#and the beekeeper's apprentice series

[iscahmckrae]

Reading two brilliant books right now—one, imaginative and irreverent historical fiction, and the other, time travel romance. Just wanted to pop in here and share the first paragraph of each... because they're fun:

"So, the thing is, I come from the world we were supposed to have. That means nothing to you, obviously, because you live here, in the crappy world we do have. But it never should've turned out like this. And it's all my fault—well, me and to a lesser extent my father and, yeah, I guess a little bit Penelope." —paragraph one, ALL OUR WRONG TODAYS

"'Force... equals... mass... times... acceleration,' muttered Ada as she wrote in her notebook. Ada pondered that if you drop a hammer on your foot, it hurts more than dropping, say, a sock on your foot. The acceleration, or speeding up, is the same, but the mass, the solid oomph of a thing, is different. Oomph times zoom equals kaboom!" —paragraph one, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, No. 1: The CASE of the MISSING MOONSTONE

Okay, okay... I need to share another two bits (not 25¢) from the time travel romance, because, as a writer, they are so delicious...

"Today, in the year 2016, humanity lives in a techno-utopian paradise of abundance, purpose, and wonder.

Except we don't. Of course we don't. We live in a world where, sure, there are iPhones and 3D printers and, I don't know, drone strikes or whatever. But it hardly looks like The Jetsons. Except it should. And it did. Until it didn't. But it would have, if I hadn't done what I did. Or, no, hold on, what I will have done.

I'm sorry, despite receiving the best education available to a citizen Tomorrow, the grammar of this situation is a bit com-plicated.

Maybe the first person is the wrong way to tell this story. Maybe if I take refuge in the third person I'll find some sort of distance or insight or at least peace of mind. It's worth a try."

—then, the next chapter spends the first two paragraphs written in the third person, but then...

"I'm sorry—I can't write like this. It's fake. It's safe.

The third person is comforting because it's in control, which feels really nice when relating events that were often so out of control. It's like a scientist describing a biological sample seen through a micro-scope. But I'm not the microscope. I'm the thing on the slide. And I'm not writing this to make myself comfortable. If I wanted comfort, I'd write fiction.

In fiction, you cohere all these evocative, telling details into a portrait of the world. But in everyday life, you hardly notice any of the little things. You can't. Your brain swoops past it all, especially when it's your own home, a place that feels barely separate from the inside of your mind or the outside of your body."

—I'm sorry..... I can't get over a book stopping and explaining why it is written how it us written! Authors that break the fourth wall! I just...

(reminds me of my favorite autobiography, The Making of an American by Jacob Riis)

And then having the chutzpah to declare itself nonfiction while being soft sci-fi. It just....

And the other..... the historical fiction... It is the adventures of Ada Byron (the world's first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley, nee Godwin (the world's first science fiction author) as teenage girls who form their own detective agency and go adventuring together!

Reading both of these at once is rapturous!

So, yeah........ #book recs !!!

[old-type-40]

FYI... For those who are fans of the Russell-Holmes series of novels this is a worthy addition even though much of the story involves events in the far past. And it is 30 years since The Beekeeper's Apprentice came out!

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

May Reading Recap:

May was a complicated and busy month for me! It also led to me reading a bunch while I was traveling (7 books in 2 days) and then sporadically for the rest of the month. I ultimately read 18 books in May, and my favorites this month were the Evander Mills mysteries, Lavender House & The Bell in the Fog.

Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho: 4.5/5

Lavender House by Lev A. C. Rosen: 5/5

Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey: 5/5

Marriage of Unconvenience by Chelsea M. Cameron: 1.5/5, dnf

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn: 4/5

The Better to Kiss You With by Michelle Osgood: 3/5

Point of Hopes by Lisa A. Barnett & Melissa Scott: 3.75/5

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: 4.5/5

Nigerians in Space by Deji Bryce Olukotun: 2/5, dnf

Thirsty by Mia Hopkins: 4/5

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King: 4.25/5

Sunstone, Vol. 1 by Stjepan Šejić: 3/5

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells: 4.75/5, re-read

The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell: 4/5

The Bell in the Fog by Lev A. C. Rosen: 4.75/5

A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King: 2.5/5

Starter Villain by John Scalzi: 4.5/5

The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott: 4/5

Goals under the cut:

Complete series: -2 for the year (sadness. I started 6, caught up on 1, finished 1, quit 1)

Catch up on backlists: 24 (+2)

Read FIYAH/Nebula/Hugo finalists & awards: 4 books (+1)

Read down TBR: (hard to tell what it was at the beginning of the year, but in August it was 1332) at end of May it’s 1484 (still getting bigger…)

Read old top-of-TBR list: 2 (+1)

[genderfluidbf]

the beekeeper's apprentice: mary russell book one

synopsis (via goodreads): Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes's pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

rating before reread: ★★★★★

rating after reread: ★★★★

general thoughts: i have changed as a person since i last read this! i am no longer the pretentious middle schooler so deeply enamoured by holmes and russell's deductive skills. instead, i think, i favor the growth of their relationship and trust in one another.

laurie r king's writing style for this series is honestly immaculate. she has successfully infiltrated the mind of mary russell. its a period piece told from the perspective of a young woman, and shes managed to capture that spirit through her descriptions.

i take off a star however, for repeated rereads. its never going to compare to the first time i read it. its hard to say anything abt the cleverness, for me, when i already know whats gonna happen.

spoilers under the cut!!

firstly i suppose i gotta talk abt the relationship between holmes and russell. gotta say, i love it? but in later books the foundation we've laid here takes a bit of a sinister tinge. for now tho, i love it.

they save each other!!!!! its directly talked abt in the book but to paraphrase, russell saves holmes from dying of boredom, and holmes saves russell from becoming a worse version of her aunt.

they provide each other companionship and a whetstone to hone their minds against. say what u will, but sherlock holmes needs someone to go up against, who can be an equal to him and put him in his place if need be.

laurie r king describes their playact of a falling out in this way: "Holmes and I had only a few days to perfect our rôles of the two friends now turned against each other, the father and daughter alienated, the near-lovers become bitterest, most implacable of enemies"

if i am to criticize one thing in this book, it is their weird relationship. she is 15 when they meet, and he is like, definitely in his 60s. as a middle schooler i was quick to justify and defend my hero, sherlock holmes, but now i find it hard to not feel a little uneasy. i will say tho, the way laurie r king writes their relationship helps to assuage my concerns. it doesnt feel predatory.

anyways, onto mrs. hudson and dr. watson. some say watson is portrayed poorly here. i think it can go either way. those who want all of their characters to be smart and capable in all ways see watson diminished into a bumbling fool. i think tho that watson is aptly characterized, if we're basing it off of the original stories. he is fiercely loyal, an excellent doctor, and, quite frankly, incapable of pulling off some of the more delicate schemes needed to be on the level of sherlock holmes. yes, he is written to be a bit of a fool, but not i would think in a malicious way. he has a big heart, and many other wonderful qualities. he is not, however, capable of disguising himself and losing a tail.

mrs. hudson is a girlboss.

the daughter of moriarty being the villain is perhaps a bit trite? but perhaps thats also why its clever. u dont expect it. moriarty is dead, this is not connected to the original stories, and in the original stories i dont believe theres a mention of his family.

its late, and im getting tired, and i am quite certain no one will read this, so i will end my nonsensical babbling here.

[runilareads]

Book Review: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes, 1)

Title: The Beekeeper's Apprentice Author: Laurie R. King Series: Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes, 1 Release Date: January 1994 Publisher: Bantam Rating: 4 stars

Favourite character: Sherlock Holmes Least favourite character: N/A (spoiler reasons)

Mini-Review: I enjoyed this, although I'd say it's definitely on the medium to slow side with pacing. The writing was beautiful and I loved the characters, but I did find certain parts to almost be reminiscent of grooming. Different times, but this was still written in the 90s so just be aware of that if you plan on reading it.

Fan Cast: Mary Russell - Florence Pugh Sherlock Holmes - Paul McGann Dr. John Watson - Bradley Walsh Mycroft Holmes - Joe McGann Mrs. Hudson - Phoebe Nicholls Inspector Lestrade - Ed Speleers Patricia Donleavy - Tuppence Middleton

[unshatters-your-teacup]

I have a lot of thoughts on the kind of books the Mary Russell series is and I’m not sure that I would start the series if I saw it for the first time now, but Laurie R. King was writing hurt/comfort scenes in The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and A Monstrous Regiment of Woman that I still think about years after I read them the first time

[azazel-dreams]

Mary Russell's War by Laurie R King

Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Mary Russell series in reading order:

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice 

A Monstrous Regiment of Women

A Letter of Mary

The Moor 

O Jerusalem 

Justice Hall 

The Game 

Locked Rooms 

The Language of Bees 

The God of the Hive 

Beekeeping for Beginners (novella)

Mrs Hudson’s Case (novella)

Pirate King 

Garment of Shadows 

Dreaming Spies 

Mary Russell's War (short stories)

The Marriage of Mary Russell (novella)

The Murder of Mary Russell

Island of the Mad 

Riviera Gold 

Castle Shade 

[ravens-cove]

Book recommendations: Laurie R King, The Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, books 1 - 4, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, A Monstrous Regiment of Women, A Letter of Mary, The Moor

[ninthhousesteel]

get to know you asks!

tagged by @buckleys-babe

fav color: navy blue!

currently reading: the complete sherlock holmes volume ii by sir arthur conan doyle

next read: the beekeeper's apprentice by laurie r king (reread)

last song: dennis by roy blair

last series: taskmaster series 4

last movie: yes god yes 🙏

sweet/savory/spicy?: savory 100%

currently working on: moving out/softball!ronance/pirate and princess au ronance

open tagging anyone who sees this and wants to do it !! <3

[littlelindarose]

I finished The Beekeepers Apprentice yesterday morning and immediately bought the next one. AND rented it on Kindle Unlimited while I wait for the physical copy to arrive. What is happening? I’m not a series girlie at all??????? I just love these two.

[scribefindegil]

I did read Beekeeper's Apprentice as a teen and it was, y'know, fine I guess, but these days I lose my mind every time I remember that there's a bestselling book series whose major premise is that *Sherlock Holmes* is *straight*

[trulyhopelessromantic]

BRITT'S BOOKS '21

Book 20)  The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or On the Segregation of the Queen (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1) by Laurie R. King, Jenny Sterlin (Narrator)

pages: allegedly about 368 pages but I listened to an audiobook of 804 minutes

Started: November 29, 2021

Finished: December 21, 2021

Thoughts: Ok lemme paste a few comments that were made along my journey through this book... But before that lemme start with saying this was recommended to me by my best friend so I had already a high opinion of it to start (probably led to my slight disappointment in this novel but oh well) and additionally my love for the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas overshadowed this novel a bit. I was also shocked (and exhausted) to learn that there are like 20 books in this series! 20!!!! Dear lord I don't know that I have the strength to complete a series of 20 but we shall see as the years pass lol

My 2 biggest problems were (as outlined a bit below) the narration pace of the audiobook and the choppy narrative of this book so it was harder to get through than others...

Ok for some commentary made (on Goodreads) along the way:

The final act of this was good but the rest a bit choppy for my liking. I shall perhaps indulge in more Mary Russell stories in the new year.

It's a good book but plods along slowly at times and in retrospect feels like a few different chunks of different manuscripts/story put together. I suppose this was the intention considering it is in some ways a memoir but sometimes things are described with detail while others are breezed over in order not to overwhelm the reader with a play-by-play and at times feels detached and /or makes me feel suddenly detached from the story. But once the seriousness gets going then the novel really gets its ground.

22.0% "804 mins total, probably coz the person reads a bit slow at times. I wish I could go 1.5 speed at some points but oh well. Also the author intro was such unedited background noise audio I worried the entire thing was going to be that. I still sorta hear a bit of foley problems with the professional stuff but it could be the cars around me lol. Anyway I think I like Mary Russell & can't wait for more case adventures!

spoiler to above comment: it was NOT cars around me. haha oh dear

40.0% Again narrative is hard coz of pace of audio reader but it's picking up a bit plot-wise with the discovery of [REDACTED]

67.0% "Wait she's still only 19 why did I think she was 21 or 22 did she mention that or something and now has backtracked? -_- sheesh

This is again my problem with audiobooks. Details that I do not physically read can sometimes be missed and if one wants to go back to figure out where the last mention was, well, good luck -_-

66.0% Finally I'm into this novel with the intrigue of being followed and almost murdered a number of times! Haha

52.0% Not bad. Bomb threat. Is Moriarty brought up because yes we've got a connection to him or just coz? :D I hope the former.

Read a semi-spoiler comment below where I reveal my ideas (at the time of reading 75% of the novel) about the big baddie of this narrative:

75.0% At long last some movement in the story. I have a theory about this woman being Irene Adler herself or Moriarty's daughter. (Or daughter of the 2 adversaries lol. No that is a joke.) It's Irene or Moriarty's daughter as my prediction. I was getting it confused with another book I'm reading as it being "Miss Moriarty, I presume." but that doesn't mean I'm wrong about my prediction lol

[goldenavenger02]

Susz's Halloween Recommendations Part 2: Books and Fics.

Books

Pet Sematary by Stephan King

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, moved to Ludlow, Maine with their two young kids, Ellie and Gage, and their cat, Church. In the woods, near their home is a pet cemetery with a sign that was spelled sematary.

Notes: this book made me scared of my own cats for about two weeks. I really enjoyed it but that scene with the cat was very excessive.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

The book chronicles teenager Sadie Hunter’s quest to find the man who killed her sister. In alternating chapters, Sadie’s subsequent disappearance becomes the topic of West McCray’s podcast The Girls.

Notes: this audio book is so fantastic, especially the podcast elements! Trigger warnings for Sexual Assault and Child Abuse.

The Project by Courtney Summers

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire.

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye.

Notes: a book about a journalist trying to learn more about the cult who took her sister from her. If you have siblings, this one hurts even more than if you don't. This has a frick ton of triggers, so please look into that before picking this up.

These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly By Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. 

Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly By Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. 

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire.

Notes: a queer witch book with plenty of action and magic throughout! This book is so important to me and I'm currently reading the second and final book!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection.

Notes: one of my mom's favorites and this is one of the best mysteries I've ever read!

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…

Notes: this author has been involved in some not great things involving being anti semetic (I hope I spelled that right), so if you still want to read this, please don't do it in a way that financially supports her. That being said, I read it before that stuff came out, and I liken it to a queer Teen Wolf season 3 type story.

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost. ...

Notes: an amazing murder mystery and one that I highly recommend! A bit slow at times, but the fast scenes make up for it.

The Assassin Game by Kristy McKay

At Cate's isolated boarding school Killer is more than a game-it's an elite secret society. Members must avoid being "killed" during a series of thrilling pranks-and only the Game Master knows who the "killer" is. When Cate's finally invited to join The Guild of Assassins, she knows it's her ticket to finally feeling like she belongs.

Notes: this takes place on an small island near Wales and it's one of the most atmospheric books I've ever read! The first chapter is really nasty, but after that, it's so good!

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen. M McMannis

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

Notes: this was like reading a CW show. That's all I can say about it.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Jared, Simon and Mallory, who finds a mysterious Field Guide hidden in the attic, written by their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick, who studied Faeries — magical beings who hide themselves from Humans using a type of magic called glamour.

Notes: I can't say much about this because I barely remember it. But I remember it freaking the crap out of me.

Fics (all of these are MCU)

Pumpkins and Stitches and Monster Mash by @marvelous-writer

Notes: I told myself to pick one fic from one writer, but with Marvelous-Writer, I just couldn't do it. I'm not gonna give synopsis' for the fics, because you really just need to take my word for it and read them.

too sick for clowns by @hailing-stars

Notes: short and sweet. Hailing-Stars is an icon and everyone needs to follow her.

Vein Drain by @ciaconna on Ao3

Notes: absolutely fantastic and humorous.

Trick Or Treat (Or Traumatize) by @awesomesockes and @whumphoarder

Notes: I just freaking love this writing duo.

No doubts about it by @angels-creative

Notes: my queen, my bestie, and the fic she had to send me the link to cause I couldn't find it XD

And I think that's all for this year! Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

[sullustangin]

Ten Favorite Female Characters from Ten Fandoms

Tagged by both @swtorpadawan and @dorissou on this one!

Tagging:  @shanjedi, @walk-ng-d-saster, @starlightcleric @ayresis @vexa-legacy @blue-starlight @blueburds-but-swtor @a-muirehen @synoxshots annnnd @shabre-legacy (if you’ve already been tagged, apologies!)

In no particular order other than what pops into my head:

1. Leia Organa - Star Wars

2.  Amanda Grayson - Star Trek  (some of the now-au novels make her such a badass, I loved them)

3.  Selina Kyle - Batman (I wish I could use Barb Gordon here, but they’ve jerked that character around SO MUCH I can’t  :( )

4.  Bones  -- Bones (up to about season 3, but then sort of lingering til 6ish)

5.  Phryne Fisher -- Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

6.  Diana -- Justice League

7.  Mary Russell -- the Beekeeper’s Apprentice book series

8.  Amanda -- Highlander 

9.  Sabrina -- 1995 version; love Julia Ormond.  It’s better if you watch it without thinking of the 1950s original; rather, think of the original stage play.

10. Celes Chere -- FF6.  Probably my favorite video game heroine of all time. 

[francesderwent]

Without further ado, here are the winners for the Overly Specific Genre Book Awards for 2020.  

In the Fluffy High School Rom Com of Tropes category: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han.  To All the Boys absolutely lives up to the guiltless-pleasure charm of the movies.  Lara Jean is a wonderfully thoughtful, endearing narrator, and the romance has so much sweetness in it.  Recommended, with the sequels, to anyone who watched the movie more than once.

