Book Style: The Game

I do believe I was issued a personal challenge on this one by Mary Russell herself (@mary_russell over on Twitter). I will admit putting together this Book Style for the 7th Mary Russell, The Game by Laurie R. King, was a bit challenging. Russell spends most of this book pretending to be a boy, first a native and then her own twin brother, so I couldn't pull too much direct inspiration from her wardrobe in the narrative. However, purple being my favorite color, and my own personal love of patterns and Asian accessories, makes this my favorite outfit from the whole series!

This stunning silk jacquard dress causes the mind to start dreaming of exotic locales that the fabric could have been imported from, although hopefully not by the East India Company. Giving the outfit these tall, practical boots is exactly what Russell would want, and they balance the potential dressiness of the dress. The cruise ship bangle starts off Holmes and Russell's journey from Sussex to India, offering up some great comedic moments and a few wonderfully executed red herrings on Ms. King's part. The Dutch East India necklace and Maharaja inspired ring are both nods to the history of the subcontinent and the turmoil that helps set the scene for the novel's plot. A recycled sari scarf is another nod to the native culture and its wardrobe staple, one which Russell never wears, incidentally. The juggler ring is a wink towards the first disguise of the case. Finally, the military coat is a lovely, modernized version of what Russell's twin brother might have worn. ;)

Book Style: Justice Hall

Justice Hall is the sixth book in Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series. This one sets us back into proper chronological order, but there's a reason for the out of sequence O Jerusalem being presented directly prior to this one, we needed to be properly introduced to the Hazr brothers. That's right, Mahmoud and Ali are back. Holmes was right, however, they're not brothers and they're not native to the Middle East; Russell really should have listened to those diphthongs better! The Hughenfort cousins, Marsh and Alistair (we still get to call him Ali) have been called home to England due to issues of inheritance. While Holmes and Russell's involvement originally is that of concerned friends, they quickly uncover a mystery that spans three countries, hidden family secrets and one horrible war.

I present a casual weekend outfit inspired by, my admittedly American idea of, a weekend at an English country estate. You know, very Balmoral, what with hunting and walking and riding and all. I threw in a bit of pizzaz with the military inspired cross-body bag, a nod to Gabriel Hughenfort's service during World War I. The smoking gun necklace will hopefully lead to Marsh's attempted murderer while the pelican ring is an homage to his family motto and symbol. The final touch is that lovely airplane charm bracelet that ties in Gabriel's barn-storming true love.