The Language of Bees: A novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

Written by Laurie R. King

Narrated by Jenny Sterlin

New York Times best-selling author Laurie R. King has won or been nominated for every major award in mystery writing. King's beloved sleuth Mary Russell here attempts to reverse her legendary husband Sherlock Holmes' greatest failure. "A one-woman case for the defense of unauthorized literary sequels . intelligent, witty, complex and atmospheric ."-Washington Post Book World

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 29, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440718212

Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Kate Martinelli novels and the acclaimed Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mysteries, as well as a few stand-alone novels. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the first in her Mary Russell series, was nominated for an Agatha Award and was named one of the Century’s Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. A Monstrous Regiment of Women won the Nero Wolfe Award. She has degrees in theology, and besides writing she has also managed a coffee store and raised children, vegetables, and the occasional building. She lives in northern California.

Reviews for The Language of Bees

[joycepa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ninth in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.Back from San Francisco, Russell and Holmes arrive at their Sussex home to find a most unexpected visitor--Holmes’ son, Damian Adler, child of Holmes’ liaison with Irene Adler. Russell had met Holmes’ son once before, when Daimian, a surrealist painter of growing reputation, had been charged with murder; he was cleared of the charges. Now Damian, who has always been hostile to his father, is back with a plea--although an ambivalent one-- for help in finding his wife and daughter, who have disappeared.The premise of the book is not one of my favorite ones--the sudden appearance of an important person in the protagonist’s life who has never even been mentioned before. And for me, the initial part of the book is awkward, as King uses a different style to convey the relationship between Holmes and Damian. But the plot quickly develops and involves one of King’s favorite themes--religious cults.Once past the initial part of the book, the story becomes ever more intriguing and the pace really picks up, until the denouement, which is a page-turner.A change of pace for the series, and still excellent. Highly recommended.

[druidgirl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are a couple made for each other. I always knew there was a child hidden somewhere. Sherlock and Irene Adler with a son. The author mixes many mysteries into one great novel but always leaving an opening for the next one. Mary is a strong intelligent woman with a mind of her own and a great companion for Sherlock. She is a fine detective in her own right and coupled with Sherlock and sometimes the help of Mycroft Holmes. All in all the series keeps getting better. Once again the "Mystery is Afoot".

[wortklauberlein · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After a promising beginning, in which the recently returned couple find Holmes' estranged grown son on their Sussex doorstep and the mysterious abandonment of their hive by a swarm of bees, the novel winds down in endless pursuit of a killer. Holmes and Russell are barely together, so their relationship hardly develops, but could Russell be starting to think of offspring? That and the numerous other loose ends no doubt will be further entangled in the next book, since the last line in this notes the story will be continued.The apiary thread and the historical cult phenomenon of the Golden Dawn give the book some of the heft readers expect from Laurie R. King but she seems to delve less deeply into religion than in previous Mary Russell novels, leaving this one feeling a bit lightweight.

[tangential1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to say, I don't think I've been disappointed by any of the Mary Russell books and this new one is right in line. Another excellent read=)There was an interesting paralleling to the last one (Locked Rooms). In LOCK, Russell is more than a little preoccupied with her past and her family and Holmes is in the background noticing clues with his clear mind and waiting for Russell to come around to herself to help with the mystery. In this new one it's reversed; Holmes is visited by his past/family and Russell goes about the business of objectively collecting clues and moving forward with the case at hand. Not quite the same since Holmes is still very actively trying to solve the case, but I thought it was an interesting transition from the last book to this one.Also, I saw a similarity between this new book and one of Ms. King's stand-alone novels, A Darker Place. DARK deals with alternative religions and cults, with a focus on alchemy and a little bit on mysticism. This new Russell moves in that direction as well. I'm not really sure what to say about it past that, just that I noticed the similarity. We've seen Russell tackle mysticism before in A Monstrous Regiment of Women, but the new religious movement discussed in this book was much more out there. Maybe because the stuff discussed in MREG was having to do with old religion and seemed more legitimate? And to that end, maybe this new book is more about charlatans and that's why I was reminded of DARK. I really find it interesting when LRK injects some of her academic interests into her novels; despite the fact that I have very little interest in religion, she always gives me plenty to think about.Oddly, I think this is the first book I've ever read that had a "to be continued" ending that I wasn't scaling the walls over. It's not a cliff hanger or anything; more like she left the ending open to a point that we know where she has to be going with the next book, which she hasn't done before. Usually we get a nice clean finished story; there could be a next one, but there doesn't have to be. This one, there's very obviously some unresolved story that we're going to have to delve into in the next book.

[cajela_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a fan of Laurie King and her early 20th century Holmesian world, despite the rather large suspension of disbelief required for Mary Russell's relationship with Holmes. In this one, it turns out that Holmes and Irene Adler had a son - unknown to him until now. The son has now grown up and become an artist, and his wife and child are missing - perhaps murdered? A sequence of murders ties into various mythic places, and only Mary's understanding of weird cults and religions can help! King writes very intelligent and complex fiction, set in well-researched and fascinating historical settings.

[capnrandm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The intricacies of this story made for a slow middle, but once the villain's shape began to emerge, momentum carried me straight through to the second book of this pair.

[gttexas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best Mary Russell story so far! Mary and Sherlock see plenty of action back in England, the plot is suitably thickened, and Mycroft even loses some weight! Loved it. One of a dozen or so I read on a Mediterranean cruise.

[Sunny Days · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Laurie King never disappoints. A nice twist on the "traditional"Holmes.

[reannon_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Laurie King is one of my favorite writers. For one thing, she had the audacity to take a beloved character, Sherlock Holmes, and use him and make it work. But she isn't perfect. I wasn't fond of the The Game, the volume in this series set in India, and this one I didn't like as well as some of ther others in the series. Perhaps I'm finding the villain who is part of an evil cult to be a bit cliched by now.However, it does present Holmes with a previously unknown son, his son by Irene Adler. The son suffered gruesomely in WWI and fell apart. Holmes and Russell learned of his existence in 1919, when he was still a drug addict, and then he disappeared and could not be found. Now, in 1924, he shows up again, an sober artist whose Chinese wife has disappeared. It begins to look as though she was involved with a dangerous religious nut.Worth reading, but would recommend reading the other books in the series first.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm actually glad I read the sequel first, I would have been so frustrated getting to the end of this and having to wait for the sequel to be published. As with all Mary Russell novels, this is a wonderful blend of relationships, mystery and cultural information. A book to loose oneself in. Mary and Sherlock are up against a madman this time, only they are not sure whether this criminal is one they want to discover. He may just be too close to their hearts.I enjoyed all the references to beekeeping and the early aviation tidbits. It is also great to see both Russell and Holmes discovering a bit of maternal/paternal instinct in themselves, something which takes them both by surprise.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How ironic that Holmes and Russell return after a nearly a year to their home in Sussex at the same time that they return to us after a 4 year absence. Back at their beginnings, Russell is again the apprentice to Holmes as beekeeper. Missing bees, however, have to take second place, when confronted with the surprise appearance of Damian Adler, Holmes' son.Holmes must first reflect on this presence and then attend to the problem which brought the two together - the disappearance of Damian's wife, Yolanda with their 4 year old daughter, Estelle. Disappearing into the night as Holmes frequently does, Mary is left to undertake the bee mystery. Finding a resolution that she feels will satisfy her husband, she heads to London to assist Holmes using her brand of logic (the feminine side).Throughout her time with Holmes, Mary Russell has observed the strangest human behavior but this case, due to the family relationships involved, has its own kind of madness to observe. Russell employs her own special talents in the area of religious cults while delving into the skeletons in the closet of the missing young woman from Shanghai. The trail she must follow leads her to the Children of the Light and eventually the darkness that she must shatter.I was disappointed that Russell was still lacking a bit in her self-confidence when she first arrived back, but understand her gradual return to self as the story progressed. I was glad to see that Mycroft had a larger part in this story. I particularly approve of the way Russell's concerns for Holmes' feelings were conveyed throughout. The story after the initial development was fast-paced and kept the reader driving or should I say flying to the end.I regret that we had to wait four years for Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes to return to us. This series never fails to educate, entertain, and excite. I'm glad that the next is scheduled for 2010. As soon as I know the title, it will be on my wishlist.

