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Queen Bee Mystery #3
Plan Bee
Moraine, Wisconsin's annual Harmony Festival is anything but harmonious for Story Fischer, as a dead body makes an uninvited appearance in the parade-and the person who may be responsible for putting it there starts dating Story's mother...
286 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 3, 2012
70 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Reed
12 books332 followersBestselling, award-winning author Deb Baker writes the hilarious Gertie Johnson mystery series set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A native Yooper herself, Deb brings her blend of humor and sass to everything she writes, including mysteries written under her pen name Hannah Reed.
In addition to the Yooper mysteries, Deb/Hannah also penned a doll collecting series, beekeeping mysteries, and a Scottish Highland trilogy.
In addition to the Yooper mysteries, Deb/Hannah also penned a doll collecting series, beekeeping mysteries, and a Scottish Highland trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 18, 2012
It’s time for the Harmony Festival in Moraine, Wisconsin. All the shopkeepers are setting up outdoor displays, there will be a parade and even a Honey Queen. Story is none to happy with this year’s queen but there are other things for her to worry about, like a 12 year old whose is experimenting creating explosives, her mother’s new boyfriend and an out-of-towner trying to reap the benefits of the home town festival.
Then there’s that darn disappearing body, she tripped over it in the cemetery, but by the time help arrives the body is gone. It then turns up in a most unusual spot and when his identity is revealed Story realizes there are even more things she needs to worry about. The search for the truth “bee-comes” very interesting and danger could “bee” lurking around every corner.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I love this series.
Hannah Reed definitely writes what she knows. She crafts an wonderful intelligent cozy mystery without a flaw. The characters are all unique and absolutely extraordinary. Each and every one will make a beeline right into your heart, even the characters we love to hate. I grow to love each one a little more with every page in this wonderful series. They never fail to put a smile on my face.
Mystery and mayhem are blended together to give us a honey of a story for our minds to enjoy. Reed is definitely the Queen Bee when it comes to cozy mystery.
Then there’s that darn disappearing body, she tripped over it in the cemetery, but by the time help arrives the body is gone. It then turns up in a most unusual spot and when his identity is revealed Story realizes there are even more things she needs to worry about. The search for the truth “bee-comes” very interesting and danger could “bee” lurking around every corner.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I love this series.
Hannah Reed definitely writes what she knows. She crafts an wonderful intelligent cozy mystery without a flaw. The characters are all unique and absolutely extraordinary. Each and every one will make a beeline right into your heart, even the characters we love to hate. I grow to love each one a little more with every page in this wonderful series. They never fail to put a smile on my face.
Mystery and mayhem are blended together to give us a honey of a story for our minds to enjoy. Reed is definitely the Queen Bee when it comes to cozy mystery.
January 17, 2012
I enjoy a lot of the parts of these stories but there are moments when Story herself falls into the TSTL category. When you know that someone is a killer, why would you work so hard to put yourself in harms way? I also have to question her relationship with Patti, since she drags her into trouble on a regular basis. I understand feeling sorry for someone who appears to have no friends but letting them involve you in things that are consistently illegal makes no sense to me.
The bee lore was a little lacking in this book, not nearly as many interesting facts as in the previous two which I missed.
The plot line was interesting and the family dynamics were as interesting as always. I just hope we get to the point where Story doesn't feel the need to almost get herself killed in every book.
The bee lore was a little lacking in this book, not nearly as many interesting facts as in the previous two which I missed.
The plot line was interesting and the family dynamics were as interesting as always. I just hope we get to the point where Story doesn't feel the need to almost get herself killed in every book.
August 2, 2013
This is the third book in the Queen Bee Mystery series and the best one so far. This series seems to get better and better. Storey a beekeeper and store owner is always finding trouble. This gets her into hot water with the local Sheriff and does not make things easy for her. In this one see teams up with Poor Pitiful Patti to find out who is a killer. Lots of fun and surprises in this one.
August 18, 2025
What a cute series. Set in Wisconsin, the settings are familiar and descriptions are understandable. There were an abundance of characters so it took me a bit to get a handle on all of them. However, they are named memorably and don’t cross over too much. The mischievous Noel, a child with an interest in explosives, cracked me up!
The lead character goes by “Story”. On p. 6 it explained, “Melissa is my real name, but somewhere way back I became Story due to an innate ability to reshape the truth.” Story also has no problem breaking and entering when she is looking for clues!
I thought this was a good cozy for summer. I certainly could relate to tornado watches and warnings. I am interested in reading more offerings in this serial.
The lead character goes by “Story”. On p. 6 it explained, “Melissa is my real name, but somewhere way back I became Story due to an innate ability to reshape the truth.” Story also has no problem breaking and entering when she is looking for clues!
I thought this was a good cozy for summer. I certainly could relate to tornado watches and warnings. I am interested in reading more offerings in this serial.
September 22, 2018
I really liked the first two books in this series, but this one wasn't as good. I still love the MC and her boyfriend. What knocked it down for me was her interactions with her next door neighbor, Patty. In the previous books, she was just a minor character, but in this one she played a much larger role. And, I didn't like it. The mystery was good and I fell for the red herring. ;) :) I will still continue with this series, despite the trouble with Patty. :)
January 20, 2012
I received this book for free from Librarything in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this is a delightful gem of a novel. Its many strengths include a intricately described portrait of a small town and the big personalities within it. I could imagine people like Story, her mother, her sister, Tom, Aggie and DeeDee and especially Noel, the kid who blew up everything (doesn't every small town have one of those?). Dinky, the dog, who peed everywhere was another very nice touch. This book made all the right steps creating this community. I also loved all the references to honey and all the delicious items Story had created for her store.
The pacing of the actual murder mystery was slower and harder to grasp. I at times got annoyed at Story getting into things.
That brings me to my biggest "issue" with the book, which actually may have been quite deliberate by the author. Story is a deeply flawed character, and I couldn't figure out if I actually liked her or not. I very much liked her sister, Noel, and Hunter, who seems to be a perfect boyfriend. She spent a lot of time calling Hunter for help. She still stuck her nose into things but always called him for everything-- doesn't she realize he needs to work? And while Holly, Story's sister, seems to understand Story and her inner workings remarkably well, Story doesn't understand herself. She has faint glimmers of realizations (she did have a moment where she came to the conclusion she wasn't that independent but it was short lived), but never quite gets there. And she gets emotionally involved in things, takes it out on other people, and minimally reflects what it means about her. However, I realize that this is a series of books, and that kind of character development might be set up to evolve over the series as she gets herself into more trouble.
All that said, I thought it was a well written book, with a colorful set of characters that seemed like old friends by the end. It was worth the read!
Overall, this is a delightful gem of a novel. Its many strengths include a intricately described portrait of a small town and the big personalities within it. I could imagine people like Story, her mother, her sister, Tom, Aggie and DeeDee and especially Noel, the kid who blew up everything (doesn't every small town have one of those?). Dinky, the dog, who peed everywhere was another very nice touch. This book made all the right steps creating this community. I also loved all the references to honey and all the delicious items Story had created for her store.
The pacing of the actual murder mystery was slower and harder to grasp. I at times got annoyed at Story getting into things.
That brings me to my biggest "issue" with the book, which actually may have been quite deliberate by the author. Story is a deeply flawed character, and I couldn't figure out if I actually liked her or not. I very much liked her sister, Noel, and Hunter, who seems to be a perfect boyfriend. She spent a lot of time calling Hunter for help. She still stuck her nose into things but always called him for everything-- doesn't she realize he needs to work? And while Holly, Story's sister, seems to understand Story and her inner workings remarkably well, Story doesn't understand herself. She has faint glimmers of realizations (she did have a moment where she came to the conclusion she wasn't that independent but it was short lived), but never quite gets there. And she gets emotionally involved in things, takes it out on other people, and minimally reflects what it means about her. However, I realize that this is a series of books, and that kind of character development might be set up to evolve over the series as she gets herself into more trouble.
