A Hive of Suspects

Irish Gardening Mystery #4

by Sheila Pim

Jason Prendergast built his fortune taking minerals from the earth near the Irish town of Drumclash, but bees became the real passion of his life once the mines gave up the last of their riches. When he dies after dining on honey from one of his own hives, village beekeepers suspect local bees are feasting on poisonous plants and infecting hives with deadly nectar. But the Civic Guard prefers to look for a human hand and suspicion falls on Phoebe Prendergast, a niece who gave up a promising career on the stage to look after the old man. The dead man's solicitor can't believe in Phoebe's guilt and conceals from the police the fact that the old man was about to add a codicil to his will disinheriting her should she return to the stage -- even after his death.

Genres: Mystery, Ireland

155 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Sheila Pim wrote her first detective novel, Common or Garden Crime, to satisfy her father's thirst for detective stories, the publication of which had been curtailed thanks to the paper shortages which affected neutral Ireland during the "Emergency"--or World War II, as it was called in most other parts of the globe.

* Full biography here.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm all a-buzz. I've now finished this Irish village mystery from the 1950s and can start on my Birth Year Challenge books. Fortunately, I can count those for my other reading challenges, so all is good. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though it is a bit beyond my usual Golden Age period mysteries. Sheila Pim has a breezy, yet confiding way of writing and she draws the reader right into the story from the very beginning. She manages to teach the reader a lot about bee-keeping and a little about mining and minerals and not induce slumber with the lectures. She is also adept at the suspect sleight of hand and made me trade the real culprit for another suspect in the last chapters. I was so convinced that my new choice was right and totally ignored the important clue that Pim had dangled in front of us early on. Three stars out of five.

I also gathered a few new quotes for my collection--including this one; oh-so-appropriate for mystery lovers:

"Shall I talk to the inspector for you? Could we give you an alibi or anything? What are friends for, if not to stand by in a crisis?"

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Sheila Pim's mysteries! Always garden themed. Set in Ireland. Vintage mysteries. Whats not to love. Her books are always well written, solid plot with excellent red herrings and characters you can get involved with. It's a shame there are only four.

This one is set in a town with lots of bee hives and bees and honey figure into the mystery. We learn lots about keeping bees!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bees are amazing! Fascinating! And beekeepers are quite interesting as well.

SHEILA PIM has combined her research on the subject with a very enjoyable cozy mystery. Can bees be murderers? Can honey be poisonous? Follow this tale of hives and murder into the gardens of the Irish countryside.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this from The Rue Morgue (in Colorado), a wonderful publisher and seller of mysteries. They have a great catalog.

This was a lovely mystery featuring bees. The author is a Quaker though that doesn't feature in the book at all.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cross between a cozy and a police procedural set in rural Ireland in the early 1950s. When old Jason Prendergast dies suddenly after his usual evening meal that includes honey from his own beehives, the police become involved. Nearly every local keeps bees, and concerns are soon raised that the the honey could be poisonous if the bees are gathering nectar from the wrong flowers. Add in suspicious behavior from Jason's widowed cousin, and the sudden appearance of a long-lost nephew from Canada. This slow-paced, gentle mystery is a delight to read.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining mystery that revolves around bees and beekeeping. Wealthy Jason Penrose dies after eating honey from one of his own hives, and his lovely niece Phoebe, who has inherited his estate, might seem the most likely suspect, but there are many others. Not only an enjoyable mystery, but if you read this you will learn a lot about bees.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars: A satisfying mystery written in Pim's pleasant style. She wrote four of these Irish stories, but none is connected with another so they do not need to be read in any special order.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old fashioned British murder mystery revolving around a bit of poisoned honeycomb. Very cute.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...