The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell, #1)

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1)

by Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 23,894 ratings · 2,643 reviews

In 1915, long since retired from his crime-fighting days, Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a reclusive study of honeybees on the Sussex Downs. Never did the Victorian detective think to meet an intellect matching his own–until his acquaintance with Miss Mary Russell, a young twentieth-century lady whose mental acuity is equaled only by her penchant for deduction, disguises, a...more

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published April 2010 by Minotaur Books (first published 1994)

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Jan 18, 2013 Alexandra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, crime, fiction, historical, one-two-theme-challenge, series

It might have been a matter of timing, or the way I experience the Sherlock Holmes canon, it might even be all Jeremy Brett’s fault. Or even Hugh Laurie’s. The fact is: I didn't really like The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.

My three major reasons:

Mary
It’s been a long time since I come across such a Mary Sue. Her gifts just keep piling up at an incredible speed from the first moment we (and Holmes) meet her. I got the feeling that King simply chose a favorite literary crush and then projected her wish-f...more

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May 04, 2013 David Green rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, dashing-heroines, good-girls-are-also-awesome, 2013-reads, favorite-books-or-series

Mary Russell, also known as The Beekeeper's Apprentice, proves to be a wonderful addition to the Sherlock Holmes mythos!

When 15-year-old Mary Russell almost tripped over the peculiar man while he was obsessively studying his bees, she never imagined such an accidental (and clumsy) encounter would change her life forever! But as it turns out, that man was semi-retired detective Sherlock Holmes, and when the precocious Mary is able to match wits with him (both with her deductive reasoning and her...more

16 likes · like · see review

Nov 08, 2011 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sherlock-Lovers

Recommended to Bonnie by: Maja

Shelves: mystery-thriller, sherlock-my-love, full-of-wonderful, adult

4.5 stars

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

If you’re in any way a fan of Sherlock Holmes, this book/series is a must read for you. I’m new to the world of Sherlock Holmes but I immediately loved him following his first book A Study in Scarlet and I desperately wanted to read more stories about him.

Sherlock Holmes is now a retired beekeeper residing in Sussex Downs. Despite the fact that he is retired, his mind is still just as sharp and he still assists the police in solving local...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, mysteries

Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars

It takes guts to mess with a canon as sacred to fans as the Holmesian one. It takes skill (and a healthy dose of respect) to do it well. Author Laurie King shows off all of these traits in abundance in her debut novel featuring famed and beloved master detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick ~~John Watson~~ Mary Russell. Yep, you heard me, Mary Russell: half American, half Jewish, 15 years old at the beginning of the story, and 100% Holmes' equal in spirit and intel...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, audiobook, mystery, historical-fiction, 1990-1999, sherlockian

4.0 stars. I went through a lot of turmoil both in deciding to read this book and then while I was reading it. The Pre-read turmoil stems from the fact that while I have always liked the “idea” of the character of Sherlock Holmes, I have not always enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories that I have read. They have been a bit dry for my taste. However, I LOVED The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which took the character of Sherlock Holmes and put him in bizarre and unique surroundings (i.e...more 4.0 stars. I went through a lot of turmoil both in deciding to read this book and then while I was reading it. The Pre-read turmoil stems from the fact that while I have always liked the “idea” of the character of Sherlock Holmes, I have not always enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories that I have read. They have been a bit dry for my taste. However, I LOVED The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which took the character of Sherlock Holmes and put him in bizarre and unique surroundings (i.e., fantasy, SF and horror genre settings). I thought this was a perfect marriage and still think that Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald” is one of the best “Sherlock Holmes” stories ever written.

So when I started looking up the background for this book, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a new, fresh take on Sherlock Holmes or simply another Holmes mystery with Mary Russell acting like a FEMALE Sherlock Holmes, which we have all seen before...case in point:

JUST KIDDING, BUT IT WAS TOO GOOD TO PASS UP.

Well I started the book and was instantly taken with both the character of Mary Russell and the prose and writing style of Laurie King. I also found that I really liked the character of Sherlock Holmes who was both instantly recognizable as the singularly brilliant master of deduction, but was also an older, mellower, more “human” individual that made relating to him much easier.

