The Beekeeper's Apprentice: or, On the Segregation of the Queen

An elderly Sherlock Holmes, retired and engaged in the study of bees, meets a youthful half-American student of theology, one Mary Russell.

The fifteen-year-old orphan is gangly, outspoken and egotistical, but possesses a keenness of mind that impresses even the great detective himself. Their begrudging partnership is the catalyst for a whirlwind adventure through England and Wales on the trail of the kidnapped daughter of an American salesman, a case that ties in to Holmes's past. Filled with cunning deductions and thrilling action, this story of a prickly, intellectually demanding young woman coming of age in England  immediately after the Great War is sure to engage the armchair sleuth.

While Central Coast Library does have the novel version of this book, we highly recommend the audio version read by Jenny Sterlin. Her realisation of the characters and fluency of tone bring life to the already lively setting of turn-of-the-century London, and make an excellent commuting companion. Pick it up for a listen today!

Check out some reviews on Goodreads!

Written by Laurie R. King
Narrated by Jenny Sterlin
Print version published by New York Picador/Minotaur Books : 2014
Audiobook published by Macmillan Audio, New York, NY : 2014
Volume 1 in the Mary Russell series
Image credit: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/7780117?q=The+Beekeeper%27s+Apprentice%3A+or%2C+On+the+Segregation+of+the+Queen&c=book&sort=holdings+desc&_=1541313206337&versionId=258186045