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

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 1

By: Laurie R. King

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

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).

This program includes a preface read by the author.

©1994 Laurie R. King (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

• Agatha Award, Best Novel Nominee

“Wonderfully original and entertaining . . . absorbing from beginning to end.” —Booklist

“King has stepped onto the sacred literary preserve of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, poached Holmes, and brilliantly brought him to life again.” —The Washington Post Book World

“A fascinating and often moving account of a friendship so unusual and so compelling that one almost accepts it as being historically real.” —The Denver Post

Marvelous tale, told and read well

The characters throughout were clearly conveyed and movingly told. The reader did a marvelous job of all the voices. Well recommended to anyone who loves Holmes mysteries.

Great take on the Holmes mythology

I had read the book years ago and forgot how good it was. I'm glad I decided to "read" it again. I would check it out. An excellent and in entertaining story.

Exceptional!

I couldn't wait to get to this every day. The last three chapters were nail biters! I will get the next in the series.

I'm a Sherlock fan - and I loved it!

I love the Sherlock books, so I wasn't sure that I was going to accept a new character in his life, but Mary fit right in! Great progression - it felt like it was written in the same style as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's. The stories just moved forward by adding this wonderful new layer to the rainbow.

Such a great story

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! Well-written, engaging, and heart-warming with some mystery on the side.
It did take a little to get to the mystery part, which is more what I was expecting, but the explaining was needed to build the backstory before you get there so it all has context. Stay with it!

Enthralling!

I’ve listened to this book twice (a year or so apart), and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It held my attention to the point of not wanting to stop it despite having other things to do! I’m glad I purchased it.

Creative, inventive, engaging, take on Sherlock Holmes

Love the feisty, intelligent, brave character of Mary Russell the young protégé of Sherlock Holmes. The writing is exquisite.
The narration was OK but not great.

Slow Plot with Too Much Telling

There's a lot of story missing in this book. Exposition time skips can be interesting if done right, but that isn't the case here. I found it a chore when constantly being told (as opposed to shown) what happened.

Enjoyable

This was a perfectly good listen when all pistons were firing, but it definitely got bogged down at times. The character of Mary was fun and interesting and the author did a good job of capturing the Holmes we all know and love. But my mind wandered during the times when the story got sidetracked and away from the cases. The Palestine trip read like a Zionist travelogue and it felt really jarring in the midst of a mystery novel; like the author was attempting to bring true depth to a not particularly deep book. And just to make it clear, I would have felt the same way had she gone to Rome and waxed poetic for quite a long time about Catholicism while quoting scripture. It just seemed out of place.

That said, it was an enjoyable listen although I probably won't seek out any more of the series.

Too much meandering

The first 2 1/2 hours of this book could easily be paired down to 30 minutes. there was no need for such and extensive background when it would all be revisited again later anyway. it really didn't add anything to the story. Like most Sherlock fiction the end is never really in doubt. The performance is fairly well done but the prose could use some work.