Mind Your Own Beeswax by Hannah Reed is the second book in the “Queen Bee” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin), May 2011
Story Fischer has her hands full with her successful local market, her Queen Bee Honey business, and her new maybe boyfriend, Hunter Wallace,but being abandoned by a hive looking for better digs puts the busy beekeeper in a bad mood. While Story looks for the hive, the rest of Moraine, Wisconsin is searching for Lauren Kerrigan, a woman with a checkered past whose return has the whole town buzzing.
When both Lauren and a gun go missing, everyone assume the worst. The situation gets sticky when Lauren and another town resident turn up dead in the woods—exactly where Story was searching for her bees. When it comes to murder investigations, Story just can’t seem to mind her own beeswax. But this time, sticking her nose into the swarm just might get her stung.
When a woman comes back to Moraine, she brings back the past and not everyone is happy she came back. When she is later found murdered, the police chief is determined to make Story pay with continual harassment. Now it’s up to Story, her sister Holly, her new BF Patti and Hunter to scrap the bottom of the honey pot and find a killer. This was a fun read with interesting characters living life in a small town. An exciting plot, non-stop action and good conversations created a story that was pleasantly charming.
Hannah Reed is the pseudonym of Deb Baker.