This tale of crime and ill-fated love is set in Las Flores,
California, where an ex-police officer tends her small farm
and visits her friends. Hallowe'en is here and folks are
buying quilts and autumn honey. A HIVE OF HOMICIDES occurs
after Abby Mackenzie supports her best friend Paola in
renewing her marriage vows, although her husband Jake
Winston has been known to have a wandering eye and depleted
his wife's self-belief. The Argentinian Paola would never
contemplate divorce and hopes for a fresh start. Sadly a
drive-by shooting brings the wedding day to a tragic close.
Once Jake is dead, the rumours start to emerge. He seems to
have made moves on women whether they were interested or not
and had a new female companion. The police are concerned but
they are not letting Abby interfere. She may even be
considered a suspect. On the side though, her friend Kat in
the PD shares some investigation details.
As in the first book of this series, A BEELINE
TO MURDER, we find an extract from a farm manual at the
start and end of every chapter. This gives the series its
name of Henny
Penny Farmette Mysteries. While much friendly wisdom is
imparted, I am not convinced it always works; we go straight
from a description of blood and death into a recipe for a
salad. Still, we get a fascinating recipe for lemon and
vinegar pie, and a rich bourbon pumpkin pie. I'm astonished
by Abby's reaction when she is driving and sees a tree
collapse on top of a horse trailer and pickup ahead. She
never wonders if anyone needs help. Instead, she just
changes the route so as not to be delayed. Separately, a
strange man is hanging around her farm who says he hunts
animals and wants her to give him keys, and she suspects he
may have been in her house. A friend phones for ten
minutes' chat, and Abby never mentions the stranger. This
just is not realistic.
I enjoyed reading about the local food movement and clever
craft ideas for seasonal gifts. These include making white
chocolate truffles and putting them in a gift box. Although
farming is a low-stress occupation compared to policing,
Abby still gets flashbacks and fear from her earlier life,
and we see how she tries to counter this. The nearby winery
is a good location for intrigue. As frost arrives, so does
more danger. If you enjoyed the first book by Meera Lester
you will also love the exciting A HIVE OF HOMICIDES.
When Abigail Mackenzie left the police force to become a
farmer and beekeeper in beautiful Las Flores, California,
she thought her days of criminal investigation were behind
her . . .
Her present life is mostly filled with hard work and happy
occasions, including the upcoming event with her friend
Paola, a truffle maker, who's renewing her vows with her
husband Jake, owner of the Country Schoolhouse Winery. Abby
is delighted to provide her trademark lavender honey for the
occasion.
But after the ceremony, the guests of honor are nowhere to
be found. When Abby goes looking for them, she hears a
gunshot and discovers Jake dead in his car and Paola injured
beside him.
Who was the intended target? Jake had a reputation as a busy
bee with the ladies. Is it possible that one of his flings,
stung by rejection, took revenge? Or could it be sour grapes
with one of his colleagues at the winery? If Paola was meant
to be the victim, Abby needs to protect her as she searches
for the shooter.
When a second murder occurs, it's up to Abby to crush the
clues—before the killer gets her over a barrel . . .
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy