Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts is the first book in A Bee Keeping Mystery series. I loved it! This was one of the most fun cozy mysteries I have read in quite a while. The humorous dialogue kept me very entertained. I really liked all the characters. Granny Bee and the Hive are a fun bunch of characters. The mystery was intriguing and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series. I have enjoyed Ms. Marts romance books and was absolutely delighted to see her entering in to the cozy mystery field.

Famous mystery writer Bailey Briggs never expected to have to solve a real-life murder but that is exactly what happens when she heads home to help care for her beloved Granny Bee. Things quickly go from bad to worse when it turns out that the murder weapon was a jar of Ganny Bee’s famous honey. This is a delightful start to a new cozy mystery from Jennie Marts.
This cozy was one wild ride and I loved every minute of it. Following along with Bailey as she finds herself using the knowledge she’s acquired as a mystery writer to solve an actual murder was great fun. While Bailey makes for a great amateur sleuth it’s the side characters that really make this world pop off the page and have me already craving a second installment. Overall, a fantastic start to the new cozy mystery series.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Fellow Reader,

I am writing this review after just being on vacation. I have probably said this before but I view vacations as major reading times. Some might think that having read a lot of books in a week’s vacation would mean that it wasn’t a very good vacation. I beg to differ. If I didn’t read much, then I would think that the books weren’t very good or somehow, I was interrupted. In my world, the more books the better. I didn’t expect to get as much reading done this trip because my two grandsons would be with us (along with their parents) and I thought that would cut back on my time. Apparently, I was wrong. I finished 9 books in 8 days. Obviously, some of them were not very long. Some of them were not very good either. I think I walked away not liking more than I liked. We did all get sick by the end of the trip so that feeling may have had something to do with my feelings about the books.


Take the Honey and Run was the one book that I read on the trip that was given to me for my unbiased review. It is a cozy mystery about a fictional town in Colorado. Bailey Biggs is coming home with her young daughter to see her grandmother, Blossom Briggs. Blossom (AKA Granny Bee) is all about honey. She has a ranch, Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch. She raises bees for their honey and sells it in various forms.

Bailey is late getting to Granny Bee’s for tea. This is a cardinal sin in Granny Bee’s eyes, so Baily is trying hard to get there as fast as possible. When she is getting close and gets stuck behind a slow-moving tractor, she tries to pass it and ends up in a ditch. The tractor driver comes to her rescue, and it is none other than her high school love, Sawyer Dunn. She had no idea he was back in town. It seems that they had an adventure near the end of high school that, as far as she knew, ended up with him having to leave town and live with his aunt and uncle. Flash forward to 12 years later and she still finds him very appealing, but she certainly isn’t going to let him know. ANYWAY… he takes her to Granny Bee’s house. As they arrive, Granny is out on her front porch shooing off Werner Humble, the town’s founder. Not only was she yelling at him, but he looked like he had had his face slapped. Then they all heard Granny Bee say “Werner Humble, you need to get the hell off my property! You set foot on my land again and I swear on my bees, I will kill you.”

Of course, Bailey and Sawyer find Werner dead the next day. Werner was highly allergic to honey and he was smeared with Granny Bee’s honey. The second surprise for Bailey is that she then finds out that Sawyer is the sheriff. All signs point to Granny Bee being the killer so Bailey, who writes mysteries for a living feels she needs to investigate and find the killer.

The book is the first in a series. I do not know how many are planned for the series. Would I read the next book? Not sure. The book was okay but even though cozy mysteries are by their nature pretty light reading, this one seemed a bit too light. It just didn’t do that much for me. But, if you are a cozy mystery reader, I think you need to decide for yourself. You might like it more than I did. There was nothing wrong with it but somehow it just didn’t do that much for me on the day I read it.

Thanks for reading!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher/author for a chance to read this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.

Jennie Marts' debut cozy mystery, "Honey-Baked Homicide," is a delightful read for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Amanda Flower. The small town of Humble Hills, Colorado, is thrown into a frenzy when the founder of the town is found dead, and Bailey Briggs, a successful mystery author, finds herself embroiled in the investigation when her beekeeping grandmother, Blossom Briggs, becomes the prime suspect.

Bailey returns home to the Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch to help her grandmother recover from a bad fall and is soon drawn into the investigation, using her fictional detective skills to solve the murder and clear her grandmother's name. With the help of her best friend, her computer-savvy daughter, and her quirky aunts, Bailey navigates the twists and turns of the investigation, uncovering a malicious attack and ominous threats against her family and friends.

The characters in "Honey-Baked Homicide" are well-drawn and endearing, especially Bailey's grandmother and her two eccentric sisters. The small-town setting adds to the charm of the story, and the bee-inspired products and honey-themed recipes sprinkled throughout the book add a fun and unique touch.

