REVIEW: A Hive of Homicides

A Hive of Homicides
Author: Meera Lester

Former Police Officer Abigail Mackenzie loves her new life. She happily runs her farmette, raising crops and keeping bees. She's a bit concerned about other things though. Her friend, Paola, is renewing her wedding vows, but her husband Jake is a womanizing cad. Abigail is torn between wanting her friend's day to be a joyful one, but also wondering if she should tell her that her husband is a total jerk. In the end, the day is ruined anyway when someone shoots Jake and Paola soon after their vow renewal. Jake is dead. Paola is seriously injured. Was it revenge from one of his many girlfriends on the side? Or something more sinister? As Paola clings to life in the hospital, Abigail is on the case to discover who hurt her friend. Was the philandering husband the target? Or did someone mean to kill Paola? When a second body turns up, Abigail realizes she needs to work fast to solve the case.

A Hive of Homicides is the third book the the Henny Penny Farmette series. I enjoy this series. Abigail is a strong, intelligent main character. She uses her former police experience to really dig into the grit of things and come up with clues, facts and leads, despite local law enforcement really wanting her to stay out of things. I like the side theme of the farmette and bee keeping. Each chapter has little facts about bees, honey or farming. It just adds to the cozy side of these mystery stories.

In this latest addition to this series, the mystery is well paced. The story is a nice mix of the background theme and the murder investigation. There is some character development to further the series. And, it had a nice build to the end (no spoilers from me!) All in all, this was a fun read and I like this series! Each book has been great! I can't wait to read Abagail's next adventure!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**