The God of the Hive

A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

By: Laurie R. King

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Laurie R. King enjoys immense popularity and a resounding chorus of critical acclaim for her exquisite mysteries. The God of the Hive continues the thread King began in The Language of Bees, in which Mary Russell and her famous husband, Sherlock Holmes, face trouble with Scotland Yard and the deadliest of adversaries.

Listen to another Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.

©2010 Laurie R. King (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Using short chapters and wielding her virtual pen like a burnished sword, King allows readers to race through this gloriously complex second half of last year’s Language of Bees. Sherlock Holmes is trying to get his gravely wounded son, the artist Damien Adler, out of England. Holmes’ wife, Mary Russell, is trying to protect Estelle, Damien’s small daughter. Mycroft Holmes, recovering from a heart attack, suddenly goes missing....all of it makes for utterly absorbing reading." ( Booklist)

“The great marvel of King’s series is that she’s managed to preserve the integrity of Holmes’s character and yet somehow conjure up a woman astute, edgy, and compelling enough to be the partner of his mind as well as his heart.” ( Washington Post Book World)

Interesting take on Holmes/Russell

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this book to a friend. It was really enjoyable and the narration was very pleasant.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the focus on Mary Russell and, though it is definitely a departure from the Sherlock Holmes world because I would not really consider it a mystery. I am not sure if I would enjoy reading 5 of these non-mystery Sherlock Holmes books, but I think one or two is a interesting experiment. I'd like to see whether there is room for a couple of "storytelling" books and if that could be woven into a series that will hopefully contain actual mysteries in future.

What about Jenny Sterlin’s performance did you like?

Her voice is perfect for this book and the pace makes it a fun, casual listen.

Awesome

amazing listen for any Sherlock Holmes fan. good pace, excellent story, need to find more on this author and characters

Quite good

Quite good overall. Sequel to Language of Bees. Very dramatic reading done well by the narrator of the book series.

What a pleasure... Both Author & Narrator!

Having listened to many diverse audio books for many years, returning to a Laurie R. King novel is always a reward & pleasure... a real treat!

And, while one certainly does not need to be a Sherlock Holmes fan, nor have listened to the previous story, "The Language of Bees" (which is much darker than previous novels), "God of the Hive" stands alone quite nicely.

Several aspects of "God of the Hive" make this an exceptional story & superb listen:

1. King's language skills: After listening to this (or any of her other novels), and absorbing her considerable skill with the English language & writing style, you will find many other mystery/suspense stories shallow & trite. Writing as her character, Mary Russell, her breadth & depth of verbal skills are like a breath of fresh air!

2. Characterization: In the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes stories, the characters are so well-realized and created, that you really hate to see the story come to a close; much like leaving old friends. In this novel, Robert Goodman stands out as a truly unique & unpredictable character, one whose depths still leave much to plum!

3. The Narrator--Jenny Sterlin: In the world of female narrators, there are few who come close to the quality & abilty of Ms. Sterlin. Not only is she an extremely capable narrator; in the King novels, she IS Mary Russell. She is quite at home in a variety of lnaguages & dialects. Simply put, she is a pleasure to listen to.

If you have never listened to a Laurie King novel, especially in the Mary Russell series, this is a superb collection of stories to acquire. I eagerly await the next volume!

A good listen

I am not a Sherlock Holmes fan and jumped into this based on recommendations of Audible Members. I enjoyed it very much and thought it was very compatible with the audible presentation. Some mysteries just have to be read I think but this one went well in this format. Very entertaining.

Narrator

The reading was excellent, easily flowing with wonderful different voices. The unwinding of the plot was well done, kept drawing me in.

Holmes & Holmes & Russell never fail to deliver

Once again Laurie R. King guides us into the life of Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes, as the trio, along with family and friends, are hunted and manipulated by the gray threat they can sense, but not identify. Into this comes the Green Man, a charming and mysterious stranger who comes to the rescue when least expected.

Very engaging plot

One if the better novels in this series: Justice Hall is my favorite. Do read in chronological order if you can-see King's website.

A joy to read

As always, Laurie kings stories of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes do not disappoint. Her talent for developing characters, weaving a complex and lush plot and eloquently describing the complexities of thought and action are wonderfully satisfying. Keep them coming please!

I want to wait for the next one, but can't....

I know this series eventually runs out, but I am ordering the next one within the next minute and will start listening tonight.

I hope Russell & Holmes are together more in the next book instead of working as separately as they did in this book.

Excellent story.