Death by a HoneyBee

Death by a HoneyBee is a fun mystery that takes place in the Kentucky Bluegrass of horse farms, bourbon, and lots of secrets. 

Josiah Reynolds lives in a contemporary house called The Butterfly that was designed by her and her now deceased architect husband. In her cabana guesthouse lives her good and gorgeous friend Matt, a newly sworn-in attorney, and his lover Franklin. Also on her farm live various peacocks, horses, and maybe a strange looking sheep or two.

Unfortunately, when her husband Brannon died, he left all his money to his much younger girlfriend. Sigh. Josiah, a retired university professor, has fallen on financial hard times, so she has taken up beekeeping and sells her honey at the Farmers' Market in Lexington. 

Trouble comes in the form of the dead body of Richard Pidgeon, a competitor of Josiah's and a nasty man to boot. He is found head first in one of Josiah's hives - making the honeybees so, so mad. He had been stung 176 times.

The police  - there is a good cop and a very bad cop - seem to want to blame the murder on Josiah. And that is where the fun - for the reader, that is - begins. 

I enjoyed learning about the honeybees and how much work goes into keeping the hives alive. And it was entertaining to read a mystery that takes place just 90 miles from my hometown. This was one of the books I purchased at the Kentucky Book Fair and is the first in a series of four. 

Ms. Keam is a beekeeper herself and has won awards for her honey at the Kentucky State Fair. 

Her inscription in my book reads: Free the Bees.

Photo album: Kentucky Book Fair

Samuel, the handsome bookseller, at the Kentucky Book Fair.
Joseph-Beth is an independent bookstore in Lexington and had people at the Fair taking payment for books purchased. I wandered up and down the aisles chatting with authors and picking up books as I went. I paid for all on my way out. I couldn't resist taking Samuel's photo as he stood in line to meet one of his literary idols, Wendell Berry.

Author Bobby Ann Mason looks darling in her beret. She was wearing it in honor of her newest book The Girl in the Blue Beret. I bought and had her sign a copy of Elvis which she wrote in 2002. I had seen Ms. Mason at the Book Fair shortly after publication of that book, part of the Penguin Lives series, but in my ignorance failed to buy it. So, I had to settle for getting her autograph in the paperback edition.

Kentucky literary icon Wendell Berry. I bought a copy of his agrarian essays, Art of the Common Place, and joked with him that I was embarrassed to say that although I had read some of his work I didn't actually own any of his books but was putting that to rights today. He laughed and said, "If you can read them for free, why not?" He began the day wearing his jacket but by noon was signing books in his shirtsleeves. There was always a line of fans at  his table.

And now let me introduce three mystery writers whose books I bought and chatted with about murder most foul:

Gale Borger writes the Miller Sisters Mysteries.  Ms. Borger is a correctional officer, wife, and mother to a college-student daughter. She lives in Wisconsin and was smiling to be in Kentucky. She also is a master gardener and gave me a packet of basil seeds. I am looking forward to starting her books, Totally Buzzed and Totally Fishy.

Abigail Keam writes mysteries that take place in Bluegrass country and star Josiah Reynolds, beekeeper extraordinaire.
Death by a Honeybee is Ms. Keam's first book in the series. She has written four so far. Ms. Keam is a beekeeper herself and has won awards for her honey at the Kentucky State Fair.

Duffy Brown's Iced Chiffon is a cozy mystery featuring Reagan Summerside, consignment store owner in Savannah and part-time amateur sleuth. I love the city of Savannah and couldn't resist buying this first-in-the-series book. Besides, Ms. Brown looked so fresh in her yellow jacket and red carnation.