Author Guest Post: Laurie R. King

Please welcome Laurie R. King, author of (among other things) the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books that I've been raving about all month.

A bit about Laurie ...

Laurie R. King is the Edgar award winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Mary Russell series of historical mysteries, the modern police series of Kate Martinelli, and a number of standalones. Her web site (www.LaurieRKing.com) is celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of The Beekeeper's Apprentice as well as the new The Language of Bees with its project "Fifteen Weeks of Bees."

Laurie was kind enough to give me an interview earlier this month and now she's back with a guest post that I find fascinating ... enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any relationship needs a dash of spice from time to time, to keep things lively.

Take my characters. I’ve been living with these people for twenty-two years, nine books, a couple of short stories—well over a million words. I was at their 1915 meeting on the Sussex Downs, and I watched over their 1924 return to Sussex. I’ve traveled beside them while they trekked with Bedouin through the deserts of Palestine (modern day Israel) and hunted Kipling’s Kim in the foothills of the Himalayas. I even straddled three chronologies for a trip to San Francisco, during, after and further after the 1906 quake and fire. (In, respectively, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice; The Language of Bees [publication date April 28]; O Jerusalem; The Game; and Locked Rooms.

More than time or location, however, I’ve followed along on their growth. In 1915, Mary Russell was a brash and defensive 15 year old orphan with neither family nor home; now she is a self-assured adult who knows where she is going in life, and occasionally even sees how to get there. And Sherlock Holmes: When Arthur Conan Doyle abandoned him on the brink of the Great War (in “His Last Bow,” set in August 1914), Holmes was fading, just as the Empire whose values he fought to maintain was fading around him.

Conan Doyle never did grapple with what Holmes might have become in the utterly transformed England that followed the war. In all the Holmes stories published after 1918, Sir Arthur wrote exclusively of Holmes before the guns of August started up.

Not so the Holmes who meets Mary Russell. Under the influence of this young woman, Holmes could grow in ways that Conan Doyle would neither have conceived nor, I imagine, have tolerated.

I did not set out to liberate Sherlock Holmes from his creator. I set out to write about a young, female, feminist, modern version of Holmes, one who is the more interesting for coming into contact with the original.

However, I can’t imagine the purpose of a series in which the characters do not change. If one of the earmarks of a good novel is the logical character development between the beginning and the end, then all the more necessary is that development over the wider arc of a series. Yes, there are fine and fun series in which the protagonist in number twenty is identical to the person in number one, in which the conflict, injury, loss, and triumph of nineteen consecutive volumes fades away as soon as the next opens, but I personally cannot write that kind of series. Boredom with the task would drive me to divorce, if not outright murder.

Hence the need for spice.

When I start a new book in a series, whether it’s a Russell or a Martinelli (and possibly, a new series out of the Touchstone characters), what I want to know from the beginning is what new thing I’m going to find out about them, how this book will explore something different from all the others. It doesn’t have to be profound or all-encompassing, just something that interests me, from Russell’s religious beliefs (A Monstrous Regiment of Women) to the redefinition of the British aristocracy in the twentieth century (Justice Hall.)

The last Russell/Holmes novel found the duo in San Francisco, where Russell was forced to confront a past she had hidden from herself, and where our apparently infallible narrator was suddenly revealed (to herself as well as the reader) to be entirely fallible, even deluded, when it came to what she thought she knew about herself. She came away from Locked Rooms satisfyingly (to the writer, at any rate, if not to poor Russell) changed.

And now in the current book, Russell and Holmes are returning home to Sussex in the summer of 1924, following eight months on the road. And naturally, they don’t even manage to walk through their door before another transformative case presents itself.

This time, the spice I chose came from a pair of passing references made back in the second Russell novel, A Monstrous Regiment of Women. First, Russell meets a shell-shocked young officer and mentions that “something in his hands reminded me of Holmes, and of Holmes’ lovely, lost son.”

Later in the book, when she is trying to bully Holmes into helping this young officer (and in the process, leaving her alone) she demands (and then reflects):

“And if he were your son? Would you not want someone to try?” It was a dirty blow, low and unscrupulous and quite unforgivably wicked. Because, you see, he did have a son once, and someone had tried.

Perhaps not everyone would regard the appearance of a long-lost illegitimate son as being spice for a relationship, but without a doubt, it is spice for a novel.

And I’m sorry, but having whetted your appetite to find how this particular situation turns out, you’ll have to wait until The Language of Bees is published at the end of April to know.

Perhaps, indeed, hunger is the best spice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Laurie, for dropping by yet again. I hope all my readers enjoyed hearing from you as much as I did.

A big thank you to all of you who are here for the first time as well (following the link on Laurie's blog). Feel free to poke around a bit and know you are welcome back any time.

For more info about Laurie - and to check out her US book tour dates - please visit her website: www.laurierking.com. I'm exciting to say that she'll be coming to Baltimore in May ... and you can bet that I'll be there to meet her!

*** Other posts so far in my Month of Joyful Reading ***

• What is my Month of Joyful Reading?
  
• interview with Laurie R. King
  
• review of Book 1: The Beekeeper's Apprentice
  
• review of Book 2: A Monstrous Regiment of Women
  
• review of Book 3: A Letter of Mary
  
• review of Book 4: The Moor
  
• review of Book 5: O Jerusalem
  
• and there are more reviews to come!
  

People of the Book

People of the Book
by Geraldine Brooks
audio book: 13.93 hours

Amazing. This audio book was simply amazing. It is the best recorded book that I have listened to in quite some time. And what makes it even better is that parts of this story are based on fact.


*** The Plot ***

Australian book conservator Hanna Heath is called to Eastern Europe to help study and conserve the Sarajevo Haggadah, a 600-year old Jewish prayer book. This particular Haggadah is unlike any other in existence because it includes gorgeous painted illustrations and that goes against Jewish belief.

While working on the book Hanna discovers a butterfly wing, a wine stain, a white hair, and several other clues. Each of her discoveries pushes the storyline back farther in time, providing vignettes in the life of the Haggadah. The story makes stops in World War II, 19th century Venice, the Inquisition, Spain in the 1300s, and more.

The book is factually based! There really is a Sarajevo Haggadah (read about it here) and some of the stories Brooks tells in this book are based on the its known history. Brooks has an amazing connection to the Haggadah as she was able to see it being examined just as her character Hanna examines it in PEOPLE OF THE BOOK.


*** My Thoughts ***

I absolutely LOVED this book. I've already lent the CDs to my sister and as soon as she returns them I am going to listen to it again. I can't believe I let this sit on my shelf so long! This is definitely a keeper. That is very uncommon for me but I know I'll be lending it out to friends and family and I know I'll listen to it again and again.

Hanna's story is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many parts to the Haggadah's history! As I listened, I had to keep reminding myself that these aren't stories that Hanna will ever learn; we as readers/listeners know much more than she ever will.

My favorite of the historical stories is the oldest one. If you've read PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, which story was your favorite?

The fact that the story is based in part on real events is a huge draw for me. It makes the rest of the stories so much more interesting, knowing that some of these things did really happen, and that other could have ... oh I just LOVE books like this, especially when they are well written (as this one is).

A quick note about the audio version: The narrator of the book has a wonderful range of voices. She was able to create many different characters with a variety of accents, all in a believable way. Her talent made this an excellent audio book.


*** Miscellaneous ***

I nominated this book for my book club to read but they voted it down. Regardless, I still purchase the Bookclub-in-a-Box Guide because I wanted it for myself (I previously used their guide for THE POISONWOOD BIBLE and it was extremely helpful). As soon as I finished the book I devoured the guide, and that is where I learned that this book is factually based. I had no clue while I was reading it! The guide had lots of other fascinating info as well. [Here I will insert a plug for Bookclub-in-a-Box: They have fantastic guides that really add a lot to your understanding of a book. I highly recommend trying them out even if you aren't in a book club.]

A local book/stationary/gift store is hosting their first book club on Wednesday to discuss this book. I'm planning to drive the 45 minutes to the store after work so I can attend - this is one of those books that just begs to be discussed! I'll give you a report on how it goes later this week.

Oh, and one more thing. If you are anywhere near Lexington, Massachusetts, Geraldine Brooks will be in your area on March 21. I would SO love to meet this woman - this is the 2nd book of hers that I have read, and I think she is amazing.

O Jerusalem

O Jerusalem
by Laurie R. King
425 pages

In this 5th Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell adventure, we go back in time a few years. While working on the major case in THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE (the 1st book in the series), Holmes and Russell took a work-related trip to the Middle East. What exactly they did there was glossed over in that book ... and now we get the details.

*** The Plot ***

Holmes's brother Mycroft, who is something of a spymaster for the British government, has a task for Holmes and Russell. There is something going on in and around Jerusalem that Mycroft thinks needs some extra attention. That's all we know at the start of the book - and that is all Holmes and Russell know as well. Oh, and we also know that Russell is Jewish and that she's always wanted to visit the Holy Land.

*** My Thoughts ***

The case develops very slowly this time, as our main characters need to adapt to a new culture and gain the trust of the people they are working with. The different pace worked well for me - I enjoyed the cultural immersion, myself.

This book contains one of the most humorous favorite conversations between Holmes and Russell so far. I don't have the book in front of me so I can quote directly but the situation is like this:

Holmes's back has been seriously injured so he can't get around like he usually does. While exploring some dank, dark, and cramped underground passages, Russell continually has to climb into crevices, down tunnels, etc. Holmes remarks in an amused manner that he should have thought of this earlier, having a young apprentice around to do all the dirty work.

Ok, it doesn't sound so funny at the moment but it fits in so well with the rest of the book and it really IS funny at the time.

I read a review somewhere (sorry, can't remember whose it was) where the blogger said she didn't like this book as much because it went back to a time before Holmes and Russell's relationship developed. For her, the interaction wasn't as pleasing as in other books. This didn't bother me at all, but I think it is because I'm reading the books one after the other long after they were published. If I had been waiting for a new book to come out, anticipating the developments in the main characters' relationship, I would possibly have been disappointed when things seemed to be going backwards. But like I said, this didn't bother me at all, and I loved knowing what happened during those weeks that were glossed over in the first book.

*** My One Complaint ***

My only complaint - and this goes for all the SH/MR books, but I've just noticed it - is the abruptness of the endings. King's standard format seems go like this:

build up the case ... throw in red herrings ... tension ... Tension ... TENSION ... CLIMAX! ... the end ... brief epilogue

That formula is not necessarily a bad thing, but the speed with which the end of the book follows the climax of the case is a bit disconcerting to me. I'd like a bit more explanation of other characters' reactions to the case's solution, more info on the bad guy, etc. By no means does this ruin the book for me though - I have quite enjoyed each one in the series so far.


*** Other posts so far in my Month of Joyful Reading ***

• what it is
• author interview: Laurie R. King
• Book 1: The Beekeeper's Apprentice
• Book 2: A Monstrous Regiment of Women
• Book 3: A Letter of Mary
• Book 4: The Moor
  
• and there are more reviews to come, plus another guest post by Laurie!

The Moor

The Moor
by Laurie R. King
369 pages

When I’m reading books in a series I avoid reading the plot summary on the back cover until after I’ve read the book. Since I’m already into the story from the previous book I know I’m going to enjoy it and I don’t want any clues as to what is going to happen next. Does anyone else do that?

Ok, so … since this is the 4th book in the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series I didn’t read the back of the book. Because of that, I assumed that "The Moor" referred to in the title would be like Morgan Freeman’s character in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. (This makes lots of sense when you consider Russell’s Jewish background and her keen interest in the Middle East.) You can imagine my surprise when the book turned out to be about the actual moor – as in, a place in England –and not a “Saracen”. Oops.