All that said, I thought it was a well written book, with a colorful set of characters that seemed like old friends by the end. It was worth the read!
June 10, 2016
Moraine, Wisconsin's annual Harmony Festival is almost like any other small town summer festival. Visitors are enjoying shopping and a parade led by the Honey Bee Queen, however this year the festival ends quickly when a dead body is discovered. Story Fischer’s new neighbor is found dead in a peculiar place in his home when Story’s nemesis, Lori Spandle visits him intent on seduction. Who has taken the life of a man who has lived in the town for less than a week?
The third book in the Queen Bee Mystery Series introduces some new characters that add to the entertainment value of the book including a bomb-building twelve year old, a shop-lifting beauty queen, and two brothers whose relationship ended less than amicably. This book was great! I think the action moved at a steady pace with great detail. Some of the new characters were peripheral but developed nicely. This book is filled with humor and suspense. I can’t wait to read book 4.
The third book in the Queen Bee Mystery Series introduces some new characters that add to the entertainment value of the book including a bomb-building twelve year old, a shop-lifting beauty queen, and two brothers whose relationship ended less than amicably. This book was great! I think the action moved at a steady pace with great detail. Some of the new characters were peripheral but developed nicely. This book is filled with humor and suspense. I can’t wait to read book 4.
January 12, 2012
I love books that start with a map. This book was easy-to-read and had a wonderful, interesting story that grabbed you right off of the bat and didn't let you go. I loved the author's writing style and might have to find more of her books to read. I found all of her characters very realistic and easy to identify with.
September 4, 2014
This is a new to me author. At first I really enjoyed the story, it had a nice feeling to it with humorous and quirky characters. As the story went on I felt it turned strange. I will probably read another by this author.
February 10, 2024
This series is ok, but not one of my favorites. I keep reading it to see if it gets any better - and this book *was slightly better than the earlier books in the series.
Story's sister is getting counseling to help her stop speaking in text abbreviations all the time (IOW, TTYL, IYKWIM), so that little quirk is going away. Story, however, still thinks in bulleted lists, which is incredibly annoying. I'm a list-maker myself, but tasks on those lists aren't separated by bullets. She spends way too much time with a woman who seems more than a little unstable, and usually ends up in trouble as a result.
The town's Harmony Festival sounds good in theory, but as evidenced by events in this book, probably not so good in practice. There are too many spats, ruffled feathers, egos and even feuds for any chance at harmony, and all of that is complicated by a murder.
Since the victim is not a resident of the town, and it appears that he has no connections to anyone in town, there aren't many suspects at first. As the investigation proceeds, though, several people in town have apparent motives. I didn't quite have the killer's identity and motive right, but I was close :)
Since this book showed some improvement over the previous two, I will probably read the next book in this series, but it won't be any time soon.
Story's sister is getting counseling to help her stop speaking in text abbreviations all the time (IOW, TTYL, IYKWIM), so that little quirk is going away. Story, however, still thinks in bulleted lists, which is incredibly annoying. I'm a list-maker myself, but tasks on those lists aren't separated by bullets. She spends way too much time with a woman who seems more than a little unstable, and usually ends up in trouble as a result.
The town's Harmony Festival sounds good in theory, but as evidenced by events in this book, probably not so good in practice. There are too many spats, ruffled feathers, egos and even feuds for any chance at harmony, and all of that is complicated by a murder.
Since the victim is not a resident of the town, and it appears that he has no connections to anyone in town, there aren't many suspects at first. As the investigation proceeds, though, several people in town have apparent motives. I didn't quite have the killer's identity and motive right, but I was close :)
Since this book showed some improvement over the previous two, I will probably read the next book in this series, but it won't be any time soon.