Now during the course of actually reading the novel, which has the duo of Holmes and Russell investigating several mysteries, I did find parts of it that were dry and plodding and had me leaning towards giving the book a 3 star rating. However, the growing relationship between Russell and Holmes, together with the climax of the book and the scenes with the “mystery villain” were simply OUTSTANDING and worthy of 5 stars. Thus, all in all I thought that 4 stars was a pretty accurate representation of how I felt about the book.

I think the rating of “true blue” mystery novel fans may be a bit higher and for those that don’t generally enjoy the genre, you might rate this a tad lower. However, I think most people will agree that the prose is excellent, the characters are very well drawn and the achievement of taking a character like Holmes who is so incredibly well known and show him in a new and fresh light while keeping him completely recognizable was superbly down. For that point alone, Ms King gets

Recommended!!!
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Jun 11, 2007 Trin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, ficbutnot, american-lit

Sherlock Holmes pastiche/continuation/fanfic in which Holmes, retired to beekeeping in Sussex, is so impressed by the intelligence of 15-year-old feminist Mary 'Sue' Russell that he decides to take her on as his apprentice-detective. Wacky adventures ensue.

Okay. There were some good things about this book. King's prose is enjoyable enough, and her dialogue is suitably witty. The narrative is rather too episodic for my taste, but there are some nice atmospheric touches. And I like the idea of Hol...more Sherlock Holmes pastiche/continuation/fanfic in which Holmes, retired to beekeeping in Sussex, is so impressed by the intelligence of 15-year-old feminist Mary 'Sue' Russell that he decides to take her on as his apprentice-detective. Wacky adventures ensue.

Okay. There were some good things about this book. King's prose is enjoyable enough, and her dialogue is suitably witty. The narrative is rather too episodic for my taste, but there are some nice atmospheric touches. And I like the idea of Holmes being surprised, being slowly won over by someone. However. HOWEVER.

There were two things I just couldn't get past. The first is that Russell really is so very much the epitome of Mary Sue-dom; she's smart and pretty and everyone likes her and oh! Is that a tragic past providing an extra source of sympathetic angst? Next it'll be revealed that she has violet eyes and Hogwarts wants her to come join Sparklypoo. But you know? I could have been generous and gotten past all that for the pleasure of seeing Holmes thrown for a loop.

What I couldn't get past, though, was how shittily King/Russell treats Watson. The "bumbling idiot" angle is played up A LOT, but even worse, King makes it seem like Holmes doesn't really care about Watson at all. And I'm talking platonically; everyone can be straight in this story for all I care. But gone is the Holmes who "should be lost without my Boswell"; King actually has Holmes forget to warn Watson that he's in danger from a bomber who's targeting Holmes' friends—though he rushed to Mary's side—and nearly costs the condescendingly-called "Uncle John" his life. Why is this kind of character assassination necessary? It's possible to make new friends and find new lovers without shitting all over the old ones, and to insist otherwise seems so amateurish, the worst kind of rookie fic writer mistake.

I'm actually kind of curious to see where this series goes; King, to her credit, takes it suitably slow, and I want to be convinced by the possibility of Holmes falling for someone. Who can resist incredibly brilliant but emotionally fucked up people in love? Not I. But any further reading of this series is going to be at least somewhat masochistic for me.

*goes to read "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" (which has a great Watson-saves-Holmes'-life scene) to make herself feel better*(less)

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view all 17 comments

Molly I have to disagree slightly with your take on Mary Russell, though I can see from where you are potentially coming. I just don't agree with it.

Howeve...more
Mar 17, 2012 06:44pm

Meredith I'm not quite done with the book yet, but this is pretty much my big problem with it-the treatment of Watson. Watson is the best. Seriously, Sherlock...more
Jun 20, 2012 10:23am

Apr 25, 2008 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jessica by: Peggy

A witty, big-hearted book narrated by Sherlock Holmes's teenage apprentice-cum-partner, Mary Russell. It was a delight to be party to Russell and Holmes's verbal parrying and dry humor. Mary Russell is a heroine that would be hard not to love, with her unapologetic independence and rampant bookwormery.

The dialogue from both main characters is delicious. I love passages like this, after Mary asks Holmes if her presence is inconvenient (they do make an odd pair):

"To my considerable surprise, Russe...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, kindle

Since joining Goodreads I've discovered a taste for all sorts of books which I would have ignored only a year ago. Some books which I've read over the past few months have simply not come my way before. Others I have made a conscious decision at some point in the past not to read, but have changed my mind about, encouraged by positive reviews or a desire to participate in a group read.

This book falls into the second category. Years ago I read and enjoyed King's Kate Martinelli series (although...more Since joining Goodreads I've discovered a taste for all sorts of books which I would have ignored only a year ago. Some books which I've read over the past few months have simply not come my way before. Others I have made a conscious decision at some point in the past not to read, but have changed my mind about, encouraged by positive reviews or a desire to participate in a group read.

This book falls into the second category. Years ago I read and enjoyed King's Kate Martinelli series (although I would be hard pressed to remember much about that series now other than it was set in San Francisco). However, when I first picked up The Beekeeper's Apprentice in a book store, I put it down again because I don't like anything which smacks of fan fiction and I don't like historical crime fiction. Well, that's what I told myself anyway.

Now, having read the first book in this series years after it appeared because Goodreads friends whose opinion I value rated it highly, I realise that pre-conceptions can get in the way of genuine literary enjoyment. While I'm still not keen on fan fiction as such, King's skill as a writer overcomes my prejudices in that regard. Her skill as a writer also makes me realise that maybe I don't mind historical crime fiction after all.

There are many things I enjoyed about this novel. I like the characters: Holmes and Russell are interesting and well-developed and while Russell has a bit of the Mary Sue about her, it wasn't enough to make me dislike her. Other characters are less well-developed, but no less so than in most crime fiction novels. I like the episodic nature of the mystery, which has a somewhat over-the-top but nevertheless satisfying resolution. I like the wit and the occasional humour. I like the fact that King didn't feel obliged to overdo the period setting with unnecessary detail.

All in all, this was a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to Book 2. I suspect that readers with some familiarity with and liking for the Sherlock Holmes stories would get more out of this series than readers coming to the books with no such background. I also suspect that those who are passionate devotees of Sherlock Holmes would not be as keen - they'd probably have too much to criticise!
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Aug 10, 2010 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: KC Public Library 2010 Adult Winter Reading Program 'Readers in

Shelves: fiction, mystery, read-in-my-40s

3.5 stars

Enjoyable variation on the Holmes theme. I discerned the major mystery and hidden mastermind behind it early (as I usually do), but missed the connection to the earlier mystery.

Characterization better than most mystery novels. I especially enjoyed the fugue of an intelligent deductive teenage woman (Mary Russell) juxtaposed with a retired bored (and lonely) Sherlock Holmes. The usual suspects cameoed: Mrs. Hudson; Dr. Watson; Mycroft; and, even Lastrade (TNG version).

I may continue wi...more

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Feb 23, 2009 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was recommended to me by one of my BFFs, Kati. I was not a mystery fan, but found the idea intriguing. About 20 pages in, I was hooked! Mary Russell rocks my face off. I can't say enough about this series. I am eagerly awaiting the next!!

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Jun 22, 2010 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Becky by: Laura, Bondama

Shelves: library, historical-fiction, 2010, mystery-and-thrillers, reviewed, blog_etb, challenge-1010

This book is one that has been recommended to me by quite a few people... I probably would have never picked it up, having practically no interest in beekeeping myself (although I certainly do think that bees are important... SAVE THE BEES!), but people kept telling me to read this, read this, read this now! So, I finally got around to reading it, only to find that the expectations that I'd set for it actually hampered my enjoyment of this book.

I've only read one Sherlock Holmes story, the firs...more This book is one that has been recommended to me by quite a few people... I probably would have never picked it up, having practically no interest in beekeeping myself (although I certainly do think that bees are important... SAVE THE BEES!), but people kept telling me to read this, read this, read this now! So, I finally got around to reading it, only to find that the expectations that I'd set for it actually hampered my enjoyment of this book.

I've only read one Sherlock Holmes story, the first one, "A Study in Scarlet", and I enjoyed it. Holmes is different than I'd ever really thought of him, since we always see him represented in that awful cape and earsie-hat with a pipe in his mouth and a magnifying glass in his hand, and a handlebar mustache, practically with a speech bubble over his head that says "Elementary, my dear Watson!". This old-fashioned fogey sleuth of a Sherlock Holmes is nothing like how he's actually represented- as an eccentric, misogynistic, drug-using genius who deep down has an intense and unshakeable love for humanity. He's quite the character.