*** The Plot ***

I don’t want to give anything away here so let’s just say that this SH/MR adventure has lots of links to the original Holmes tale, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. It takes place on the same moor, references some of the same characters, and even includes visits to Baskerville Hall.


*** My Thoughts ***

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES was always my favorite Holmes tale (I reviewed it on this blog way back when I first started reviewing) so the links between that book and this one make this my very favorite of the SH/MR books so far. This book also has more of the traditional Holmesian feel to it – it was much more like reading an Arthur Conan Doyle tale than King’s other SH/MR books.

Highly recommended, people – HIGHLY recommended.


*** Other posts so far in my Month of Joyful Reading ***

• what it is
• author interview: Laurie R. King
• Book 1: The Beekeeper's Apprentice
• Book 2: A Monstrous Regiment of Women
• Book 3: A Letter of Mary
  
• and there are more reviews to come!
  

The Science-Book Challenge 2009

I wasn't planning on signing up for any more challenges but since I was personally invited to join this one (and since I would only have to read one more book) I'm giving in.

Full details on The Science-Book Challenge 2009 can be found at Scienticity. Basically, I have to read three books this year that are related to science in some way. Once I've read them, I have to submit a mini review here.

I've already read two books that qualify and I have another one waiting to be read. Here is my list:

• The Man Who Loved China, by Simon Winchester - about the history of scientific thought in China - I listened to the audio book and it was fantastic!
  
  
• The Mysterious Receding Seas, by Richard Guy - his theory is that the earth is expanding - although I really wanted to understand his reasoning, the book was so poorly written that I couldn't get through it
  
  
• The Secret Doorway: Beyond Imagination, by Paul Hutchins - a look at the universe and what we know about it - I haven't read this yet, but the illustrations are gorgeous!

There is still time to get involved with this challenge if you are interested. Click here for more details.

Friday Finds 03/13/09

Happy Friday the 13th ... for the 2nd month in a row!

Before I get to my Friday Finds for this week I want to share with you a book that Hubby found. Ok, so he "found" it on my TBR shelf but he actually read it this week whereas I won't read it until next year sometime.

• Steve and Me: Life With the Crocodile Hunter, by Terry Irwin - Hubby and I used to love watching his show and we were both in tears when he died a few years back. When Hubby saw this book on my shelf he picked it up and read a few pages. That was on Wednesday morning. By the time I got home that night at 8pm, he was almost finished with the book. Did I mention that Hubby is NOT generally a reader (more of a TV guy) and that he'd had a sick Kiddo all day? He told me that he couldn't put this book down, it was that good. His enthusiasm has moved this book closer to the top of my TBR pile for sure! (I tried to get Hubby to write a review for my blog but he said no - oh well, it was worth a shot.)

And now, here are the books that I added to my TBR list this week:

1. Little Bee, by Chris Cleave - Not much is being said about the actual plot of this book but I'm still VERY intrigued. I'm thinking about recommending it to my book club, although it would mean that we'd all have to buy the book (we usually get ours from the library). If any of my book club gals are reading this, would this book get your vote?
   
   
2. Blood & Ice, by Robert Masello - this book "delivers an adventure that spans continents and centuries—a spellbinding story that ranges from Victorian England to a remote antarctic research station, where an ancient glacier yields a shocking prize it has held captive for nearly two hundred years..." - if that doesn't pull you in, I don't know WHAT would.
   
   
3. Mister Pip, by Lloyd Jones - I thought this was already on my TBR list but when I checked to be sure, I found that it was not. This review is what reminded that I want to read this book. And I also realized that this is not set during WWII as I'd expected, but rather in the 1990s during a conflict I know nothing about.
   
   
4. The Whole Shebang, by Timothy Ferris - I'm not very knowledgeable on outer space but I do find it fascinating. According to this review, this book "tackle[s] the current state of our knowledge of life, the universe and everything" and does so in a way that is helpful to the layperson. Very interesting, to be sure.
   
