The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Fabulous series. I've read the series over and over - and reread this one after the most recent release regarding Mrs. Hudson's story. It was like coming home. Beach reading without shame.

3.5* rounded up to 4 because I have a little literary crush on Russell. She's the perfect partner for King's version of Holmes.

There's exotic travels, masterful disguises and real threats to life. Familiar characters were rounded out nicely and new ones fitted in well. However, I wasn't surprised by the villain and found the ending slightly humdrum after the previous fun and games.

I'm quite surprised that so many of these have been written. I'll definitely read at least another one or two to see if King can keep this up.

My God, it's awful.

Next

(The heroine is rude, obnoxious, insufferable, self-good marysue and I hate her.
Also, she's 15 and he's 50±3 when they first meet, and within 10 years they are married.)

Yeah. So, I feel bad not liking this, because I borrowed it from a friend who really likes it, but I spent most of my time wanting to slowly walk away.

People are mad about the character assassination of Dr. John Watson – and don't get me wrong, me too – but the fatal flaw is the character assassination of Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps all the more pernicious because King actually does get Holmes' voice pretty dead-on. But his actions... The very idea that it's OK for any 50-something year old man to carry on flirtatious conversations with a 15 year old is already pretty obnoxious; the idea that a 19 year old referring to her 58 year old “surrogate father” as her “near-lover” in literally the same sentence is egregious. But at the idea of this middle-aged Romeo being Sherlock Holmes causes words to fail me. Yes, I realize that the author herself married a man 30 years her senior when she was in her early 20's and therefore might mistake grooming for romance, but there's no excuse for it to have been published that way.

One star for a semi-decent mystery when I ignored that drivel, but the pacing was poor and there were multiple details lacking (especially the Hebrew: Mary “translates” Armageddon as “Ar Megido” as...I don't know, evidence of her Hebraic superiority. It's “Har Megido.” “Har” means mountain.) But it's not worth nitpicking something that has a glaring flaw. Wikipedia tells me Mary grows up and marries Holmes: I'm out.

Read Aug 6th, 2022
Immaculate pacing and writing, still one of my all-time favorites.

Read Dec 7th, 2014
I loved all of it. I couldn't pick out my favorite part right now if you asked me because I have too many. What is it about the bonding of intelligent people that I find so fascinating? I think it is the fact that I don't see it happen everyday.

I didn't expect it to be as technically-written or be so detailed just in the preparing of a cup of tea. But I loved all of it.

I was regretting the fact that I had heard a spoiler about the later books in the series that was one of the main reasons I picked up the book in the first place. But I hadn't given the credit the book was due.

I liked the fact that this Sherlock Holmes was an original; for me, at least–there may very well be other versions similar to this one out there. And Mary Russell was indeed an exceptional character.

There were so many subtleties that I know some are going to overlook because I know there were some that I did. However, the ones that I was able to decipher were nothing short of astounding. I couldn't ask for more–well I could, but it'd just be to satisfy my own guilty pleasure preferences.

I loved all of it. That's all you really need to know.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice (and its sequels) were recommended to me after I started reading [b:The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I 10147 The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Arthur Conan Doyle http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166126820s/10147.jpg 6658462]. I am most definitely grateful for that recommendation as it pointed me in the direction of a very charming and entertaining book. Mary Russell is a wonderful character and narrator, and I look forward to reading more in this series.

If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes and a good mystery, then you will certainly enjoy this wonderfully written novel! The author does a fabulous job of recreating the same whit and atmosphere that made the Arthur Conan Doyle books so popular. A must read if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes.