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cmx's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Audible free, discovered this author and series by searching for freebies. Pretty good, although enormously detailed with stuff the author may be proud of but I don't really care that much about. I'm glad I didn't have to write it. It did hang together pretty well at the end and it all made sense, but I'm glad I don't have to cough up this kind of detail. By the way, did a decent job of replicating SH in voice and tone etc
eclaytonbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
eclaytonbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
carokfulf's review
4.0
A vast improvement on The Moor, this novel backtracks a bit to when Russell and Holmes were on the run from Moriarty's daughter in Beekeeper's Apprentice. With Russell as narrator, King explores the precise moment when the 19-year-old sleuth becomes Holmes' partner, leaving the post of apprentice behind. King delves into the culture of her setting without overwhelming, grounded in Russell's deep emotional connection to Jerusalem. As with any Russell novel, the mystery, while suspenseful and entertaining in itself, always takes a backseat to the wonderful chemistry between Holmes and Russell.
medievil_'s review against another edition
5.0
This story is the tale of the interim Holmes & Russell spend out of the country during THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE. Ms. King knows her stuff. (Also, the sexual tension is delightful.)
tiffloye979's review against another edition
Regretfully, I am choosing to DNF this book. I really wanted to push through because there's a part of me that would like to read all of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books, but I also think this may be a good time to call it quits. The books have gotten progressively harder for me to get through and I'm 1/3 of the way through this one and truly don't really have any idea what is going on. It has just not held my attention at all.
I feel bad, because the fact that there are so many in this series must mean that they're somewhat good, right? But I'm to a point where there are just too many things I want to read to justify struggling my way through a huge series that I'm not really interested in anymore. If it was a series where each book built on the previous one and they're all building up to something huge at the end, that's one thing. But a series where every book is kind of a standalone book...I don't need to devote a significant amount of time to a series like that that I'm not thrilled about.
Maybe I'll come back to this series, but I honestly doubt it. Also, I know I've said it before, but I just can't quite get past the age different between Mary and Sherlock.
I feel bad, because the fact that there are so many in this series must mean that they're somewhat good, right? But I'm to a point where there are just too many things I want to read to justify struggling my way through a huge series that I'm not really interested in anymore. If it was a series where each book built on the previous one and they're all building up to something huge at the end, that's one thing. But a series where every book is kind of a standalone book...I don't need to devote a significant amount of time to a series like that that I'm not thrilled about.
Maybe I'll come back to this series, but I honestly doubt it. Also, I know I've said it before, but I just can't quite get past the age different between Mary and Sherlock.
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes need to get out of England, so Sherlock’s brother Mycroft decides they could take care of a little situation in Palestine for him. The situation turns out to involve British spies, Turkish nationalists, explosives, the real-life war hero General Allenby, and a whole lot of staying up all night.
The story is good once it gets started but I read it on kindle and I think I was close to 40% before it felt like anything happened. I think with these books it helps to remember that really they are about Mary Russell— she narrates in first person, and Sherlock is often not present. Otherwise I might quibble more with King’s interpretation of the iconic detective. If you can get past that, this series is a lot of fun. My verdict: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
The story is good once it gets started but I read it on kindle and I think I was close to 40% before it felt like anything happened. I think with these books it helps to remember that really they are about Mary Russell— she narrates in first person, and Sherlock is often not present. Otherwise I might quibble more with King’s interpretation of the iconic detective. If you can get past that, this series is a lot of fun. My verdict: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
kalliegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
3.5, not better than previous books but still an immersive story with rich characters and culture and danger for our characters. I like how Holmes respects Russell as a whole person capable of everything he is.
terrym10's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in the series, but I couldn’t get into this one until halfway in. From that point on I couldn’t put it down! As always with this Sherlock Holmes fan fiction series, I learned a lot about history and really enjoyed the setting of Palestine. My advice if you find it slow-going at first is to keep going as it definitely gets better!