Book Style: The Language Of Bees

I realized as I sat down to get to work on this Book Style for the 9th Mary Russell novel, The Language of Bees, that I really need to do a major reread of everything after Locked Rooms. The details were not nearly as sharp for me as they are for the previous eight books. That being said, what I did remember of this one is superb. Russell and Holmes are back in England and back to the bees when Damien Adler, Holmes' son with The Woman drops in looking a fair bit better than last they saw him, but distressed at the absence of his wife, Yolanda. When Holmes agrees to help Damien track Yolanda down, he and Russell soon find themselves immersed in an insidious plot involving a religious cult and ancient British monuments. Damien's artist community provides a great backdrop for the time spent in London and the ultimate trek up to the Orkney Islands lends so much atmosphere to the story. I personally loved watching Russell and Holmes be more than a bit out of their element with familial concerns. Also, British legend and history for days!

The "Seafarer" jeans are sailor inspired and Russell would probably have found them very useful on her choppy journey to the Orkneys. Practical boots to keep her keep warm and protected over land, air and sea. I topped that red blouse with the lovely draping with a sturdy bomber jacket that could have been borrowed from her pilot. Celtic earrings inspired by the Orkneys, a statement ring inspired by Yolanda's native Shanghai, a cult-inspired bracelet, and a Stonehenge inspired necklace complete the jewelry selection. The final touch is the Jonathan Adler (no relation, I'm sure) horse wallet: A nod to the famous chalk horse and featuring a pattern very reminiscent of a hive.

Book Style: Locked Rooms

Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King is the 8th book in the Mary Russell series. This time around Holmes and Russell are back in her hometown of San Francisco and Russell is facing several deeply suppressed demons from her past. I really appreciated this foray into Russell's past and a getting a better look at the mystery surrounding the death of her parents and brother. San Francisco in the 1920s was also a delightful setting to immerse myself in with the added touch of Dashiell Hammett (another genre of crime fiction that Ms. King does delightfully well, check out Touchstone and The Bones of Paris)! The format of this book is a bit different from the previous Mary Russell books as it alternates from being Russell's first-person memoir to a third-person narrative following Holmes.

There's a lot going on in this flapper meets hippie outfit that perfectly embodies the carefree spirit of San Francisco. To start, the dress is a tent dress, chosen, not only because it fits the requirements for flapper meets hippie, but also because of the "city of tents" that populated the city after the 1906 earthquake that Russell had blocked from her memory. The shoes are "Moxy Flapper" platforms, and while Russell would never wear anything so impractical, they are certainly endless amounts of fun! "Chinatown" nail lacquer is a reference to San Fran's Chinatown which pays a pivotal role in the story and Russell's own personal history. The kimono inspired clutch is a nod to the briefly mentioned stop Holmes and Russell made in Japan after The Game and before Locked Rooms (Ms. King, I still want this one recalled in detail, please). The geometric cliff ring is a sad reminder of Russell's family's deaths. That architectural Golden Gate ring/necklace is a lovely nod to the city's most famous landmark; one that, admittedly, didn't exist during the events of Locked Rooms. The key earrings should be a rather obvious reference considering the title of novel, but I'll give you a spoiler, the psychological idea of the memory palace gets a lot of attention here. Finally, some Russell worthy eyewear.