Bailey is eagerly anticipating the annual Bee Festival. Granny Bee, who owns the local bee farm, organizes the festival. This year, a celebrity from LA will host the baking contest. Bailey's best friend, Evie, is competing in the cooking show. However, when the celebrity guest is found dead, numerous suspects emerge. Sheriff Sawyer Dunn, Bailey's ex-boyfriend, is attempting to prevent her from getting involved in the murder investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story in this book. After reading the first book, I had high expectations for this one and it certainly did not disappoint.

Culinary Cozy Mystery following a Colorado mystery author who's helping her granny with the annual Bee Festival as she turns sleuth after the bake-off's celebrity host's found dead.

5/5 stars: This is the second entry in Marts' Bee Keeping Mystery series, which is a Culinary Cozy Mystery that takes place in Colorado and features a mystery author who with her teenage daughter lives with her beekeeper granny at her ranch. With plenty of twists and turns, Marts has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, Marts' writing and character work is stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's a blast catching up with Bailey, her daughter Daisy and her family, Granny Bee and her great-aunts, Marigold and Aster, and the Humble Hills townsfolk. Plus I love her friendship with Evie. I also really like how Bailey's second-chance relationship with her HS boyfriend Sawyer, the town sheriff, continues to bloom. Oh, and one mustn't forget the sweetest dog ever, Cooper, the Golden Retriever. But wait, you'll for sure want to try out the absolutely delicious honey infused recipes that are included. Yummy! Marts tackles some sensitive subjects, so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Take the Honey and Run.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Delightful laugh-out-loud moments throughout the entire book, engaging characters, and a first-rate mystery with lots of clues, plus secrets from the past make this book compulsively readable. I'm excitedly waiting for Book #3!

Kill or Bee Killed is the second book in the Bee Keeping Mystery series.. The story is full of great characters, who live in the tiny town of Humble Hills, Colorado and has laugh out loud moments. If you're looking for a fun read, full of charm, I highly recommend Kill or Bee Killed by Jeannie Marts.

It's time for the annual Bee Festival in Humble Hills. Everyone is busy getting ready for the Bear Run, beauty pageant, and demonstrations. The big draw this year is the Bake Off. Evie is participating and Granny Bee has managed to get a celebrity host. Everyone has come out to watch, but some don't like what they see. Off set Rex Rafferty is no prize, so it's not much of a shock when he turns up dead. It's also not a surprise that Evie is a suspect. Luckily she has Bailey on her side.

This is the second book in A Bee Keeping Mystery series. I was able to jump in and follow without much trouble. The only thing I feel like I was missing out on is the dynamic between Bailey and sheriff Sawyer. I feel like I need to see how things started off or what happened between them in the first book to appreciate their relationship in this one. I also just didn't like some of their scenes.

Otherwise the supporting characters are great, especially Bailey's great Aunts. They provide a lot of humor and add a lot of fun. I also like how involved Evie is in the investigation.

I wasn't always thrilled with the investigation itself. Bailey's reason for getting involved is understandable, but I'm not sure I believe in her and her abilities. Sometimes it just felt like a game.

I enjoyed the first half of the book very much, but the second half dragged as things were explained and discovered about some characters. Too much time was spent talking, and the overall conclusion wasn't satisfying.

There is a lot of promise for this series with some of the characters and the beekeeping element especially. I hope there's more focus on that next time.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198562214-kill-or-bee-killed?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Whtn1GJSGz&rank=1

The Bee Festival is happening in Humble Hills, Colorado. The hive and Granny B are in charge of events. One of the events is a bake off with 3 of the top restaurants in town. Evie, Spike the biker bar, and Charlotte of Sunshine Cafe. They flew in tv personality Rex Rafferty a real sleazeball. He comes onto Evie in his trailer. Evie threatens him if he gets close to her again she will kill him. When he turns up dead in the supply closet. Evie is the top suspect. Bailey decides to investigate.

This book had me laughing out loud numerous times. Especially when Bailey gets stuck in the window. 🎈🍯🐝 I love this series. I keep wondering if he will find out who Daisy's dad is. I loved following the clues with the Hive. This is my new favorite cozy mystery series. I can't wait for more.

A Bee Keeping Mystery #2. I had high hopes for this sequel after absolutely loving the first book. I'm happy to say this one far exceeded my expectations and easily earns another 5 stars from me! It contained everything that makes up a good cozy: great cast, humor, intriguing mystery, shocking twist, action and even a hint of romance.

I adore the characters in this book. Bailey is a fantastic lead and I love the relationship she has with her teenage daughter and feisty grandma. Evie is the perfect bestie sidekick. The one who doesn't hesitate to go sleuthing even when it ends in humorous shenanigans. Then there is Sawyer, the hunky sheriff and high school boyfriend who will leave your swooning with every interaction he has with Bailey. You can't forget about the crazy aunts who enter the local beauty paegant or Copper, the sweetest dog. My favorite character might possibly be the local coroner who is full of clever wit.

