God of the Hive
The God of the Hive picks up right where the last book in the series, The Language of Bees, left off. Well, maybe a few minutes after the end of the last book. Immediately, we’re through into a dual escape. Things pick up so quickly that some characters go without names for a few chapters and its hard to get ones bearings. Six or so chapters in, I was tempted to re-read The Language of Bees so that I would know what the hell was going on.
If you’re not familiar with the series, the main characters are Mary Russell and her husband, the famous Sherlock Holmes. In The God of the Hive, Russell and Holmes are trying to save the lives of Holmes’ son, Damien, and his daughter from what they believe to be a religious maniac’s plot. As the story continues in The God of the Hive, it becomes clear that the maniac was merely a pawn in a bigger game. Because Russell and Holmes have to split up and make their own escapes, it’s almost like reading two books in one. Holmes makes his way to Amsterdam with Damien and a kidnapped Scottish doctor. Russell and the granddaughter fly south towards London, but their plane crashes over Cumbria.
And because they are separated, Russell and Holmes only manage to find parts of the puzzle. Until they meet up and find Holmes’ brother Mycroft, it’s hard to get a grip on the entire conspiracy. Even then, I confess, I had a hard time understanding what was going on. The enemy was on stage so briefly, and since his plans failed, it was hard to see what the big deal was. Further, the book was a little light on the detection that drew me to the books in the first place.
While this is not the best book the series, I did enjoy my time with Russell and Holmes. There was action and a lot of suspense. I will, of course, keep reading, but I hope that the next books are a bit more satisfying.