September 3, 2022
This is another fun entry!
I love the main character and adore pretty much all the characters in the book. Even Patti - but I will admit, enough is enough. Patti has gone way too far, and it felt almost contrived that Story would remain friends with her. (I say Patti has gone way too far - this isn't a judgement on my part but on Story's part.)
I say all of that feeling rather mixed because none of these characters is perfect, including Story. She is working on herself and then fails epically. Her sister is working on herself and then slides back. Her cousin is working on herself and everyone is waiting for a total meltdown while supporting her. I think the only person not working on herself is the mom - who totally mellows out anyway! And of course the Grams because the Grams in the book is perfect to begin with, and I love her.
Yes, the story gets a little ridiculous, but since it fits with everything set up in this world, it's not far-fetched or irritating. Well, not too much. I mean, Story will do things I learned not to do as a child, but, you know, it still comes across as Story being kinda dumb right now more so than contrived book.
So, all in all, funny, enjoyable, I love the little bits of info about bees (but could have done with a lot more, it seemed light in this book) and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
I love the main character and adore pretty much all the characters in the book. Even Patti - but I will admit, enough is enough. Patti has gone way too far, and it felt almost contrived that Story would remain friends with her. (I say Patti has gone way too far - this isn't a judgement on my part but on Story's part.)
I say all of that feeling rather mixed because none of these characters is perfect, including Story. She is working on herself and then fails epically. Her sister is working on herself and then slides back. Her cousin is working on herself and everyone is waiting for a total meltdown while supporting her. I think the only person not working on herself is the mom - who totally mellows out anyway! And of course the Grams because the Grams in the book is perfect to begin with, and I love her.
Yes, the story gets a little ridiculous, but since it fits with everything set up in this world, it's not far-fetched or irritating. Well, not too much. I mean, Story will do things I learned not to do as a child, but, you know, it still comes across as Story being kinda dumb right now more so than contrived book.
So, all in all, funny, enjoyable, I love the little bits of info about bees (but could have done with a lot more, it seemed light in this book) and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
August 24, 2017
Who's bombing in the neighborhood?
15 stars!!!!!!!
Story keeps listening to P.P. Patty and they just keep getting deeper in trouble and they just squeak by.
This time Stanley and his grandson are mixed in this one, with tornadoes, explosions, breaking and entering, kidnapping, murder, and framing for the murder.
So many suspects, but running into dead ends. That is where Story and Patty get into crazy schemes.
They are driving Hunter crazy, calling for his help when they get in a mess with the rogue chief of police.
You will love it. I didn't sleep much at all. I couldn't put it down.
15 stars!!!!!!!
Story keeps listening to P.P. Patty and they just keep getting deeper in trouble and they just squeak by.
This time Stanley and his grandson are mixed in this one, with tornadoes, explosions, breaking and entering, kidnapping, murder, and framing for the murder.
So many suspects, but running into dead ends. That is where Story and Patty get into crazy schemes.
They are driving Hunter crazy, calling for his help when they get in a mess with the rogue chief of police.
You will love it. I didn't sleep much at all. I couldn't put it down.
May 25, 2018
Making new friends!
Story has her hands full,
Running her store, keeping her bee friends healthy and happy, helping her family and friends, trying to manage her love life, and then there's the matter of the murder. I am enjoying her friends and family, even if they are a bit off of magnetic north, especially P. P. Patty. They all have each other's backs.
Enjoy being a part of their lives with a good cup of coffee and a honey treat as they solve the mystery.
Cozy fans will enjoy this series.
Story has her hands full,
Running her store, keeping her bee friends healthy and happy, helping her family and friends, trying to manage her love life, and then there's the matter of the murder. I am enjoying her friends and family, even if they are a bit off of magnetic north, especially P. P. Patty. They all have each other's backs.
