Island of the Mad and a G&T with Bitters

We're matching Laurie R. King's latest in the Mary Russell series, Island of the Mad, with her choice of beverage - a Gin & Tonic and Angostura Bitters. This is one of my favorite series - where the character of Mary Russell matches intellects with her older husband, Sherlock Holmes, as they solve crimes in Victorian England. The series as a whole is great fun and this book in particular.  

Here's a little about the book...

The last thing Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, need is to help an old friend with her mad, missing aunt. Lady Vivian Beaconsfield has spent most of her adult life in one asylum after another, since the loss of her brother and father in the Great War. Although her mental state seemed to be improving, she’s now disappeared after an outing from Bethlem Royal Hospital . . . better known as Bedlam. Russell wants nothing to do with the case—but she can’t say no. To track down the vanished woman, she must use her deductive instincts and talent for subterfuge—and enlist her husband’s legendary prowess. Together, the two travel from the grim confines of Bedlam to the murky canals of Venice—only to find the shadow of Benito Mussolini darkening the fate of a city, an era, and a tormented English lady of privilege.

When we asked Laurie what drink she thought might go with this book, she said...

Gin & Tonic with Angostura Bitters

• 1 oz Gin
• 2 oz Tonic Water
• 6 dashes Angostura bitters

I tried it and it's a fabulous way to have a gin and tonic and it pairs really well with the book.

Although, if you are new to this series, you may want to start with the first book, The Bee Keeper's Apprentice. That way you get to see how Mary and Sherlock began their relationship.