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A Murmuring of Bees
Think of Sherlock Holmes and you think of mysteries, John Watson…and bees. While Arthur Conan Doyle sent the great detective to tend hives in retirement, here bees are front and centre in stories of love and romance, war and hope, of honey on the tongue and a sting in the tail. In tales of rare nectars, secret diaries, and the private language of lovers, bees may be the buzzing heart of the story…or as ephemeral as a murmur. What you'll find in every tale are John Watson and Sherlock Holmes helping one another, wanting one another, loving one another. To encourage a world where such love is seen for the precious thing it is, profits from "A Murmuring of Bees" will be donated to the It Gets Better Project.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 8, 2019
i love bees, i love sherlock holmes and i love holmes and watson as a couple so of course i absolutely, positively I N H A L E D this wonderful anthology
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March 24, 2020 Was given this book as an ARC by Improbable Press in exchange for an honest review.
“‘Here is the fruit of my leisured ease, the magnum opus of latter years!’ He picked up the volume from the table and read out the whole title, Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen.” — His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle
A Murmuring of Bees is one of the first works to come out of romance/erotica publisher Improbable Press, a publishing house mainly focused on publishing works of fiction about Holmes and Watson being in love. This work specifically is a collection of short stories that all involve bees somehow, whether literally or figuratively. In the introduction, editor Atlin Merrick points out that, “Well, in the over six hundred thousand words he wrote about the legendary detective, Arthur Conan Doyle mentions Holmes' bees only three times, each mention little more than a single sentence.” As a theme for a collection of queer reimaginings, I think it’s particularly apt; a Holmes fan who has read all the stories can pick up on small mentions of Holmes’ love for bees in the same way a queer reader of the canon will pick up on queer themes and the strong bond between the two men. In a similar way, his love of bees humanizes him, and pokes holes in Watson’s portrayal of him as a “logic machine” with no feelings—and queer readings of the character achieve a similar goal, recasting his disinterest in women and sex as a consequence of his homosexuality, not his misanthropy or a flaw in his character. I wish this collection had mined these themes more deeply, but overall, it had a solid execution and commitment to the core concept.
My biggest personal issue with this collection was its characterizations and fan fiction-y feel. It’s not bad! Just not my thing. There was a lot of explicit sex and the characterization of many of the stories felt much more in line with BBC Sherlock than the original canon. They call each other by their first names, Again, not a problem but not my thing. I’ll read more from this imprint but hesitantly! Would recommend if you’re a fan of: H/W fan fiction/erotica, BBC Sherlock or other contemporary retellings, and very short stories about characters you love.
“‘Here is the fruit of my leisured ease, the magnum opus of latter years!’ He picked up the volume from the table and read out the whole title, Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen.” — His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle
A Murmuring of Bees is one of the first works to come out of romance/erotica publisher Improbable Press, a publishing house mainly focused on publishing works of fiction about Holmes and Watson being in love. This work specifically is a collection of short stories that all involve bees somehow, whether literally or figuratively. In the introduction, editor Atlin Merrick points out that, “Well, in the over six hundred thousand words he wrote about the legendary detective, Arthur Conan Doyle mentions Holmes' bees only three times, each mention little more than a single sentence.” As a theme for a collection of queer reimaginings, I think it’s particularly apt; a Holmes fan who has read all the stories can pick up on small mentions of Holmes’ love for bees in the same way a queer reader of the canon will pick up on queer themes and the strong bond between the two men. In a similar way, his love of bees humanizes him, and pokes holes in Watson’s portrayal of him as a “logic machine” with no feelings—and queer readings of the character achieve a similar goal, recasting his disinterest in women and sex as a consequence of his homosexuality, not his misanthropy or a flaw in his character. I wish this collection had mined these themes more deeply, but overall, it had a solid execution and commitment to the core concept.
My biggest personal issue with this collection was its characterizations and fan fiction-y feel. It’s not bad! Just not my thing. There was a lot of explicit sex and the characterization of many of the stories felt much more in line with BBC Sherlock than the original canon. They call each other by their first names, Again, not a problem but not my thing. I’ll read more from this imprint but hesitantly! Would recommend if you’re a fan of: H/W fan fiction/erotica, BBC Sherlock or other contemporary retellings, and very short stories about characters you love.
April 9, 2017
"A Murmuring of Bees" is the latest offering from Improbable Press, the gay romance/erotica Sherlock Holmes imprint.
