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

Written by Laurie R. King

Narrated by Jenny Sterlin

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jan 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781427251497

Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Kate Martinelli novels and the acclaimed Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mysteries, as well as a few stand-alone novels. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the first in her Mary Russell series, was nominated for an Agatha Award and was named one of the Century’s Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. A Monstrous Regiment of Women won the Nero Wolfe Award. She has degrees in theology, and besides writing she has also managed a coffee store and raised children, vegetables, and the occasional building. She lives in northern California.

Reviews for The Beekeeper's Apprentice

[eclecticdodo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First in a series of Sherlock Holmes spin-offs, or, as my husband describes it, fan fiction. Holmes is retired to Sussex, where he takes on a young female apprentice. There are various cases, some connected, some not. I enjoyed the writing style and I found the mysteries to be better than Arthur Conan Doyle's original books. This is definitely a series I will continue with.

[lkarr-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of Laurie King's wonderful series relating the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Mary Russell.

[alyssa.jocson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fun read featuring a quick-witted girl who proves she can keep up with Sherlock Holmes.

[loriephillips · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the year of 1915, fifteen year old Mary Russell, an orphan girl of superior intellect, literally stumbles upon the middle aged and retired, Sherlock Holmes. The highly intellegent Holmes is impressed with this awkward but brilliant and somewhat troubled girl. He takes her under his wing and she soon becomes his apprentice in the art of detection. Over the next three years Russell takes on a few cases that are successively more complicated, until she and Holmes take on a more personal and dangerous case that threatens their very lives.I recently read "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and "A Study in Scarlet", both by Arthur Conan Doyle, and really enjoyed them. I was intrigued by "The Beekeepers Apprentice" and thought I'd give it a try, not really expecting it to live up to the original. How wrong I was! While this story is written from Russell's perspective and she is the primary character, Laurie King also takes the character of Sherlock Holmes and gives him more depth than Doyle's original stories, and she does it without changing Holmes basic personality or temperment. While a more well-rounded, fully developed character, Sherlock Holmes is recognizably himself in this engaging and satisfying tale. I loved it! Highly recommended.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

1st book of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Holmes is a retired beekeeper and meets Mary who is 15 years old. She becomes his female apprentice and partner. Her intelligence is a good match for his. Their 1st case is the kidnapping of a US Senator‘s daughter. Laurie King‘s writing is engrossing. Humorous in parts with lots of twists and turns. Looking forward to book 2 and highly recommend this series to Sherlock Holmes‘ fans!

[dreamydress48 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was living my carefree, ignorant life until I decided to visit my best friend last November in Kansas. What do best friends do when they get together? We hunker down with slouchy pants, greasy processed foods, and keep that Netflix streaming, sugar!I introduced her to “Flowers in the Attic” and other awful films, and on one cold Wednesday, she started me on Sherlock. Sometimes I don’t know whether I was better off before, when I didn’t have to wait for the next year to roll around for a new season. What kind of life is that? So for all of you who can relate, what do we do with all that time in between? We read Sherlock stories, of course!I’m sad to say that I’ve never actually read any of Doyle’s original stories. I own them, but I just have no idea what to expect; I guess I am just a bit cautious, as with all classics. I wonder if the language will be too dense and over my head. When I heard about The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After all, Holmes coming out of retirement accompanied by a young, female apprentice seemed a bit farfetched. But boy was I wrong. I really, really enjoyed this. I know the three star rating makes this review suspect, I really enjoyed the historical elements of this book. Set in 1915, and a little beyond that, I found the references to Post WWI England enlightening and so cozy! Holmes is very much his INTJ self, and I couldn’t help but picture Benedict Cumberbatch in his mid 50, though still as boyish as ever. I especially like Mary Russell’s character, and the intelligent duo they made. All the other characters are still present, too: dear, dear Watson and Mrs. Hudson. While the mystery component of the book didn’t always hold my attention, I did still find this book worth the read. It put me in mind of The 39 Steps, The Tale of Hill Top Farm and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I am looking forward to continuing the series.