The mystery itself is well-crafted, with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep readers guessing until the very end. Bailey's fictional detective skills are put to the test as she works to uncover the truth and catch the real culprit.

Overall, "Honey-Baked Homicide" is a fun and engaging cozy mystery that will leave readers buzzing with excitement. Jennie Marts has created a charming world filled with lovable characters and a mystery that keeps readers on their toes.

A wonderful debut into a new cozy series - A Bee Keeping Mystery. I really enjoyed everything about this book. The setting, cast and mystery were all simply fantastic!!

Colorado is a state that captured my heart many decades ago so I love stories that take place there. Humble Hills was the perfect backdrop for this story. I loved the Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch and quaint small town vibe. I liked hearing about the care of the bees (my grandpa was an apiarist). Not only was honey used as the cause of murder, but it was mentioned all throughout the book from cooking with it to creating homemade goods such as candles from the wax. The book does conclude with several honey infused recipes that the characters made.

This cast was so easy to love. I always enjoy finding a parent in a cozy mystery. Bailey is a fantastic mom and I adored her relationship with her daughter Daisy. Then you meet Granny and the aunts and they might simply steal the show. Don’t let their age fool you, they are full of snark and provide plenty of humor. Bestie Evie and her grandma Rosa round out the mix and also provide tasty treats. The good guys in this book are all hunks and the love interest, Sawyer, is leading the pack. I love that him and Bailey have a complicated past full of miscommunication. Gives this mystery an added light second chance romance. There’s definitely plenty of guarded chemistry between the two.

The mystery hit it out of the park. It was full of twists, turns, red herrings, surprises and suspense. The victim was a shady Mayor so he was easy to hate and had quite a list of plausible enemies. I suspected every single one of the culprits at one point so it was fun trying to sort through the clues and figure this case out.

I’m looking forward to watching this series grow!! I’m also quite curious about the secrecy surrounding Daisy’s dad.

"Take the Honey and Run" by Jennie Marts is a great first book to a new cozy mystery series. I caught myself telling my sassy 11 year old some of the antics that the characters get up to and even she thought they were funny. I also really appreciate the women supporting women aspects.

One of the main supporting characters is Puerto Rican, much appreciate the representation. However, being a midwest Puerto Rican I would have appreciated more specific to Puerto Rican foods used when the author mentions foods their family bakery/cafe provides. Puerto Rican foods are similar to Mexican and other Caribbean Islanders but they also have some great ones specifically Puerto Rican.

This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. I enjoyed the Colorado setting and loved the characters, from Bailey Briggs and her preteen daughter, Daisy, to her grandmother, Granny Bee and The Hive, granny's book club..

When the mayor is found dead and the cause of death is an allergic reaction to some of Granny Bee's, homemade honey, Baily, who is a mystery writer, along with her daughter, best friend and The Hive, do everything they can to clear Granny Bee's name.

The story grabs you from the very start and keeps you guessing until the end. I look forward to many more books in the series.

I enjoyed the colorful characters and the humorous dialogue and antics. There were many suspects which made for an intriguing mystery and the story kept me interested throughout. The friendly community of characters made for a warm and cozy story.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of TAKE THE HONEY AND RUN (Book 1 of the Bee Keeping Mysteries) by Jennie Marts in exchange for an honest review. Bailey Briggs, a successful mystery author, returns home to HoneyBuzz Mountain Ranch in Humble, Colorado when she finds out her grandmother, Blossom Briggs, has been injured in a fall. Bailey isn't home for two days before finds a dead body and learns her grandmother is a prime suspect in the murder. Can Bailey figure out what really happened or will her grandmother feel the sting of prosecution.

I liked this book and enjoyed the rascally characters. I look forward to the next in the series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring small western communities, ranches, and honeybee themes.

#TaketheHoneyandRun #NetGalley

A well written, first in a new series cozy mystery. The characters are so well rounded and developed that you feel like you're reading a 4th or 5th in the series, all the while getting to know them, the setting, and most importantly, about the bees!

After just finishing a book that was a bit depressing, it was such a joy to read Take the Honey and Run! Great plot with lots of laugher, unique characters, a murder mystery, a sweet dog and a possible romantic relationship in the future. Many of the things I enjoy in a book!

I became attached to the characters quite quickly. I love characters of the older population, so Granny Bee and her Hive went straight to my heart. Lots of fun reading about this group. The plot was very interesting and as a sort of newbie mystery reader, it was not complicated for me to follow.

I have read some of Jennie Marts romance books, but this is the first cozy mystery that I have tried, and I definitely will be reading the rest of this series. I occasionally read cozy mysteries and after reading this one, I think I need to add to my go-to genres. I did not remember how much I enjoyed them!

