The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoy Laurie King’s series on Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell. Her 10th book in this series is a worthy addition (which are best read in order). The main characters are well developed by this point, but the secondary and tertiary characters are also well drawn and interesting. The plot is suspenseful and fast-paced, with a few unanticipated twists and turns (as well as a few anticipated twists). The main drawback of this book is that Mary and Holmes are split up for the bulk of the time. Their relationship is the heart of the series and one of the most enjoyable dimensions, but, fortunately, the strength of the plot compensates for the absence of commentary in their relationship. The ending is a bit ambivalent, as many of the author’s novels are, but this is a thought-provoking and worthy addition to the series.