The stories in this anthology revolve around bees. As with any anthology, the stories go from not very good, to mediocre, to excellent. And, of course, it's always a matter of personal taste. My favourite stories were:
"Tales from the Riverbank" by Kim Le Patourel;
"The Secret Diary of Dr John Watson MD" by Kerry Greenwood; and
"The Love of Apiology" by Amy L. Webb
Some stories are straight out romance, but others are most definitely erotica. So if man on man sexual intercourse offends you, then do not read.
A pleasant way to while away an autumn afternoon. Recommended.
The stories in this anthology revolve around bees. As with any anthology, the stories go from not very good, to mediocre, to excellent. And, of course, it's always a matter of personal taste. My favourite stories were:
"Tales from the Riverbank" by Kim Le Patourel;
"The Secret Diary of Dr John Watson MD" by Kerry Greenwood; and
"The Love of Apiology" by Amy L. Webb
Some stories are straight out romance, but others are most definitely erotica. So if man on man sexual intercourse offends you, then do not read.
A pleasant way to while away an autumn afternoon. Recommended.
July 15, 2024
3,5/5
December 31, 2016
This compilation has something for everyone, everyone who agrees that the fictional duo of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson could have also worked as not *just* colleagues and the very best of friends, but also as the love of one another's lives. The stories span different years and differently styled iterations of Holmes & Watson/ John & Sherlock. You see them meeting, solving cases, and quietly loving one another during the time in between and during the twilight of their years. The theme of bees and honey is woven cleverly throughout. I think my favorites were those set in Victorian times, because they made an honest nod to how dangerous it would have been to be 2 men in love at that time, that such a romance was an act of bravery in itself. The brief poems made me cry. The story The Love of Apiology, I think, best captured the relationship between Holmes and his bees, and the man who learned to love and tend to them both. In both The Memory of Bees, and It Gets Better, the book end pieces of the collection, there is the uplifting message of how these love stories, these acts of brave love between two brave madman, can be an example for those who are young now and struggling with facing a world that is still not always ready for such bravery. All proceeds benefit the It Gets Better Project, in support of LGBTQ youth.
May 9, 2023
I enjoyed some of the stories, but some of them were too explicit for my taste, I always imagined Sherlock Holmes as this non-sexual being. It was interesting to see the different approaches that the authors in this book of stories have of the characters. So, not a bad read, but also not the best.
August 21, 2022
I gave this book 4 stars on Amazon and Goodreads. But here I have to be honest, for me, it is 3.5 starts at best, leaning towards 3, and if a friend asks me if they should buy it I probably won't recommend it unless they have quite a bit extra money to spend on random stuff. But like I said in the previous book reviews, I will give these LGBT SH books as high a score as I could on Goodreads and Amazon because there are people giving them 1 star just because they are LGBT.
This book is a collection of short stories. Some are relatively longer, and some are only 1 page long. They are of different ratings as well. Some barely got a kiss, but others contain extended sex scenes. There is also one poem, which I basically skipped. I was much perplexed when I first picked up this book. I could not decide which SH universe it is based on. It first looked like BBC Sherlock, but some of them apparently are not, but more like general SH modern AU. And later on, I flipped over and found ACD canon ones. A few are different AUs such as WW2 or...some randomly timed ones.
I personally don't enjoy BBC Sherlock show itself, but I will never reject well-written fanfics. There is one seemingly BBC-based story in this book that is super cute and I would love to give it a 5-star. Another one that I like the most is based on canon, and that one touched me so deeply that I couldn't get my mind out of it for an entire day. I would say I bump up 1 star just for that story alone. Or I should say the experience with that one story makes the book worth it.
There are a few other ones that are cute and sweet, emotionally pleasing, or otherwise interesting to read. Maybe 3-5 of them impressed me pretty well.
That being said, the rest ~20 of them, meaning the majority of the stories, are just...meh. I forgot most of them already. And there is one particularly...well I don't want to kink shame anyone but I simply can't get the hair-pulling kink and it felt too long and not particularly well written either.
But I am very choosy in terms of fiction reading. I think other than a few ones (maybe ~5 of them? I can't remember, maybe fewer than that) that are very short and clearly have nothing to say, most of them are at least enjoyable at the moment, better than the average ones you could find on AO3, so I am sure more readers would find them a nice read.
