Review of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes, Book 1)

Author: Laurie R. King
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review By: Shana

​Entertaining variation on the Sherlock Holmes canon. King imagines the famous sleuth, now in his 50s, and introduces him to the similarly gifted but unpolished 15-year-old Mary Russell. She becomes his apprentice, friend, and eventual partner.  

The novel has a vintage feel and takes place starting in 1915, with period-appropriate details and a keen eye that both borrows from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock, but also takes liberties (though taking plains to give explanations for such diversions from the canon). The plotting is deliberate and leisurely, so this is not for those who like their mysteries and thrillers frenetic. But if you are interested in the moving parts of becoming a detective, can enjoy characters that are distinctive but not flashy, and don’t mind more sedate pacing, this might be for you.
​ 
This is the first of a long-running series and I enjoyed the point-counterpoint of two brilliant minds, both a bit separated from the masses but still eminently human. I look forward to more adventures with Holmes and Russell.