As is young Mary Russell, who contains a similarly working mind to Holmes's and who has an eye for detail and a loneliness that Holmes endeavors to fill, and in the course of this friendship, he begins to shape and mold her into his assistant. They become very close, and have a very complex relationship: part equal partnership-slash-father/daughter-slash-mentor/pupil. They respect one another, but do not shy away from saying what needs to be said.

The relationship between Russell and Holmes takes center stage here. That's what the book is focused on. Russell narrates for us, and gives us more of an understanding of things from her side, and shows us not only the Holmes that people see, but the Holmes as he is. This is what the book is about, and that is made abundantly clear by the sheer amount of time dedicated to this facet of the story. Russell takes us from meeting, to meeting of the minds, to friendship, respect and then love... all the way through to the dedication and sacrifices that they are willing to endure to retain their bond.

The writing style here was gorgeous and appropriate for the early 20th century language and formality that would have been in use then. The French variations of words are used to lend both an air of formality and authenticity to the time, locale and education of the characters, for instance, words like "rôle" and "débris".

The writing was also very, very descriptive. Almost too much, I have to say. I know that it makes sense, and adds a believability to Russell's character to have done this - I mean, who is going to believe a 19 year old who on par with Sherlock Holmes just on her word? She's got to prove her eye for detail and retention. I get that, but here, the language, while still beautiful, hindered the story, because while I'm impatiently waiting for the action, the narration is moving along at a leisurely Sunday drive through the country pace.

Add to that that the story proper didn't even get started until halfway through the book, and I have to admit I got a little impatient. I was expecting a kind of fast-paced exciting ride, with unpredictable Holmes at the wheel taking us careening through seedy London underground life, recklessly charging in and saving the day, but that wasn't what I got at all. To be honest, the mystery plot, the one that involves someone trying to kill Holmes and Russell and everyone Holmes loves, felt very much like an afterthought. Almost as if the author wanted to write about a plucky young orphan being mentored by Sherlock Holmes, forgot about the conflict until midway through, and then just edged it in where possible.

I'm not saying this to fault the author -- the story was good, and the writing was great, but this is definitely one case where expectation worked against me. This is a book for a lazy rainy weekend, not one for someone looking for a vicarious thrill-ride.

I may pick up the next in the series one of these days, but if I do, I think I will pick up the audio version... by all accounts it is very good, and I think that this story would lend itself to audio quite well. :)(less)

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Dec 26, 2007 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This series (of which this book is the first) follows the exploits of a young woman called Mary Russell living in the earlier half of the twentieth century.

This books begins in 1915. Mary is an orphan living with her aunt, whom she doesn't get along with, in the English countryside. One day while wandering the Sussex Downs reading Virgil, she nearly steps on a man lying on the ground observing bees. His name is Sherlock Holmes.

King handles the inclusion of Holmes well, she even states that thi...more

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Sep 07, 2007 Jesse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Sherlock Holmes and Female detectives

Shelves: detective-mystery

I am by no means the most devoted of Holme's fans, though i do find him a very influential character on many newer characters I truly could not live without. So to that end, I could say I would be far less happy, literarilly(sp?), if Holme's had never existed.

Having said that you shall know to take my enthusiasm for this novel with a grain of salt, for I am biased in favor of the subject matter. Sherlock Holmes AND a strong female detective. Its like Laurie R. King is the love child of Sir Arthu...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Rbrads2000 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I listened to the Beekeeper's Apprentice audio book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The reader was excellent, Jenny Sterlin, which is of tremendous importance to stay interested. The book is about Sherlock Holmes, the Beekeeper, and his apprentice Mary Russell, a young and brilliant teenager who can keep up with and sometimes surpass Holmes and his extraordinary deductive mind and wit. They are both leading boring and uneventful lives until they meet. They are attracted to each other's rare brillianc...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my favorite book in the world. All the books in the series are great, but this is the first and best. I could probably recite the first chapter without looking I've read the book so many times. It one of the books I'll carry around with me everywhere just to have Mary Russell's voice around.

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Jan 22, 2013 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mary Russell is a smart, awkward, misplaced orphan who is living with her grumpy aunt on a farm, and she comes across Holmes, the detective in retirement, tending some beehives. Holmes finds in Mary Russell an unlikely intellectual equal, and the two of them form a partnership and a deep friendship that sees them through a variety of cases, and one in particular that puts their minds and their relationship to the test.

I'm not a die hard Sherlock Holmes fan (with the notable exception of the rece...more Mary Russell is a smart, awkward, misplaced orphan who is living with her grumpy aunt on a farm, and she comes across Holmes, the detective in retirement, tending some beehives. Holmes finds in Mary Russell an unlikely intellectual equal, and the two of them form a partnership and a deep friendship that sees them through a variety of cases, and one in particular that puts their minds and their relationship to the test.

I'm not a die hard Sherlock Holmes fan (with the notable exception of the recent British series "Sherlock", with the inimitable Benedict Cumbercatch playing the detective), and this book didn't grab me at all at first. The author starts off with a weird prologue about finding some letters and that she's really the editor, and it's distracting, confusing, and adds nothing to the book at all. That said, once you get through that odd (and unnecessary) literary device, the book is actually a lot of fun. Like I said, not being a die hard fan, I don't know if the author has captured Holmes' "voice", but all the other reviews says she has, so I'll buy that King has done a good job where that is concerned, and the relationship between him and Mary is believable as one of deep affection that never gets creepy. No small feat, that. Also, I don't know if we are supposed to like Sherlock Holmes---all of the incarnations of him that I've seen, the character goes to great lengths to establish the idea that he doesn't care if anybody likes him or not---but the reader genuinely comes to care for Mary Russell, or at the very least, to find her sympathetic.

All in all, a suprisingly good read. Not profoundly moving, but entertaining and impressively written, with a nice pace to keep the reader interested.

UPDATE: I just read another review that complains about King's treatment of Watson. Though I hadn't thought about it, and it didn't bother me at the time, it's true, Watson gets treated like dirt. Gone is the idea that he was indispensable to Holmes, or even a much needed friend, instead he is reduced to a bumbling, big hearted nincompoop who Holmes is only too happy to replace with sharp witted Mary Russell. Indeed, there are many times when Holmes trusts something to Mary that he says he never could to Watson, making it seem like Holmes was often just tolerant of Watson. So that makes me like the book a little less. Not a lot, but a little.(less)

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Nov 07, 2008 Ed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before DNA and CSI, there was Sherlock Holmes, and then here his bespectacled, tall, and blonde protege, the young Mary Russell. The beekeeping motif runs through their adventures in crimefighting and investigating. Engaging voice and superior writing lifts this a classic detective series.

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Jul 23, 2010 Lizzie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2010, got-rid-of

I know I read some, maybe all, of the Holmes stories when I was a kid. My knowledge of Sherlock Holmes is mostly from the movies, though, including that unfortunate picture in which Basil Rathbone, I mean Holmes, fights the Nazis. (I just googled and there are three Holmes vs. Nazi movies, for god's sake.)

Anyway, this is a perfectly adequate mystery (and I'm deliberately damning with faint praise), but the book is more about the relationship between Holmes and Mary Russell than about the mystery...more I know I read some, maybe all, of the Holmes stories when I was a kid. My knowledge of Sherlock Holmes is mostly from the movies, though, including that unfortunate picture in which Basil Rathbone, I mean Holmes, fights the Nazis. (I just googled and there are three Holmes vs. Nazi movies, for god's sake.)

Anyway, this is a perfectly adequate mystery (and I'm deliberately damning with faint praise), but the book is more about the relationship between Holmes and Mary Russell than about the mystery. I got kind of tired of the slow pace and the stilted Edwardian language, though it's well done and feels accurate.

Russell is way too much of a Mary Sue to take seriously: rich, brainy, and beautiful, with a tragic past. She's supposedly under her aunt's control but she's able to do whatever she wants. Everyone from her tutors to Watson and Mycroft Holmes adore her (you'd think, given the era, they'd just dismiss her as an annoyance.)

She's incredibly open minded and liberal for her time. When she and Holmes travel to Palestine you'd expect a young lady of her time and place to have disparaging things to say about filthy Arabs and that sort of thing, not to mention when they mix with working class people and impersonate Gipsys [sic:]. And surely a Jewish scholar of theology would refer to reading a copy of "the Pentateuch," not the "Jewish bible".

Another problem is that just like in the Basil Rathbone movies, Watson is condescendingly treated like a doddering moron. Jeeze, he's a doctor, he can't be that dumb. I figure he must be pretty smart, if Holmes hangs around with him. He's just not as smart as Holmes.

Well, people like spunky heroines, so I can see why they like this series. Lots of reviews by young women who profess their adoration of Mary Russell. But it's not for me. It's not the kind of psychological mystery (i.e., Ruth Rendell) that I like, so I'm not going to bother with the other books in the series. Too bad I bought more (used, but still) when I got this one.

I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that Holmes and Russell are going to get married in some later book. In many ways that seems less interesting than if they didn't. Say they realize they're too similar to be a good couple, a la Jo March and Laurie What's his name, or that they're both too autistic to care about each other "that way". Or if one or both of them declared themself asexual and not interested in romance. Or Mary is a Lesbian, which explains some of why she so readily dresses up in male clothing and impersonates a boy! I think I like that one the best. No, wait, Holmes has a thing for working class rent boys and this becomes part of their sex play. "'Ullo, gov'nor, got a warm place where a poor boy from the country could stay the night? Say, you dropped your pipe, why here it is. Summat else I could do for you while I'm down there?"

Anyway, far more interesting if the books would explore the tensions with those situations, or how one of them falls in love with someone else and that affects their partnership. But no, it's the usual everything leads to romance plot.(less)

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Jun 26, 2007 Darcy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not a mystery reader in general, and this book has been suggested to me over and over. Interesting take on the Holmes saga without really upsetting the Canon. Not entirely satisfied with the nemesis, though.

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Jan 07, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, suspense, fan

There's always room for ice-cream; it melts into the tiniest of cracks. So can this unhistorical dream filter into gaps you perhaps did not recognize, or forgot.
This is the most effective first-person narrator I have seen, instigates immediate identification. If you were a too smart, lonely gawky bespectacled teen, crash cost parental love, you cry every night, the adult responsible for your care provides hunger, cold, curses, swats, rejection ... Fall into this book.
You had a happy California...more There's always room for ice-cream; it melts into the tiniest of cracks. So can this unhistorical dream filter into gaps you perhaps did not recognize, or forgot.
This is the most effective first-person narrator I have seen, instigates immediate identification. If you were a too smart, lonely gawky bespectacled teen, crash cost parental love, you cry every night, the adult responsible for your care provides hunger, cold, curses, swats, rejection ... Fall into this book.
You had a happy California childhood before the accident. You come of age in the Great War amid maimed, missing men. You roam your Sussex farm away from neglect, trip over Sherlock Holmes. He fathers you; Mrs. Hudson mothers you; Watson, avuncular.
Holmes is retired, a beekeeper; you are his reviving apprentice. Each chapter is prefaced by a relevant bee care quote. The "queen" also refers to chess, and end strategy.
Why waste writing on Holmes' smoking, toxic poison habit? When pipes were popular, all my beloved uncles smoked them, although no longer. When I think of them, I unconsciously draw a deep breath. Sweet scents, strong in memory, soothe, comfort. Even remembered sharp sulfur tang of a sparked match evokes fireplace, bonfire, warmth, pleasant times. Clever.
Oxford uni brings fun and friends. Skills, especially disguise, gain in expertise. After a few years of training, increasing responsibility leads to full partner participation. Three cases escalate in danger to finally threaten lives of the detectives and their dearest. The local pub loses hams and cash. A senator's girl toddler vanish, ransom note has days to expiry (hers). Bombs explode in their rooms. Even Watson has to hide. His depiction here as a kindly bumbling dummmy is thankfully braver in films and TV shows (see my blog reviews).
Russell matures, suspense builds. Convoluted clues are offset by clear footprints. I did not like reading #11 in the series first. This debut is 5* - style, wit, ambience, mystery, action, in that order. There is a secret about the orphaning accident; you may guess, I did not.

Quotes:
"When active, strained vision only obscures and frustrates, looking away often permits the eye to see and interpret the shapes of what it sees. Thus does inattention allow the mind to register the still, small whisper of the daughter of the voice." p298
"That's what tears are for, you know, to wash away the fear and cool the hate." p141
"You cannot help being a female, and I should be something of a fool ... were I to discount your talents merely because of their housing ... a renowned bachelor such as myself, you probably would be more of an embarrassment were you a boy." p112 (less)

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Jun 01, 2011 Alexandria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mary was a great heroine to read the book through. She had a way of glossing over specific parts of the story but making me feel as though I wasn’t missing out on anything while she was doing it (I understand that a book further on in the series actually covers a ‘just touched on’ section).

Mary was a really fun narrator as she is obviously writing these memoires with hindsight so she is always putting in little things like ‘I wouldn’t find out why until years later’, which then makes me want to...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Bre rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-holmes-obsession

I am so glad I bought this. I came THIIIIS close to leaving it with the huffy sigh of one who doesn't want to read anymore silly, cardboard box pastiches with cardboard cutout Holmes' vomiting up the basic principles and almost word for word deductions our dear Mr. Doyle set as the foundation. It gets so old, watching the same movie reel of the character, no evoultion, Watson, you ARE my Boswell, the game's afoot and tweny pages of unispired dialouge about a case that no one is even enthused abo...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 15, 2010 Hazel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Beth

Shelves: crime

I haven't made up my mind about this. I wasn't a fan of Sherlock Holmes, and I'm somewhat suspicious of fanfiction, (a prejudice, of course). But King opens her story so sweetly that I can't resist. The Editor's Preface, the Author's Note are conceits, but charming conceits. And then,

I was fifteen when I first met Sherlock Holmes, fifteen years old with my nose in a book as I walked the Sussex Downs, and nearly stepped on him. In my defence I must say it was an engrossing book, and it was very

...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2009 Sps rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: story, mystery

First, what it isn't: this is not a Holmes story in the Conan Doyle tradition. Nor is it as brilliant as its characters purportedly are. There's more telling and less showing than I'd like, and it comes off as a bit obnoxious and conventional. Conventionally obnoxious.

What it is: a mystery novel set in WWI/postwar England mostly Oxford, rural Sussex, and bits of London, with unabashedly brainy characters. The buildup to the central story is once kind of slow, for a mystery, and simultaneously f...more

1 like · like · see review

May 06, 2010 Shelli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: brilliant, defiant, strong girls who love stories

This is a book for kick-ass girls who are brilliant, defiant, and strong. It's one of my favorites and encouraged me to buy the whole series, most of which is uniformly excellent. Mary Russell is a delightfully feisty creature and she takes the irascible Sherlock Holmes and turns him into a figure of endearment. I adore stories in which the protagonists are somewhat unlovable due to their own personal failings, and yet with whom you become enamored by the end of the tale. A great read, again and...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2010 Tara Chevrestt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, england, library

What a great idea! The author has created a lady assistant to the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Mary Russell matches him in wit, smarts, and most likely surpasses him the looks department. They meet when she is 15 and he is 45 and the story begins...

My problems: A. The beginning is full of irrelevant stuff like her schooling and her participating in plays. B. It takes WAY too long for the book to reach the case talked about on the book flap. By the time I reached that point, I discovered my mind wa...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2010 Janelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I'm not a huge mystery fan but I try to expand my choices to many genres. This book was a classic type mystery. It's a story of young Mary Russell and how she comes to be an apprentice of the one and only Sherlock Holmes. They solve mysteries from a wife suspicious of her husbands illness, to a kidnapped American senators daughter, to a plot to kill both Holmes and Russell.

I have never read anything about Sherlock Holmes so I have nothing to compare this writing to. I liked it, but sometimes I t...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 24, 2008 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I might have already said this about another book, but: this is my favourite book ever! :-)

Brilliantly written text, snappy dialogue, a very unique premise, and excellent storytelling make this entire series a pleasure to read. I have rationed them and save each book for a vacation or a special time - by doing so, I have made the series last maybe two years, but I'm almost done and will be sad to finish Locked Rooms.

The books take place in Sherlock Holmes' later years, after his brillian...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 14, 2009 Ari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This combination of mystery and companionship introduces Mary Russell as the new partner to the great Sherlock Holmes. This book had a great balance of humor and suspense so as not to bore the reader but to also not to keep it too serious. The characters too are very multidimensional.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Lidiab rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Where has this book been all my life? This book is fantastic, you'll discover another side to S. Holmes you never know you liked. King has done an amazing job putting together these 'manuscripts'. 75% through and will be sad when it's done.

1 like · like · see review

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About Laurie R. King

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

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1)

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