THE LANGUAGE OF BEES

Jenny Sterlin's gift for voices, accents, and storytelling makes this ninth complex excursion into the world of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell a pure audio delight. Holmes must confront his past in the living presence of his son, Damian Adler, now a successful surrealist artist. Damian's wife and child are missing, and Holmes agrees to investigate. With Holmes gone, Russell is left to do her own sleuthing—into Damian's life. Sterlin's pace is perfect for Russell's dry wit, while her subtle performance reveals Russell in moments of surprising ingenuousness. Her Holmes sounds like the insufferable genius he is, while Mycroft is a curmudgeonly font of information. King's informative offerings on Druidic rites, cult mentality, and beekeeping lore, and Sterlin's solid narration, make this sweet listening. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]