Death by a HoneyBee

I found this book a page-turner, and I've started in on the second in the series.

Keam evokes the bluegrass country vividly, both its ecosystems and its bucolic-over-undercurrents human society. Keam clearly knows her stuff about beekeeping (we also keep bees), and it was nice to see that relayed accurately for a change!

In the reviews I've seen, the main quibble seems to be about the "cliffhanger" ending. OK, technically it's a cliffhanger...but since this is Book 1 in a series of (at this writing) 9, I think it is fairly obvious that Josiah does not die; no need to read the next one for that data.

Josiah is an interesting woman. She seems to be an introvert in the way I am; not hostile to company, but even though we enjoy the people we show more like, socializing can be a strain. She's a great mix of smart and naive, and wise and petty, and learns from the past even as current events kick her around. I find some of Keam's choices to be fascinating- like putting Josiah into a very architechturally-conceptual house, that is now desperately needing repairs. And the hints given make me long to know more about her daughter!

This is not a cozy. The characters have edges, and events spin out in ways that are more noir than cozy. I liked that! Especially when the end didn't roll up more tightly than real life ever allows to happen. And it's not spoon-fed to the reader- we have to pay attention and figure things out. I like that, too! show less

This was my first book by author Abigail Keam and won’t be my last. I loved her sense of humor mixed in with a murder/mystery. All the characters were well written and the story was good and moved at a great place. The ending was a cliffhanger and just makes you want to read more. I have become a fan of the Josiah Reynolds Mystery series.

Josiah Reynolds is a 50 year old beekeeper in Lexington. She finds a rival beekeeper dead on her property in one of her hives. I couldn't warm to her character at all - I could say that I found her rude and obnoxious and at times felt she deserved what she got.

Good. I especially like the characterization of Josiah, a woman who keeps bees, animals, and has a quick retort for most people. Don’t have to read any more of these, though.

I thought the story was okay, up untill 'part 2' (the dinner party at Lady Elsmere's), the pace changed, and the vengeance scene felt forced, like everything needed to be wrapped up neatly in a bow and the attempt at action-drama and the overly-dramatic arrival of the elusive daughter just completely ruined the mood.

First in a series of light-hearted mysteries about a widow raising honey bees on her acreage outside of Lexington, KY. This one is about a local bee keeper who is found dead in one her honey pots. She is suspected so she sets out to find the real killer even though it is finally called a heart attack.

A cozy mystery with the requisite quirky characters but with no definitive ending. You will need to read book 2 to tie up all of the story threads.