Book Style: Pirate King

I will admit, Pirate King, the 11th Mary Russell novel by Laurie R. King, is my least favorite. That being said, it is still a must read for setting up the events that follow in the next book. You will also get The Major-General's Song stuck in your head for days on end. (Below is the delightful '80s rewrite that was the first version I ever learned.)

The convoluted plot of this story has Russell being bullied/guilted by Mycroft, who is still angry with her after the ending of The God of the Hive, into taking an undercover job for a film production company. Like many fellow fans, Russell's reaction to Mycroft's reaction left me questioning Ms. King's turn with her character development. I just don't buy that Russell wouldn't get right back in his face. Be that as it may, Russell finds herself playing the role of matron to a flock of giggling, blonde actresses on the set of a movie, about a movie about Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Talk about meta. The director of Flytte Films has made a decision to hire a genuine pirate crew for authenticity, a decision that leads to a kidnapping of the entire crew and a, albeit very nice, hostage situation in Morocco. Russell finds herself being forced to deal with it from the inside out. While, like I said, I don't really love Pirate King for the character development or the plot, it is a fun romp and Ms. King does paint a highly romanticized picture of Morocco. Read it just to set yourself up properly for Garment of Shadows.

I tried dressing Russell for this one and failed. Then I tried dressing a flapper/actress for this one and failed. So instead, I decided to dress myself. As gorgeous as that sunset-colored cover is, it makes for some difficult outfitting. Alright, so Morocco references: earrings, "Marrakesh" ring, and that gorgeous-yet-dainty teardrop ring. Pirate was the overall theme I was going for, so I picked a pair of modern, piratey booties and that All Saints "Wasson Pirate" cardigan. I also added in that lust-inducing pirate skull cameo ring. Finally, the nods to Russell's flock of blonde actresses: "Girls on Film" cuff, vintage 1920's beaded cap, and "Blonde on Blonde" nail lacquer.

Book Style: The God Of The Hive

The God of the Hive is the 10th book by Laurie R. King featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. This one is a continuation of the events that began in The Language of Bees. We have a lot more involvement from Mycroft in this novel than any of the preceding ones and there are also quite a few references to British folklore and mythology sprinkled throughout. Just like in The Language of Bees, I love seeing Russell and Holmes being domesticated by the demands of family, something neither are extremely proficient at.

There isn't a lot of Russell in this outfit, admittedly, but I'm at the 10th book now, and she kind of has a uniform and there are only so many variants on that uniform before I start craving some variety. So, no, I can't really see Russell rocking something so sexy and upscale unless a case called for some undercover work; I fell in love with this watercolor pencil skirt, though, which is the perfect reference to Russell's son-in-law artist, Damien Adler. The Dutch porcelain earrings are meant to conjure up Holmes and Damien's time in Holland whilst Russell is stranded in the forest. A honeycomb necklace was included for the underscoring bee references. That gorgeous "Dark Forest" ring is nod to Russell's harrowing plane crash in, rescue from, and hiatus in the Cumbrian forests with her very own Green Man. The bag is the "Lady Dior Detective Bag". The final touch is the "Granddaughter" bracelet in honor of Russell's very own granddaughter, Estelle, Damien's daughter.