This book is a collection of short stories. Some are relatively longer, and some are only 1 page long. They are of different ratings as well. Some barely got a kiss, but others contain extended sex scenes. There is also one poem, which I basically skipped. I was much perplexed when I first picked up this book. I could not decide which SH universe it is based on. It first looked like BBC Sherlock, but some of them apparently are not, but more like general SH modern AU. And later on, I flipped over and found ACD canon ones. A few are different AUs such as WW2 or...some randomly timed ones.
I personally don't enjoy BBC Sherlock show itself, but I will never reject well-written fanfics. There is one seemingly BBC-based story in this book that is super cute and I would love to give it a 5-star. Another one that I like the most is based on canon, and that one touched me so deeply that I couldn't get my mind out of it for an entire day. I would say I bump up 1 star just for that story alone. Or I should say the experience with that one story makes the book worth it.
There are a few other ones that are cute and sweet, emotionally pleasing, or otherwise interesting to read. Maybe 3-5 of them impressed me pretty well.
That being said, the rest ~20 of them, meaning the majority of the stories, are just...meh. I forgot most of them already. And there is one particularly...well I don't want to kink shame anyone but I simply can't get the hair-pulling kink and it felt too long and not particularly well written either.
But I am very choosy in terms of fiction reading. I think other than a few ones (maybe ~5 of them? I can't remember, maybe fewer than that) that are very short and clearly have nothing to say, most of them are at least enjoyable at the moment, better than the average ones you could find on AO3, so I am sure more readers would find them a nice read.
December 1, 2018
I'm feeling bad to rate this precious work with "only" 4 stars, but here is the truth: I was expecting something else.
If it weren't for some (a few) of the stories that succesfully managed to depict what I was looking for (the special bond between these two unique souls across time and space), I don't think I would have finished the anthology.
Unfortunately, most of the stories went a bit too far and, to me, it felt like reading porn without context, which I could have easily found somewhere else *sad*
My final opinion is nevertheless so high because I really appreciate the effort and the intentions grounding the initiative.
I would like to praise the author of the anthology for coming up with the idea of bees, because it gave the work a touch of fondness which encompasses all the episodes.
I can't say anything about the styles: all of the authors were successful in offering their take on the two companions. Some I liked more, other less.
In general, if you are extremely fond of the BBC canon, you will love this work.
If it weren't for some (a few) of the stories that succesfully managed to depict what I was looking for (the special bond between these two unique souls across time and space), I don't think I would have finished the anthology.
Unfortunately, most of the stories went a bit too far and, to me, it felt like reading porn without context, which I could have easily found somewhere else *sad*
My final opinion is nevertheless so high because I really appreciate the effort and the intentions grounding the initiative.
I would like to praise the author of the anthology for coming up with the idea of bees, because it gave the work a touch of fondness which encompasses all the episodes.
I can't say anything about the styles: all of the authors were successful in offering their take on the two companions. Some I liked more, other less.
In general, if you are extremely fond of the BBC canon, you will love this work.
July 27, 2019
A wonderful book. Perhaps I am a bit biased when it comes to Improbable Press, but I do think their stories are some of the best works of fanlove I've ever read and this collection is no exception. A Murmuring of Bees has bees front and centre (or sometimes backstage) with each story either directly or indirectly featuring bees in some form or other. Sometimes it's what the story is about. Sometimes it's just a passing reference. It definitely has more of a sexual edge to it than, say, The Night They Met, but that's alright by me. I especially enjoyed the longer, more fleshed out stories, and I think The Secret Diary of Dr John Watson MD was if not my favourite then definitely one of my favourites. Recommended for all those who love Sherlock Holmes, John Watson and the love they have for one another.
April 29, 2024
(1.5) Wish I could say I enjoyed this book, but it was just a compilation of bad fanfiction. I could really only cringe and scrunch my nose at it. Some of the stories are utterly ridiculous and out of character. There were some authors (not all) who invalidated Sherlock’s asexuality. I went into this book with high hopes as a gay and acespec Sherlock fan but I was disappointed. However, I did appreciate the fact that the money I spent on this book went to queer kids in need. That’s about the only high for me.
January 4, 2019
Every story in this anthology touched me. Each author has such a different view of both Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and to have their stories gathered together like this leads to some fascinating reading. Some of the authors are old favourites, while others are newly-discovered gems. This is one book that I find myself reading and re-reading and I enjoy it every single time!
July 1, 2017
Pure poetry
It may not be your cup of tea but if you love every aspect of Holmes and Watson this has a poetic tenderness that will move and inspire you. Also recommend it for my LGBTQA friends looking for representational fiction.
It may not be your cup of tea but if you love every aspect of Holmes and Watson this has a poetic tenderness that will move and inspire you. Also recommend it for my LGBTQA friends looking for representational fiction.
July 21, 2017
My story, "These Things, Understood" appears herein (under the pseudonym Poppy Alexander). A varied, sweet collection of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson romances. I am proud to be included among the many talented authors in this anthology.
May 23, 2019
Listen, this book is a dream come true. Some of my favourite fanfic authors got together and wrote an entire book full of Johnlock and bees and are selling it for s good cause. It's like my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one.
November 23, 2020
Firstly, this will not be everyone's shtick. This is a variety of fanfictions about JohnLock which in itself isn't bad. There were quite a few that I skimmed or skipped over but there were a few that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's wonderful to see passionate writers getting their works out there!
February 14, 2022
As with all anthologies, this was a mixed bag. However, the ones I found to be the best were absolutely 5 stars. I wish several stories in this anthology were full length novels, to be honest. I wanted to stay in them for a bit longer.
May 19, 2017
I will be writing an extended review when I have the book to hand, but for now I'll say- beautiful. Improbable Press is bringing consistently fabulous work.
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October 23, 2019I posted this book accidentally, and did not read it.
November 29, 2021
I really liked this short story collection. Holmes and Watson are just so in love in all of these stories that you can feel it while reading, which makes the good writing even more enjoyable!
January 26, 2017
A Nectar to Make You Feel Good.
This book is composed of 24 stories and a poem, and I have loved every single one of these entries. I had already read stories from a few of the authors and they had never disappointed me: they didn't this time either. From the shortest to the longest story they all tap into the heart and soul of what makes Sherlock Holmes and John Watson important to me: their relationship, their investigations and adventure and flavour it all with the bee theme that acts as a fil rouge. Every author has a unique style, and loads of talent, so the small bios at the end of the book are incredibly precious to help people like me find more of their wiritings, or simply get in touch with them to thank them, not just for their contribution but also because every penny they get from the book goes to the It Gets Better Project.
For this alone, the book would have been worth it, good thing it is also full of great stories.
This book is composed of 24 stories and a poem, and I have loved every single one of these entries. I had already read stories from a few of the authors and they had never disappointed me: they didn't this time either. From the shortest to the longest story they all tap into the heart and soul of what makes Sherlock Holmes and John Watson important to me: their relationship, their investigations and adventure and flavour it all with the bee theme that acts as a fil rouge. Every author has a unique style, and loads of talent, so the small bios at the end of the book are incredibly precious to help people like me find more of their wiritings, or simply get in touch with them to thank them, not just for their contribution but also because every penny they get from the book goes to the It Gets Better Project.
For this alone, the book would have been worth it, good thing it is also full of great stories.
January 7, 2017
An anthology of Sherlock/John fics, (or Holmes/ Watson in some cases) all of which have something to do with bees, even if just the tiniest mention of bee-shaped cufflinks. Some of the best authors in fandom have contributed to this book, curated by Atlin Merrick (who also writes as Wendy Fries). Totally well worth the read.
April 11, 2017
If, like me, you believe Sherlock Holmes and John Watson share one of the most beautiful love stories ever created (or possibly channelled by a parallel universe, so very alive they feel), you can't miss this book.
Here, they are finally allowed to love - and make love to - each other, through all their incarnations, from XIXth century to nowadays, with a few very interesting interpretations in various decades of 1900. War, cases, melancholy, pure joy - you'll find everything, and all tempered in sweet, sweet love.
If you're busy - as a bee, the delightful visual thread of this book - keep in mind this is a collection of short stories, so you can easily fit one in whatever spare time you have. Fair warning, though: you won't want to put down the book.
One last detail: its profits go to charity...so really, what are you waiting for?
Here, they are finally allowed to love - and make love to - each other, through all their incarnations, from XIXth century to nowadays, with a few very interesting interpretations in various decades of 1900. War, cases, melancholy, pure joy - you'll find everything, and all tempered in sweet, sweet love.
If you're busy - as a bee, the delightful visual thread of this book - keep in mind this is a collection of short stories, so you can easily fit one in whatever spare time you have. Fair warning, though: you won't want to put down the book.
One last detail: its profits go to charity...so really, what are you waiting for?
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews