Take the Honey and Run (A Bee Keeping Mystery) [Hardcover] Marts, Jennie

Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts is the debut of A Bee Keeping Mysteries. We get to meet Bailey Briggs and her daughter, Daisy. Bailey returns to her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado. She was raised by her Granny Bee (aka Blossom Briggs) on Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch. The story has a cast of eccentric characters that includes Granny Bee and her two sisters, Aster and Marigold. Bailey arrives to find Granny Bee yelling at the mayor, Werner Humble (he should not have made a pass at her) and making a threat that she will soon regret. When the mayor is found dead with one of Granny Bee's honey products nearby, Granny Bee becomes the prime suspect (of course). I was baffled as to why Sheriff Sawyer Dunn would let Bailey schlep around the crime scene. I know this is fiction, but it needs to be realistic. Evidence can be thrown out of court because a civilian was roaming around a crime scene (I do not care if Sawyer and Bailey used to canoodle). Bailey wastes no time in rallying the troops (aka her two aunts along with their book club—The Hive) and digging into the case. There are several suspects in the crime. The mayor was not a good guy. The sheriff just happens to be Bailey old high school boyfriend which leads to some awkward encounters. Bailey uses her knowledge of whodunits (she writes mysteries for a living) to prove Granny Bee's innocence. Bailey points out details that the sheriff overlooks (is the man that bad at his job) and she manages to stay a step or two ahead of him throughout the case. During the course of Bailey's investigation, there are (of course) some shenanigans that provide levity. Bailey and her bestie, Evie manage to get themselves into trouble often. The pair provide several laugh out loud moments. The mystery is one that can be solved before the solution is revealed. There is a secondary mystery regarding the identity of Daisy's birth father. We will have to wait for the next A Bee Keeping Mystery for more details. I found Take the Honey and Run to be easy to read. It is a lighthearted story with plenty of humor. The food descriptions will have you salivating. Take the Honey and Run has all the bees a buzzing with a murdered mayor, a gregarious granny, a helpful Hive, surprising secrets, a clueless sheriff, and a busy Bailey.