In this crackling novella, New York Times bestselling
author Laurie R. King reveals an unforgettable new twist in the
adventure that led supersleuth Sherlock Holmes to discover his
first (and finest) apprentice, Mary Russell.
Sherlock Holmes is fending off a particularly dark mood as he roams
the Sussex Downs, in search of wild bees. The Great War may be
raging across the Channel, but on the Downs, the great detective
nears terminal melancholia -- only to be saved by an encounter with
headstrong, yellow-haired young Mary Russell, who soon becomes the
Master's apprentice not only in beekeeping but in detection.
Holmes instantly spots her remarkable ability, but his sharp eyes
also see troubling problems. Why is this wealthy orphan who lives
with her aunt so shabbily dressed? Why is she so prone to illness
and accident? Is she herself the center of a mystery? These are
questions that the great detective must answer quickly lest his
protegee, and his own new lease on life, meet a sudden, tragic end.
The tale of their meeting has been told from Russell's point of
view, but even those who have never met the famed Russell-Holmes
pair will read this tale with delight--and, as its climax builds,
with breathless excitement.
Laurie R. King lives in northern California. Her background
includes such diverse interests as Old Testament theology and
construction work, and she has been writing crime fiction since 1987.
The winner of the Edgar, the Nero, the Macavity and the John Creasey
awards, she is the author of highly praised stand-alone suspense
novels and a contemporary mystery series, as well as the Mary
Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.
