!
Amazon Review By Mark Krafton July 5, 2010
As a fan of Conan Doyle's original Holmes' stories I have never been a big fan of the pastiche novels (although Nicholas Meyer's "West End Horror" is worth a read) that became so popular in the 70's. A favorable review of "Justice Hall" by Laurie King convinced me to give her a work a chance. I began with the "Beekeeper's Apprentice" and was instantly hooked. Make no mistake - these are Russell's stories and Holmes just happens to be in them. "Language of Bees" is among the best to date - ratcheting up the stakes by making the mystery surround none other than Sherlock's son by Irene Adler. Although the author takes an occasional departure from her first person perspective (these stories are supposed to be drawn from the papers of Mary Russell just as Doyle's stories were supposedly from the papers of Dr. John Watson), something I found far too distracting in her prior outing, "Locked Rooms," she is at her best when describing a long, harrowing, dare devil trip by plane (the novel is set in the early 1920's) or the interview of elderly religion professor while punting from Mary's witty and wry perspective. These novels are very clever and intelligent and the period research she has done always shines through. F. Scott Fitzgerald may have believed that there were no second acts in American lives in the 1920's, but Laurie King is doing an excellent job of creating a very vigorous and entertaining second act for Sherlock Holmes.