[markmeg · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I kept reading and thinking that I had read it or something like it before, but could not find it on the list. I skipped a lot of pages. I just couldn't seem to get into it. The story about the bees was distracting rather than flowing into it.

[gmbygrl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Outside of the Russell series, I have only read one of King's books and I didn't like it nearly as well. There was lots of swearing and sex, and the story didn't do a lot for me. So, I was a bit afraid going in that King's style had changed so much in the past three years that I wouldn't like this newest Russell. It only took a couple of chapters to realize this was the same Russell in the same world that I had grown to love. Quite frankly, I thought it was fabulous.The initial myste...more Outside of the Russell series, I have only read one of King's books and I didn't like it nearly as well. There was lots of swearing and sex, and the story didn't do a lot for me. So, I was a bit afraid going in that King's style had changed so much in the past three years that I wouldn't like this newest Russell. It only took a couple of chapters to realize this was the same Russell in the same world that I had grown to love. Quite frankly, I thought it was fabulous.The initial mystery of "where is Yolanda Adler?" is solved rather quickly, but Russell and Holmes are quickly drawn in to a deeper mystery including dealing with a crazy religious man.There are many things to love about Russell and her world: King's writing, the detail, but my favorite is simply the characters. Russell's whit and her interactions with brilliant men (Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes) are so enjoyable that I wish we could be friends.Oh, and one more thing that may or may not be taken as a SPOILER. This book doesn't really end. There is enough of a conclusion that I can't call it a cliffhanger, but there is still plenty of action ahead. Fortunately, the next book is scheduled to be released in April, so at least we shouldn't have to wait another 3 years for the conclusion

[fmrox · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was really excited to start this mystery series. Perhaps I began in the wrong place or the wrong format (audio). This was a very dreary reading of the novel by an unenthused narrator. The plot and chase dragged on for so long, I'm not sure I even remember the ending at this point. What a bore. I don't think I will pick another is this series as I don't care for the plot of this novel or the main protagonist Mary Russell. Perhaps its a good read?

[jflinders_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a fascinating introduction to an intriguing series of mysteries featuring an older Sherlock Holmes and his new protegee, destined to be wife, Mary Russell. Holmes has met his match and found his heart opened in a way he could never have foreseen. This is the first of a ten book series and does a magnificent job setting the era, the local, and the personalities for an engaging new look at Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

First part of a two-part story. I find myself not liking any of these characters much any more. Darn it. They all just seem to whine so much.

[readinggeek451 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Holmes and Russell return home from their trip around the world to find a hive gone mad--and his long-lost son. Damien has also been wandering but is now living in London with his wife and daughter. But his wife is missing.A nicely intricate puzzle.

[sandilee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I started this book twice. On my first reading, I got about 20 pages in before I decided I really had to go back and reread the previous book. All of King's Russell mysteries are connected, but this is the first direct sequel. King seems to have improved her skill with this installment. Russell's world is richer, more detailed and includes more interesting side characters. The greenman character, Robert Goodman, was particularly memorably - a believable mortal character, he also strikes Mary as benevolent forest spirit, and seems to symbolize the simple, earthy way of life being suffocated by the after effects of WWI and industrialization. I also enjoyed the "lady doctor" who made a few brief but pleasing appearance in The Language of Bees. I hope to see her again in future installments.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an exciting adventure - at one point Russell is barreling headlong the length of England in a newfangled airplane battling bad weather and bad fuel. I enjoyed the puzzle aspect to the mystery as well - both Holmes and Russell are working to figure out the twisted logic of the villain before it is too late. This novel also introduces, as major characters, Holmes' son and granddaughter. It will be interesting to see where Ms. King takes her series in the future (although I have already read "God of the Hive" so I know how this particular immediate adventure will turn out!). As always, well written and compelling reading.

