Buzz Off (Queen Bee Mystery Series #1)

A VERY BEE-PEALING MYSTERY

A Queen Bee Mystery
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES
Release Date September 7, 2010
Berkley Prime Crime

Set in the fictional town of Moraine, Wisconsin, Story Fischer is gearing up for National Honey Month (September). Her messy divorce is final. Her store, The Wild Clover, is very successful and is the only local grocery. It is a truly unique mercantile, as the building was formerly a church, complete with stained glass windows. She also works with her friend and mentor, Manny, who is teaching her all he knows about the honey business. They have harvested their honey and stock various honey products on The Wild Clover's shelves and on shelves in stores throughout the county. Everything seems pretty sunny in Story's life.

But it doesn't take long before things start to get sticky.

Her mentor is found dead, in front of his beehives, totally covered in bees and honey. The police and the entire town believes Manny was killed by his bees. Story tries to explain the difference between honeybee stings and wasp or yellow jacket stings, but no one will listen. The local Realtor, a crazy woman named Lori, wants all the bees killed including Story's bees.

While Story is working hard to save all the bees, another body is found in the Oconomowoc River, and this time the evidence points directly at Story's ex-husband. Yes, he is a jerk, thinks he's God's gift to women, and a "buzzkill," but not a murderer. Story shifts into high gear to save her bees, her business and even her ex. Honey may be sweet, but this mystery is anything but sweet. Story will be busy as a bee to untangle this mess and trying to keep herself from getting stung in the process.

I loved this book for so many reasons:

* The subject matter is truly unique. I have never read a mystery with bees as the theme.
* The characters are a hoot, or should I say a buzz since we are dealing will bees. Their humorous quips can be a sharp as a sting, and P.P. Patty will have you laughing out loud. You will come to love the entire hive.
* The mystery is solidly written, many twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the very end.
* This book is set in Wisconsin, my home territory. If Moraine was a real town, I could be shopping in Story's store or canoeing on the Oconomowoc River in about 45 minutes.
* Included in the book are some wonderful recipes.
* Why is my review written using bullet points, you will have to read the book to find out.

Seriously though Hannah Reed has written a truly extraordinary debut to start this brand new series. It is one guilty pleasure I am honored to have. I love to read what she writes and cannot wait to the next installment to this honey of a series.


Be sure to visit the Official Website for the Queen Bee Mystery Series.

You can also pre-order your own copy today here or at any online or brick and mortar book store of your choice. There will continue to be a lot of BUZZ about this book now and long time after it's actual release date of September 7th. It is the perfect book to celebrate National Honey Month, which is right around the corner.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author.. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

a delicious amateur sleuth mystery

In Moraine, Wisconsin Story Fischer feels pretty good that her divorce from her cheating husband Clay is finalized. The owner of the Wild Clover grocery, she celebrates her new single life sharing champagne with her customers and a special one day sale of all goods. However, her idyllic day ends when her beekeeping mentor Manny Chapman, owner of the Queen bee Honey, dies from a swarm of yellow jackets.

The townsfolk and Manny's wife Grace assume his honey bees killed him. They want his bees and that of Story's out of the county before someone else is hurt. Story refuses as she wants to go into the homey making business. Grace sells Manny's hive to Gerald Smith who is nowhere to be found. Hunter Wallace, who is interested in Story, accompanies her on a ride looking for her raft. When she looks inside she sees the murdered body of her former husband's girlfriend. Clay is arrested, but Story believes the rat is not a killer and the two deaths are linked. Searching for Manny's hives, Story begins to put the puzzle together while the killer watches her do so waiting for the right moment to strike again.

Buzz Off is a sparkling debut that enables the reader to see the down side of small town living when something bad happens as the insular population reacts in what seems a genuine cause and effect. Story is spunky as she tries new things especially to earn a better lifestyle yet careful not to alienate her eccentric neighbors. Readers will enjoy a taste of honey as Hannah Reed provides a delicious amateur sleuth mystery.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good read

Very interesting characters. Good read

Like visiting old friends

I can't believe this is the first book of a series. Within a few chapters you feel like you've known these characters a long time. A delightful book. Wish I could move to Moraine! Can't wait to read the next one.

