Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best
Review: Im not all the way finished with this book, however, it is one of the best i have read by far. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. If you enjoy a little adventure, with vivid details, this is the book for you. Laurie R. King takes you through cases that appear very realistic, it traps you in another world.
Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing take on Sherlock Holmes
Review: At least once or twice every year I find myself in a Holmes state of mind. Basil Rathbone makes numerous appearances on my screen at this time and books--by Conan Doyle as well as others--are strewn across the couch. And even though this has been going on for years, my first experience with Mary Russell and Laurie King's Holmes came only two days ago. A new name has indeed been added to my yearly Holmes phase.Laurie King's Holmes is subtle. And it is because of that that he is entirely believable, and what's more, remarkably likeable. As another reviewer noted, under King's hand and through Mary Russell's eyes the aging detective is human, almost fallible. Little gestures, small displays of emotion, makes the reader care about him on a personal level that cannot be reached when he is shown only as the master of deduction. King's treatment of this classic fictional figure has added a new element to my devotion. I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of the series to see how Holmes progresses in this regard. Russell is a strong protagonist. Admittedly, when I first started the book I had a problem with the fact that she was fifteen years old--the voice didn't seem quite right, or believable. I suppose it's not completely out of the scope of reason that a fifteen year old was/is capable of having a quick, intelligent mind, but one that could compete on a level with Holmes? (One, no less, that had seemingly little challenging education other than the books she constantly had her nose in.) I'm not entirely sure about that. It may just be that she intrigued him with the intelligence she displayed for her age, but that doesn't seem to be the case, at least not totally. I just found it rather curious that King decided to have her meet Holmes at such a young age. However, this was a very little thing in the overall scheme, and it might, in part, be explained away by the fact that she is actually telling the story from an older point-of-view. The set-up of the novel was wonderful in that the first half stayed true to the short stories of Conan Doyle being presented a case at a time as they were. Each case could have been read on its own, but added to the whole picture that the novel made. The final case is the focus, or the main mystery, and is a satisfying one at that. A good challenge for the budding partnership of Holmes and Russell, but not so much for the reader because once the leading clues are given there's very little to figure out from there. If the remaining Mary Russell books are of the same quality as 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice' then this series will be a fixture in my personal Holmes library. (As a side note, Carole Nelson Douglas's Irene Adler series pits another strong woman with a brilliant mind against poor Holmes--and she's straight out of Conan Doyle's story 'A Scandal in Bohemia'.)
Rating:
Summary: A Different Take on Sherlock Holmes
Review: It is not very often that a fictional character outlives his creator, but Sherlock Holmes is one of them. Laurie R. King takes on the challenge of writing a Holmes novel with a twist. Instead of using Dr. Watson as the master sleuth's sidekick she introduces Mary Russell a precocious 15-year old to handle the chores Holmes gave Watson to do and much more.
King uses the style that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle developed by claiming only to be editing Russell's manuscripts, just as Doyle claimed to Watson's editor. Holmes takes Russell under his wing and trains her in his methods and by the end of the novel she will become a true partner and not just a helper the way Holmes treated Watson. Holmes at times has to deal with Mary's rebelliousness and temper tantrums when she feels he does not take her seriously or confide in her. Some of her tantrums are justified as Holmes can be quite imperious with women of any age. Holmes is less aloof and more humanized in this story. Doyle's Holmes always seemed cold and unfeeling, only concerned with solving the puzzle presented to him and never empathizing with his clients. The book has all the elements of a doyle story including many of the characters that populated Holmes's life. King updates the action to the era of World War I, although she needs to fudge a bit on Holmes's age. Doyle gave you the impression that Holmes was elderly when he retired to Sussex where he tended his beehives; King puts him in his mid fifties claiming that Watson made them both appear older to make Holmes's acclomplishments more realistic to the readers. Holmes through King claims Watson embellished details of the Holmesian canon. Another interesting aspect of the "Beekeeper's Apprentice" is the short interlude of Holmes and Russell in Palestine. This plot thread will be fully developed in another Holmes-Russell book entitled "O Jerusalem" another enjoyable read. Many writers have tried to write Sherlock Holmes stories and failed, but these two are extremely well done.
Rating:
Summary: Mary Russell is a wonderful compliment to S.Holmes!!!
Review: This is a fantastic book and Laurie King should be praised for her adaptations of the 18th century and Sherlockian abilities!
Ms. Russell is reminded me of Irene Adler a bit in her abilites
to detect or see the obvious as Holmes so many times softly
critisized his parter for a quarter of a century Dr. Watson.
All together this book is fantastic...it has twists and turns,
giving Mary her own abilities and acknowledgements for them.
The story line has its appeal and keeps you involved. I truly
enjoyed this book. Of the many attempts by many authors to write
within the "sherlockian" world...this is the best by far!!!!
A true treat!
Rating:
Summary: Highly Reccomended
Review: The title of my review pretty much says it all. I intitially read with wariness afraid that King wouldn't be able to write Holmes properly. But, as it turns out she writes a convincing Holmes and manages to add a little more depth to Doyle's character.
Mary Rusell is a wonderful new character and her gender and quick intelligence make her partnership with Holmes nothing at all like Holmes' and Watson's.
King's style of writing is elegant without being flowery and is perfect for the novel. Props.
Rating:
Summary: Great twist on the Sherlock Holmes Mystique
Review: Mary Russell is a brillliant young woman of 15. While wandering Sussex Downs one day, she literally stumbles over a prone figure in the grass. This person turns out to be none other than the great Sherlock Holmes, and so begins a new friendship and the eventual partnership of a crime solving team of sleuths.
In the prologue we learn that the book is a rememberance of Mary Russell's manuscripts, written at the age of 90. Mary is surprised to learn that Sherlock Holmes is perceived to be a fictional character, yet she knew him as a living man.
She tells the story of meeting Sherlock, their unusal friendship, and his tutelage of Mary in the fine art of observation and solving puzzles. Eventually when Holmes is called in on a kidnapping case, Mary accompanies him, and helps solve the crime. Within a few months they are being stalked by a ruthless killer, who seems intent on ending their partnership by ending their lives.
Having been a Holmes fan for many years, I was pleased to find a book that didn't alter the total character of Holmes, but just added more dimension to him. I throughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to many more.
Rating: 
Summary: bored to tears if not a Sherlock Holmes fan
Review: (i am not going to give a summery of the book cause i figure you can read the ones given. I am just going to go into my opinion of the book) I was bored to tears reading this book. It was slow and when it came to finding the clues and figuring out what they meant...the reader didn't get the chance to try to figure it out as well. The answer was just given to you. Now I admit I am not a Sherlock Holmes fan, so that maybe have a little bit to do with why I was bored. A true fan will probably like this book because it does open up a new angle on his mysteries. that angle being what happen to him when he got older and wanted to retire.
The only other good thing about this book is that it did have a few scenes that made your blood run and helped you read a little faster, however there wasn't enough of that to keep it flowing well.
in the end...
If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan than read this book, you might like it, just don't expect it to be like a normal Sherlock Holmes book. If you are not a Sherlock Holmes fan....rent this from the library if you really feel you must read it. its better than paying full price for it.
Rating:
Summary: BLASPHEME!!! Oh wait, this is pretty good......
Review: I picked up this novel wanting to hate it. Really. It's just wrong to take the most popular character in Literature and make him your own....or at least I thought. The only thing that interested me about this novel at all was the astounding audacity of Laurie King, but that audacity did intrigue me. I picked up the novel, and it really blew me away. The writing is so superb, and the characters are so loveable and wonderful. The premise of this novel really sounds absurd. Sherlock Holmes is getting older, moving into his fifties, but he's still just as sharp as he ever was. He's officially retired and taking care of bees, but he still manages to take on the occasional interesting case. Into his world, moves Mary Russell, the narrator, who at the beginning of the novel is 15 and is an American. Russell's mind is every bit as sharp as Holmes's, and he takes her under his wing to develop it. Together, the two go through a series of cases teaching Russell, and are eventually confronted with a case which challenges both to their upmost abilities. There are so many strengths to this novel. First, the plots of the succeeding cases are extremely entertaining. The first cases develop the characters, and set the reader up for the enormous, suspenceful finale. I just love the narration, too. Mary Russell is humorous and insightful, and her prose and pace flows as elegantly as Jane Austen's. And of course, the primary success of The Beekeeper's Apprentice are the characterizations. Doyle created one of the great characters in literature with Sherlock Holmes, and King certainly respects the creation. King just shows newer dimensions to the character, her little take on him. In this novel, Holmes has every bit of the cleverness Doyle gave him and quite a bit of added humanity. Mary Russell is a wonderful counterpart for the aging detective, and the relationship developed between the two is really touching. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is truly a fantastic novel. I think that most, if not all, of Holmes's older fans can be won over by King's novel.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful New Twist on Sherlock Holme's World
Review: I've been a fan of Conan Doyle portrait of that great detective Sherlock Holmes -through the eyes of Dr. Watson- since I was fifteen. So when I came across this book in my local library, I picked it up. My hopes were not very high, but after the first chapter I was hooked. Obviously, this portrait is not exactly the same as the one Sir Arthur painted, but the differences only serve to enhance the character. This Holmes is much more human, much more troubled, much more in need of another human being but without leaving behind the intelligence and keen powers of observation that are his trademark. And Mary Russell is a perfect delight. As intelligent and as keen as Holmes, at first she wanders about alone, without support, without help, without love from her only living relative. Holmes will cover all those needs, and more besides. After finishing the book, I bought it for myself and bought all the other four books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Fun!
Review: This was quite an enjoyable summer read. As a school librarian, I also think this would be wonderful for avid readers in the 7th through 9th grades. I'm going to read the other books in the series on my summer vacation!
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