The mystery was captivating from start to finish. It had equal parts red herrings, shocking revelations and centered around a heartbreaking story about bullying. I quite honestly had the wrong culprit selected and was shocked when they because victim number two. I didn't see the reveal coming until Bailey uncovered the truth and those last few chapters were pretty intense.

The book concludes with several honey infused recipes and one heck of a cliffhanger that already has me eager to continue the series. Kill or Bee Killed releases June 4, 2024. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books - all opinions are my own.

A delightful cozy mystery. It kept me guessing. Nice resolutions for several of the characters. I am eager to read the next one. Honey of a series. Many exciting moments. Fun references to songs, etc. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Book two of the series finds mystery writer Bailey Briggs Once again investigating a murder. The victim is a celebrity judge in town to host the Bee Festival. There are lots of suspects to choose from and Bailey and her friend Evie are trying to stay one step ahead of the Sheriff the love of Bailey's life. Excellent story.

I wish I could write like Jennie Marts but I'm not that creative. I really enjoyed this book. It has a nice cast of characters (just loved the great aunts) and is well written and very entertaining. The puns and humor were good. I didn't like to put the book down. I enjoyed reading this book so much I just put the first in this series on my wishlist.
I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest review.

The thing about being a cozy mystery fan is that all too often the plots and the characters of different series become interchangeable to the point where none of them are memorable. The thing about Jennie Marts' Bee Keeping Mysteries is that there's no way you can forget this cast of characters and the situations they find themselves in! I was THRILLED to see that Take the Honey and Run was getting a sequel! I adored that book and Kill or Bee Killed is even better!




Bailey, single mother to preteen Daisy, is a mystery book writer and thus naturally becomes the main amateur sleuth in this series. She makes her living off Mysteries! Of course she wants to be involved when they happen in her town, even if her former flame aka the current Sheriff would love her to butt out. But Bailey isn't the only one who would like to sleuth around and that is what truly sets this series apart! Bailey has a unique support system when it comes to life called the Hive. What's the Hive? It's her Grandma's book club and let me tell you that these people are fabulous! I would join their club in a heartbeat! The hijinks this unlikely group get themselves into while solving crimes is absolutely delightful. The poor Sheriff is no match for the force of nature that is 4 elderly women, a former detective, a kid who loves learning, and a best friend who will always have Bailey's back!
As for the mystery itself, it kept me guessing and I was so pleased that I wasn't able to guess whodunit! I love that it took place of the course of a few days during a Bee festival and that the small town vibes were incredibly strong! I felt like I was right there in the middle of everything! I actually read the whole thing in one sitting!

With the up coming annual bee festival sponsored by Bailey’s Granny Bee and Honeybuzz ountain Ranch. The long weekend includes a beauty pageant beekeeping demonstrations a local restaurant bake-off and a 3K Bear-run where everyone dresses as a bear. The bake-off brings a television crew from California to film when the celebrity host ends up deadBaileys best friend ends up being accused and Bailey must uncover the truth. This was a very enjoyable story full of twists and turns I would recommend to everyone.

This book was an absolute blast! Oh wow, Bailey and Evie and Griff and Sawyer are so much fun, and I loved every second of reading this book.
The mystery itself was very well plotted and executed and kept me guessing until the final clue was revealed. I really enjoyed how we got to delve into the backstories of the secondary characters as well. Definitely already looking forward to the next installment of this story!

This was a really fun read. I love the community that the author has created. I really like Bailey, her adorable daughter Daisy, Grandma Bee and the great aunts, the Hive, and of course, the handsome sheriff and Bailey's teenage love Saywer. The rest of the town is also filled with interesting characters, a sense of community, and, of course, a love of bees and honey. In this book everyone is focused on the Festival that revolves around honey and bees, the ladies are very excited that a talk show host from California has agreed to be the Master of Ceremonies for the Honey Bee Bake Off. With Evie participating, everyone is glued to the event. When it turns out Rex the MC is something of a sleeze bag, it's not surprising that someone has had enough and knocks him off with a mixer. Unfortunately, he and Evie had a rather large and public disagreement, and her braclet is found clutched in his hand. You know Bailey's not going to let her best friend go down in flames, so the hunt is on. You will want to be around for this investigation! A thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for a chance to check this out.

I gave Kill or Bee Killed by Jennie Marts 5 stars

The small town of Humble Hills, Colorado, is abuzz with excitement over the upcoming annual Bee Festival, sponsored by Bailey’s Granny Bee and the Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch. The long weekend of festivities includes a beauty pageant, beekeeping demonstrations, a local restaurant bake-off, and a 3K Bear Run where all the participants are dressed as bears. The bake-off brings in a television crew from California to film, so it’s the most drama-filled part of the weekend, especially when the famous celebrity host winds up dead.