Enjoy being a part of their lives with a good cup of coffee and a honey treat as they solve the mystery.
Cozy fans will enjoy this series.
February 8, 2017
Easy Reading
I love the Queen Bee Mysteries. They're quick and easy to read. The characters are amusing and make me giggle sometimes. Plus I never know who the culprit/s is/ are till the end. Keep em coming Deb
I love the Queen Bee Mysteries. They're quick and easy to read. The characters are amusing and make me giggle sometimes. Plus I never know who the culprit/s is/ are till the end. Keep em coming Deb
October 21, 2017
This series is becoming frustrating. How many ornery people can one person deal with in a given day, not to mention the dog? I kept reading to see if the storyline grew more interesting but no.
I kept hoping Story would decide to move away from these people.
I kept hoping Story would decide to move away from these people.
June 11, 2017
Love these books. Have just started with the fourth book in this series.
July 6, 2017
Good
the woman and her whole family live in this small town and most of the people in this town didn't get along.
the woman and her whole family live in this small town and most of the people in this town didn't get along.
July 24, 2017
A great series
5stars for this addition to the Queen Bee mystery series. Lots of action and great hints at solving the mystery.
5stars for this addition to the Queen Bee mystery series. Lots of action and great hints at solving the mystery.
June 24, 2018
So many typos! Yikes 😬 tThe story might have been more interesting if I could have gotten past the typos.
July 9, 2019
Love this series!! Love the characters and the unrealistic plot. I laugh through most of this book. I want to slap Patti and shake Story. Can't wait to read the next installment.
November 1, 2019
This is closer to 3 1/2 stars. I still love the characters but I was not a fan of the storyline.
February 23, 2020
Cute, funny, very entertaining. I really wish this series were in an audio format.
These characters are hilarious! Perhaps even a PBS series.... Just a thought!
These characters are hilarious! Perhaps even a PBS series.... Just a thought!
January 28, 2022
3 - Good
September 1, 2022
Good book
May 24, 2023
Loved it
February 8, 2025
Interesting, but not my favorite in this series. Too many stupid mistakes.
July 19, 2014
That felt longer and much more painful than it needed to be. Granted, Hannah Reed has reduced the need of one of her characters to use text speech, but the bullet points used by the main character, Story Fisher, need to be eliminated. Plus, I do not care how annoying Patti is, stop with the P.P. (Pity Party) initials in front of her name. This is the third book in the series and if the readers have followed along thus far, and do not already know how annoying she is, then this book will definitely set them straight.
The small town of Moraine, Wisconsin is in the mist of their annual Harmony Festival and Story Fisher, the owner of The Wild Clover is once again thrown into the middle of a mystery when she stumbles over a body in the cemetery only to have it disappear when she finally get Officer Sheriff Johnny Jay out to investigate.
Throughout the books, Story Fisher and Johnny Jay have been battling and now he is resorting to threats and promises of not showing up if she were to call 911 with yet another claim of dead bodies or worse. Because of Johnny’s inability to tell a crime when one is in front of him, Story with the help of Patti, set off to discover who the body was and what is going on in their small town.
Add in a pending tornado, a kleptomaniac, a mother that has undergone a personality change, a twelve year old who loves to blow things up, a lottery winner, employee’s that only show up when it is convenient, a grandmother that has driving issues, and a policeman boyfriend with his trust dog sidekick and you have a typical day in the life of Story Fisher.
There are things that I love about this series, the people, the places and the bees, but Ms. Reed has a tendency to draw things out and to repeat herself. The book is less than 300 pages and a reader should not need that much repetition to help them keep the story straight.
The small town of Moraine, Wisconsin is in the mist of their annual Harmony Festival and Story Fisher, the owner of The Wild Clover is once again thrown into the middle of a mystery when she stumbles over a body in the cemetery only to have it disappear when she finally get Officer Sheriff Johnny Jay out to investigate.