[sgerbic · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed April 1998 Another local mystery author (Watsonville) that I picked up for that reason only. This book is supposed to be manuscripts of the life of Sherlock Holmes in his retirement. The story is told in the first person by a young troubled woman named Mary Russell. She is recently orphaned and a heir to a great fortune. Russell (as Holmes calls her) lives in Sussex, England. She meets up w/Holmes by accident and immediately becomes an intreaging match for him. Her raw powers of deduction and intelligence are ripe for training as an apprentice. The author, King, spend much time letting us get to know these two people. They share adventures that are reminiscent of A. C. Doyle?s work. The main difference is that Russell is treated as an equal w/Holmes. Mrs. Hudson & John Watson are introduced but their stories aren?t expanded on. We learn many of Holmes tricks. King may take liberties with Holmes character, and gives him much more humminity than Doyle does. The ending is a bit of a reach as it really reaches back into Holmes?s past life with Moriety. I?m extremely glad that Kind doesn?t make the mistake that many others have of explaining too much. There is almost no mention of his past family life or why he is the way he is. All around entertaining book.

[gmbygrl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Russell is merely fifteen years old when she nearly trips over Sherlock Holmes in the Sussex Downs. Holmes, who has been retired for several years, quickly picks up on Mary's keen intelligence and invites her to his home. Eventually, Holmes begins tutoring Mary in the art of detection, scientific discovery, etc. After a few minor cases, Mary (called Russell throughout most of the book) is eventually taken on as a full apprentice, and helps Holmes find the daughter of an American Senator who...more Mary Russell is merely fifteen years old when she nearly trips over Sherlock Holmes in the Sussex Downs. Holmes, who has been retired for several years, quickly picks up on Mary's keen intelligence and invites her to his home. Eventually, Holmes begins tutoring Mary in the art of detection, scientific discovery, etc. After a few minor cases, Mary (called Russell throughout most of the book) is eventually taken on as a full apprentice, and helps Holmes find the daughter of an American Senator who was kidnapped in Whales. Mary then heads off to Oxford until both of their lives are threatened by and unknown attacker.I am a huge fan of Mary Russell. I think she is very funny and I love her interactions with Holmes. Their relationship grows and changes a lot throughout the story: first she is just someone who runs into him; then she is someone that it interesting to talk with (she is very smart after all and can keep up with him); eventually she becomes his apprentice; and finally she becomes an equal (on some, but not all levels) with him. I love the development of the relationship and their brutal honesty with each other.The bad guy (I'll call the bad guy bg) isn't really seen throughout the story. For the most part, bg pays other people to do the dirty work. Yet, bg is also always present because bg is using Holmes' own methods against him.The one thing I don't necessarily like about this book (or most of the original Holmes' books for that matter) is that the reader is never really given all of the information that she needs to have a chance at solving the case. It's much more of an intellectual mystery where you are given lots of interesting facts about the world, mathematics, etc, but unless you know what to do with them (ie. how to use base 8), they really don't help you much in solving the case. Sometimes it's fun to pretend that you are an armchair sleuth, but in this case, I had no chance of putting it all together.That being said, I think that King does a fabulous job of creating a story that draws you in and keeps you reading

[cjservis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Highly entertaining. I had fun casting Bill Nighy as the "retired" Sherlock Holmes and Saoirse Ronan as Mary Russell, his young protegee. Laurie King brilliantly captures Holmes' voice, and I enjoyed Holmes as mentor to the very capable (and very likeable) Mary Russell. King has me hooked! I look forward to reading more in her series.

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ok, it took me a very long time to finish the book but I did enjoy it. I think the narration made it very hard to stay immersed in the story (stories). The narrator did a good job giving the key players their own, distinct voices but they were all slow and fairly monotone and I found myself drifting away for long periods of time and then hitting rewind a lot. And then drifting away again and hitting rewind more. And so on and so on.

I think if I try another of the Mary Russell stories, I'll read it with my eyeballs.

[jepeters333 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes's pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

[akbouterse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I definitely liked this more at the end than the beginning. I think I just needed to get used to the writing style. I had heard a lot of great things about this series and I do think it is well written. However, there was just nothing that drew me completely into the story. I never got really invested in any of the mysteries. I thought the last section was the best one and the most entertaining but the first two sections were a bit boring to me. I don't particularly care about Sherlock Holmes but it was interesting to see his character reimagined here. I enjoyed the relationship between Mary and him that is developed throughout this story. There is a hint of romance between them, which may make some people uncomfortable as they do meet when she is quite young and there is a considerable age gap between them, but nothing actually happens in this book so I didn't mind. I'm not opposed to reading more from this series, and there are a lot of other books in this series, but this type of more literary mystery doesn't tend to draw me in. In general, I have a hard time getting invested in historical mysteries. I do like seeing the character development, which may push me to read more from this series.

[bardbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a treat. Immediately jumped in the next two books in this series; floored and oh, so surprised by the deep thinking of the theological discourse in which Mary engages.

[hskey-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My very first Sherlock Holmes novel, my first Mary Russell, and... my first mystery? Can that be possible at this stage?Keen to read more mysteries, especially if they're like this one. King is a very clever writer, her tone and pacing match the classic character nicely. I never felt compelled to read more than a chapter or two, but when I did sit down to read, the time flew by. I don't think I'll dive into more Sherlock/Mary Russell books just yet, but certainly in the future. The source material and genre are too rich for me not to be interested.

[headinherbooks_27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great mystery. Great crime detective fiction with Sherlock Holmes and his new apprentice/partner Mary Russell.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad story. But this Holmes isn't a natural progression from Doyle's Holmes. If he had been Holmes-like but not meant to be the original, I would have struggled less. This character doesn't fit in the Holmes-shaped place in my head.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed it, especially the first half - after that it went on a bit. Refreshing the way the author handles the emotional bit between the young student and old Sherlock Holmes, but that goes on a bit too. Shall probably read another in the series, but not many more....

[john.cooper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read The Beekeeper's Apprentice when it came out shortly after it came out in the 1990s, and remembered it appreciatively enough to give it another go when I found it in a Little Free Library. It's just as good as I remembered, rich and subtle and written in a style much closer to accessible literary fiction than to your typical mystery-thriller, with plenty of rewards for those who engage their imagination and read carefully enough to fill in details that, as often as not, aren't mentioned explicitly. I was especially impressed to see real psychological astuteness in scenes that involve survivors of childhood trauma. I have to assume that Ms. King is such a person herself; otherwise I can't imagine how she could know what she does about that particular psychic wounds that the violent loss of a parent, for example, can inflict.Which is not to say that this book is in the least grim. On the contrary, its overall tone is one of seriousness leavened by ironic wit. In a very literary way, the novel takes its time developing the main character, Mary Russell, from a brilliant but naive 15-year-old full of bravado to a young woman of twenty who worked to develop and structure her wild intelligence; come to terms with with the challenges that arise when you're a female orphan in a world where only men can vote, make law, or move about in full independence; and arrive nonetheless in a place where she is confident traveling the world and dealing with any rough characters she may find. Her mentor-partner, Sherlock Holmes, is instrumental in this, but this isn't a Holmes novel: it's a Russell novel. Holmes fanatics must be satisfied with their hero's appearing on nearly every page--but as a supporting player.I'm not a hundred percent convinced by King's portrayal of Holmes, but that's mainly because Conan Doyle's vivid conception of Holmes doesn't convincingly conjure him as a real, breathing, vulnerable human being, and King must make him one in order to tell her story right. If perfect fidelity is your goal and you won't see it compromised even to facilitate the creation of a completely new and arguably more fascinating character, stick to Doyle, and leave Laurie King's Mary Russell novels to those of us who love literature more than any single character.

[christopherswann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

King gets the character of Holmes down to his bones. And Mary is a fun, occasionally petulant, female partner who is every bit as intelligent as her detective tutor. There are some parts that require a bit of active suspension of disbelief, but as a lifelong reader of Sherlock Holmes stories, this was both a trip down memory lane and an introduction to a new series. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[rodweston · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant. Imaginative, well-written, intelligent. Loved it.

[witchyrichy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King begins with fifteen-year-old Mary Russell stumbling over her neighbor Sherlock Holmes who has retired to the Sussex Downs to take up beekeeping. From that chance meeting between two similarly brilliant minds, the novel unfolds wonderfully, following the friendship as it becomes a partnership. All the familiar Holmes' characters from Mrs. Hudson to Watson to Mycroft appear as well. I loved this book in so many ways not least of which was the gorgeous, overflowing prose. I am so excited that this is the first in a series.

[nml_dc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the Conan Doyle stories when I was in junior high and have loved all the contemporary revisionings. This was an enjoyable read with a lot of potential, satisfying to a Holmes fan while being true to the independent new voice of the narrator throughout.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story begins when orphaned, fifteen-year-old Mary Russell literally stumbles over Sherlock Holmes while she is out walking and reading. It narrates the growth of their friendship as she becomes his unofficial apprentice and grows into his partner.Mary is very bright and intending to attend university to study both religion and chemistry. She is the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Christian father from California. She is an heiress currently under the guardianship of an aunt who dislikes her and is indifferent to her care. She finds a home where she is accepted, cared for, and loved with Sherlock Holmes and Mrs. Hudson.This story talks about her early cases from discovering who stole the cashbox and some hams from a pub her farm manager's lady friend owns to the kidnapping of an American Senator's six-year-old daughter to attacks from a secret adversary who uses bombs and bullets to try to murder Sherlock and any of his friends. I enjoyed this different view of Sherlock Holmes in his country retirement but who hasn't stopped all investigations. It was intriguing to see him through the eyes of a modern young woman who is his match in intellect though lacking his training and exeperience.I loved the setting and time period. Mary and Sherlock's adventures take place in the shadow of World War I and see them traveling to the Holy Land to get away from their English villain and also solve a problem for Sherlock's brother Mycroft. The descriptions and Mary's reactions to her times in the Holy Land were very vivid. Jenny Sterlin had a great voice for Mary but was somewhat too soprano to handle Sherlock as well despite the textual information that his voice was higher than the average male. However, she manages to do a very good job with the emotions and attitudes of the characters. The pacing was excellent and the mysteries compelling. This was an excellent introduction to characters who have appeared in seventeen books now that CASTLE SHADE has been released. It is a wonderful series filled with great historical detail, actual historical figures, and mysteries surrounding them which enable Mary and Sherlock to shine.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In The Beekeeper’s Apprentice: or, On the Segregation of the Queen, Laurie R. King introduces readers to Mary Russell, a fifteen-year-old who quite literally trips over Sherlock Holmes while reading in the Sussex Downs. Thus begins an apprenticeship and partnership that brings Holmes into the war years and beyond. Over the course of her apprenticeship, Mary leans Holmes’ methods and easily develops the skills in disguise, tracking, and deduction that she’ll need as part of their partnership before she heads to Oxford University. There, she studies theology, spending a great deal of time in the Bodleian Library. In between her studies, she helps catch a German spy and aids in the rescue of a kidnapped U.S. senator’s daughter.The latter half of the novel concerns a master criminal targeting Holmes and his associates. All of the clues indicate a personal connection, but neither Holmes nor Mary can discover their pursuer’s identity. Needing time to refocus, they retreat to Palestine. In first-person narration, Mary says to her reader, “This is not the place to burden the reader with a detailed (that is, book-length) account of our expedition to Palestine, for, although it had its own distinct points of interest, it had almost no bearing on the case that had sent us there” (pg. 260). Indeed, King returned to this tale in the fifth novel, O Jerusalem. This offers them the chance to regroup and formulate a plan for confronting their pursuer.In keeping with the pattern of the best Holmes pastiches, King writes the book from the premise that both Holmes and Mary are real. The stories, then, are manuscripts that King mysteriously received, curated, edited, and published. This is in keeping with Arthur Conan Doyle as merely the publisher of John Watson’s earlier accounts of Holmes’ exploits. Fans of the great detective will find this an entertaining novel that reads as a natural extension of Doyle’s own work. The twentieth anniversary edition includes an introduction in which King looks back on the series’ impact.

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it’s because I don’t have much prior knowledge of Sherlock Holmes, but for the most part I found this novel slow going and might not have finished if it wasn’t our book club selection.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a clever plot. Take an established character like Sherlock Holmes and re-imagine him after retirement, living in the country and tending his beloved bees. Although he is only in his late 50s Holmes wants nothing more to do with solving crimes and revealing the truth behind mysteries...until he meets Mary Russell. She is ever bit the investigator he had been in his heyday and then some. He cannot help but be drawn to her keen sense of observation, her energized brain and her innate talent as an investigator.Despite being nearly three times her age, it is interesting to watch Homes get closer to Mary emotionally and how she reacts to it. When there is physical contact between them Mary is clutched by sudden awareness of his physicality. There is a subtle shift to their relationship and what each wants from it.The final mystery in The Beekeeper's Apprentice threatens the lives of both Mary and Holmes. They are in so much danger people around them start paying the consequences. It takes everything in Sherlock and Russell's combined powers of investigation to stay alive.

[lkernagh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Being a Sherlock Holmes fan, I approached this one with a bit of trepidation. Some pastiches have fallen rather flat with me so I was pleasantly surprised, and quite taken, with both King’s version of a much older Holmes and young Mary Russell. Such an odd, and yet perfectly matched pair of intellects! Told from the point of view of Mary, this is just as much a coming-of-age historical novel as it is a detective/mystery story. Also, in my personal opinion, King (and the audiobook narrator, Jenny Sterlin) nailed the personality, mannerisms, quirks and nuances of the great detective, taking into account the gradual decline in certain faculties we all may fall prey to as we age. As for Mary, King has crafted a wonderful character to take on the mantle of a female detective with many of the same qualities of Holmes. Not surprising, the first part of the book is more focused on Mary’s apprenticeship and the growing friendship between Holmes and Russell. The verbal sparing between the two of them – like two goats ready to but horns – is good for a chuckle or two! The bond of friendship is wonderful to observe and is a strong one between Holmes and Russell, even if Mary continues to Holmes as Holmes while she comes to refer to Dr. Watson as Uncle John. As for the mystery – yes, they do find themselves embroiled in detection (and not necessarily by choice) – King provides readers with a new and wonderful sinister cat and mouse game to rival Holmes’ earlier battles with his arch nemesis, Moriarty, providing for some growing suspense. Overall, a true reading delight for this Sherlock Holmes fan and I never thought I would say this, but I am quite happily adding the Mary Russell series to my already burgeoning list of series reading.

[crazy4reading · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I finished this book late last night. I found this book boring most of the time. I didn't get drawn in from the beginning like I wanted to. There were times when the book was interesting, but alas I cannot remember specific locations. I have enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories but the way it was incorporated into this story just wasn't my cup of tea.I am not going to let this book stop me from reading other books written by Laurie R. King. I will look at what else she has written and see if they are possibly something I would be interested in reading.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

More of a 2 and a half for me. I unfortunately read this at the same time as The Left-Handed Lady (Nancy Springer's take on Sherlock Holmes' young sister's adventures) which was so much more fun. This is not a fun book, the main character is very Mary Sue, IMO, and the prose seemed to be written in dreary grey. I would pick up my Kobo and be disappointed to recall that this was the current book. Not bad--certainly not bad enough to abandon--just constantly not-as-engaging as I'd hoped it would be.

It rather feels like Mary Russell has tried to push herself into the canon, and I read the whole thing not believing her story, really. I would say to myself "Seriously? You were that important?" etc. If Ms. King had posited, I don't know, a parlor maid who picked up some mad detecting skillz from proximity to greatness, and then tried solving her own crimes, I'd have enjoyed it so much more than having to accept some amazing protégée whom we've never heard of before.

The mysteries themselves were also of no great interest, but it was primarily everything else that sort of rubbed me the wrong way. 3 for the mysteries, 1 for the rest, average rating: 2.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[liscarey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 1915, the aging Sherlock Holmes meets teenage Mary Russell, and is taken enough with her that she becomes a student and apprentice. There's war in Europe, old social rules and barriers are breaking down at home, and life is never going to be the same.

Mary Russell won't have to waste her energy, intelligence, and the education Holmes is giving her.

This is an episodic novel, as Holmes and Russell have their first adventures together, first small, local mysteries, and gradually larger and more momentous cases. We see both Russell and Holmes growing and changing Russell more than Holmes, of course, but as Russell becomes a more capable assistant and partner, Holmes has to deal with his own misogynistic attitudes towards women.

It's an interesting take on the Holmes canon, and despite initial skepticism, I found it an enjoyable and satisfying one. Familiar names crop up, too, sometimes attached to their original owners; sometimes to their offspring.

I wasn't entirely satisfied with the narrator's handling of some of the voices, but not unhappy enough that it detracted much from my enjoyment.

Recommended.

I bought this audiobook.