Also wanted to add that I am drawn to a book by its cover, and I think this cover is perfect for the story and lovely! The book title is fantastic!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

I AM GOING TO UPLOAD THIS REVIEW TO MY INSTAGRAM CLOSER TO PUBLISHING DATE

I gave Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts 4,5 stars

As a successful mystery author, Bailey Briggs writes about murder, but nothing prepares her for actually discovering the dead body of the founder of her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado. Bailey grew up at Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch and was raised by her beekeeping grandmother, Blossom Briggs, aka Granny Bee, and her two eccentric sisters, Aster and Marigold—which is why she drops everything to come home and help Granny Bee after a bad fall.

A broken foot doesn’t stop her grandmother from ruling The Hive, her granny’s book club, or continuing to prepare and package her bee-inspired products. But when Bailey's grandmother’s infamous "Honey I'm Home" hot spiced honey turns out to “bee” the murder weapon and her granny is now the prime suspect, Bailey has no choice but to use her fictional detective skills to help solve the murder and ‘smoke-out’ the real culprit.

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Wow, I really enjoyed this debut cozy mystery by Jennie Marts. I loved the characters so much and they really have a special relationship that spoke to me as a reader. I love reading about different generations spending time together.

The mystery was good and there were many suspects, so I had no clue whatsoever whodunit and was really surprised by the reveal. I wished the reveal would have been a little bit more thrilling, since I like a nail-biting final. I also would love to read more about the honey business, since the name of the series is "A Bee Keeping Mystery". We didn't get much of that in this book, so I could't give it 5 stars. I am hoping we get to learn more about it in the next one, which I am really much looking forward to.

This book comes out July 18.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpUJM3aLZM4/

Take the Honey and Run is the first book in A Bee Keeping Mystery series by Jennie Marts. It follows mystery novel writer Bailey Briggs who is moving back to her hometown with her daughter and dog. She moves into her Grandmother's ranch in Colorado, where she raises bees and makes bee related products.
She's pulled into a mystery when she discovers a prominent town resident dead and her grandmother's honey may be the murder weapon. She uses her detecting skills from researching her novels to try and figure out who had it out for the victim. She finds many women in town are entangled with the man, including her own family members.
Bailey has help from her childhood best friend, a dashing writing source friend and her ex-boyfriend turned town sheriff. I found this book enjoyable and I would pick up book two in the series.

The first in a new cozy mystery series finds author Bailey returning to Colorado to be with her grandma. After her grandma is accused of murder, she must investigate to clear her name.

I think this was an ok debut for a cozy but it wasn’t my favorite. I think future entries could build on it and be better.

Bailey Briggs returns home to her grandmother, Granny Bee, to find her chasing the womanizing, town founder out the front door and threatening to kill him. Not exactly, the homecoming that Bailey and her daughter was expecting. The town founder turns up dead the next day and a jar of Granny Bee's honey is what caused his death. Bailey and her old flame Sawyer, who just happens to be the Sherriff now, must try to clear Granny Bee as a suspect.

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud at several of the scenes. The characters were richly written and for a 1st book in the series, it did a good job of making me want to read more about them in future books. It appears that Humble Hills has more secrets to be revealed. I definitely want to read the next book.

This cozy mystery is quite humorous at times. I loved the cast of characters. The older women were funny. I was slightly surprised who the murderer turned out to be. It’s an easy read with clever dialogue. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

What a great cozy mystery!
Bailey brings her daughter, Daisy, home to her Grandmother's Bee farm for a visit. While there, the mayor is found dead in his house, and Granny Bee is the last person to have seen and threatened him. Bailey, her friends, and her Grandmother's "Book Club" the Hive, all pool together and try to figure out who could have killed him. There are lots of suspects, tons of motives, put no evidence to point in any direction.
This book had it all - mystery, humor, sprinkle of romance, and a great dog. Highly recommend. Cannot wait until the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love trying out new authors and I wasn't disappointed at all with this one!
I loved this novel! I couldn't put it down it was so good!
I loved in guessing who done it and this book had awesome characters. I really loved in getting to know them.
Bailey and her daughter Daisy were my favorite but then you have Granny Bee who is a hoot and my absolute favorite!
The small town atmosphere was great!
The only real thing about small towns that I don't like!
I loved the dog that was in the story too.
I thought this author kept me well entertained so I'm giving this book 5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own!

I genuinely loved this story! It was the first time I read a book by this Author but most certainly won't be the last! This is a cozy romance crime novel set in a small town with some charming and delightful characters. The kind of place you'd like to visit where a group of matriarchs hold court and the gossip of the small community. This a who "dunnit" that you can enjoy the rest of the story line as the characters work towards discovering who the murderer is but whilst I suspected, it was a fun read that I devoured in one sitting. The ending of the novel lends itself to follow up stories and I certainly hope that is the case as one of the story-line arcs, whilst hinted at, isn't quite resolved by the end of the story.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read, review and give my honest opinion of complimentary digital Advance Reader Copy.