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The God of the Hive (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #10)

by Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 4,667 ratings · 647 reviews

In Laurie R. King’s latest Mary Russell–Sherlock Holmes mystery, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author delivers a thriller of ingenious surprises and unrelenting suspense—as the famous husband and wife sleuths are pursued by a killer immune from the sting of justice.

It began as a problem in one of Holmes’ beloved beehives, led to a murderous cult, and ended—or so...more

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published April 27th 2010 by Bantam (first published January 1st 2010)

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Community Reviews

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Dec 30, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, kindle

This is Part II of a story began in The Language of Bees, in which Russell and Holmes - back in England after an eight month absence - become involved in a mystery concerning the artist Damian Adler and his wife and child. I was underwhelmed by The Language of Bees: its cliffhanger ending didn't particularly bother me because I didn't care enough about the story to want to jump right into Part II. However, I'm glad that my reaction didn't put me off continuing with the series, because this novel...more

11 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, historical-fiction, mystery, sherlock-holmes

Review from Badelynge
The God of the Hive follows on directly from events in The Language of Bees and is the 10th book to feature Mary Russell. Mary and Sherlock are separated again and on the run. At first assessment you think of Reichenbach, and there are certainly deliberate similarities but the suspense gets left behind too often. Laurie R. King chooses instead to tell a more character driven story, examining Russell's new relationship with the recently discovered granddaughter of Sherlock Ho...more

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2010 Elizabeth Hunter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, mystery

Here's the problem with the Mary Russell books--they're not mysteries. There's often a central question that does get resolved, usually in detail, before the end of the book. But who did what is generally spelled out explicitly long before the end. To some extent they are ops-sagas--how everyone managed to be in the right place at the right time with the right (or at least enough) information to resolve the situation. But even there, King is playing so many games with POV that the impact of the...more

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May 28, 2012 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Thrilling conclusion to the events that began in The Language of Bees. Thsi story is told from multiple perspectives. Mary is on the run with Estelle and meets a hermit who may or may not be trustworthy. Sherlock "abducts" a young, female doctor to stitch up Damien and spirits both of them away to the continent. Meanwhile Mycroft has fallen on some bad times and the mastermind behind it all watches and waits.

I loved the different perspectives. It picked up the pace and telling parts from the ba...more

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May 25, 2012 Diana Sandberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

ALERT - spoilers near the end of this review.

I wasn’t going to read this so soon after The Language of Bees, but I got sucked in. Glad I did, too. This one follows very tightly indeed on the heels of the previous one, more so than most of her works. Interestingly, although that story was satisfying and complete in itself, this one adds layers to that, and extends itself from there. Ingenious. And *another* new and presumably ongoing character by whom I was entirely charmed - great addition. Thi...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Britomarte Van Horn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: covet

I found the book compelling, yet not entirely enjoyable. As the last few chapters of The Language Of Bees, it would have been excellent - as a fully-formed book, it was disappointing. I found there to be several cheap gimmicks and a few parts where I mourned the writing.

I did not like the structure. I believe that I could have followed the story nearly as well if every portion not from the view of Russell had been removed - were they simply for padding, to make the book look more complete? The...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fiction, historical-fiction, international-interest, mystery-thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, good things first: Overall, I thought this was a pretty enjoyable story. The active parts are very active. There are lots of dramatic moments with guns. There are alarming moments in an airplane. The prose is also very nice. For a light, short, no-brains read, this book does very well.

What did not work for me:

1) The mystery... really wasn't. It was told from multiple points of view, which is kind of a new thing for this series if I recall, so there's never really any dramatic tension-- you...more Okay, good things first: Overall, I thought this was a pretty enjoyable story. The active parts are very active. There are lots of dramatic moments with guns. There are alarming moments in an airplane. The prose is also very nice. For a light, short, no-brains read, this book does very well.

What did not work for me:

1) The mystery... really wasn't. It was told from multiple points of view, which is kind of a new thing for this series if I recall, so there's never really any dramatic tension-- you know exactly who the villains are and what they're trying to do. Worse, Holmes and Russell were not particularly impressive detectives in this book (as someone points out to them towards the end). There are sloppy searches; important clues are missed; wrong conclusions are drawn. For an ordinary detective story, this would not be a problem, but the whole point in reading a Sherlock Holmes story is to watch him be amazing.

2) The pacing was... spotty. As I said, the action scenes were REALLY active, and a lot of sections were real page-turners. Unfortunately, the expository conversations go on FOREVER. At least two of them are over ten pages long. I could have done with a few more narrow escapes, and a few less sober conversations over various meals and beverages.

3) The characterization... did not really do it for me. As I said, I didn't think Holmes and Russell were at their best here (though I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Russell's young, Holmes is old, it's a stressful time for them, yadayadayada). Damian Adler, though, was about as animated as a body pillow. There was no evidence that he was mourning his wife (who, recall, had just been MURDERED). In fact, he was set up with a new love interest before the end of the book. And as for Dr. Whatsherface, I didn't care much for her, either-- she just felt like a medical version of Russell.

4) The mysticism. Honestly, I kind of liked this. I am a fantasy fan: I like a little magic in my fiction. I just thought it was a little too heavy-handed. For example, I thought that Robert Goodman as Robin Goodfellow/The Green Man was a great concept, but was identified that way a little too explicitly. Honestly, I didn't even think we needed his backstory-- the hints we got at his introduction were enough for me. (I honestly thought the whole bit where Javitz finds out Goodman's history was just an excuse to explain that Goodman is gay and Holmes has nothing to fear.)

In conclusion: Read if you're a Holmes/Russell fan. Even a bad Holmes/Russell book is pretty good. I enjoyed reading this one, and I plan to get the next one the next time I'm at the library. I feel like the author was making a few experiments here, and I respect her for that-- I just don't quite think that most of them worked the way she'd hoped they would. I'm holding out hope that the next book will either return to the tradition we've so far enjoyed, or that it will be something new and different that comes together a little more neatly. (less)

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Apr 21, 2011 International Cat Lady rated it 5 of 5 stars

I almost gave this book four stars instead of five, but it was such an excellent tale that I gave it five anyway, despite a major flaw: The God of the Hive is essentially part two of King's The Language of Bees, published in 2009. King's Holmes/Russell books are a chronological series and should be read in order, and they all refer (although usually rather obliquely) to previous events in the series. The Language of Bees (which I read back in 2009) ended with the bad guys apparently vanquished,...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The God of the Hive forms a duo with Language of Bees, revealing that the problem Holmes and Russell thought they solved is actually a subset of a much larger problem. I usually enjoy this escalation technique, and was glad to continue the Damian/Thomas Brothers plot without the mumbo-jumbo that plagued Language of Bees (and was basically a less-believable rehashing of Monstrous Regiment of Women).

Um. Well. *That* plotline turned nicely political and drew in Mycroft (yay, Mycroft!), but then in...more

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Jun 17, 2010 Kim Ryser rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010booksread

I started reading this last night before bed, stayed up late to get about halfway through it and then today I woke up and just read until I was done. So I guess I enjoyed it. ;) It was a comforting return to familiar-to-me characters. The plot remained suspenseful through the trick of chapters written in alternating POVs. To be honest the ending felt a bit rushed after all the build-up. And I'm starting to be annoyed with the splitting of one story into multiple books. I really should have rerea...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Don't even pick this book up unless you have already read The Language of Bees, or you will be totally confused. The action picks up directly where that ended so incompletely. The two books together form a more pleasing whole than either alone. The depraved spiritualist minister named Brothers in book one is found to be just the tip of the iceberg of evil in book two.

The author is exploring the consequences of a person holding a position of incredible power, such as Sherlock Holmes' brother Mycr...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Maurine rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 09, 2010 Val rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was fortunate enough to win an ARC of this book from goodreads in February. Amazing. This is one of my favorite series of books. My only critique of them is that I always want the story to continue. The God of the Hive (Book #10) begins where The Language of Bees (Book #9) ended. For those that read book #9 and screamed in frustration when the book ended and everything was not wrapped up, The God of the Hive delivers. Follow Russell as she tried to keep Estelle safe from the villainous Rev. Br...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Marlyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, arc

As one of many readers waiting anxiously for the continuation of the story begun in The Language of Bees, I was absolutely thrilled when I learned I was getting one of the coveted ARCs of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

When we last saw Sherlock Holmes, he was spiriting his injured son, Damian Adler away from the "altar" where religious maniac Thomas Brothers had attempted a human sacrifice. At the same time, Holmes' wife Mary Russell is trying to keep Damian's daughter Estelle hidd...more

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Apr 03, 2010 Cate rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won the ARC from here, and read it on vacation. I've been a fan of King's Mary Russell books for a while, although I am well aware of her ups and downs. "Locked Rooms" was not a favorite, and somehow I missed the one that followed--"The Language of Bees." Don't make the same mistake. "The God of the Hive" takes up IMMEDIATELY after the close of that book, and will spoil that book for you if you haven't already read it.

Holmes and Russell have been off on adventures around the world, and are fin...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Brackman1066 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery fans

Shelves: first-reads, mysteries, historical_fiction

It's probably a little unusual to describe a book that is #10 in a series as a "break-through" book, but that's how this felt. As a long-time fan of the series, this book was the first one that felt like it had solved some of the writing and structural issues that had crept in about mid-way through the series.

I've had problems in previous books (including *The Language of Bees*, of which this book is a continuation) with the shift from Russel's first-person narration to moments of third-person d...more It's probably a little unusual to describe a book that is #10 in a series as a "break-through" book, but that's how this felt. As a long-time fan of the series, this book was the first one that felt like it had solved some of the writing and structural issues that had crept in about mid-way through the series.

I've had problems in previous books (including *The Language of Bees*, of which this book is a continuation) with the shift from Russel's first-person narration to moments of third-person description describing what Holmes was doing. They didn't work and jarred with the rest of the book. The God of the Hive managed to solve that; the third-person moments fit (even though--and maybe because--they followed several characters at different points, and not just Holmes). In fact, what Laurie King has done in successfully writing about Sherlock Holmes in the third person is something almost no one has done well (the narratorial strategies of Holmes pastiches is perhaps where Conan Doyle's shadow has been the longest). At last, in this book it seemed effortless to read Holmes's quick judgments about fellow-passengers based on their attributes as a few sentences rather than an extended discussion-and-reveal a la Conan Doyle. I thought that she perhaps pushed the multiple points of view a little too far in the chapter describing a funeral, but a previous reviewer has said that this was his favorite, so I'm willing to chalk it up to preference. On the whole, the narration in this book worked better than in several of her last books.

The book also did more to answer what has been a perennial fan complaint, that Holmes and Russell spend too much time apart and too little collaborating. This book balanced both aspects of the team (working individually and together) in a way that I thought very satisfactory. It also really showed off King's talent for developing wonderful minor characters. I especially would have liked to see more of Dr. Henning and hope to do so in a future book.

This one is a rare 5-star review from me. You'll want to read *The Language of Bees* first if you haven't, since it's really a two-parter.(less)

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Mar 17, 2010 Blair Leatherwood rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another winner from Laurie King! After finishing The Language of Bees, I was not surprised to find such a quick followup in publication since Bees left me with the sense that there was more to this story (without feeling unfinished on its own). I was correct.

King hits the ground running after a quick look at two figures who will play major roles in GotH. She handled changes of narrator quite effectively, without losing the focus of the story or confusing the reader.

The story moves with great eff...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2010 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I won a signed ARC! Yay! This was an extremely satisfying ending to the cliffhanger in book 9. It follows Russell and Holmes separately, as they each make their way back to London after the disastrous events of the last book. Along the way, Russell meets and is aided by an odd man, Robert Goodman, who hides strange secrets. It's hard to say much about the book without spoilers, but they each find even more disastrous news in the paper, and events proceed to an exciting and decisive conclusion.

Th...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mary-russell-and-sherlock-holmes

This book is the continuation and conclusion of a story started in book #9. I enjoyed the story-being told from different points of view and hope to hear more about Sherlock's son Damian Adler.

"It began as a problem in one of Holmes’ beloved beehives, led to a murderous cult, and ended—or so they’d hoped—with a daring escape from a sacrificial altar. Instead, Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, have stirred the wrath and the limitless resources of those they’ve thwarted. Now they are...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Mary Taitt rated it 5 of 5 stars

I finished The God of the Hive, by Laurie R. King, several days ago but with Christmas prep (baking pies and cookies, shopping, making cards) haven't had time to write about it and don't really have time now. It's a sequel to The Language of Bees and I liked it a lot. I like the intelligence and innate goodness of the main characters. I like that they are not mean and horrid like so many detectives in novels, but essentially human. The story is compelling (to me--some others have complained it i...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Sandy Tjan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, holmesiana, mystery-thriller, ebook

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3,5 stars. Enjoyable, occasionally engrossing read, with some reservations (see ‘nitpicks’ below).

THE GOOD:

- The writing is much better than the first book: the plot is basically a long chase scene, but it is an engagingly written one.

- It is interesting to see Holmes interacting with his son (in a very restrained way, as befits someone with a “cold, precise but admirably balanced mind”), and Russell with her step-granddaughter, without it becoming embarrassingly saccharine.

- Mycroft’s apartment...more 3,5 stars. Enjoyable, occasionally engrossing read, with some reservations (see ‘nitpicks’ below).

THE GOOD:

- The writing is much better than the first book: the plot is basically a long chase scene, but it is an engagingly written one.

- It is interesting to see Holmes interacting with his son (in a very restrained way, as befits someone with a “cold, precise but admirably balanced mind”), and Russell with her step-granddaughter, without it becoming embarrassingly saccharine.

- Mycroft’s apartment, with all the built-in secret passages and hidden safes. And the clever use of a character from 'The Greek Interpreter' as a living clue to both Mycroft’s whereabouts and hidden nature.

- The Robert Goodman character, which works both as a portrait of a trench-scarred young man and as a Loki/Puck/Forest Deity avatar. I’m not sure how much of this aspect of the character is supposed to be taken literally --- but it somehow meshes well with the rest of the story. That said, I don’t really get what the connection are between him and the other ‘Gods’ in the story --- evidently, I’m not as theologically inclined as both Russell and King.

NITPICKS:

- There is not much mystery here, as the villains are already indentified early on (by a third person omniscient voice, one of the several different ones used in this novel).

- The connection between West and Brothers is tenuous at best; if West’s ultimate aim is to destabilize Mycroft Holmes’ grip on British intelligence, why use Damian, an illegitimate nephew whom he hardly knows, and whose connection to him is unlikely to cause any public damage to him? As underscored by further plot developments, West has no need for Damian at all, as he has enough power to simply grab Mycroft off the street and throw him into a private dungeon.

- The hostage exchange climax doesn’t really make sense. Why would West, a man who aspires to control British intelligence, need to be there in person (albeit hidden behind a mask), accompanied only by an amateurish thug? And why have it happen on Westminster Bridge, right at the heart of London, in broad daylight? It makes for a great cinematic scene, with Big Ben and other London icons as a backdrop, but it stretches credulity just a bit too much.
(less)

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Jun 12, 2010 Marfita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries, period-mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jasmine Digital Library e-book version (my first in this format).
I have an aversion to using children in fiction as the international shorthand for innocent helplessness. I know children are harmed by adults in real life, but I don't want to read about it. It is always worrisome when there is some adorable, winsome child in a story about betrayal and murder, so I was quite happy to see that the moppet in this story endured nothing worse than having her mother brutally murdered, her father almost...more Jasmine Digital Library e-book version (my first in this format).
I have an aversion to using children in fiction as the international shorthand for innocent helplessness. I know children are harmed by adults in real life, but I don't want to read about it. It is always worrisome when there is some adorable, winsome child in a story about betrayal and murder, so I was quite happy to see that the moppet in this story endured nothing worse than having her mother brutally murdered, her father almost murdered, attempted kidnapping, and a modest airplane crash-and-burn.
As for the rest of the story ... it was over too soon. I nearly shrieked at the end of the previous book when it turned out there was more. I think this one was the end of the previous book, padded out to make a second book (which is what I think happened with the first two books in the series). While you are reading this one, you are all prepared for it to go on. Elaborate preparations are made to make it seem that a great chase is going to ensue after the hostage exchange and the rug gets pulled out from under you when it doesn't happen. This is either clever writing or ... just plain annoying.
I'm not sure why West wanted an exchange. If he wants to kill Sherlock, he waits for him to appear, shoots him or has the driver shoot him, kills Damian (doesn't need him for anything), kills the driver, and drives away (in the optimum scenario).
Optimally for the reader (i.e. me), an aftermath of the exchange (foiled or otherwise) would have gone on for another 50 pages only to reveal a third and more dastardly peril in another installment with perhaps another even more sinister puppeteer behind the whole bloody mess. As it is, the story might continue or it might not ... at any rate, my assessment stands at It was over too soon.
That Robert Goodman survives is indicated by sections that involve his point-of-view (in his idiomatic third person narrative), and these stories are premised on the collected papers "received" by King, so any information must come from them or "research" that she did, if I may hold her to that. Goodman's thoughts cannot be conjured up without some backstory supporting their existence. What I'm saying is, those sections can't exist unless Goodman came into contact with Russell, or at least pen and paper, after the fall from the bridge.
If Ms. King reads this (ha ha), I only criticize so thoroughly because I love these books sooooo much.(less)

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May 10, 2011 Pattyrflg rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell I've read. I listened to the first in the series on CD and I see this is #10. I probably wouldn't have been so confused if I had read them more in order. The novel jumps into the middle of the storyline and then fills in the missing pieces as the story progresses. The story opens with Mary and Holmes on the run after a religious fanatic has killed Holmes' daughter-in-law and kidnapped Holmes' son and granddaughter. Mary rescues the granddaughter, E...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Sheila Beaumont rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-suspense-thrillers, sherlock-holmes, historical, adult-fiction

I just finished reading my eagerly anticipated ARC of this book, and I enjoyed it enormously. The story starts off where the previous book, "The Language of Bees," left off. The author skilfully refreshes the reader's memory of the dark events in that novel as she follows the separate, roundabout journeys of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell back to London, and we're also given glimpses of what Mycroft and assorted bad guys are up to.

There's plenty of mystery, suspense, action and adventure, and...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Bailey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

So you know: This book (#10 in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series) picks up where The Language of Bees (#9) ends. I now know it is discouraged to read these out of order, but I did just that! Oops...

Summary: This book starts with Holmes and Russell on the run separate from each other: Holmes with his injured son and Russell with Holmes' young granddaughter. Their journey takes them from Scotland to Holland then back to England. Russell gets assistance from a seasoned pilot, Javitz, and...more So you know: This book (#10 in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series) picks up where The Language of Bees (#9) ends. I now know it is discouraged to read these out of order, but I did just that! Oops...

Summary: This book starts with Holmes and Russell on the run separate from each other: Holmes with his injured son and Russell with Holmes' young granddaughter. Their journey takes them from Scotland to Holland then back to England. Russell gets assistance from a seasoned pilot, Javitz, and a quirky woodsman, Robert Goodman. Similarly, Holmes seeks medical attention from the young female Dr. Henning. Along the way, Holmes and Russell both need to find who is chasing them so that they can anticipate the opponent's next move and outsmart their attacks. What results is an action-packed story filled with witty prose and exciting twists.

