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MyriadBooks recommends Chalice by Robin McKinley, "To continue a bit of the bee theme."
laytonwoman3rd recommends The Final Solution: A Story of Detection by Michael Chabon, "This book also features an elderly beekeeper who does some detecting, and who we are meant to understand to be Sherlock Holmes, although his name is not (see more) mentioned."
markusnenadovus recommends The Seven-Per-Cent Solution: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer

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Showing 1-5 of 71 (next | show all)

Laurie King imagines what would happen if Sherlock Homes encounter a young woman with a mind with powers of observation very close to his own. Here she begins a series of books which partner Sherlock with his new apprentice, Mary Russell, as they take on a case together. Smashing! (

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RABooktalker | Nov 11, 2009 |

Enjoyed this foray into Sherlock Holmes's "retirement" from the point of view of his apprentice Mary Russell. Like the atmosphere and characterization very much, though I found it very easy to put down and not come back to for long stretches (it is fairly episodic, though in the end much of the bits get tied together)--but that may not actually be a criticism. (

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lycomayflower | Oct 4, 2009 |

I mainly picked this up because I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I think King has done a really decent job in evoking the great man. Her way of telling the story and her descriptions of the time are really reminiscent of Conan Doyle. I think because Holmes is not the main character, it's easier to accept the premise - we are after all listening to Mary Russell's voice rather than Dr. Watson's, so it couldn't possibly be the same. King is doing very well in keeping (at least some hints of) Holmes' very dry humor, which I also appreciated. The mystery isn't quite up to "real" Holmes standard, but I enjoyed it and will probably read more in the series at some point.

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bookoholic13 | Oct 2, 2009 |

A fantastic re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes and what happens when he meets a young woman who is very much his equal. This book starts their journey together, and I hope that it will be a long one with Laurie King's characters.

lendroth | Sep 27, 2009 |

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mulliner | Sep 20, 2009 |

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Series (with order)

Mary Russell (1)

Canonical Title

Original publication date

1994

People/Characters

Mary Russell

Sherlock Holmes

John H. Watson (M.D.)

Important places

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Agatha Award Nominee (Novel, 1994)

ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1995)

IMBA's 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century

(show all 6 items)

Epigraph

Dedication

For another M.R., my mother, Mary Richardson

First words

I was fifteen when I first met Sherlock Holmes, fifteen years old with my nose in a book as I walked the Sussex Downs, and I nearly stepped on him.

Quotations

He said nothing. Very sarcastically.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

Laurie R. King

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

U raskošnoj galeriji likova koju je za sobom ostavio Arthur Conan Doyle gdje središnje mjesto zauzima portret Sherlocka Holmesa, pored njega, osim slike dr. Watsona, ostao je prazan okvir savršeno podoban da udomi prkosni profil jedne gospođice.
Američka književnica Laurie R. King, dobitnica dviju prestižnih nagrada za najbolji kriminalistički roman godine, odvažno je odlučila ispuniti taj okvir likom mlade Mary Russell.
Jednog sunčanog dana u travnju 1915. nedaleko od svoje kuće u Sussexu Mary Russell umalo je nagazila na pognuta pedesetogodišnjaka potpuno zaokupljena promatranjem pčela. Drska i načitana, petnaestogodišnjakinja briljantna uma i zadivljujuće sposobnosti dedukcije, izmamit će od inače ženama nesklonog Holmesa iznenađen komentar. “Pa to zna razmišljati!”
Tako će početi naukovanje Mary Russell, buduće suradnice djelomično umirovljenog slavnog detektiva Sherlocka Holmesa. Njihove zajedničke avanture zabilježene su u pet dosad objavljenih romana i zacijelo predstavljaju najvjerniji nastavak književnog rada Arthura Conana Doylea.
Laurie R. King u svojim je djelima uspjela vjerodostojno dočarati ton, ugođaj i duh vremena, zadržavši izvornu cjelovitost Holmesova karaktera i pritom kao ravnopravnu protutežu stvorila potpuno samostalan, oštrouman, duhovit i zanosan ženski lik.
Roman Pčelareva naučnica Laurie R. King s engleskoga je, u ukradenom vremenu između dvije Patricije Cornwell, prevela Martina Gračanin, a ilustraciju na naslovnici izradio je Igor Kordej, uz napomenu da su oba crna lovca namjerno naslikana na bijelim poljima jer negativci uvijek igraju prljavo.

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0312104235, Hardcover)

What would happen if Sherlock Homles, a perfect man of the Victorian age--pompous, smug, and misogynisitic--were to come face to face with a twentieth-century female? If she grew to be a partner worthy of his great talents?

Laurie R. King, whose very different first novel,. A Grave Talent (SMP, 1993), drew rave reviews, read the Conan Doyle stories and wondered about such an imaginary encounter. And following through, she has written The Beekeeper's Apprentice.

1914, a young woman named Mary Russell meets a retired beekeeper on the Sussex Downs. His name is Sherlock Holmes. And although he may have all the Victorian "flaws" listed above, the Great Detective is no fool, and can spot a fellow intellect even in a fifteen-year-old woman.

So, at first informally, then consciously, he takes Mary Russell as his apprentice. They work on a few small local cases, then on a larger and more urgent investigation, which ends successfully. All the time, Mary is developing as a detective in her own right, with the benefit of the knowledge and experience of her mentor and, increasingly, friend.

And then the sky opens on them, and they find themselves the targets of a slippery, murderous, and apparently all-knowing adversary. Together they devise a plan to trap their enemy--a plan that may save their lives but may also kill off their relationship.

This is not a "Sherlock Holmes" story. It is the story of a modern young woman who comes to know and work with Holmes, the story of young woman coming to terms with herself and with this older man who embodies the age that is past.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

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