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Blake Hetherington Mysteries #6
Live And Let Bee
‘Honey is sweet, but the bee stings’ and Blake Hetherington knows this only too well. Blake is a gentleman in modern times; a milliner with mystery solving thrust upon him. Delilah is an enthusiastic archaeologist with an unhealthy interest in murder; DS Rob Claringdon is her beau. This unlikely trio is at the heart of a quirky, amusing and quintessentially English, murder mystery.
‘Live and Let Bee’, finds our heroes on a remote feudal island to celebrate a wedding, but after two mysterious deaths, are they able to resist investigating a case that involves warring honey farms, Russian oligarchs and a dark family secret?
‘Live and Let Bee’, finds our heroes on a remote feudal island to celebrate a wedding, but after two mysterious deaths, are they able to resist investigating a case that involves warring honey farms, Russian oligarchs and a dark family secret?
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2016
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
D.S. Nelson
12 books19 followersMy introduction to murder came from Agatha Christie. Her inquisitive Miss Marple of St Mary Mead and very Belgian Poirot with his 'little grey cells', captured my imagination from a young age.
There are eight stories in the Blake Hetherington series and all are available via Kindle.
As a storyteller I tell interactive stories and traditional tales. You can find more of my work via www.ddstoryteller.co.uk or via Goodreads Profile - After several years away I've rejoined Goodreads. Come say hello if you're on there too. Think it's going to take me a while to add all the books currently on my shelf though 😆
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
There are eight stories in the Blake Hetherington series and all are available via Kindle.
As a storyteller I tell interactive stories and traditional tales. You can find more of my work via www.ddstoryteller.co.uk or via Goodreads Profile - After several years away I've rejoined Goodreads. Come say hello if you're on there too. Think it's going to take me a while to add all the books currently on my shelf though 😆
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 2, 2016
Live and Let Bee took me right back to Sunday nights spent watching a British crime miniseries on PBS with a big bowl of popcorn and a cozy blanket. I could practically hear the Masterpiece Mystery theme song playing in my head as I turned the pages! If you’re a cozy crime fan who’s somehow not already familiar with the Blake Hetherington series, then you need to be, because it’s one of the best in the genre I’ve read in recent years.
To understand why I’m such a fan, it probably helps to understand that I’m also a big Agatha Christie fan, so my standards for this genre are high. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years enjoying Christie’s books and the TV miniseries adaptations, and as such I suppose I’ve gotten kind of picky about books that label themselves as “cozy crime” or are compared to Christie’s work. So when I discovered Blake two years ago and started reading the series, I was pleased to see that it checked all the boxes: setting, atmosphere, dastardly twists and turns, and a huge cast of highly suspect characters (more on that later!).
If anything, this series has only gotten better as it goes along, and Live and Let Bee is definitely my favorite thus far. As the book opens, Blake has arrived at the remote island of Salderk for the wedding of his old friend and schoolmate, Rufus Blackwood. A wedding should be a joyous occasion, but as much as Blake may want a little break from solving mysteries, it seems to follow him: a simple stroll on the beach leads him to a dead body, and his discovery is not the only thing creating pre-wedding tension. Rufus’ fiancee Matilda is hiding some dark secrets about her past in Russia, while her daughter Liliya is a notorious flirt, causing division among the wedding guests. Their host, Dame Albrecht de Vries, is waging a silent war with a neighboring honey farm that has spilled over into the local businesses of Salderk. And then there’s the local constable, Simmons, whose interest in the crime may veer into unprofessional territory.
I think one of the things that I loved most about this book was the huge suspect list: I’ve read several mysteries recently that only had a couple of suspects, and so guessing out the murderer wasn’t that hard (and obviously, this makes for a very disappointing read!). By sharp contrast, the island of Salderk is brimming with suspects, from a seemingly innocent baker to Matilda herself, so I was kept guessing as to the killer’s identity and motive until the very end. I also loved how vividly the island and its inhabitants are depicted; Nelson nails the remote setting and frosty relationships perfectly. As I said earlier, I could almost hear the piano notes striking as we survey the salty beach or sit down for an awkward dinner at a table full of suspects. The pace was perfect—a page turner, but not rushed—and this made it feel like a much shorter novel!
If you love cozy crime and need something new to add to your collection, I highly recommend Live and Let Bee. And once you’re done with that, be sure to pick up the rest of the Blake Hetherington mysteries as well—you can find them all on Amazon!
Thank you to the author for providing an advance review copy!
To understand why I’m such a fan, it probably helps to understand that I’m also a big Agatha Christie fan, so my standards for this genre are high. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years enjoying Christie’s books and the TV miniseries adaptations, and as such I suppose I’ve gotten kind of picky about books that label themselves as “cozy crime” or are compared to Christie’s work. So when I discovered Blake two years ago and started reading the series, I was pleased to see that it checked all the boxes: setting, atmosphere, dastardly twists and turns, and a huge cast of highly suspect characters (more on that later!).
If anything, this series has only gotten better as it goes along, and Live and Let Bee is definitely my favorite thus far. As the book opens, Blake has arrived at the remote island of Salderk for the wedding of his old friend and schoolmate, Rufus Blackwood. A wedding should be a joyous occasion, but as much as Blake may want a little break from solving mysteries, it seems to follow him: a simple stroll on the beach leads him to a dead body, and his discovery is not the only thing creating pre-wedding tension. Rufus’ fiancee Matilda is hiding some dark secrets about her past in Russia, while her daughter Liliya is a notorious flirt, causing division among the wedding guests. Their host, Dame Albrecht de Vries, is waging a silent war with a neighboring honey farm that has spilled over into the local businesses of Salderk. And then there’s the local constable, Simmons, whose interest in the crime may veer into unprofessional territory.
