This was a great cozy mystery series debut, and I would recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

Delightful from start to finish!
This heartwarming mystery spins a charming tale set in a small town, where the protagonist’s grandmother’s spiced honey becomes an unexpected twist in a murder investigation.
An easy read, but a fun one!
With plenty of antics and intrigue, this cozy read is sure to keep you guessing until the very end. A perfect blend of small-town charm and suspenseful storytelling!
I enjoyed this one enough to look up the authors other books.
Thankyou to author Jennie Marts, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Charlene 🌸📚🤗 @lastnownext

This is a charming beginning to a new cozy mystery series, The Bee Keeping Mysteries, featuring Bailey Briggs. Bailey and her daughter Daisy return to small town Humble Hills, CO, to live with Granny Bee. Bailey learns that the sheriff is her long-lost high school love for whom she still pines. When the long-time mayor is murdered and Granny Bee is a suspect, Bailey finds herself investigating alongside her bestie Evie and the sheriff. The series has a lot of female power, and a golden retriever, along with interesting characters and fun locations. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC.

I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read more in this series. It might be my new favorite cozy mystery series and this book ended on such a good cliffhanger that I can't wait to read book 2.

This is the first in a brand new cozy series. Bailey Briggs and her twelve year old daughter Daisy are back in Humble Hills, Colorado to help her grandmother Granny Bee after she hurt her ankle. As she is getting close to town and knowing she is going to be late to her Granny’s tea she attempts to pass a tractor and to avoid cattle ends up in a ditch. The driver of the tractor turns out to be her high school boyfriend Sawyer who disappeared from her life thirteen years ago. Sawyer takes Bailey and Daisy home just in time to see her grandmother Bee screaming at the mayor Werner and threatening to kill him if he comes back since he made a pass at Granny Bee. Granny Bee feels bad about overreacting and Bailey goes over in the morning to smooth things over. No answer at the front door and she looks inside and she sees Werner lying on the dining room floor and calls 911 and the sheriff arrives. The sheriff is Sawyer and when both her and Bailey get inside Werner is dead and it is clear it was a murder as he was allergic to bees and the honey they make and he was found with a biscuit slathered with Granny Bee’s honey all over it. Granny Bee becomes suspect #1 after their argument and Bailey given she is a mystery writer is going to investigate with her best friend Evie. The hive, Granny Bee’s sisters Astor and Marigold along with Rosa (Evie’s grandmother) and some other friends all jump in to investigate as well. It turns out Werner was not a very nice man and was dating many women at the same time as well as blackmailing others in town so lots of suspects. The “hive” are a hoot and I love the relationship of Bailey and Evie as well as Daisy jumping in to help with the investigation. Bailey’s friend Griffin from Denver came to town to help as he is a private investigator (former police officer) and is a possible love interest for Evie. Sawyer is always telling Bailey to stay out of it but she can’t help herself. This was a great start to a new series that proved to be entertaining as well as a great who done it… Loved it and can’t wait for the next installment in the series. A winner.

This is a good start to a new series. Bailey and her daughter return to her grandmother's home to help her recovery from a broken foot. The characters were engaging, and the mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to seeing how the characters develop in future books.

Take the Honey and Run was a sweet, funny, absorbing first book in a new cozy mystery series! It follows mystery writer, Bailey as she goes back to her hometown and ends up putting those mystery solving skills to the test to clear her grandmother's name of murder. Bailey and the cast of characters that surround her are all incredibly fun. I found myself more interested in her grandmother's book club members than the murder, but I'm pretty sure that was the point. I laughed out loud at some of the things Bailey got herself into as she tried to help her family! I'm really looking forward to the next book!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Mystery author Bailey Briggs is returning home. She and her daughter, Daisy, are heading back to Humble Hills, CO to see her grandmother and take a break from life. Bailey writes about murders; however, nothing prepares her for when her grandmother is accused of murdering the mayor of their little town.

The book is a cozy mystery that will definitely keep you on your toes until the end. Goodreads states this is the first book in the series. Looking forward to book #2.

There’s a dog in the cover, that’s why I chose this book to read and review on NetGalley. No, really. The cover head a dog and some be hives. There be hives make sense as the title has “honey” on it. But it’s the dog that made me want to read it. Now, will I read every book with a dog on it? Likely not. But I was in the mood for a story with a dog in it.

The dog in this story is Cooper. He’s a golden retriever and best friend of 12-year old Daisy, who is in Humble Hills with her mother, Bailey, the murder mystery writer. They’re staying at Grandma Bee’s Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch where Bee has a be farm and makes all sorts of foods with honey in it, there’s even recipes in the back of the book that I have yet to try!

Bailey goes to return a forgotten coat to the Hubble Hills Mayor was found dead in his kitchen with honey all over his face. He’s deathly allergic to honey and avoids it at all costs. So why would there be honey on his face? It doesn’t add up. Luckily, the town Sheriff is right behind Bailey, coming to check on the Mayor. He, however, struggles to get the mystery writer of the case.

Instead of fighting her, he asks her to share everything she learns with him. She interviews all three people who have been involved with the Mayor in any way shape or form. There’s suspicious behavior from quite a bit of people for various reasons. The Mayor head a lot of secrets, including three fact that he has cameras all over his houseand recorded everything in hope to blackmail people.

Tsk, tsk. He was quite the schemer! The problem though, is that it’s Bee’s honey that killed hun making her a suspect. It’s the main reason why Bailey had to solve this, her grandmother couldn’t be the suspect, or could she?

Fantastically written with realistic characters and good motives from all potential suspects. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras. Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to this work. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs to get away, take a trip to Humble Hills!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh. My. Gosh. I loved this book! Thank goodness for the time change tonight because I stayed up until the book was finished. I knew by chapter 2 that this was gonna be a good one. Bailey and her daughter Daisy are visiting where Bailey grew up. Lots of emotions in old friends and family. Add in a murder and some blackmail and you have yourself a mystery. Plus, everything takes place in Colorado and I am a sucker for Colorado cozies. I definitely recommend all cozy lovers try this one!!

I found this book to be delightful! I loved the sassy, fun-loving characters and how the community worked together to expose the killer. I also liked the humor that was sprinkled throughout the story. There were times when I laughed out loud while reading. Luckily I was alone so I didn't get any weird looks from others!

Bailey suffers from anxiety and panic disorder which added a bit of knowledge about what an attack looks and feels like and mindful activities that helped to calm her down. I also liked the second chance romance storyline with Sawyer Dunn. One of my favorite things about the book is that it includes several honey recipes. The one that interested me the most was Hot Spiced Honey. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this new cozy mystery. There's close family dynamics and three generations. The characters are great. You'll find yourself chuckling as you read along.

Thank you, NetGalley for my review copy for exchange for an honest review.

So sad to say... this is a cozy mystery that didn't work for me. I love this genre but this story didn't have the draw to make me want to keep reading or make me want to read further into the series with these characters.

Take the Honey and Run is the first book in a new cozy series by Jennie Marts. Released 18th July 2023 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

The author is an experienced and prolific writer with a number of series, and this is a promising start to a new one. It's firmly in the cozy subgenre, and includes an amateur sleuth (whose day job is writing mysteries) trying to keep an innocent family member from being unfairly jailed (her grandmother, no less), an eccentric collection of small town characters, a handsome sheriff with whom the MC has some history, some snark, and the requisite honey themed recipes at the back of the book as a bonus.

Although it's not at all derivative, fans of Nancy Coco and Amanda Flower will likely find a lot to like here. There's a lot of humor, small town atmosphere, a well constructed mystery, and sympathetic characters. The bonus recipes at the back of the book are offered as written by characters appearing in the book. They're not overly fussy or complicated, and all seem appetizing. They include recipes for cookies, cheesy puff pastry, cake, banana bread, ricotta cheese dip, and flavored honey.

Four stars. The denouement and resolution were a trifle outlandish, but not overly so for the subgenre. There is no currently publicly available information about a release date for the second book, but the author has several ongoing series, so it could be a while. Happily, this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, so it works well as a standalone read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well plotted and entertaining cozy mystery. It kept me guessing, I liked the well developed characters and the setting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed this one. Bailey's a mystery writer who finds herself back home at her grandma's ranch and bee farm with her daughter Daisy. When her granny is accused of murder. Bailey is determined to clear her granny's name even when it means stepping on the toes of the Sheriff who just happens to be Sawyer Dunn Bailey's high school friend. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters in this one. As Bailey has a tough as nails granny and interesting great aunts. And for once I did not guess who done it. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series because I have to find out if we find out who Daisy's father is. That mystery is bugging me. As the author left no clue anywhere in the book.

This is such a fun start to a new cozy series! I love our protagonist and her friends and family. This book had me laughing out loud at some of their antics. They mystery was so fun. I cannot wait for the next one!

This is a fantastic start to a dynamic new cozy series. It's filled with small town characters and some extremely creative world building. I thought the plot was great and I really liked the way the author sprinkled in the clues here and there. I thought it was a dynamite read.

Take The Honey And Run
A Bee Keeping Mystery, Book #1
Jennie Marts
5 Stars

Synopsis:

The town is all abuzz when a murder occurs in Jennie Marts’ debut cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Amanda Flower.

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.

With the help of Bailey’s witty bestie, a pair of meddling aunts, the feisty members of The Hive, and her computer-savvy daughter, this amateur sleuth is determined to solve the case. A malicious attack and an ominous threat reveal that someone wants Bailey to butt out of the investigation, but there’s no way she’s backing down. She must use her skills to uncover the truth and catch the clever culprit before her grandmother ends up bee-hind bars. (Amazon)

Review:

I really enjoyed getting to meet Bailey, her grandmother and more of her family and friends. When someone is found dead due to a bee incident, they will have to figure out the real killer before her grandmother is put away for life. After all, Bailey deals with death all the time in her books, how hard can it be?

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions allowed me to enjoy the book even more. The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved.

I would highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I cannot wait for the next one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

I found this to be a cute first cozy in a new series. The main character is a mystery writer who needs to use their skills to solve a real murder. Can she solve the real life mystery? Cozy novels are like comfort food. I really enjoy their beautiful setting, the lovable pets, always the food and sometimes quirky characters. This cozy is no different and I will look for Jennie Marts in the future.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this copy.