It’s crazy how easily consumed I got with this book! Gregg Olsen again, has wrapped me around this labyrinth of a story.
In my opinion, this is his best book to date and a true hive of mystery throughout. Woven pieces, suspense, mystery, and the value of self-worth... all parts of this story relying on pieces of our selves needing to be valued and accepted. Marnie and her “Hive” are a window into the unspeakable murder and aftermath of deception. Never predictable at any point. I loved this book!

I love Gregg Olsen so I really wanted to love this book, but I struggled finishing it. I loved the plot but found that there were too many characters for my liking. I will say that I did finish and was glad I did because the ending was worth it!

This book starts out fast and NEVER lets up! I pretty much ignored my daily life just so I could ride along with Detective Lindsay Jackman and find out what was going on and who did what. Besides being a very unique whodunit, I was really impressed with how deeply and astutely Gregg Olsen delved into how easily people can be sucked into circumstances they never dreamed of. Absolutely brilliant and easily one of my favorites of his fiction books.

In 2000, Spellman Farms on Lummi Island in Washington State seems to be a quiet, serene place for young women to get away from everyday life. Owned by Marnie Spellman, the farm keeps bees and uses their honey & royal jelly, among other things, to create holistic products to sell. Unfortunately, Marnie and some of her “Hive”, made up of 5 of her closest followers, become involved in a murder.

Nineteen years later, Detective Lindsay Jackson of the Ferndale Police Department opens a case of a young lady whose body is found at the base of Maple Falls in Whatcom County, WA. During the investigation, it becomes clear that this murder is intertwined with the murder on Lummi Island. As Lindsay digs further into both cases, she uncovers how the various members of the Hive and their families are involved in the murders.

Once again, author Gregg Olsen has managed to capture the readers’ attention from the first page, and make it exciting to find out as each chapter unfolds who is responsible for the two murders, as well as other mysterious disappearances of people involved with Spellman Farms. This book is remarkable, right to the end.

I highly recommend The Hive to my fellow readers, especially True Crime fans!

Another great book from Gregg Olsen. I did find it a bit harder to lock in this time. Each character was so riveting but there were so many I kept having to go back and reread to keep up. Lots of jumping around in the beginning confused my old brain... once I got locked in I could not put it down. Great twists at the end.

Thank you Gregg, keep em coming!

A big fan of the author’s books, this one just didn’t seem to measure up to his previous works. It couldn’t seem to figure out what it wanted to be. The characters didn’t have the depth or development to engender any kind of empathy. Looking forward to next book to be back to the higher standards.

ARC received from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an intriguing premise, but failed to live up to it.

It started out as a detective thriller and very quickly pivoted away from the detective, Lindsay, to focus on past events for the majority of the book. The plot is very predictable for the majority of the book and the twists were not very satisfying. Frequent timeline and POV shifts make some sections of the book confusing.

There are some redeeming scenes scattered throughout the book but overall this thriller wasn't very, well, thrilling.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher A police thriller which I always like. This had me hooked from page one, a real gripping read

This book is full of twists that I did not see coming! It’s fast-paced, thought provoking, heartbreaking and an all around fantastic true crime/thriller! Gregg Olsen has quickly become one of my favorite authors!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my free copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I decided to dnf this mainly because it combines two things I don't like to intersect. Real events and fantasy. I don't like fantastical elements added to something that can actually happen.

Exceeded my expectations. Great story and interesting characters. Thank you for the reviewopportunity

Gregg is a phenomenal author , and this book was the first book I have read by him , and it won't be the last ! Very fast paced I finished it in one setting , strong characters , and an intriguing plot that through in a few twists in between !

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was craving a mystery and this one hit the spot. I was hooked by the description of a detective unraveling the mysteries surrounding a cult and the bodies that seem to be appearing around it. Lindsay Jackman is called to the scene when a young woman’s body is found and discovers a connection to the cosmetics celebrity, Marnie Spellman of Spellman Farms. The closer she looks the more the bright, happy, female-empowerment cosmetic starts to look like something very sinister. Olsen weaves a lot of different threads together here, taking disparate storylines and pulling it all together in a satisfying mystery that will keep you hooked till the end.

What if MLM actually stood for mysteriously linked murders? The Hive follows a homicide investigation that develops into an exposé of the insidious workings of a cult-like group of women selling beauty products.

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. The story flowed with an easy pace, and had constant twists and turns that pulled me into the next chapter seeking out the next set of answers.
The masterful layering of POVs introduced me to pieces of the puzzle at a pace that allowed me to guess the ending and spend the latter part of the book excited to see how it would all connect. Little by little, you are shown that there is more to this investigation that meets the eye. I found it a real joy to read, and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to get out of a reading slump.

I did find myself a little discouraged by the climax of the story, however. While I won't spoil anything, I will say the moment of truth fell a little flat as there seemed to be no genuine outrage on anyone's part. The story made me gasp out loud multiple times at the Absolute Scandal of what was revealed, and it sucked to not see that reflected in anyone's reaction. I also found the epilogue, while realistic...stung...a little.

Ending aside, I enjoyed the unravelling of the mystery throughout. I'd recommend this positively, and think that a discussion of the story as a whole would be an absolute hit in a book club. I am looking forward to seeing what other people thought of it, and will definitely recommend this as a group read!

Olsen is a prolific and talented writer who is generally a solid bet. This one may not be his best work, but not all of his books will be great. This is good, just not as good as some of his others. Regardless, this sell well on his name and reputation, and many will enjoy it!

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

The premise of this book was so interesting (murder? cults? YES), and I just felt let down the whole time. The ending was tipped SO EARLY and it was SO OBVIOUS that I spent the rest of the book being super mad at the detective for being an idiot. Like, how have you not put this together yet??? I know I read a lot of detective novels and figure things out real early, but this was just... bad. The whole business with the "hive" felt like something I've read before. The book also flipped back and forth between timelines and perspectives, which is fine, but it ping ponged so much that it made my head spin. I thought this could have been organized MUCH better. The epilogue was unnecessary and didn't bring anything to the story. I would not recommend this to others.

The Hive by Gregg Olsen. A convoluted tale of treachery, lies, murder populated with uncaring and indifferent characters. The only one likeable character is Detective Lindsey Jackson. Somewhat confusing with the jumps between characters and timelines but ultimately comes to a surprising and unexpected conclusion.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I've read and enjoyed Gregg Olsen before and this book lived up to his previous work. Very well done by Gregg.

This book is not something I would have typically picked up to read but was so glad I came across it on NetGalley! It was fast-paced and hard to put down. Will definitely be checking out more by this author!

This was the first book I've read by Gregg Olsen. I loved it. This book is full of different characters and it is amazing how he ties them all together at the end. I was shocked by the ending and it's not easy to surprise me. Highly recommend this book. It's very fast paced and combines the story from the past to the present. Thank you so much for giving me a sneak peek of this book!