The Beekeeper’s Apprentice: On the Segregation of the Queen
Laurie R. King
1994, 356 pages
Mystery
A young woman named Mary Russell meets Sherlock Holmes while out reading and walking on the Sussex Downs. She thinks she is alone, and almost steps on him. They surprise each other, and this strange meeting is the beginning of a friendship that neither could have imagined.
Mary Russell is highly intelligent, independent, an orphan, and is looking for a way to use her mind. Sherlock Holmes is older, retired, and bored, and he takes Mary on as an apprentice. They play chess together, he teaches her about bees, and they begin to solve cases together. And then they come up against a formidable enemy. The ending of that case is particularly suspenseful and exciting.
I had always thought that I should start this series, and I’m glad that I did. If you are casting about looking for something to fill the void of the Sherlock Holmes adventures, give this book a try.
Robbin Bailey
Concord Public Library
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