Book Review: Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts (Bee Keeping Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Main characters and a strong mystery

Cons: A bit too zany at times for me

The Bottom Line:

Honey allergy

But who would kill so sweetly?

A tasty debut

Is Granny Bee a Killer Bee?

I know they say don’t judge a book by the cover, but I’ve got to admit, a wonderfully punny title will catch my attention.  I love a good pun; I can’t help it.  So, it was only an already full reading schedule that kept me from reading Take the Honey and Run when it first came out last summer.  I heard so much positive buzz about the book that I had to pick it up, and I’m glad I did.

Mystery author Bailey Biggs returns home to Humble Hills, Colorado, to help her grandmother since she broke her foot.  Her grandmother is affectionately known as Granny Bee since she is a bee keeper, and her honey is sold all over the town.

When Bailey arrives, she witnesses Granny Bee threatening the town founder and mayor.  Unfortunately, the next day, Bailey finds the man dead in his house.  The victim was very vocal about his honey allergy, and it appears he died from an allergic reaction.  In fact, there’s a jar of Granny Bee’s signature Hot Spiced Honey on his table.  Naturally, the sheriff wants to question Granny Bee, but Bailey doesn’t think her grandmother is a killer.  Can she figure out who the sweet killer is?

The book doesn’t waste any time.  It quickly introduces us to the characters, and then gets right to the murder.  In fact, I wish the book had spent just a tad more time introducing us to the characters.  We meet a group of supporting characters at once, and it took me a while to sort out who all of them were.  But I was able to do that as the book progressed.  It helps that the main cast are strong, and the suspects were good.

The plot didn’t lag at all.  We had several viable suspects, and the clues and red herrings kept me buzzing until we reached the end of the book.  When we did reach the end, all the clues and red herrings were explained.

One thing I’d heard about the book was how funny it was.  There were some great scenes, but some of the madcap adventures went a little too far for me.  A couple of times, I thought that Bailey and her side kick and best friend, Evie, went a little far, even for a cozy, in their investigation.  But those scenes also provided some great laughs.

There’s plenty of talk about food, especially honey, in this book.  So you’ll be happy to find six recipes at the end.  I’m not a fan of spicy food, so I’ll let someone else enjoy the Hot Spiced Honey recipe, but the Honey Banana Bread does sound good.

I’m glad I finally took time to read Take the Honey and Run.  I will definitely be back to visit the characters again in book two.  Fans of cozies on the comedic side will be glad they picked up this book.