Fun mystery

Loved this first book. It has a nice cast of characters with interesting personal history. Fun and easy to follow but keeps you guessing until the end. I've already added her next book in the series to my summer reading list. Enjoy!

Very entertaining. A good beginning to this series

-- I love a cozy mystery to relax with, and when it gives me not only an interesting whodunit but something new I can learn about, I always feel like I hit a jackpot. Hannah Reed has done just that with her new series. Story Fischer is celebrating her divorce from her skirt-chasing now ex-husband, Clay Lane by having a one-day sale on everything in her store, The Wild Clover, and offering champagne. She is also celebrating the kick-off campaign for September National Honey Month. Story has been learning beekeeping from her mentor, Manny Chapman, and she is now the proud owner of two strong beehives. Manny has studied and kept a journal on every aspect of honeybees and is the owner operator of the strongest, most productive honey farm in Wisconsin. Buzz Off is told in first person by Story. Her celebration is interrupted suddenly with the news that Manny is unconscious and may be dead. The police and paramedics can't tell because he is covered with bees and they can't get at him. They need Story to get the bees away. She can not believe he would be killed by honeybees, especially when they have a lot of honey to take back to their hives, but she does notice yellow-jackets among the bees which definitely could do the deed. Unfortunately, nobody believes her. We are now at the crux of the mystery. Story believes it is murder, everyone else thinks the bees killed him and the town, led by the overzealous wife of the town chairman, is out to get Storey's bees. Moraine is a very small town, more like a neighborhood. As such, readers might think there would be no way for secrets to be kept, but readers, you would be wrong. This town abounds with secrets, even with a very informed but oft mistaken gossip queen in their midst. Hannah Reed has peopled the book with a melange of quirky characters in this small town. The story flows well, the research done by Hannah is excellent, I suspect from her obvious care and knowledge that she is also a beekeeper when she isn't writing. In fact, being around the hives is probably conducive to writing, a music of its own. More character-driven than not, this series promises to be flat out fun, murders aside. I found this book enjoyable, descriptive, and the feel of the book is well-defined. Readers may feel they have been dropped into the story and become a part of it. The crimes are well-plotted and the solutions hinted at remain well-hidden. The heroine is flawed just enough to feel comfortable with, no perfect specimen of femininity here, and she is no slouch under attack, but she is very entertaining. A good beginning to this series, I know I will be following it wherever it takes me. Recipes included.

Unbeelevable

Hannah Reed's Buzz Off is a beeautiful mix of humor, intrigue and murder in small town Wisconsin. The characters are well-defined as is their interpersonal relationships. Hannah had captured small town life in her depictions of rumor-mongering,nosy neighbors and serious conclusion-jumping, not to mention leaving door unlocked because everybody knows everybody.
Although I know nothing about the beekeeping business, Hannah's descriptions lead me to believe tat she spent hours researching or has a business of her own. The shop Story owns sosunds to me like a delightful mix of eclectic items. Just what a customer wants. The employees are equally eclectic. Carrie Ann is the typical employee with issues to solve leading her to be a sometime royal pain. The Craig twins are too good to be true.
Hunter and Ben, the K-9 team are lucious while adding a romantic outlet for Story.
He mother must have been a Queen Bee in a former life, flitting around, trying to run Story's life and constantly comparing her to her quiet less interesting sister.
All in all, the title may lead the reader to stay away with its conotation, but she would be remiss if she didn't ignore it and dig in.

A Sweet Tale . . .

Story Fischer is just as industrious as her colony of bees when it comes to investigating the death of her mentor and the theft of his beekeeping manual. Action, adventure, a touch of romance, and a cast of delightful characters fill Hannah Reed's debut novel. BUZZ OFF is one honey of a tale.

Excellent - a MUST read!

The colourful cover of "Buzz Off" caught my eye a week ago. After reading the blurb on the back cover I knew it was for me. I love mysteries AND honey so the combination was a delight. I could not put the book down all week. With great characters, beautiful descriptions of Moraine and the surrounding area, together with a clever and fun plot, plus a dash of sweet romance, "Buzz Off" is a terrific gem. I also learned more about honey bees than I ever knew before. I cannot wait for the next Queen Bee Mystery! In the meantime, I'll be trying out some of the delicious looking recipes thoughtfully included at the back of the book.