Throughout the books, Story Fisher and Johnny Jay have been battling and now he is resorting to threats and promises of not showing up if she were to call 911 with yet another claim of dead bodies or worse. Because of Johnny’s inability to tell a crime when one is in front of him, Story with the help of Patti, set off to discover who the body was and what is going on in their small town.
Add in a pending tornado, a kleptomaniac, a mother that has undergone a personality change, a twelve year old who loves to blow things up, a lottery winner, employee’s that only show up when it is convenient, a grandmother that has driving issues, and a policeman boyfriend with his trust dog sidekick and you have a typical day in the life of Story Fisher.
There are things that I love about this series, the people, the places and the bees, but Ms. Reed has a tendency to draw things out and to repeat herself. The book is less than 300 pages and a reader should not need that much repetition to help them keep the story straight.
August 11, 2016
There is always a lot of action in the small town of Moraine, but the annual Harmony Festival is anything but harmonious. Between the usual squabbles and vendor problems, some impromptu explosions are keeping the townspeople frazzled. This book was well-written as expected, but the storyline was quite different from previous books in the series. Written in Hannah Reed's wry and witty way, some of the characters undergo surprising changes, a metamorphosis so to speak, adding an interesting and unexpected factor to the mix.
I really enjoy this series of quirky characters in a small town. A small part of that enjoyment is because I was once a beekeeper, but the author does spice her book up with some interesting honeybee facts and lore, as well as including recipes using honey. This series may come under the classification of cozy, but don't be fooled, they always have a good and surprising mystery to solve and this book was no stranger to the theme. When our heroine, Story, trips over a body in the cemetery, only to have it disappear, no one believes her. Was there a body? Was it overactive imagination in the dark? If there was a body, where did it go? The challenge is to discover if another body found elsewhere is in fact the same one, and if the perpetrator of the crime is a local, a stranger, or a team. Whose body is missing? Why are some townspeople being attacked? And what in the world do hickory nuts have to do with anything?
This is the kind of book where you can recognize some characters, relax and enjoy them, learn something new, but remain on high alert for the chase to find answers and solve the mystery. A very enjoyable book, #3 in the series, it gets better all the time.
I really enjoy this series of quirky characters in a small town. A small part of that enjoyment is because I was once a beekeeper, but the author does spice her book up with some interesting honeybee facts and lore, as well as including recipes using honey. This series may come under the classification of cozy, but don't be fooled, they always have a good and surprising mystery to solve and this book was no stranger to the theme. When our heroine, Story, trips over a body in the cemetery, only to have it disappear, no one believes her. Was there a body? Was it overactive imagination in the dark? If there was a body, where did it go? The challenge is to discover if another body found elsewhere is in fact the same one, and if the perpetrator of the crime is a local, a stranger, or a team. Whose body is missing? Why are some townspeople being attacked? And what in the world do hickory nuts have to do with anything?
This is the kind of book where you can recognize some characters, relax and enjoy them, learn something new, but remain on high alert for the chase to find answers and solve the mystery. A very enjoyable book, #3 in the series, it gets better all the time.
February 22, 2016
Didn't like this book as much as the first. All the hate on the main character from the Sheriff and Slutty Realtor gets old. And the heroine throwing herself into one dumb situation after another got old.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
January 4, 2012
The small town characters were what made this book so good! Lori and Johnny Jay were the two you just loved to hate...they would find any reason to go after Story. I lol'd when Story and Lori got in a cat fight in front of the town's watering hole aka Stu's Bar and Grill for everyone to see. If it wasn't for the Wild Clover and hunky Hunter I'd high-tail it out of that little town. I feel for Story having to deal with a crazy neighbor, Patti who gets her into trouble. Grams, God bless her, drives like a maniac lol! With larger than life characters you don't need any further drama but thats just what you get when a new neighbor is found dead and Story finds herself in over her head with finding who the killer is. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars mainly for the characters and funny situations Story gets herself into.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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