Because the celebrity was holding her bracelet and had been witnessed having an altercation with Bailey’s best friend Evie shortly before his death, everyone suspects Evie of the murder–and Bailey is quickly on the hunt for clues to clear Evie’s name, alongside Granny Bee and her bunch of geriatric misfit friends. Bailey’s potential new honey, Sheriff Sawyer Dunn, is none too pleased to have Bailey buzzing around the investigation, but Bailey’s determined to uncover the truth, rescue her grannie’s beloved Bee Festival, and save her bestie.

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I have been patiently waiting for this sequel since I finished book one in the series. And what a sequel! It has everything I wanted, romance, all the fun characters we got to meet in the first book and a honey festival with a baking/cooking competition like The Great British Bake Off.

It was a really good mystery, and the background was also very emotional to read about. I didn't figure out whodunit and the ending had my biting my nails. Also, let's talk about the cover. It is so gorgeous!

Now I have to wait one more year until I can read the third book, nooo!! I highly recommend both books in this A Bee Keeping Mystery series.

This book comes out 4 June

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/_justanotherchapter_/

If you like your cozy mysteries with fun characters and humor, this is the book for you. Bailey Briggs is a successful mystery writer and the situations she and her best friend and sleuthing buddy Evie get into are frequently laugh out loud hilarious to visualize. I won't spoil things for you but will note that water seems to play a role rather often as the plot progresses. In addition to being a writer and sleuth, Bailey is a mom and her relationship with daughter Daisy grabs my attention every time, as does her long-time love for Sawyer, never mind that as a detective he is constantly warning her to stay safe and out of his investigations. I bet you know how well that goes over.

This installment in this relatively young series focuses on bullying and how different people respond to it. My hunch is that you're not going to waste much time feeling sorry for the murder victims. Well, maybe you'll feel a twinge of temporary sorrow for one but, well, you'll seen why I use the word temporary. There is more than one side to the various stories and, to be oblique, it's complex, especially for a story that starts out seeming to be about a competitive bake-off in the small town of Humble Hills, Colorado. Will Evie win? How does Sawyer always seem to be on the spot to rescue Bailey (and usually Evie) from some hijinx they've gotten themselves into? Do all morticians have a wicked quirky sense of humor? Would you dress up as a bear for a 3K Bear Run? What creates a bully? How far would you go to get even?

And, whoa, how the heck do Daisy and Bailey both wind up in the hospital? Oh, come on. You knew Bailey would find herself in danger, so that's not really a spoiler. And, speaking of Daisy, who.....oh, never mind. No more teasers. Just kick back, enjoy the quirky characters, humor, and budding romances, not to mention adorable dogs. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for inviting me to the Bee Festival. I'll note that you'll learn a bit about bees and bee keeping as you read, too, while the end recipes will have you heading in search of a sweet treat. With honey maybe?

I was intrigued by the whole honey and beekeeping concept and was looking forward to this series that felt fresh and out of the ordinary in the genre. Sadly, after going through the first 2 installments I'm left with a similar feeling: it was a let down. I think it felt a bit too cluttered for me to enjoy it and fully immerse myself into it.

The annual Bee Festival is coming up in Humble Hills, Colorado and is being sponsored by Bailey’s Granny Bee and The Honey Buzz Mountain Ranch. Many festivities during the festival includes a beauty pageant, a bake-off, bee keeping demonstrations and even a 3K Run.
Bailey is also a mystery author and live at Honey Buzz Ranch with her Grandma Granny Bee also known as Blossom. Bailey has a 12 year old son and she is also the girlfriend of the local Sheriff, Sawyer Dunn. Evie is Bailey’s best friend. When a murder occurs at the festival , Evie ends up as one the suspects. Bailey is now determined to investigate and clear Evie of any wrong doings. She is helped by many including the grandma and two aunties., Sheriff Dunn is not so thrilled that his girlfriend and family are butting into his investigation but in the end he is grateful for the help in finding the real murderer. This is one adorable cozy mystery and all the characters are so likeable.

amateur-sleuth, series, cozy-mystery, Colorado, relationships, relatives, family, rural, verbal-humor, suspense, situational-humor, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, small-business, small-town, murder-investigation, pet-dog, senior-sleuths, apiary, bullying, triggers, false-conclusions, falsely-accused*****

Bailey’s Granny Bee and the Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch in Humble Hills, Colorado are hosting a baking competition and other festivities. All is fun and games until the celebrity emcee gets himself murdered and Bailey's BFF is the prime suspect. Let the sleuthing begin and the grannies do their thing. Good laughs in an interesting series with great characters and some inventive sleuthing.
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I requested and received a temporary EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
Not TTS enabled for visually impaired Available 04 Jun 2024 #BeeKeepingMysteriesBk2

This was a cute follow up (2nd book in series) where we get to know the characters more in depth. There are 2 murders in this book, which was a nice add.

Favorite Character: Doc He is quite funny, and the dad jokes in this book were very funny

I hope the series continues, because we all really need to know who Daisy's dad is!