Bailey BriggsΒ drives back to her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado with her pre-teen daughter, Daisy. TAKE THE HONEY AND RUN is a cosy crime story with many references to honey and bees, but not much detail on beekeeping, which might come in later books. First in the βBee Keeping Mysteryβ series reminds me of several situations I have read of late β not all mysteries. The young woman returns home to meet many active, busy seniors and one or two handsome young men.
Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch is all a-buzz with news. Bailey doesnβt really want to stay, but her aunts, Aster and Marigold, are thrilled to see her. And her grandmother, Blossom Briggs, is nursing a cast boot on her broken foot β the reason why Bailey agreed to come back to help. As she arrives, a book club meeting is in progress, but town mayor Werner Humble is being shown the door. Apparently, he has an eye for the ladies, even at his age, and his advances arenβt always welcomed.
Everyone knows Werner has an allergic reaction to honey or bee stings, so when he is unfortunately found dead with honey in his kitchen, it looks suspicious. There canβt be a connection to Granny, can there, even if a jar of her best farm honey was used? Sawyer Dunn, sheriff and Baileyβs high school crush, has to consider all the townsfolk suspects, even little old ladies in medical boots. Werner had enemies.
I find the details often amusing and well considered. The aunts and other ladies feel similar, as they might, having lived all their lives in the same town. But when a new character is introduced, like the medical examiner or the mayorβs secretary, author Jennie Marts is careful to make them distinctive. The stack of people who disliked Werner keeps getting higher, which did make me wonder why he was mayor. He seemed to do a good enough job hiding his sliminess, but people talk. Anyway, Bailey is investigating just to absolve her grandma of blame, but the deeper she digs, the more interesting the situation becomes. They donβt have crime in Humble Hills, says the sheriff. Bailey is a mystery author and thinks sleuthing is similar to her books, but in a lot of ways it isnβt, like the risk to her child, which she didnβt foresee. Young Daisy is a bright, brave girl and looks set to be the next farm beekeeper, if the skill skips a generation.
TAKE THE HONEY AND RUN by Jennie Marts is a cut above the usual run of mysteries, with many cautionary tales and interesting characters. A few honey recipes are at the back. I canβt wait for the next book.
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