The Beekeeper's Apprentice

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' 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.

I was kind-a, sort-a BROKE when I bought this book so imagine how totally happy I was when I LOVED it.

I really enjoyed this book, and that mega surprised me. I love Sherlock Holmes on the TV but I have never really managed to get into the flow of the stories. I have read a few of them but not all. But something about the summery for this book grabbed me so I took my chances and bought it.

I am SO glad I did.

Mary was a great heroine to read the book through. She had a way of glossing over specific parts of the story but making me feel as though I wasn’t missing out on anything while she was doing it (I understand that a book further on in the series actually covers a ‘just touched on’ section).

Mary was a really fun narrator as she is obviously writing these memoires with hindsight so she is always putting in little things like ‘I wouldn’t find out why until years later’, which then makes me want to read further on in the series to see if we as the reader will find out what was meant by a particular point (often from Holmes).

This book was filled with little moment that had me laughing to myself and ready to cry. The close friendship between Mary and Holmes developed at a realistic pace and it was…enlightening to see the man who I had always painted as a bit of a loner in my mind draw close to a young women who has a mind to match his own.

Despite loving my weekly fix of Midsummer Murders and Bones I have never been one for reading mystery or crime novels BUT I think this may have just converted me. I think I would happily recommend this book to anyone. 

5 out of 5 stars! I can’t wait to get stuck into the next novel (once I am a little less broke).