The Beekeeper's Apprentice Paperback – January 1, 2010

Overall Review: Meet Mary Russell. Brilliant, lonely, and orphaned, she just happens to stumble onto someone while walking and reading a book. That person is none other than the imitable Sherlock Holmes! From that point on, these two are almost inseparable as Russell begins to learn at the feet of a master. They pass through case after case where I admit to feeling bewildered at times by the things they can `see' and wondering `whodunnit'--and we even hear those famous and enshrined words: "Elementary, my dear!" What fun! It has been many years since I've read a mystery novel, and even more since I read one as well written and clean as `The Beekeeper's Apprentice'! Ms. King has a thoughtful, profound and insightful writing style. The story is inspiring as we see the inner workings of the mind, and fast paced enough to keep you turning the pages. I loved the banter between Holmes and Mary Russell. I enjoyed seeing many well-known characters again such as Watson, Inspector Lestrade, Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson, and even Moriarty makes a bit of a cameo. This is written much in the same style and language as the original Sherlock Holmes series, so if you are a fan of those, it's possible you will like this as well. And if you've never read one, this is a fun place to start! I'm looking forward to reading more of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries! Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.Content Review:PROFANITY: few mild instancesVIOLENCE: few mild instances and one strong instanceSEXUAL CONTENT: NoneMATURE THEMES: ModerateRECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+There was some profanity scattered throughout. It was never concentrated anywhere, but one mild word here and there every now and then. There is absolutely no sexual content. Since this is a mystery/thriller, there is some violence, but it is reasonable (can you say violence is reasonable?) and not overwhelming. Nothing is written out in gory detail for shock value. Some characters are shot. Bombs are laid and characters are hurt or die. There is a kidnapping. Some characters die. Some characters are held at gunpoint and that is pretty intense. I put the mature theme at moderate just because of the nature of the novel itself. It is, after all, a mystery with a lot of action. Much of it is purely psychological as the facts are revealed and we wonder who it could be and why. I would consider this to be a clean read, and appropriate for ages 16+.This review was written by EmilyA Squeaky Clean Reads Book ReviewerTo see more fantastic books reviewed with content in mind, visit us at squeakycleanreads!

The pages of the physical book were a little yellowed, which obscures some of the type (a little).The novel itself is great. I would highly recommend it. The narrative voice is well-defined and engaging, and the prose is literate. There are a bunch of books in the series, and I plan to get at least a few more of them.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice is one of those books that takes a well known fictional character, in this case Sherlock Holmes, and reimagines him in a new situation. This can be a disaster, but in this case it is a triumph. This book was first published in the 1990's and was not on my radar. The author has written quite a few sequels to this, which I look forward to reading.Sherlock is in semi-retirement in the country and keeps bees as a hobby. Mary Russell is a 17 year old girl who literally stumbles onto him in a field. She is bookish and lonely, living with her nasty aunt after the death of her parents and brother. Mary narrates the story of how she and Sherlock meet and start a cautious friendship. This evolves into Sherlock helping to hone Mary's innate analytical skills and they begin to work together. The first book contains a couple of mysteries that are well done. In addition to the mystery, you see the growing respect and admiration between the two. There is a hint of potential love (not creepy) later in the book when Mary is a young adult. These two really need each other to heal old wounds.I have never read any Sherlock Holmes or seen the movie and tv offerings, but of course the character and Dr. Watson are familiar. No prior knowledge is required to follow and enjoy the plots. It does make me want to read some of the original Arthur Conan Doyle though. This book hits all the points I require for a 5 star rating: good story, interesting characters, page-turner, and intelligently and well written. Please give this book a try!

From the very first page, we were totally enjoying this reworked, Sherlock Holmes tale, the first in a series.The story begins in the retirement phase of Sherlock Holmes who has become a countrified, however rather idle and bored, observer and keeper of bees. Enters a teenage girl, Miss Russell, who literally trips over Holmes, as he is lying in a field, watching a new swarm of bees that heretofore was not in his hives. The sassy interloper in Holmes's bee study, immediately captivates the famous detective, since the teenager is an intelligent freethinker and an equally keen observer of her surroundings and ever-curious about all life in general. After a fashion, Holmes and Russell team up to solve a series of mysteries, some quite deadly.As the investigative duo move from clue to clue, setting to setting, disguise to disguise, and solution to solution of crimes and misdemeanors, a father-daughter relationship develops. Holmes tests Russell's skills by taking her through the many skills and intuition needed to survive and solve the challenges of crime fighting. Russell proves, over and over, that she's up to the tasks that Holmes sets her. Eventually, a big challenge to solve a very complex set of crimes leads Holmes and Russell abroad, then back to England, and a final confrontation of an old enemy.Besides being a fun read, this tale is intelligent, offering many thought-provoking issues about those who commit crimes, as well as those who try to bring the wrongdoers to justice.. The moral center of both Holmes and Russell pushes them to take a can-do, fearless attitude to risk all to bring the guilty toward their just punishments. I highly recommend this tale and look forward to its sequel, which I've already downloaded.

Loved this book

The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first Sherlock Holmes novel I have read by anyone other than Doyle! She stays in character and the language of the era. King has recreated Holmes flawlessly and breathed life into Mary Russell. No doubt she has matured and grown in the sequels to The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I look forward to reading them all.

Kindleに入れたくて買いました。大好きな小説です。

I really enjoyed this unique look into the world of Sherlock Holmes and, of course, of Mary Russell. The author covers quite a lot of ground, from the time the two meet when Mary is 15, through the thrilling end of a case that has a profound effect on both of them, some years later. Nonetheless, she finds the right balance between summary (leaps in time with mere references to intervening events) and detail (key events in the story described in great detail), with little hints of foreshadowing, to keep the story flowing at a good pace with increasing suspense through the climax. I also enjoy the relationship between Holmes and Russell... there again it seems to fit the era and the possibilities well enough, underplayed rather than overplayed, unlike other books I tried a few years ago, which stretched things a bit too far for my taste. The feminist aspects are also there, of course, Mary Russell being a women, but are also kept within reasonable and fitting limits.I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes, and perhaps even Amelia Peabody (by E. Peters). There is a little something in Mary's first-person storytelling style that reminds me just a bit of Amelia...

Very gripping