Laurie R. King

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or, On the Segregation of the Queen

A chance meeting with a Sussex beekeeper turns into a pivotal, personal transformation when fifteen-year-old Mary Russell discovers that the beekeeper is the reclusive, retired detective Sherlock Holmes, who soon takes on the role of mentor and teacher. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

Or On the Segregation of the Queen

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Sarah Sammis

I read The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King when it was the only book in the series. I read it during a train ride between Los Angeles and San Diego and back. After that book I was hooked and I have continued to keep up to date with the series (something I rarely do).

In January I was reading The Canary Trainer by Nicholas Meyer and about five pages into the first chapter I was struck by how much it reminded me of The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Knowing full well that Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain I came to the conclusion that both books must be derived from the same source material. I quick search online (something not as easy to do the last time I read this book) I realized I haven't read the last two Holmes stories: Sherlock Holmes Returns and The Last Bow. I also got the hankering to re-read the first book in King's series.

In 1915, fifteen year old Mary Russell literally stumbles over Sherlock Holmes as he's studying his bees and she has her nose in a book. It takes her less than minute to figure out who he is and to put him in his place. Thus begins their friendship and her apprenticeship.

When I read the book the first time, it seemed to fly by. This second time I realize the book has three distinct parts that are almost like connected novellas than a single novel. The first piece is Russell's meeting with Holmes and their early friendship. Next comes their first case together and a scene that feels like foreshadowing of the a similar rescue in The Language of Bees. The final part is the real case where Russell's life is in danger. It's also the piece that introduces the next pair of books in the series.

On the second round through the book lost a little bit of its magic for me but I still enjoyed it. I hadn't appreciated the first time how much of the series must have been planned at the writing of this book. But I was impatient with young Russell having seen her grow and learn her skills as a detective.

The first tale in this bestselling series is repackaged. Long retired, Sherlock Holmes never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own--much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes's pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. Reissue.

Cindy Lieberman

What if Sherlock Holmes retired to the countryside to raise bees... and happened to meet a young woman with a mind not unlike his own? That's the conceit behind this thoroughly enjoyable first book in the series about Sherlock Holmes and his young apprentice, Mary Russell. Their "adventures" are recounted by Mary. An exceptional series for fans of Sherlock Holmes.

'The Beekeeper's Apprentice' tells the story of Mary Russell, a young woman who in 1914, meets a retired beekeeper on the Sussex Downs. His name is Sherlock Homes, and he soon takes Mary on as his apprentice.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Or on the Segregation of the Queen

Kwan Ann Tan

What a ride! I feel like this is every teenage-girl-obsessed-with-Sherlock-Holmes's dream book, and I really enjoyed it! The age gap of this romance is a more than a little strange, though, and the 38 years made me more than a little uncomfortable. It would have been much nicer if Mary was slightly older! The adventure is a thrilling one, nonetheless, and it's definately a pleasant read.

Re-read on 27/4/2017: 
Yep, still as interesting as I first remember-- although I don't think I quite understood the historical nuances at the time, so this re-read left me with a much better impression & a craving to read the rest of the series!

A chance meeting with an elderly beekeeper turns into a pivotal, personal transformation when fifteen-year-old Mary Russell discovers that the beekeeper is the reclusive, retired master detective Sherlock Holmes, who soon takes on the role of mentor and teacher. Reissue.

Melody Izard

Just what I need. Another must read series. But here it is. Such a smart little book. I don't know much about Sherlock Holmes, but I bet I'd be a fan. 
Mary Russell is smart and troubled and a perfect partner to bring Sherlock out of retirement. I'll read all of these.

Giulia Pianta

Ugh did not really enjoy this one.
It must be said that I am a very purist fan of Sherlock, I like the original one ONLY, the one from the book and from the Jeremy Brett movies. Everyone else is just not Sherlock.

So what bothered me to no end here is that the writer took the character and changed him to her liking. He would be too old? Let's make him younger! He would be too rude with a young girl? Let's make him nicer and pretend it was Watson that described him wrong!
Sorry but that is not how this works. You can't write a book about a super well-known character but change him to the point of almost no recognition just because otherwise it would not fit the plot you had in mind! It feels like she wanted to get her mystery novels to success so took a famous detective's name to sell more copies. Or worse, she is so fascinated by Holmes that she wrote a fanfiction where she is the self-inserted female protagonist Mary, like yuck!

Mary is also the biggest Mary Sue I have ever read. Like, she knows how to do everything, she is oh so smart and great at deduction, everyone loves her, she has every skill from chess playing to first-aid, and she is supposedly from the beginning of the 1900. Yeah, sure. I get the trying-to-make-it-feminist but this is a stretch.

Also, why does the author hate Watson so much??? He is treated like the bumbling idiotic fool of the village, and everyone looks down on him because they are soooo smart and he is so frigging stupid. ugh.

The plot is way too long. I may be used to Agatha Christie's short books, but I do think a mystery is good when it is not too long. You get a murder, investigations, and the culprit was under your nose the whole time. But noooo, here the first half of the book is Mary and Holmes getting to know each other, her learning how to be a detective, her going to university. When they realise an enemy is approaching, and the story FINALLY seems to getting somewhere, they leave. Like they leave the country and go to Jerusalem???? For like way too many pages?? I just don't get why the climax had to be ruined like this. The trip is also the less interesting thing ever, as they just hung around, have adventures Mary doesn't bother to tell, and nothing. Pages of nothing, then we are back in England and nothing happens for a while. Finally, in 20 pages all the mystery and the action and the culprit is found and end. ARRRGGGH
And the murderer was a character that was mentioned once in passage, so the reader could not even try to guess as there are no suspects and the culprit is just a random woman. No no no, the best part of mystery books such as Christie's is that you have all the clues to guess who did it, but you still are surprised. Here, it was a near stranger never even really seen before.
Her backstory is also ridiculous, she hated Holmes and casually had his protégé as student? Talk about luck!

Lastly, the most DISTURBING thing is the budding romance between the middle aged Holmes and the 20-year-old Mary. I am seriously disgusted by this, he could be her father!! Why, why did this have to happen? This is why it is a fanfiction, the author just had a crush on Sherlock so wrote about meeting him and being so smart and hot that she could be the one to make him fall in love YUCK I may be a bit harsh but it is not normal, the age gap is too wide and ugh so disgusting

I have the next two books in the series, and I am debating whether I should just chuck them away or read them just to laugh at the stupidity and barf at the romance.

Oh and also, why does this book have a higher rating than Agatha Christie's books????? WHATT?? this is the proof that the ratings are so off so often. I can't believe someone would read this hyper-long, uber-descriptive, boring and problematic book and rate it higher than The Mysterious Affair at Styles, I guess they really do have two different audiences (since this is more of a romantic fanfic!!!)

The Twentieth-Anniversary Edition of the First Novel of the Acclaimed Mary Russell Series by Edgar Award–Winning Author Laurie R. King. An Agatha Award Best Novel Nominee • Named One of the Century's Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees in Sussex when a young woman literally stumbles onto him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes. Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern, twentieth-century woman proves a deft protégée and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective. They are soon called to Wales to help Scotland Yard find the kidnapped daughter of an American senator, a case of international significance with clues that dip deep into Holmes's past. Full of brilliant deduction, disguises, and danger, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, the first book of the Mary Russell–Sherlock Holmes mysteries, is "remarkably beguiling" (The Boston Globe).

or, On the Segregation of the Queen

diana

i actually didn’t finish this book but i got pretty close. i just wasn’t feeling this book as much as i thought i would.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or, On the Segregation of the Queen Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1

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