My thoughts: What a great book! This really was a joy to read even though I read them out of order. The characters were likeable and vivid, and the 1924 English and Scottish landscape was wonderful as well. My regrets about this book are that I did not read them in order and that I do not know more about British myth and literature. Both would have increased my understading of the events taking place. With that being said, my favorite character that I believe deserves mentioning was the quirky but caring and loyal Robert Goodman. His actions and characteristics were interesting, and the way King gradually introduced bits and pices of his tumultuous past was integral to his formation as a character.

I have never had much interest in the tales of Sherlock Holmes. It's not that I have anything negative to say, I just have not given Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work a try (outside of some short stories in school). With my limited knowledge of the original character in mind, I still feel like King has done a masterful job receating the legend that is Sherlock Holmes (after all - I did see the movie and rather enjoyed Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal lol). I look forward to exploring the work of Laurie R. King going back to 1996 for the first of this series - The Beekeeper's Apprentice.

If you enjoy what I am going to term 'thinking or intellectual' mysteries (lacking gore and scary suspense) with good action then look into Laurie R. King's "Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes" series. I do not think you will be disappointed!

Bailey (windowseatreader.blogspot.com)(less)

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Jul 02, 2010 Talkingtowalls rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read in one sitting at B&N today. Significantly better than the first in the two part (as is to be expected), but I have not quite gotten myself to really like the format in place since Locked Rooms. I know it's a thousand times easier and for an author and gives a lot more latitude in every aspect of the process, but I can't help feeling that much of the tautness and suspense gets lost from mystery novels when the reader is given a more mobile and omnicient perspective. (I, however, very mu...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Dorothy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: tough-women, pastiche-mysteries

My first literary love affair was with Sherlock Holmes. I met him at the highly impressionable age of twelve and fell instantly in love. I read every Conan Doyle story that featured him - read them more than once.

Since then, I have had many loves in my life. Indeed, I have been a very loose woman, literarily speaking, but one never forgets one's first love. He is always special.

A few years ago when I read a review of a book called "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", I was both fascinated and a bit o...more My first literary love affair was with Sherlock Holmes. I met him at the highly impressionable age of twelve and fell instantly in love. I read every Conan Doyle story that featured him - read them more than once.

Since then, I have had many loves in my life. Indeed, I have been a very loose woman, literarily speaking, but one never forgets one's first love. He is always special.

A few years ago when I read a review of a book called "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", I was both fascinated and a bit outraged. How dare anyone tamper with Conan Doyle's perfect creation! But in the end fascination won out over outrage and I picked up the book and read it, and thus a long ago love affair was rekindled, but this time with the added fillip that it became a three-way affair - Sherlock, Mary Russell, and me.

Mary Russell is Laurie King's unique creation who was introduced in "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" as a young orphan girl in Sussex who came under the sway of her neighbor Sherlock Holmes. She became his apprentice, his partner in adventure and then (Conan Doyle must be spinning in his grave!) Holmes' wife. As weird as that might seem to lovers of classic Holmes, King actually makes it work and has built a very interesting pastiche mystery series on the premise.

I have read - I could even say devoured - every book in the series. This is the tenth one and a very good one it is. It is actually a continuation of the story begun in the last book, "The Language of Bees", in which we were introduced to a son and granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, as well as a doomed daughter-in-law. In this book, the son and granddaughter are in great peril from which they must be extricated by the efforts of the great Sherlock and Mary Russell, along with a ragtag but interesting cast of supporting characters, and the godlike Mycroft Holmes who also plays his part.

I think that I will be giving away nothing to say that Sherlock and Mary again solve the mystery and triumph in the end and their stories will be continued in yet another book in the series. Thank goodness!

