The Beekeeper's Apprentice
by Laurie R. King
Set primarily between the wars, The Beekeeper's Apprentice could have gone horribly wrong. The heroine is a brilliant and deeply unfeminine orphan who just wants to read while wandering the grassy hills of rural England. Yikes. She then quite literally stumbles upon an aging Sherlock Holmes (who also has business on the grassy hills of rural England, believe it or not), and the two develop an unlikely partnership, teaming up to solve crimes with the considerable power of their combined intellects.
Put like that, it all sounds terribly cliché. And, well, it sort of is. But the heroine miraculously avoids the traps of either becoming overly saccharine ("My parents died, but I can still overcome any misfortune that comes my way!" The heroine then bursts into a stirring rendition of "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.") or maddeningly pedantic ("Clearly I am better than you, dear reader, because, as anyone with half a brain knows, when calculating the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow..." The reader then falls asleep.). And somehow the author manages to stay true to the character of Holmes while still making him her own.
Put like that, it all sounds terribly cliché. And, well, it sort of is. But the heroine miraculously avoids the traps of either becoming overly saccharine ("My parents died, but I can still overcome any misfortune that comes my way!" The heroine then bursts into a stirring rendition of "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.") or maddeningly pedantic ("Clearly I am better than you, dear reader, because, as anyone with half a brain knows, when calculating the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow..." The reader then falls asleep.). And somehow the author manages to stay true to the character of Holmes while still making him her own.
Granted, I am not the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan, and I'm sure there are some die-hard Holmesians out there who would consider this blasphemy. But it's fast-paced, clever, well-written, and even a little surprising. If you're looking for a nice end-of-the-summer read with a strong female lead and some neat detective work, The Beekeeper's Apprentice may be just the thing.
Someday book of the week will turn into book of the month. It happens to the best of us. Also, are you in a doctor's office?
ReplyDeleteHaha I know, I know. I'm fully expecting that to happen. Though perhaps I can use books from school?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes! I totally am in a doctor's office! I was waiting to get some blood work done.