Friday, January 20, 2012

Review and Giveaway: Plan Bee

Plan Bee (Queen Bee - Book 3) by Hannah Reed


Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: Paperback, 286pp
ISBN-13: 978-0425246214
ISBN: 0425246213


(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)



Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Hannah Reed (Deb Baker) on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter



Books in the series: Buzz Off (2010), Mind Your Own Beeswax (2011), Plan Bee (2012)


CoverArt: Click on the picture to see a larger, clearer image of the covers in this series.







Excerpt from Plan Bee (Amazon Look Inside Feature)


Synopsis:


The townspeople of Moraine, Wisconsin, should be feeling festive during Harmony Festival. But when everything starts going wrong, beekeeper Story Fischer realizes that keeping honeybees is easy compared to keeping the peace...


Moraine's annual Harmony Festival is anything but harmonious for Story Fischer. She's lost the Honey Queen crown to the town's biggest shoplifter; her domineering mother wants Story's beehive banned from the festival, and a visiting twelve-year-old genius is wreaking havoc with his explosive experiments.


Then Story stumbles upon a dead body in the cemetery, only to have it disappear - and then reappear in a most inconvenient place. When her mother begins dating the prime suspect, and the young scientist goes missing, Story is determined to get to the bottom of things. It's up to her to make a beeline for the truth before everything in Moraine blows sky-high.


Thoughts:


Plan Bee is the third book in the Queen Bee mystery series by Hannah Reed. This cozy mystery series is full of interesting facts about Wisconsin and the art of beekeeping. Reed takes readers back to Moraine, a small town with some very zany inhabitants. Reed's sense of humor comes across loud and clear and readers will find themselves alternating between laughing out loud and biting their nails, as local bee keeper, Story Fischer once again finds herself in the middle of a murder.

This is just a great feel good kind of mystery. The atmosphere is cozy and jovial for the most part, even when murder is afoot. The characters are full of energy and a vivaciousness that Reed is able to convey to the reader through humor and imagery. One of the first rules of a good cozy is finding a place or an occupation, maybe even a hobby for the main protagonist that is interesting and different. I'd have to say bee-keeping is right up there with the most unique of professions I've seen in a cozy yet. It gives this series a real "down on the farm" kind of feel. I liked that a lot.

The characters are just plain wacky in some respects, which makes the series and this book in particular a little over-the-top. Reed walks a fine line with this bunch and I think readers will like them a lot. First of all I have to say that names and places don't usually stick out to me in books. If it's a person or a couple that I like, I remember them of course, but I don't usually mention them in my reviews, however "Story" is the perfect name for a great character. Reed's main character for this series is a very in-your-face kind of person, which tends to be a good thing if you happen to be an amateur sleuth. I liked her matter of fact way of speaking and her nosiness was quite funny. I also enjoyed how the author showed everyone feelings about Story, who liked and who didn't and why, that was fun reading.

The mystery aspect of the book was interesting and easy to follow. Story finds a body in the local cemetery one night while she's out walking her dog. But when the police arrive the body has hightailed it off somewhere and Story is left looking a little foolish, when it re-appears it gives stuffing the chimney a whole new meaning. I thought Reed carried off the mystery well, by providing some interesting motives and suspects. I figured it out before the end, and I was really excited that I was right. I love trying to beat the author to the punch. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't, but this was truly a fun journey. The humor in this book and series, really carries it.


I recommend this one cozy readers who like a little something sweet with their murders. The whole bee-keeping aspect of the story was extremely fun to read about and the interactions between story and the townspeople were priceless. Her mom, is quite the cranky lady and every town has to have one, the quirky, nerdy kid who nearly blows the town square sky high. This was a great addition to an already great series!





Plan Bee is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.


I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





Hannah Reed lives on a high ridge in southern Wisconsin in a community much like the one she writes about. She is busy writing the next book in the Queen Bee Mysteries.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Plan Bee by Hannah Reed.

~ You must be a GFC follower or E-mail subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only (publisher request).
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST February 3rd.


1. Please leave a comment in appreciation of the author on THIS post. 
2. Please fill out the FORM.

18 comments:

Wendy Newcomb said...

This sounds like a great read and in WI, no less, what a beautiful state!

I follow you on GFC, wfnren.

wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
wrensthoughts.blogspot.com

holdenj said...

I have enjoyed Story's first two adventures and can't wait to read this one! Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

cyn209 said...

thank you for this giveaway!!!
Plan Bee is already on my WishList!!!

cyn209 at juno dot com

Myra C said...

I enjoyed reading the first book and this one sounds just as fun! Thanks for the giveaway.

Linda Kish said...

I look forward to reading this book.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Denise Z said...

I came across this series for the first time a few days ago, what a fun ride. Thank you for sharing with us and for the awesome giveaway opportunity :)

bn100 said...

This book sounds very interesting. I'm looking forward to reading it.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Karen B said...

This sounds like an enjoyable cozy series!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

Unknown said...

This sounds like a really great series I would like to read. Thanks for the giveaway. Tore923@aol.com

Sue Farrell said...

I enjoy watching the bees on our apple trees in the summer and I enjoy a good cozy--so this sounds like a good book for me. Thanks for the giveaway.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

In Julie's Opinion said...

This is a new series to me but it sounds like a good one! Thanks for bringing it to my attention and for the great giveaway:)

Nancy B said...

I've read the first in this series and loved it. Would love to win this.

nlb1050@yahoo.com

Theresa N. said...

I've added it to my reading list, sounds really good.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com

Renee said...

This series is new to me! I am can't wait to read this book!

Chrisbails said...

This is a new series and author for me and would love to win and read this book. I love to read and always looking for new books to check out. Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
christinebails@yahoo.com

lag123 said...

I love cozies with humor. I would love to read this.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

sewingmema said...

I love reading about areas that I know so this would be a great read for me.
sewingmema1720@yahoo.com

mamabunny13 said...

I love the book cover and can't wait to read it!
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com