Laurie King is a very good writer who sets the stage of the early 20th century well. One feels that one is there and experiencing the events of the day. The reader feels, too, that King has real empathy and understanding for her characters and she makes us want to know them better. A very good skill for a writer of an ongoing series to have! (less)

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Jun 03, 2010 Elana rated it 5 of 5 stars

It took me two weeks to read this comparatively slim volume. Why? Because it was so delicious, I forced myself to read it in small "bites."

The novel satisfyingly deepens our understanding of the main characters as they finish extricating themselves from the labyrinthine plot of King's previous tale, THE LANGUAGE OF BEES. It also introduces us to new people, all of whom are intriguing. In addition, I enjoyed King's portrayal of the burgeoning 20th century, especially her description of air trave...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

*****Possible spoilers*****

This book must be read after one reads The Language of Bees as it is a continuation of that story which was somewhat unfinished, much to my dismay. But all becomes clear as this story picks up on the characters and carries the story forward with Mary and Holmes rushing from England to the Continent in an attempt to keep Holmes' son and grand daughter safe from the killers who are pursuing them. There is a strong political theme in this story and even Mycroft Holmes is...more

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Jun 26, 2010 Kate Pierson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, family, england, historical, how-romantic, i-love-sherlock-holmes, thrilling

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First, these are the ramblings of someone completely obsessed with this series. I read a lot, but never before have I become so entrenched in the lives of characters. It's almost a little embarrassing that I read the entire 10 book series in one month. But, I did. And, when I wasn't reading the Russell/Holmes books, I was thinking about them. And here's what I have to say:

I love some of the ideas presented in The God of the Hive. It's so interesting to think about the 1920s and the changes they...more First, these are the ramblings of someone completely obsessed with this series. I read a lot, but never before have I become so entrenched in the lives of characters. It's almost a little embarrassing that I read the entire 10 book series in one month. But, I did. And, when I wasn't reading the Russell/Holmes books, I was thinking about them. And here's what I have to say:

I love some of the ideas presented in The God of the Hive. It's so interesting to think about the 1920s and the changes they brought--and the way the Holmes brothers deal with those changes. How quickly did we go from hansom cabs to automobiles. Not to mention the pending end of the British Empire. So interesting to think about and read about.

But, for me, the series is made by the Russell/Holmes relationship. The first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, is the most romantic book I have ever read. Such beautiful love. I wish the two characters could keep the intensity they had in Monstrous Regiment of Women (oh, the ending!). I enjoy the mysteries and the settings in these novels, but it is the little glimpses of romance that kept me reading. The love between Russell and Holmes is, to me, beautiful and also completely believable.

In The God of the Hive, there is a lot of love. In some ways, it is subtle. Like, when he is thinking about the shark, Holmes says he was having a conversation with Russell when he saw the shark. Or, when Russell says, she was "at the opera with Holmes." And, the way they prowl the newspapers for word about the other. I know they are always thinking of each other. Less subtly, Holmes does leave the fate of Great Britain hanging, to go rescue Russell. Now, if that's not romantic, what is?

But, I deeply missed the physical touches between the two characters. In the Beekeeper's Apprentice, you get the feeling that Holmes is showing iron self-control throughout the entire book. You know he wants to take Russell in his arms pretty much constantly. Then, in the second one, their attraction to each other comes to the forefront. Very high swoon factor on that one. Tender moments are sprinkled throughout the rest of the series . . . with a few exceptions. What happened to the strong physical attraction in the last two books? I believe that it might take a back seat because of the extreme stress of the case, but please, please let it come back in the rest of the series! Please! Not to be a baby about it, but God of the Hive would have been a 5-Star book if it would have included just one kiss or one physical moment. I just love the love.(less)

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About Laurie R. King

Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum, the LRK Virtual Book Club, is here on Goodreads, so please check there to join in the book-discussing fun.

King's next novel The Bones of Paris, will be out in September 2013, seeing Touchstone's Harris Stuyvesant and Bennett Grey find the darkness beneath the light of 1929 Paris. In the Russell se ...more

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell, #1)

A Monstrous Regiment of Women (Mary Russell, #2)

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The God of the Hive (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #10)

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