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57th out of 133 books
—
147 voters
Beekeeping for Beginners (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #10.5)
by
Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)
In this crackling short story, New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King reveals an unforgettable new twist in the adventure that led supersleuth Sherlock Holmes to discover his first (and finest) apprentice, Mary Russell.
Sherlock Holmes is fending off a particularly dark mood as he roams the Sussex Downs, in search of wild bees. The Great War may be raging across t...more
Sherlock Holmes is fending off a particularly dark mood as he roams the Sussex Downs, in search of wild bees. The Great War may be raging across t...more
ebook, 77 pages
Published
July 6th 2011
by Random House
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Depending on what you read, this work is described as either a short story or an e-novella (about 50 pages long). To me, it’s a little long for a short story and maybe just shy of a novella, e-book or otherwise. Also, it’s important to know that I am not a fan of short stories; with few exceptions I find them unsatisfying--not enough length to develop either a solid plot or satisfactory characters.
In this case, character development is not important--IF you are a fan, as I am, of King’s Mary Rus...more
In this case, character development is not important--IF you are a fan, as I am, of King’s Mary Rus...more
I read this short story out of sequence, after I'd read #5, not after #1 or #10. I relish the whole idea of alternate points of view, though, so I was excited when I heard about Beekeeping for Beginners. It took me a while to acquire it, though, since it's in e-book format only, but eventually found a way to get to it.
In general, I liked the premise: all the bits that Holmes understands about Russell's situation at home since she's still untrained. He's able to chalk a lot of his actions in the...more
In general, I liked the premise: all the bits that Holmes understands about Russell's situation at home since she's still untrained. He's able to chalk a lot of his actions in the...more
I’ve always loved Doyle’s Holmes stories so I was excited to read King’s “Beekeeping for Beginners”. However, I was bored with this story. The young girl, Mary Russell, seemed insipid and Holmes was too all knowing though I admit he was portrayed that way by Doyle too. The aunt and cousin came across as stock figures of evil. It was obvious from the beginning where the story was heading.
Maybe my problem was that I haven’t read anything else from King’s series. I’m sure having some background wou...more
Maybe my problem was that I haven’t read anything else from King’s series. I’m sure having some background wou...more
7 likes · like · see review
A long short story or a short novella, this offering to fans of the Russell / Holmes series fits takes place in the timeframe of the first novel in the series, The Beekeepers Apprentice. It is essentially in two parts. The first part deals with the meeting of Russell and Holmes from the point of view of Holmes. The second part recounts an episode which occurs later in the timeline of the novel, which Russell could not have known about because the novel is written in the first person, from Russel...more
Being a longtime diehard fan of the Mary Russell series, I was pretty intrigued by the promise of a short story from Holmes' point of view, taking place during the timeline of the first book. It was worth $.99 for me. And I'm glad I spent it - it was an entertaining read, and something nice and comfort-read-esque to wash the strange taste of "The Vespertine" out of my mouth for me.
Beyond that, though, I can't say I absolutely loved it. It fell into that awkward place that most "extra" series sto...more
Beyond that, though, I can't say I absolutely loved it. It fell into that awkward place that most "extra" series sto...more
I am shamefully behind on my Mary Russells. I've been faithfully buying them in hardcover as I wish to do my part in keeping the author well fed, but with the addition of Pirate King this September, I will be three books behind. I'm starting to find myself daunted enough that inertia is threatening to set in.
Luckily, there was another Russell-related offering released just this week. An e-book exclusive, Beekeeping for Beginners, which is a short story from (mostly) Holmes' point-of-view, takin...more
Luckily, there was another Russell-related offering released just this week. An e-book exclusive, Beekeeping for Beginners, which is a short story from (mostly) Holmes' point-of-view, takin...more
This short story is a nice addition to the growing Holmes / Russell library and a refreshing return to the best aspect of the novels: the relationship between Mary and Sherlock, which is sadly lacking in the newest book (Pirate King.) Though the tale of their meeting was told from Mary's perspective in the first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, King returns to the event and tells it again from Sherlock's point of view. We meet the detective as he contemplates the life of his hives and his own p...more
To say I was disappointed in this e-novella from King would be an understatement. I actually told my husband that it wasn't worth the $.99 I spent on it (yikes). So. I had three major complaints about it. 1) Holmes' contemplated action in the first chapter was so un-Holmesian (is that a word?), at least in terms of King's version of Holmes, that it made me angry. It felt like a cheap motivation that wasn't in keeping with the character built up through the overall series. 2) The 1st person vs. 3...more
Aug 31, 2011
Dorothy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sherlockians
Shelves:
pastiche-mysteries
In The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie King gave us Mary Russell's memoir of her first meeting with Sherlock Holmes. In this short-story/novelette, we hear from the great Sherlock on the same subject.
We meet Sherlock here after he has retired to Sussex and is dying of boredom. Literally. He sees nothing but years of boredom stretching out before him and does not care to endure such an existence. He thinks it may be time to end it all.
But as he contemplates the end, he is practically trod upon by...more
We meet Sherlock here after he has retired to Sussex and is dying of boredom. Literally. He sees nothing but years of boredom stretching out before him and does not care to endure such an existence. He thinks it may be time to end it all.
But as he contemplates the end, he is practically trod upon by...more
At that time of reading Beekeeping for Beginners I have been a fan of Laurie R. King, Mary Russell, and – above all – of Sherlock Holmes for some years. The specialty of this short story is that it is told from Holmes’s point of view. (My personal opinion is that alternating point of views would do good the other Russell-novels, too.)
The first part of the story is the re-telling their first meeting, how Holmes has seen it. His melancholy, or rather his depression is more pronounced here then it...more
The first part of the story is the re-telling their first meeting, how Holmes has seen it. His melancholy, or rather his depression is more pronounced here then it...more
To be clear: My five-star rating applies only to the story itself; my opinion of the "Twinterview" section at the end is entirely separate and I won't address it here.
I really loved this story. It was short and necessarily less complex than the full novels of this series, but I have developed such love for these characters that even reading a few new pages of their history and psychology is a true delight. Reading this title has inspired me to return to earlier installments of the series: I will...more
I really loved this story. It was short and necessarily less complex than the full novels of this series, but I have developed such love for these characters that even reading a few new pages of their history and psychology is a true delight. Reading this title has inspired me to return to earlier installments of the series: I will...more
This is an ebook only, billed as a novella, and released as some kind of trailer for the upcoming book in the Mary Russell series: The Pirate King. Whilst I'm looking forward to the new full length book, with a little trepidation since I believe it's going to be a lighthearted farcical kind of a story, this ebook didn't really fill the gap for me. I just don't like short stories that much on the whole - by the time I've got the hang of them they are finished.
I think it's worth putting a note in...more
I think it's worth putting a note in...more
Boy this was fun. Not too short, unlike many short stories, this gives a full representation of the action from The Beekeepers Apprentice, but from Holmes's point of view. Given that the later Mary Russell books often have alternating sections from Russell's and Holmes's point of view, this works extremely well to bring the first book in line with some of the others. Laurie King is a favorite author of mine as is Conan Doyle. She makes the Holmes saga progress, while still capturing the feel of...more
In the canon of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series, Mary encounters Sherlock Holmes in Sussex in 1915, at 15 years old--she nearly trips over him, and he mistakes her for a boy. This is the story from Holmes' perspective, and an additional mystery that Mary never knew he was investigating--about her.
I adored Beekeeper's Apprentice, and read it twice in a row. I loved getting Holmes' perspective on the story, and just to experience the start of their association again. I did think it odd that t...more
I adored Beekeeper's Apprentice, and read it twice in a row. I loved getting Holmes' perspective on the story, and just to experience the start of their association again. I did think it odd that t...more
I've never read any of the Mary Russell / Sherlock Holmes books, but I have heard great things about them. This short story provided a nice introduction to the characters. I LOVE how it started off -- there was just something about the author's writing style and voice, combined with the plot events, that really engaged the part of me that loves a good story. It's just this sense I got of "Oh, this is really good." Which doesn't always happen in such a crystal-clear manner, especially within the...more
I love to see stories from different perspectives. It's one of the reasons I enjoy Ender's Shadow as much as I do. In this case, you have a Holmes scholar finally getting a good chance to write from Sherlock's perspective. It's fun because some of the dialogue is straight out of Beekeeper's Apprentice, but the majority of this short story is what Sherlock's doing that Mary doesn't have a clue about. And you can see just how fond he is of her from the very beginning, but while still being in char...more
This short story (99cents on kindle) will probably be appreciated most by fans of Laurie King's Holmes/Russell series. While the first meeting of Holmes and Russell was recounted from Mary Russell's point of view in the first book of the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Beekeeping for Beginners recounts that momentous event from the point of view of Sherlock Holmes. (It includes Holmes's first mention of Mary Russell to Watson, who notes that he hasn't seen Holmes looking so happy/healthy in...more
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. I've read way too many bad fanfictions of a critical scene from the "other" character's point of view, but there is definitely something to be said for when the actual author writes the scene. As always, Laurie doesn't fail us. This isn't just a retelling of when Holmes meets Russell, but we gain greater insight to his character, a softer, more vulnerable side that Mary simply doesn't see in the first book. It adds depth to Holmes, a depth th...more
I do enjoy alternate angle on scenes. I like it when that sort of thing shows up as a special feature on a DVD, and it's even more fun – and I imagine much easier to accomplish – when it's a new point of view on a book. It's a hallmark of fan-fiction to take a well-known story and spin it around (and I just saw something about a book from Jacob Marley's POV). Beekeeping for Beginners is a short story-slash-novella which does just that for the beginning of Beekeeper's Apprentice. Why exactly was...more
Interesting little story in the little bit of extra background that the story gives to The Beekeeper's Apprentice.
However, it changes from 1st person POV (Holmes) to third person (Watson, then Mary) a few times and that detracts from the story.
(And it's not 10.5 in the series it's either 0.5 or 1.5 - probably 1.5 since it won't make sense unless you've read #1)
However, it changes from 1st person POV (Holmes) to third person (Watson, then Mary) a few times and that detracts from the story.
(And it's not 10.5 in the series it's either 0.5 or 1.5 - probably 1.5 since it won't make sense unless you've read #1)
This is a short story that takes the reader back to the first meeting of the teenage Mary and the retired Sherlock when both were vulnerable and in need of rescue. The author looks again into the bond that formed in her first novel of the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, between such an odd couple united by a peculiar way of logical thinking that usually alienates them from most people. The detective teaches young Mary the secrets of keeping bees as we learn how each owes their life to the ot...more
This was an amazing short story that gave life to part of the 1st Mary Russell story that had not been explored but had been wondered about. I love when Holmes narrates. It was a very nice change of pace in this novella and the previous two novels to have his POV intermingled with that of Russell. It was great at this point in the series to go back to see a younger version of Russell. She was so young and vulnerable at the beginning and to find out that Holmes was contemplating suicide was a rev...more
Beekeeping for Beginners (Mary Russell #10.5)
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 5 stars for everything
My copy of Pirate King included the novella that told Holmes side of the story during some of the incidents in The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. Long story short, I loved it, it put a unique spin on some things that I hadn’t really thought about in Apprentice, and I probably would have bought it even if it wasn’t included in the book.
I love Sherlock Holmes to death. The end.
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 5 stars for everything
My copy of Pirate King included the novella that told Holmes side of the story during some of the incidents in The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. Long story short, I loved it, it put a unique spin on some things that I hadn’t really thought about in Apprentice, and I probably would have bought it even if it wasn’t included in the book.
I love Sherlock Holmes to death. The end.
Wow! This really added a new--unexpected, and yet understandable--layer to Holmes. I really appreciated it--moreso, I think for having the canon (of, in my case, everything up through "Locked Rooms") in spite of the fact that it all takes place during the first few chapters of "Beekeepers Apprentice." The mystery was incredibly simple and in fact the enthusiasm with which Holmes pours himself into it is more of the story than the mystery itself. Great, great story.
If you haven't read any of these stories, don't start with this one. Start with #1 in the series: The Beekeeper's Apprentice. This short story explains events from that book. I didn't find the changing point of view to be a problem; I rather liked it actually. And it was refreshing to see Russell as a 15 year old girl again.
1 like · like · see review
I wouldn't recommend it to first time readers of the series (lack of characterisation), but if you're previously acquainted with the characters then I'd urge you read it.
It covers a few days at the beginning of Holmes and Russell's friendship, with some interesting points not particularly touched on in The Beekeeper's Apprentice.
Caught between a long short story and a short novella, it was well worth the price I paid.
It covers a few days at the beginning of Holmes and Russell's friendship, with some interesting points not particularly touched on in The Beekeeper's Apprentice.
Caught between a long short story and a short novella, it was well worth the price I paid.
I really enjoyed this short novella that lets us see the first meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell from Holmes' point of view and also reminds us to "never, ever cease to feel wonder." It's followed by a fun interview between Russell and Leslie S. Klinger (editor of the three-volume New Annotated Sherlock Holmes) and a tantalizing excerpt from the forthcoming Russell-Holmes novel Pirate King.
For aficionados only, but well worth the 99 cents I spent. And with some fascinating little factlets as Sherlock Holmes finds himself bemused and feeling tenderly protective of a certain "child"--Mary Russell. He goes to great lengths to protect her, but Miss Mary isn't easily fooled. Loved this little snippet of insight into the beginnings of their relationship, and the use of coconuts was inspired.
This is a short story, published electronically only, forming an interesting snippet for fans of King's Mary Russell series (Mary Russell Collection: The Beekeeper's Apprentice, the Language of Bees, Locked Rooms, the Game).
At just £1.50 it might even be enough to entice new readers to the series.
At just £1.50 it might even be enough to entice new readers to the series.
Jan 04, 2012
Catherine
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012,
mary-russell-sherlock-holmes
I was so pleased to finally get to read this after finishing Pirate King and realising that I didn't love that book quite as much as I did the rest of the series. The e-book is a very quick but hugely enjoyable read and really made me wish that LRK would either write something else from Holmes' point of view, or write more of these wee books and fill in some blanks elsewhere in the series!
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Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum, the LRK Virtual Book Club, is here on Goodreads, so please check there to join in the book-discussing fun.
King's next novel The Bones of Paris, will be out in September 2013, seeing Touchstone's Harris Stuyvesant and Bennett Grey find the darkness beneath the light of 1929 Paris. In the Russell se...more
More about Laurie R. King...
King's next novel The Bones of Paris, will be out in September 2013, seeing Touchstone's Harris Stuyvesant and Bennett Grey find the darkness beneath the light of 1929 Paris. In the Russell se...more
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Oct 23, 2011 05:55am