   
5. Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir, by Heather Summerhayes Cariou - The sad nature of this memoir would usually be a turn-off for me, but this reviewer says "everything I ever read before it has paled into insignificance" and gave it 6 out of 5 stars. With an endorsement like that - and from a blogger I trust - this is a must read for me.
   
   
6. King Raven trilogy, by Stephen Lawhead - These three books, HOOD, SCARLETT, and TUCK, are an "exciting retelling of the Robin Hood legend set in eleventh century Wales". I heard about them in this review, and since the trilogy is now complete I may actually read them sometime soon.

That's what I found this week ... what did YOU find?

Check out what other people are posting over at MizB's blog.

Results of my "When do you cry?" poll

A few weeks ago I wrote about what makes me cry (and kiddo and hubby too). I also posted a poll to find out what make YOU cry. I must have really touched a nerve because that post had 25 comments and there were 52 votes in the poll.

According to the poll, you people are crybabies. No, just kidding. But the results were surprising to me. Here's a recap:

Do you cry when ...

• reading a book? 46 votes (88%)
• watching a movie? 48 votes (92%)
• listening to music? 31 votes (59%)
• watching a commercial? 21 votes (40%)
• there is no good reason? 27 votes (51%)

After seeing those results, I got to thinking that maybe I AM a bit odd, since I don't cry in books. BUT THEN! I was reading something (can't remember what) and I realized that I was tearing up but automatically blinking back the tears so I wouldn't cry. And I realized that I actually do that ALL THE TIME. I have some internal watchdog thing that shuts off the tears whenever they start to come. I think it has to do with me not wanting anyone to see me crying over "a book" rather than something "important", or maybe with the fact that I'm usually reading in public so I don't want anyone to see my crying (that would go over well on my lunch break at work, don't you think?). Who knows?! But at least I know I'm not heartless. THAT'S a relief.

So many people responded to my original post with really great comments and I want to mention some of them here. Below are excepts from the comment section along with my own comments on the comments ...

• Rebecca @ The Book Lady's Blog said... I tend to get teary during movies, but I haven't all-out cried during one in quite a while. It's funny that you mention Lord of the Rings because I know that's one movie that made my hubby tear up, especially in the scene that shows a flash of Aragorn and Arwen and what life would be like with their little boy in the future. [I love that part too!]

• lisamm said... On tv it could be almost anything- last night it was American Idol, I'm not kidding! The pink haired girl's father was so proud and that brought tears to my eyes. My family thinks I'm totally nuts. [LOL]

• Jo said... Books make me cry all the time. The last was the Time Travelers Wife. I think I get too personally involved and start imagining myself in situations and then there's no stopping me! [Eek, I've never done that before. I can't imagine putting myself into some the the books I've read ... that would be horrible.]

• bermudaonion said... It doesn't take much to make me cry. Seeing someone sing the national anthem, reading someone's blog post about putting their dog down, etc. I'm a huge crybaby. [The National Anthem gets me all the time.]

• Robin of My Two Blessings said... My son will cry at the drop of a hat when reading books. He is very emotional. [I'm so glad kiddo isn't the only boy like that!]
  

• Meghan said... My fiance never cries. He hasn't cried in more than 4 years, since his grandmother died. I'm not sure what I think about that. [That's ... um ... scary?]

• Ti said... I've never cried over a book. With a book, if the emotion is getting too intense I have a habit of putting it down for a bit. I usually do it because I want to relish the moment and with kids screaming and carrying on in the background I usually always have to put it down for later. Then when later comes I am not that emotional over it because I know what's coming. [How can you put it down in the middle of such an intense scene?! I'd be completely ignoring everything around me - the house could be burning down! - because I'd be so into that part.]
  

• Lenore said... My husband and I were watching The Green Mile with my parents and during the execution scene, my husband ran from the room crying. My dad just hit pause and told me to get him to come back. We still laugh about that. [Too funny! I'm sure he appreciates you sharing that with all of us. LOL]

• chartroose said... I'm weird; terrible things can happen to me in the real world, and I'm like a rock, nothing moves me. Give me a sad book or movie or Hallmark commercial or the sight of a frail elderly person struggling to get across the street and I get all teary-eyed. The last time I teared up was last night while reading "Mr. Pip." [I'm a lot like that too - I can handle "real life" without a tear or a tremor but I'm an emotional wreck in a movie. Crazy we are.]
  

• softdrink said... Last week I watched Extreme Home Makeover and I was sobbing along with the family when they saw their new house. [Yep, hubby and I both cry over that one at our house.]

• Nicole said... I used to cry and get all choked up over the weirdest things. Long distance telephone commercials, songs, tear-jerker movies where I saw the contrived ending coming from a mile away but then cried anyway. Then I went to an acupuncturist who told me my hormones weren't balanced and after a few sessions that pretty much stopped. [Hmm, maybe my hormones are off ... that would explain a LOT, and not just the crying thing. :) ]
  

• Dreamybee said... As a kid I didn't cry much, but one year The Wizard of Oz sent me into a crying fit. I always watched it every year when it was on TV, but for some reason one year I got all upset when Dorothy was in the Emerald City because I knew she just wanted to go home and she didn't think she was ever going to get back home and I was SO SAD for her because I wouldn't ever want to be somewhere where I couldn't get back home. [Oh my, that sounds horribly depressing.]

• Jeane said... I rarely cry over movies, and even rarer when I read books. But every time I watch Dances with Wolves, I cry when the horse and the wolf get shot. Even after seeing it four or five times, those scenes make me bawl. I guess because I'm an animal-lover. [I can't even watch that part of the movie. I have to fast forward or leave the room. It is just so senselessly cruel and sad.]

Thank you to everyone who read, commented, and voted. I loved hearing your thoughts on crying. What's that you say? Maybe next time I can pick a more fun subject for us to talk about? Ok, I'll work on that ...

Dancing With The Stars - Parental Concerns

(Stick around for a video of kiddo at the end of this post.)

I don't usually comment on TV shows and other pop culture stuff on my blog, but I do want to say something about this season of Dancing With the Stars. WHAT WERE THE PRODUCERS THINKING?!?!?!

The show is billed as "family friendly" so I assume that I'm not the only one who watches this with my kiddo. We usually record it then watch it together the following day. This was the first time that I've been concerned about the content of the show - big time.

Here are my three issues - and they all have to do with the "stars" ...

1. Lil Kim - She's a rapper who has been in jail. Ok, that's not really all that bad - lots of famous people have been in jail. But maybe, since this IS a family show, she could say something about how jail made her a better person, helped her turn her life around, etc. (I don't know if any of this is true, but I'm sure she could find SOMETHING to say) ... rather than giving a "shout out" to all "her girls" in the state penitentiary!
   Kiddo's reaction: "Mom, she was in JAIL?!"
   Me: "Yes baby, she did something wrong and she had to go to jail for it." Oh how I would have loved to follow this up with a positive statement, but I couldn't.
   
   
2. Steve-O - He's from the tv show Jackass. I know I'm a prude compared to most other people but I seriously do not ever use cuss words. I've been known to say "damn" and "hell" but that is the worst thing that comes out of my mouth. So it has always bothered me that there is a tv show with the name Jackass. That's not a word I want kiddo (he's 7!) familiar with for now. But it is sort of impossible to avoid when we're watching a show like this.
   Kiddo's reaction: There was none - he happened to be in the bathroom when Steve-O was introduced so I was able to fast forward a bit.
   Me: I AM happy with Steve-O's statements though. He talked about how he was abusing drugs and alcohol for a long time but that he's been clean and sober for 1.5 years and he's doing the show to prove he can still do crazy things even sober. That is the kind of positive statement I was hoping for from Lil Kim.
   
   
3. Holly Madison - She's been in Playboy Magazine - that is her main claim to fame.
   Kiddo's reaction: "Ooh, I want to vote for her. She's been in a magazine!"
   Me: "Baby, that's not really that great of a thing. See, she's only telling you she's been in a magazine because that is the main reason she's famous. All the other stars are so famous that they've been in tons of magazines, so they don't think it is that important to tell you about it."
   Kiddo: "Oh, well, ok, but I still want to vote for her."
   Me: So what exactly am I supposed to say to that people?! I am NOT going to explain to my 7 yr old that she's famous for being NAKED in a magazine.
   

So producers - WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!

And to my readers - am I way off base here, expecting too much from a tv show?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've talked before about how much kiddo loves music but I don't think I've mentioned his dancing skills. He asked me several months ago if he could take Irish Step Dance lessons. He knew he'd be one of the only boys in the program but he really wanted to do it anyway. He's been taking lessons now for just over 2 months and he loves it. His first recital was on March 1. Below is a short video of his dance - he's on the far right in the black pants. And remember, he's just a beginner!

I'm quite proud of him, needless to say.

And this is one of the main reasons we watch Dancing With the Stars together - because kiddo LIKES to dance.

Oh, and just in case you are concerned that dancing is "too girly" for kiddo (yes, we've been told that several times) I promise to post another video soon that shows him playing ice hockey.

A Letter of Mary

A Letter of Mary

by Laurie R. King
315 pages

*** The Plot ***

Several years have passed since the events in A MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN and Holmes and Russell have settled in to their new, quiet life. Their peace and order is suddenly disrupted by an unexpected visit from amateur archaeologist Dorothy Ruskin, a woman they met in Palestine several years before (I think it was in THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE). She has come to London in an attempt to secure money for a new dig in Palestine, visit her family, and bring a gift to Russell.

Unfortunately, within hours of leaving Holmes and Russell, Ruskin is hit by a car and killed. Scotland Yard is up to its ears in important cases but Lestrade (the son of Holmes’s Lestrade) trusts that Holmes is correct in his opinion that Ruskin’s death was not accidental so he gives what help he can. The problem is that there are too many leads and not enough clues …


*** My Thoughts ***

What I enjoyed about this particular book was the abundance of red herrings. Holmes and Russell have at least three distinctly different suspects for the murder of Ms. Ruskin and they can’t seem to figure out which is the real murderer. Whenever one suspect becomes a more likely candidate, something happens to change things yet again. And what I originally thought would be the focus of the story in the end turned out to be more of a side note. I love being surprised like that.

This was another great stop in my Month of Joyful Reading!

*** Other posts so far in my Month of Joyful Reading ***

• what it is
• author interview: Laurie R. King
• Book 1: The Beekeeper's Apprentice
• Book 2: A Monstrous Regiment of Women
  
• and there are more reviews to come!
  

Lovely Links #12

It is time again for Lovely Links, the post where I inundate you with the wonderful/awful/strange/amazing things I've found online recently. Here we go!

• Ok, so this one isn't so "lovely" but it *is* fascinating. Check out this real-life abandoned island, one of the world's most toxic environmental disaster zones.
  
  
• Scientists in Australia are studying the platypus and here's some video of their work. First off, platypus's are adorable, are they not? And second, there's a cute guy in the video too! He's a young American named Steven Kolymyjec who is a University student in Australia. Is it just me, or are there very few cute scientists in the world today? I wish him lots of success in his studies - I'd love to see more of him!
  
  
• Klingon Summer School ... and a little old lady with a batleth ...
  
  
• One of Henry VIII's love letters to Anne Boleyn - in his own writing.
  
  
• The New Annotated Dracula is getting rave reviews and I really want a copy of this book to own. Tor.com's reviewer loved it and talks about "heavy and creamy paper" ... ah, heaven!
  
  
• Amazing photos from Captain Scott's doomed Antarctic adventure in 1910 ...
  
  
• Are you a fan of Neil Gaiman? I'll admit I have yet to read anything by him, but I'll also admit that I'm not very hopeful ... he doesn't seem like "my type" you know? This reviewer says the same thing and is looking for reasons why he's wrong - head on over and share yours.
  
  
• Guys Lit Wire is putting the focus on authors from around the world - have you read anything from his list?

And that's it for today. I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the blogosphere ...