[rretzler_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Laurie R King's 9th Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book, they arrive back in England after the events of the previous book. They are met at home, not by Mrs Hudson, but by Damian Adler, Sherlock's estranged son with Irene Adler. Damian needs their help to find his wife, Yolanda, who has apparently left on a religious "adventure" taking their young daughter, Estelle. Soon Damian is missing as well, and several dead bodies are discovered at various prehistoric monuments. Russell and Holmes are investigating, but find that one of their suspects may be someone very close to them, and that this might be one of the few times that the villian gets away.In the past several months, I have discovered this enjoyable series. Mary Russell is an independent, intelligent, young woman who is every bit a match for Sherlock Holmes, and Holmes is, well...Holmes. The books are full of adventure, intelligence and fun.For the majority of the book, Holmes and Russell are detecting separately, and as usual, we follow Russell, instead of Holmes. Mycroft plays a larger role in this book than the others, and we meet some of his operatives, who help Russell along the way. Typically, the books have been action-packed and usually find Russell and Holmes in danger from one or more sources. Most of the action in this book is very sedate (can action be sedate?), and until the last part of the book, there is no particular rush and no one is in danger. After some of the more active adventures, this book does not appeal to me on the same level of some of the others, but it is still a very well written book.Also, just as I was hesitant to read the series in the first place because I could not imagine Holmes with a wife, I'm now trying to reconcile myself to Holmes having a son, and granddaughter. It will be interesting to see what role, if any, Damian and Estelle, play in future books.

[philotera_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another in the Mary Russell series by Laurie King continues to delight. This appears to be the first of a two-parter. I admit that, having become a writer, I am now up to other writer's tricks and predicted about a third of the way through what was going to happen. I get a gold star because it turned out pretty right. I believe this is not a lack on Ms. King's part, but simply that, as I have begun to work on more plotting of my own, I can see how the threads are likely to go together; which are the red herrings to discard so that the correct choice rises to the top.Mind you, I enjoyed the book tremendously. I have always enjoyed the characters. They are interesting people doing interesting things, and I'm happy to follow along with them. It was loads of fun. I rejoiced when I spotted it in the bookstore and snapped it up immediately, and was happy I did. Few series manage to hold their own for me all the way through. This one has, I'm pleased to say.

[thetometraveller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The latest (ninth) adventure for Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell, begins as they arrive at their home in Sussex after an absence of almost a year. The immediate problem of the missing bees from their farthest beehive means that they don't even get into the house before going to check on the hive.When they get back to the house and even bigger surprise awaits. Sherlock's son Damian (his mother is Irene Adler!) is waiting on the doorstep with a problem. A big one. It seems his Chinese wife, Yolanda, and four year old daughter have gone missing from their London home.Now, Holmes never knew he had a son until the boy was grown and his mother had died. And the one and only time that they met, Damian was hateful toward his father. They haven't spoken since. Of course, what can his father do but go and help? He is his father and the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, after all.Mary is left home and tries to busy herself investigating the bee mystery. Eventually she is sucked into Damian's case and doing sleuthing on her own. With a mind nearly as fine as her husband's, Mary is the perfect partner for the logical Holmes.I can't recommend this series highly enough, it has been a favorite of mine for many years. Writing does not get any better than the smart, snappy prose of Laurie R. King.

[purlewe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another Mary Russell novel. Another fantastic Sherlock Holmes mystery.

This whole series is delightful. Mary Russell and her Husband Sherlock Holmes are on a case involving Sherlock's son (!!) and a strange religious cult. I hate to ruin it for anyone.. but I will say that this book has a cliffhanger.. so I am very glad I had the next book on hand from the library to read right away.

[mldavis2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is #9 in the series of Mary Russell / Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Laurie King, and one of the best so far as I read them in chronological order. The setting is Scotland as Russell and Holmes follow a trail of Holmes' son Damien to a ritual sacrifice. King continues to develop the characters and brings us to a page-turner ending. This is a series that grows on you and keeps the setting in the 1920's.

[librarygirls_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

2009 entry in the popular series featuring Sherlock Holmes and his sleuthing wife Mary Russell. While not in the 'excellent' category as were Bee Keeper's Apprentice and Locked Rooms, this is an entertaining continuation of the story. This book contains a hunt for the missing wife and child of Sherlock's son, born to 'The Woman' Irene Adler and keep secret from Holmes for more than 20 years.

[dcoward_6 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

SPOILER! A very disappointing entry to this series. I usually love this author, and even recognize the quality of books of hers that I don't particularly like. I think that's why I rated this book so low, I wouldn't rank it as a two compared to other authors as a whole, but... the character of Mary Russell seems weaker than ever, and rather obsessed with her husband's thoughts and feelings. Also, the plot moves at an excrutiatingly slow pace, and the characterizations are not up to this author's standards. Then...the book ends on a cliff hangar! Argh! Hopefully the next book will pick up!

[nodosaurus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book more than the previous ones. It felt more like an adventure book than a mystery. In this volume, Damian Adler surfaces again, and requests Sherlock Holmes'es help in finding his missing wife and daughter. The disappearance gets complicated as we learn that his wife is involved in a religious cult, and Damian is purported to be Sherlock Holmes'es son from an affair with Irene Adler. L'estrade gets invloved in the mystery, Sherlock and Mary seek assistance from Mycroft, and the adventure takes them through northern Scotland to the Orkeny Islands. THe book is fun and fairly fast-paced. Unfortunately is the first of a two parter. Although many issues are not resolved in this volume, it doesn't leave you with as many questions as most continued stories.

[nelliemc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have all the Mary Russell books, and this is as good as most, although not among her best. I will confess to feeling a bit upset when the book didn't actually end--besides disappointed, it feels like a come on to get the next book; it would have been more honest to label this Volume 1. My second complaint is that the Mary and Sherlock go their separate ways a great deal, and a lot of the fun of the books is the intellectual sparring between the two. However, this is still a series that shines above most in the genre for the quality of its writing and the development of a heck of a good yarn. Mary Russell continues to be a fascinating character and the alternative universe side of Holmes (and Mycroft) that she's developed is always fun to watch. And for those who've read the first book (The Beekeeper's Apprentice), it's great to have the bees back in the story, even for just a short part.

[kimmr_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This installment in the adventures of Russell and Holmes finds the pair back in England after an extended absence, dealing with the unexpected appearance of Damian Adler, an artist with a very close connection to Holmes who needs his help.

Against all my expectations, I've very much enjoyed reading this series. King is an excellent writer. Her prose is great, her characters interesting and she can weave a plot with the best of them. It was disappointing, therefore, to find myself underwhelmed by this particular work. I'm not sure what made me feel that way. The novel started out strongly and while the excursion into beekeeping technicalities was possibly less than compelling, the appearance of Damian set the scene for an interesting mystery. However, somewhere around the middle of the narrative I started to lose interest. Not enough to put down the book and not enough not to want to read the next one, but enough to make me feel I don't have to rush to find out what happens on the other side of the cliffhanger ending.

Still, even when King's not at her very best, what she writes is well worth reading. This offering falls into the 3-1/2 star range.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell return to Sussex from a trip around the world to find Damien Adler (Sherlock's son from a brief affair with Irene Addler) waiting for them. His wife and 4 yr old daughter are missing and he needs their help in locating them.Sherlock and Mary work independently throughout most of the book and I would've like it better if they worked more closely and if the book had been edited some. I found it redundant in that Mary seemed to recap every move to Mycroft.