A Bee Keeping Mystery: Book 1
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
The town is all abuzz when a murder occurs in Jennie Marts’ debut cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Amanda Flower.
As a successful mystery author, Bailey Briggs writes about murder, but nothing prepares her for actually discovering the dead body of the founder of her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado. Bailey grew up at Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch and was raised by her beekeeping grandmother, Blossom Briggs, aka Granny Bee, and her two eccentric sisters, Aster and Marigold—which is why she drops everything to come home and help Granny Bee after a bad fall.
A broken foot doesn’t stop her grandmother from ruling The Hive, her granny’s book club, or continuing to prepare and package her bee-inspired products. But when Bailey’s grandmother’s infamous “Honey I’m Home” hot spiced honey turns out to “bee” the murder weapon and her granny is now the prime suspect, Bailey has no choice but to use her fictional detective skills to help solve the murder and “smoke out” the real culprit.
With the help of Bailey’s witty bestie, a pair of meddling aunts, the feisty members of The Hive, and her computer-savvy daughter, this amateur sleuth is determined to solve the case. A malicious attack and an ominous threat reveal that someone wants Bailey to butt out of the investigation, but there’s no way she’s backing down. She must use her skills to uncover the truth and catch the clever culprit before her grandmother ends up bee-hind bars.
I was curious about some reviews posted for Take the Honey and Run, the first book in the Bee Keeping Mystery series by Jennie Marts on Amazon. I was glad they were short, as I don’t want to inadvertently plagiarize someone else’s review. I noticed that the theme of family and friendships ran throughout the reviews. That was something I wanted to comment on first before I go any further into my review.
The characters call their group “The Hive,” they are very close to each other, support each other, and grew up with each other. I would love to be a part of a group of women like that. They come to each other’s aid when trouble comes and will do what needs to be done to help one of their own.
My favorite scene in the book was when Grannie Bee’s sisters, Aster and Marigold, tackle Granny Bee’s “boo,” thinking he might be the culprit. I giggled my way through that scene. It was something straight out of a Stephanie Plumb book.
I learned that there was a Bailey Rose, which is what Bailey is named after. One really does learn something new every day.
I liked the plot and the author’s twist in the book. That was good. The dialogue was fast and snappy, the plot didn’t move slowly, and the story entertained me.
I enjoyed the banter between Granny Bee and her sisters and the banter between Bailey and Sawyer.
I also liked the scene where we learned a little about Beekeeping. That was cool. I’ve been watching Beekeeping on YouTube, and it’s really fascinating. I don’t want to do it, but I like watching on the other side of the screen.
I’m curious about the next installment of the Bee Keeping Mysteries series. What’s going to happen with Sawyer and Bailey? I can’t wait to find out, and I hope the reader joins me on the adventure.
Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet who loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books range from Western romance to cozy mysteries, but they all have the charm and appeal of quirky small-town life. She loves genre-mashups like adding romance to her Page Turners cozy mysteries and creating the hockey-playing cowboys in the Cowboys of Creedence. The same small-town community comes to life with more animal antics in her latest Creedence Horse Rescue series. And her sassy heroines and hunky heroes carry over in her heartwarming, feel good romances from Hallmark Publishing. Her newest cozy mystery, Take the Honey and Run: A Bee Keeping Mystery, debuts this July.
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Sounds like a good read.