The Beekeeper's Apprentice or, On the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King

SYNOPSIS:  Mary Russell literally stumbles upon an aging Sherlock Holmes while walking one day.  When he realizes that her intellect is worthy of his own, he makes an informal apprentice of her.  When she begins solving crimes with him, their lives are never the same again.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I don't have much patience for books that reinvent and continue stories and characters that have already been written to a satisfying conclusion by another author.  I feel like trying to reinvent Sherlock Holmes is never a good idea.  The reinvention never quite comes across as authentic, and writing a new character (such as Flavia de Luce) is more original and satisfying, in my opinion.  That being said, however, I did enjoy reading this book.  The Sherlock Holmes of this book is not the same, of course.  He is kinder, gentler, and even sympathetic, which is highly unusual for his character.  However, Mary Russell is funny and smart, and I enjoyed reading this story from her point of view.  There was a bit of violence, as well as some mildly lewd comments by some characters in the story.  I think there might have been some language, as well, but for the most part, there was very little content in this book.  I would recommend it to mature readers who can wade through the somewhat dry and old-fashioned storytelling.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults, Adults

RATING:  PG with some Mild Language and References, and Violence

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Sherlock Holmes, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie