First in Laurie King's acclaimed Mary Russell crime series: ' Beguiling variation on Sherlock Holmes sequels...King's novel is civilized, ingenious and engrossing. Best of all, it has heart' -- Literary Review What would happen if typical Victorian man Sherlock Holmes came face to face with a twentieth-century female? And what if she grew to be a partner worthy of his legendary talents. In The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie King tells the story of Mary Russell, who in 1914 meets a retired beekeeper on the Sussex Downs. His name is Sherlock Holmes. Pompous, smug and misogynistic, the Great Detective can still spot a fellow intellect, even in a fifteen-year-old woman. At first he takes Mary on as his apprentice on small, local cases, gradually working up to larger investigations. All the time Mary is developing as a detective in her own right, but then the sky opens on them, and Holmes and Mary find themselves the targets of a slippery, murderous and apparently all-knowing adversary. Together they devise a plan to trap their enemy -- a plan that may save their lives, but may also kill their relationship...
I started reading this because I had read Laurie King's short story in the Sherlock anthology she edited a few months ago, and I really liked how her story felt like a plausible Sherlock Holmes story - she was true to what I saw in the character of the world's greatest detective.
This story didn't disappoint - I'd like to think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself would be pleased with the book. True, it showed a slightly more human Sherlock, but since it's told from a female viewpoint, it's plausible (Sherlock was always a gentleman with the ladies in his cases). His cold logic, however, and certain lack of humanity, were still there to be seen. The book covers a lot of time - about 4 (5?) years and more than a few cases, ranging from trivial to life-changing. I enjoyed the narrative of Mary Russell, and I appreciated the austere style of writing.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who's read the Sherlock Holmes cannon and wants to keep visiting with the man. Be sure to read the Editor's preface - it threw me for a loop and I still don't know wether to believe it to be true or not, but it certainly puts a different spin on one's reading.
Reading updates
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25 June, 2012:
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25 June, 2012:
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Started reading
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Finished reading
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25 June, 2012:
Reviewed