by Sandra Murphy

This week we have reviews of 2 mysteries that involve bees-Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs and Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win copies of both the books, with links to purchase them at the end of each review–you may not see the links if you have ad blocker on.

Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs
Review by Sandra Murphy

Right in the midst of a tea party to exhibit art, a local politician stands to deliver a very long, very boring speech, much to the disgust of the art dealer and everyone within the sound of his voice. In the background are beehives, at a safe distance away from the patrons and the sweet treats being served.
A beekeeper, completely covered in the traditional white suit, netting over the face, appears and is a nice distraction for the group. Until the faux beekeeper aims toxic smoke at the crowd and uses the confusion and smoke as cover to shoot and kill the windy politician, that is.

Theodosia Browning, the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, caterer for the event, is in hot pursuit when the killer makes his escape. Because she’s forced to hit the ground when the killer turns and shoots at her, she’s unable to catch the culprit.

Holly, the art dealer, is devastated. Her reputation is in tatters, as are the paintings after they were knocked over and trampled in the confusion. After the event, artists pull their works from the gallery and sales are almost zero. She begs Theo to ask questions, run a shadow investigation alongside the police, and find the killer.

Booker, an outsider artist, Lamar Lucket, Claxton’s political rival, and Mignon Merriweather, the dead man’s soon-to-be ex-wife, are among the prime suspects. The dead man had blocked funding for the artist, ran a crooked campaign, and his wife, now widow, needed the funds she’d inherit.

This is book twenty-six in the series and Theo is taking bigger risks than ever before, plus convincing Drayton to accompany her. Detective Tidwell, in charge of the case, and Theo’s police detective boyfriend, Riley, both discourage her from investigating but she feels she has to continue to help her friend’s failing gallery.

At the back of the book, find an excerpt from the next book, Murder in the Tea Leaves. There’s a list of fine tea vendors, things to see if visiting Charleston, tea websites and blogs, locations of tea plantations, and a list of tea-themed magazines. Childs also includes tips on hosting a glam girl tea, angel tea, butterfly tea, Great Gatsby tea, honeybee tea party or a party to let guests create their own tea blend.

Recipes include: Italian ricotta cookies, honey chicken, honey bee cookies, glory bee honey scones, cheddar and sausage Scotch eggs, Moscato poached pears, Tuscan soup, smoked trout tea sandwiches, and suggestions for getting creative with scones.

Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews
Review by Sandra Murphy

Meg Langslow keeps a running to-do list, what supplies are needed, and where she should be when. That goes for her twin boys, her husband, friends, and family as well. She manages to do more by noon than most people could do in a week.

Near the top of her current list is to talk to the NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard folks) about their never-ending concerns. The current topic is bees, as in the hives. A neighbor, not in the subdivision, has ten hives. The NIMBYs, who have every outdoor accessory or gadget, are rarely outside so you’d think bees wouldn’t be high on their list. It’s right at the top.

Also for today, Meg is on a search for a lost cemetery that dates back to the Civil War. Her friends have an idea where it is but with damaged, missing, or never-there headstones it’s not going to be easy to locate.

If that’s not enough, her grandmother, Cordelia, is visiting and brought along a ‘content provider’ for a small (tiny) magazine. Britni is supposed to write about Cordelia’s interests but shows no interest in anything Cordelia does. Britni reluctantly rides along on the cemetery search.

A while back, Meg rescued nine Pomeranian puppies. Most are now in training to be cadaver dogs or search and rescue dogs. Several of them are along to help find the cemetery but instead find a dead body—one that didn’t belong in the cemetery and is only recently dead.

Things keep escalating to the point of undercover operations involving hidden cameras, night vision goggles, alleged blackmail, a missing husband, a bully hummingbird, and vandalism.

This is book thirty-three in the series with book thirty-four, Let It Crow, Let It Crow, Let It Crow, available for pre-order and coming on October 10, 2023. Information on beekeeping is threaded throughout the story seamlessly, never interfering with the plot. All the favorite characters are involved in some way—the twins, Grandfather, Dad who is always a treat, and Spike, the little terrorist dog.

Birder She Wrote is a delight to read.

To enter to win copies of both bee mysteries, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “bees” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 16, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode goes up next week.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.