Guest Review: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King

At 15, Miss Mary Russell is of above average intelligence and has dealt with great tragedy. Living with an oppressive aunt for her guardian, daily jaunts onto the Sussex Downs are a way for young Mary to escape. For a few hours, Mary wanders the countryside and reads the books that will prepare her for entering into her degree program at Oxford. But one day, Mary stumbles upon an older gentlemen who will alter the course of her life.

Years into his early retirement, Sherlock Holmes, presently dedicating himself to the study of bees, sees the wit and advanced intelligence in the youth before him. An unlikely friendship soon develops as The Great Detective molds Mary Russell into his worthy apprentice in the art of detection. And as the years go by, and the world changes under the effects of World War I, the pair take on a difficult case of child abduction. Soon they find themselves under pursuit by a master criminal who will threatens their lives, test their detective skills, and the strength of their friendship.