In the Fluffy Adult Romance of Introspection category: How to Walk Away, by Katherine Center. Katherine Center is my go-to romance writer, always managing to balance heroines who aren’t merely made up of foibles and their truly hunky counterparts with surprisingly deep and effective musings on life and happiness.  How to Walk Away is my favorite of hers.  I laughed, I cried.  Recommended to those looking for a love story that’s gentle but meaningful.

In the Regency Rom Com category: Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer. Details the fake engagement between a country girl who just wants to see London (and maybe make an old crush jealous) and a young man of means who has previously only cared about his wardrobe.  Meddling, sight-seeing, and quite a lot of shopping occurs – and maybe love?  This book made me laugh, and it made me google words and phrases from the time period.  Recommended for anybody who likes To All the Boys and wishes period dramas were a little more lively.

In the Culture and Theology That Isn’t Exhausting to Read category: Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton.  A book about gratitude and wonder.  Recommended for anybody who ever worried if all those fairytales made them look at the world in a naïve way.

In the Trashy YA Fantasy Enemies-to-Lovers category: The Folk of the Air trilogy, by Holly Black, starting with The Cruel Prince.  I read a lot of trashy YA this year, and it’s a genre with a lot of darkness into which hope never fully breaks, and with a lot of subversion which never stops to ask the deeper meaning of the thing it’s undermined.  In the middle of that, The Folk of the Air is a story about power and trust which starts dark and modern, and then by the end has fully transformed into a fairytale. (Content warning for a couple of sex scenes.  They’re skippable.)  Recommended for anybody who likes it when the character who thinks all they’re good for is destruction learns to trust and love.

In the Court Intrigue and Informal Pronouns of Intimacy category: The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison. Masterful worldbuilding and beautiful character development.  About a young, neglected person rising to power and coming into his own. I cried a lot.  Recommended for anyone who gasps when they suddenly say somebody’s first name in a period drama, and anyone who’s ever said to themselves, “I wish I could find another book like King of Attolia.”

And finally, my top 3 books of the year:

In the Children’s Literature That Made Me Cry category: The Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy, by Jeanne Birdsall.  This series about four young sisters doing their best to make friends, pursue their various hobbies, and uphold the family good name makes me want to use words like "delightful" and "charming" to describe it.  It has a remarkably timeless feel even though the first book was written in 2005, but is particularly reminiscent of Louisa May Alcott and Frances Hodgson Burnett.  The stories are unapologetically about good people who love each other.  They will lighten your heart.  Highly recommended for: young girls of twelve, disillusioned adults, and any human being with a beating heart.

In the Masterful Conclusion to Series in the Works for Over Two Decades category: The Return of the Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner. What is there I can possibly say about this book? It has everything – moments of picturesque domesticity with our old faves, gasp-worthy moments of power and brilliance, lore that repaints the context and meaning of the whole saga. But especially, Return of the Thief drives home what the series has been about all along: what makes a hero, what makes a human being.  A man without a right hand can steal treasures greater and more hidden than anyone else even thought to look for.  A man seemingly without courage can face down armies.  A woman without beauty can inspire unimaginable love.  A man without freedom can makes the choice to change the fate of nations.  And a child without a voice can rise above generations of disloyalty and false messages from false gods to save kings and countries.  The whole series is highly recommended for: sarcastic teens, people who hate Game of Thrones, and anybody who likes people who are smarter than them.

In the Stories About Love That Are Also About Murder category: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, by Laurie R. King. The setting is the early 1900s in England, exquisitely well-researched and immersive. The protagonist is Mary Russell, young, brilliant, and with an interest in theology.  Her dearest friend is a supposedly retired detective who has turned country beekeeper.  These books are masterfully subtle, with trust and love growing up quietly amongst the mysteries and the theological symbolism.  Highly recommended for: people who like Agatha Christie and also the found family trope.

[azazel-dreams]

Castle Shade by Laurie R King

Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Mary Russell series in reading order:

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice 

A Monstrous Regiment of Women

A Letter of Mary

The Moor 

O Jerusalem 

Justice Hall 

The Game 

Locked Rooms 

The Language of Bees 

The God of the Hive 

Beekeeping for Beginners (novella)

Mrs Hudson’s Case (novella)

Pirate King 

Garment of Shadows 

Dreaming Spies 

Mary Russell's War (short stories)

The Marriage of Mary Russell (novella)

The Murder of Mary Russell 

Island of the Mad 

Riviera Gold 

Castle Shade