I think one of the things that I loved most about this book was the huge suspect list: I’ve read several mysteries recently that only had a couple of suspects, and so guessing out the murderer wasn’t that hard (and obviously, this makes for a very disappointing read!). By sharp contrast, the island of Salderk is brimming with suspects, from a seemingly innocent baker to Matilda herself, so I was kept guessing as to the killer’s identity and motive until the very end. I also loved how vividly the island and its inhabitants are depicted; Nelson nails the remote setting and frosty relationships perfectly. As I said earlier, I could almost hear the piano notes striking as we survey the salty beach or sit down for an awkward dinner at a table full of suspects. The pace was perfect—a page turner, but not rushed—and this made it feel like a much shorter novel!
If you love cozy crime and need something new to add to your collection, I highly recommend Live and Let Bee. And once you’re done with that, be sure to pick up the rest of the Blake Hetherington mysteries as well—you can find them all on Amazon!
Thank you to the author for providing an advance review copy!
June 27, 2017
3.5 stars, rounded down. This is the quintessential English murder mystery, easy to get into with lots of slow delicious buildup and interesting characters. It reminded me of the classic style of Agatha Christie, a style you don't find much of in present-day murder mystery books. Slow doesn't mean boring though, and it wasn't long before I was completely immersed, turning the pages to figure out whodunnit.
At times, it did feel like the author could have edited the book to be more concise, since parts of this first-person narrative was the character going over the same facts multiple times and turning the same things over in his mind. With the slow pace of the story, the resolution came surprisingly fast and was over quickly, with everything wrapped up a little too neatly.
Still, I enjoyed the characters, the author's writing, and the nostalgic feeling I got from reading this, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.
At times, it did feel like the author could have edited the book to be more concise, since parts of this first-person narrative was the character going over the same facts multiple times and turning the same things over in his mind. With the slow pace of the story, the resolution came surprisingly fast and was over quickly, with everything wrapped up a little too neatly.
Still, I enjoyed the characters, the author's writing, and the nostalgic feeling I got from reading this, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.
February 27, 2016
My book blog: http://publishedmoments.co.uk
This is a very quirky murder mystery novel and unlike anything I've read in this genre for a long time. Nelson really has a talent for writing which keeps you on your toes at all time. It definitely has a very 'classic' crime feel to the book - think your Agatha Christie novels and you wouldn't be far off. This is the sixth book in the Blake Hetherington series, and while I could tell that from certain parts of the book, it doesn't stop you reading this as you got enough background to continue reading.
In 'Live and Let Bee', Nelson has managed to write about three murders and then some, with only very limited suspects due to the small population on the island, she makes it incredibly difficult for you to piece together who carried out these murders...that is until Nelson wants you to know.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I did feel that it took a lot of focus to read and wasn't as easy-reading as I would usually like, but essentially Nelson has written a brilliant 'whodunnit' that is sure to keep you entertained. I will be adding the rest of the Blake Hetherington series to my read list!
This is a very quirky murder mystery novel and unlike anything I've read in this genre for a long time. Nelson really has a talent for writing which keeps you on your toes at all time. It definitely has a very 'classic' crime feel to the book - think your Agatha Christie novels and you wouldn't be far off. This is the sixth book in the Blake Hetherington series, and while I could tell that from certain parts of the book, it doesn't stop you reading this as you got enough background to continue reading.
In 'Live and Let Bee', Nelson has managed to write about three murders and then some, with only very limited suspects due to the small population on the island, she makes it incredibly difficult for you to piece together who carried out these murders...that is until Nelson wants you to know.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I did feel that it took a lot of focus to read and wasn't as easy-reading as I would usually like, but essentially Nelson has written a brilliant 'whodunnit' that is sure to keep you entertained. I will be adding the rest of the Blake Hetherington series to my read list!
April 6, 2016
4 Stars from me
The prose in Live and Let Bee has an old fashioned feel to it, like the old Sherlock Holmes, Marple, Murder She Wrote, Midsomer style tales. It is very endearing and tension builds slowly but surely as the pages turn.
It took me a few chapters to get used to this slower pace (I am more used to the break neck speeds of Simon Kernick!), but I genuinely enjoyed the softer style of D S Nelson and a more whimsical take on what could otherwise have been a killing spree!
I can well imagine this being televised, much akin to the popular series' that I've mentioned above. Ideal Sunday afternoon viewing with a nice cup of tea and pleasant company.
Don't be mislead however, this story does build and I soon found myself racing through the pages to get to the end and discover who the murderer was.
There is strong reference to bees throughout the book which was integral to the story and which I quite liked, with a little snippet of bee related information at the beginning of each chapter.
Constructive criticism from me would be to change the cover image/style as it doesn't do the book justice.
The prose in Live and Let Bee has an old fashioned feel to it, like the old Sherlock Holmes, Marple, Murder She Wrote, Midsomer style tales. It is very endearing and tension builds slowly but surely as the pages turn.
It took me a few chapters to get used to this slower pace (I am more used to the break neck speeds of Simon Kernick!), but I genuinely enjoyed the softer style of D S Nelson and a more whimsical take on what could otherwise have been a killing spree!
I can well imagine this being televised, much akin to the popular series' that I've mentioned above. Ideal Sunday afternoon viewing with a nice cup of tea and pleasant company.
Don't be mislead however, this story does build and I soon found myself racing through the pages to get to the end and discover who the murderer was.
There is strong reference to bees throughout the book which was integral to the story and which I quite liked, with a little snippet of bee related information at the beginning of each chapter.
Constructive criticism from me would be to change the cover image/style as it doesn't do the book justice.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews