Journal Entry 1 by scavok from Allen Park, Michigan USA on Friday, June 13, 2003

Journal Entry 2 by scavok from Allen Park, Michigan USA on Thursday, June 19, 2003

Released by mail to Book Crosser alrescate... 

Journal Entry 3 by alrescate from Strafford, Missouri USA on Thursday, June 26, 2003

I received this in yesterday's post. I was thrilled to see it and the RABCK by scavok. I always loved Sherlock Holmes and I am looking forward to reading this. 

Journal Entry 4 by alrescate from Strafford, Missouri USA on Monday, July 21, 2003

Well I will be going out to find the rest of the books in this series & reading without stop! This is one of the first Sherlock Holmes stories that I have felt really speaks to the true nature of the character. I could believe this was Holmes in retirement...King stays true to the spirit of original Sherlock Holmes stories.

If you love Sherlock Holmes you should read this! 

Journal Entry 5 by alrescate from Strafford, Missouri USA on Tuesday, July 29, 2003

This book was so good I just had to share it...so now it is bookray time!

This will go to:
1. mysteryfan03 (Missouri)
2. Red644 (Virginia)
3. Carlissa (Florida)
4. bkwrm23(New Jersey)
5. 16stepper (Arizona)
6. jmg49 (Canada)
7. Dani75 (Germany)
8. BlossomU (Portugal)
9. Virgulina (Portugal)
10. tho (Portugal)
11. Zyana (Portugal)
If you are part of this bookray please check this list for updates. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 6 by alrescate at -- By Hand or Post, Ray/ring, Rabck in Springfield, Missouri USA on Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Released on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 at To another BookCrosser in Springfield, Missouri USA.

The bookray is on the way! The first stop is with mysteryfan03. 

Journal Entry 7 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Friday, August 01, 2003

Hi, I got this book in the mail last night! It was perfect timing because I just finished another bookring book. I am anxious to read this as I am a HUGE Holmes fan!. Thanks and I will journal again........ 

Journal Entry 8 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Thursday, August 07, 2003

Thanks for letting me read this!! I can never get enough good Holmes stories!! I really like the way the book was written, as someone in Watson's place, although totally different as the book points out. This is an intelligent assistant who rivals the master in this book. However, it was a little sad that Holmes is ageing.... Thanks again and I cant wait to start the next one!!
BTW- this book is on the way to Red644 today!! 

Journal Entry 9 by Red644 from Fairfax, Virginia USA on Monday, August 11, 2003

Just received this in the mail from mysteryfan03:) It will be my "take everywhere" book for the next two weeks & I'll add to the journal once I get well into the story. 

Journal Entry 10 by Red644 from Fairfax, Virginia USA on Thursday, August 14, 2003

"My God, it can recognise another human being when it's hit over the head with one." And that's only in the first chapter! I'm having a ball with this book! 

Journal Entry 11 by carlissa from Miami, Florida USA on Tuesday, September 02, 2003

Received today from Red644. Great timing - I just finished reading Angel & Demons yesterday - can't wait to start on this book. Thanks for letting me join this ring! 

Journal Entry 12 by carlissa from Miami, Florida USA on Sunday, September 14, 2003

I really enjoyed this book! I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series! 

Journal Entry 13 by bkwrm23 from Haskell, New Jersey USA on Monday, September 22, 2003

Received this on Saturday, Sep 20th. Read on the 21st...good book. I have not read many of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series, but this was a good read. The main character, Mary Russell, didn't seem very feminine for most of the book, but she was very adventurous!!
Looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Journal Entry 14 by 16stepper from Gilbert, Arizona USA on Thursday, October 02, 2003

Sherlock has arrived in Gilbert today to replace The Mistress of Spices who was sent on to the next stop on that bookray. It will be a few weeks before I get to this one due to my house hosting every bookray in the universe right now. I hope to finish it in less than a month, however. 

Journal Entry 15 by 16stepper from Gilbert, Arizona USA on Sunday, December 07, 2003

Took me longer than I anticipated to get to this one. Sorry! But wow! What a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. King has an original vision and I feel like I know much more about Sherlock Holmes as a person than I did from the Doyle stories. I will get this out to jmg49 in tomorrow's mail. 

Journal Entry 16 by jmg49 from Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Thanks, 16stepper. I just got this out of the mail box. I'll start reading it in a few days when the Christmas rush dies down. 

Journal Entry 17 by jmg49 from Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, December 30, 2003

I just started reading this book today and it looks like I'm going to enjoy it. I will make another entry when i'm finished. 

Journal Entry 18 by jmg49 from Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Friday, January 09, 2004

I really enjoyed this book. It will be going to Dani75 in Germany, since Theresa-A has asked me not to send it to her at this time. I will mail it on Jan 15th. 

Journal Entry 19 by Dani75 from Rudersberg, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Monday, February 16, 2004

Got this in the mail today! I can´t wait to start reading it, so I´ll make another entry soon. 

Journal Entry 20 by Dani75 from Rudersberg, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Friday, March 19, 2004

I´m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and was impatiently looking forward to reading this series. Finally the first book in the series arrived by mail at my doorstep - thank you, alrescate for the rays!
A fantastic read. I was hooked from the beginning and the scene how Holmes and Mary stumble over each other in the Sussex Downs is very funny! We get to meet old friends: Mrs. Hudson, dear Dr. Watson and Mycroft but there´s also the threat of old enemies ... .
I very much enjoyed „The Beekeeper´s Aprrentice" and I am moving on to reading „A Monstrous Regiment of Women", which has already arrived by mail a few days ago.


Off by mail today to BlossomU in Portugal!
 

Journal Entry 21 by BlossomU on Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Bookray has just arrived, thanks! I will start reading it at once. 

Journal Entry 22 by BlossomU on Friday, April 02, 2004

I am not a big Sherlock Holmes fan, so I wasn´t particularly eager to read this series, but so many people whose taste I trust raved about it, that it made me curious. And I am glad I did read it, thanks scavok and alrescate for this bookray! It´s very nicely written, with humor and a cozy atmosphere which reminds a lot of the coziness I found in Enid Blyton books when I was a child. I also quite like the way emotions are sometimes written around, left for the reader to piece up the puzzle pieces and figure it out on his own. As drawbacks, I think the structure of the book is a little odd, with the Palestine adventure somehow cutting the momentum, it works, but tit´s the whole structure of the book which seems piecewise rather than whole though it´s very skillfully put together. And Mary Russel is an interesting character, but goodness, isn´t she totally perfect? That bothered me a bit, MR felt almost like some sort of wish-fullfillment character. But I am looking forward to reading the Monstrous Regiment.

Book will be passed along to Virgulina sunday or monday. 

Journal Entry 23 by usedtobe on Monday, April 05, 2004

I received this book yesterday from BlossomU. I seem to be receiving tons of BookRings and BookRays at the same time, so please be patient with me! :) 

Journal Entry 24 by usedtobe on Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Journal Entry 25 by tho on Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Received today from Virgulina - I'm another Sherlock Holmes fan, so I'm very curious about this book ... have a couple of other rings first, but I'll try to read it soon ;-) 

Journal Entry 26 by tho on Monday, May 10, 2004

Well, I ended up reading this book first (cheating the order of my bookrings' list ;-), but only because Zyana was coming to Lisbon this weekend and I wanted to pass this along to her as well ... I read it really quickly, and enjoyed how Holmes and the other characters I knew from Conan Doyle's works were shown in a different perspective. The "other side of Sherlock Holmes" would also be an appropriate subtitle for this book ... As a character, Mary Russell is just a bit too "little miss perfect" for me, but I guess she's exactly what should be expected of Sherlock Holmes apprentice. The reading was compulsive, especially the last bits, and of course I had no idea who the vilain was until it's revealed, which is always a good thing when reading a mistery book :-)

Will be passed to Zyana soon. 

Journal Entry 27 by Zyana from Porto - City, Porto Portugal on Monday, May 24, 2004

Arrived last friday safe and sound. I'm a bit overwhelmed with rays/rings atm but will make an effort to read this one asap. 

Journal Entry 28 by Zyana from Porto - City, Porto Portugal on Sunday, June 20, 2004

Fairly enjoyable book. The second half bored me somewhat as it seemed to loose some of it's fluidness. Will send to the next BC on the ring tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 29 by Zyana at Parque da Cidade in Porto - City, Porto Portugal on Saturday, July 24, 2004

Released on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at Parque da Cidade in Porto, Porto Portugal.

To be released at the Bookcrossing picnic meeting. 

Journal Entry 30 by gwenwifar from Moapa, Nevada USA on Monday, July 26, 2004

Brought home from the picnic. Just started it, but I like it so far.

******
Finished it. I agree that there does seem to be a huge change of pace in the middle of the book, but I have to say I enjoyed it. I'm rather looking forward to reading the sequel just to see where it goes. It's refreshing to see Holmes as human, as opposed to tha almost godlike coldness and brilliance. Rated 8 instead of 9 mostly because of the budding romance. I find it was unnecessary but if the author insisted on using it, she shouldn't have left it in the air so much. Reminds me of those shows like "who's the boss" where you play the puppy love bit so much that when the romance finally happens there is nowhere else to go with the story. Not nearly as bad in this case, but the way seesm to be clear for it and it makes me a bit leary of the next books in the series.