A Good Debut

Story Fischer learns that her mentor and friend was found dead covered in honey with assumption that his death was caused by his bees. Story is adamant that the bees did not kill her friend and sets out to prove that it was yellow jackets. This honey of a story has a good plot, a mystery that kept me guessing and a host of great characters. This was a delightful read

Love it!

Love, love , loved it! Great new series. Story is great! Love her "beedar." Can't wait for the next book.

It's a charmer!

I really enjoyed this first book in a new series by Hannah Reed, especially the name of the main character! When a couple of townspeople wind up deceased, Story Fischer, local business owner and beekeeper, sets out to learn the truth about what is happening in Moraine, Wisconsin. The town is full of busybodies and relatives, some more well-meaning than others. Story's story is a good one, I hope to read more about her adventures.

Quirky, light, incredibly humorous cozy

Melissa "Story" Fischer had returned to Moraine, Wisconsin a couple of years ago. Unlike her sister Holly, who had an M.R.S. degree, Story actually had to work for a living and started up a soon to be thriving grocery store, "The Wild Clover." Holly drove a Jag and Story drove a getcha where ya wanna go pickup, but what the heck, she was happy. While Southeastern Wisconsin wasn't exactly "the" place to be, it was proving to be a place where Story could leave behind the past and start fresh again. Well, almost because her ex, Clay, whose only redeeming quality just happened to be his "gorgeous feet," lived next door and Pity-Party Patti Dwyre, who owned a telescope, lived on the other side. Nobody ever said it was a perfect world. Cousin Carrie Ann thought Story should have called up Clay and invited him to join the festivities at The Wild Clover's "one-day sale," but who in their right mind would invite a two-timing twit to guzzle up all her free champagne? The champagne filled flutes and freebies were being scarfed up by everyone from the foodies to the frumps and he was the last thing on her mind. While everyone was getting a buzz, Story's "beekeeping mentor," Manny Chapman, who taught her in his beekeeping course, was lying out by his beehives, apparently dying a horrendous death after having been stung by his honeybees. Faye Tilley, Clay's current paramour, just happened to be found "sprawled faceup" inside a kayak . . . HER kayak. And guess who found the corpse? Story wasn't exactly on the right side of the law. She'd turned down that obnoxious bully Johnny Jay (now Police Chief Jay) when he invited her to the prom in high school, and she'd dumped Hunter Wallace, currently a member of the Critical Incident Team, a.k.a. C.I.T. Missy Fischer had a lot to explain and in a big fat hurry. Was she going to be able to explain away her awkward connections to the victims? Could she prove Manny had been murdered? Would she be able to exonerate Clay? OMG! Grams was on her way in her Cadillac Fleetwood. Looked like Story was in for the ride of her life. It wouldn't be long before her mother would start yapping, "Your personal life is spread over the entire town like a B movie . . . " No kidding. Everyone is simply going to go Buzz-erk over the marvelously quirky cast of characters in this fabulously funny new series. This series portrays small town America in its not so finest light, the way it really is (minus the corpses of course). You've got everything and everyone from those little rat-at-tat tat romances going on when no one is looking (except for P. P. Patti) to eccentric Grams in her Caddie who would just as soon run over you as look at you. Rather than peek behind your blinds at your real neighbors, you need only to crack open the pages of this book to find them. Hannah Reed has a deliciously spicy, adorable sense of humor that had me howling with unabashed glee. You couldn't get as many colorful characters if you poured them from a box of Fruit Loops. Buzz Off had just the right blend of mystery, romance, and humor that will charm anyone's socks off. If this fantastic whodunit doesn't buzz to the top of your list, I'm simply gonna have to sic Grams on you...and she doesn't mess around! Quill says: If you are in need of a quirky, light, incredibly humorous cozy, look no more. Hannah Reed has whopped 'n chopped and stirred up a formula for a mystery that will line up an audience who will beg for more!

Read entire book in one sitting

I loved it! Teaches about honey bees as well as entertains. I am looking forward to see how the characters develop - especially the relationship between Story and her mom. A very fun and enlightening read!

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