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Oregon Honeycomb Mystery #1
Death Bee Comes Her
Welcome to a specialty shop in the Oregon tourist town of Oceanview, where it’s all things honey—from taffy to body scrub. But murder can make things sticky . . .
A BALMY WAY TO GO
With her Let It Bee honey boutique buzzing along nicely, life is as sweet as nectar for Wren Johnson—until she takes a morning walk along the Pacific beach with her Havana Brown cat, Everett, and stumbles upon the body of Agnes Snow, the cranky queen of the local craft fairs, stiff as driftwood. More unfortunate? Clutched in the victim’s fist is a label from Wren’s homemade beeswax-and-honey lip balm. Which makes Officer Jim Hampton focus his dreamy-blue Paul Newman eyes on Wren as suspect number one.
With fabulous feline support from Everett, Wren must comb the town for clues and clear her name before someone else gets stung.
A BALMY WAY TO GO
With her Let It Bee honey boutique buzzing along nicely, life is as sweet as nectar for Wren Johnson—until she takes a morning walk along the Pacific beach with her Havana Brown cat, Everett, and stumbles upon the body of Agnes Snow, the cranky queen of the local craft fairs, stiff as driftwood. More unfortunate? Clutched in the victim’s fist is a label from Wren’s homemade beeswax-and-honey lip balm. Which makes Officer Jim Hampton focus his dreamy-blue Paul Newman eyes on Wren as suspect number one.
With fabulous feline support from Everett, Wren must comb the town for clues and clear her name before someone else gets stung.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2019
141 people are currently reading
3437 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
February 12, 2022
Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy CoCo is the first book in the cozy An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series the An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series will feature a new mystery to be solved in each new installment so they can be read as a standalone if choosing to do so.
Wren Johnson lives in Oceanview, Oregon near the beach in the Pacific Northwest with her Havana Brown cat, Everett. Wren owns the Let It Bee boutique that specializes in all things honey and even has a glass wall with an actual bee hive inside for customers to view.
Wren has been preparing for the Halloween festival when she wanders upon the body of Agnes Snow. It seems that in her death Agnes is holding a label from one of Wren’s natural products which sends the investigation straight to Wren’s door closing down Let It Bee. Wren knows she needs to find out who really did away with Agness before she ends up not only losing business but behind bars.
I really enjoyed reading this opener of the Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series and getting to know Wren and her shop. The series had that quirky vibe that I adore with a a lot of laughs, likable characters, a beachy setting, an interesting theme in the honey shop along with a cute critter in Everett. Mix all of the ingredients together and we have a new cozy that I’ll be happy to return to in the second book of the series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Wren Johnson lives in Oceanview, Oregon near the beach in the Pacific Northwest with her Havana Brown cat, Everett. Wren owns the Let It Bee boutique that specializes in all things honey and even has a glass wall with an actual bee hive inside for customers to view.
Wren has been preparing for the Halloween festival when she wanders upon the body of Agnes Snow. It seems that in her death Agnes is holding a label from one of Wren’s natural products which sends the investigation straight to Wren’s door closing down Let It Bee. Wren knows she needs to find out who really did away with Agness before she ends up not only losing business but behind bars.
I really enjoyed reading this opener of the Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series and getting to know Wren and her shop. The series had that quirky vibe that I adore with a a lot of laughs, likable characters, a beachy setting, an interesting theme in the honey shop along with a cute critter in Everett. Mix all of the ingredients together and we have a new cozy that I’ll be happy to return to in the second book of the series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
March 29, 2021
A wonderful start to a new series!
December 8, 2020
4 🐝🐝🐝🐝 bees out of 5 (4.5 really but I can't cut a bee in half!!) for book one of this new, really enjoyable, cozy mystery series! Engaging and stressful but fun and when I wasn't reading about it, I was thinking about it! And it also features an adorable cat sidekick, Everett, who helps his owner, Wren, try to solve a murder mystery.
It's Halloween in Oceanview, Oregon and Wren is busy getting her store "Let it Bee" ready for the weeklong festival. The store carries all natural honey products and has what I imagine to be a beautiful glass wall housing a living hive. I will sidebar here to say that this book also features honey and beeswax recipes and creations throughout that I actually want to try so that was another huge plus! But back to the plot, Wren finds a body on the beach and the dead woman is clutching the label off of one of Wren's lip balms and unfortunately, Wren becomes suspect number one. She sets out with her Aunt Eloise and friend Porsche to try and find the murderer because things keep getting worse and worse for Wren! There are lots of characters and you will spend a lot of time wondering why certain ones are introduced and what is happening and who may be involved or working against her. There were points where it went beyond a cozy and I was really overthinking the plot, which was nice!
Nancy Coco did a really lovely job writing this one, it flowed really well and was a good read. The characters were very well written and well rounded and some were tropey when needed for punctuation. The ending wrapped up a bit quickly and I was eager to hear about some loose ends that didn't get wrapped up but maybe those are for other future books in the series. It was very atmospheric in parts and I could feel the fog and the chill. And, of course, I loved the environmental, animal friendly delivery! There was some light romance and lots of family and love.
I will absolutely be back for book 2 and am eager to see what all of these characters will be up to next! If you love a good cozy mystery, I ++ recommend that you do no let this one bee🐝 pick it up when it publishes on January 26, 2021 and start the New Year off right!
**I thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced reader copy off this book and was happy to provide a review for it**
It's Halloween in Oceanview, Oregon and Wren is busy getting her store "Let it Bee" ready for the weeklong festival. The store carries all natural honey products and has what I imagine to be a beautiful glass wall housing a living hive. I will sidebar here to say that this book also features honey and beeswax recipes and creations throughout that I actually want to try so that was another huge plus! But back to the plot, Wren finds a body on the beach and the dead woman is clutching the label off of one of Wren's lip balms and unfortunately, Wren becomes suspect number one. She sets out with her Aunt Eloise and friend Porsche to try and find the murderer because things keep getting worse and worse for Wren! There are lots of characters and you will spend a lot of time wondering why certain ones are introduced and what is happening and who may be involved or working against her. There were points where it went beyond a cozy and I was really overthinking the plot, which was nice!
Nancy Coco did a really lovely job writing this one, it flowed really well and was a good read. The characters were very well written and well rounded and some were tropey when needed for punctuation. The ending wrapped up a bit quickly and I was eager to hear about some loose ends that didn't get wrapped up but maybe those are for other future books in the series. It was very atmospheric in parts and I could feel the fog and the chill. And, of course, I loved the environmental, animal friendly delivery! There was some light romance and lots of family and love.
I will absolutely be back for book 2 and am eager to see what all of these characters will be up to next! If you love a good cozy mystery, I ++ recommend that you do no let this one bee🐝 pick it up when it publishes on January 26, 2021 and start the New Year off right!
**I thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced reader copy off this book and was happy to provide a review for it**
March 31, 2023
Come to out book club on Saturday May 22nd @ 4pm Es time to find out!!
Our book club info:
Club title: Killing time w/ cozies book club
When: 4th Saturday of every month @ 4 pm Es time- May book pick Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy Coco
Where: my YouTube channel- https://t.co/Jx58B4KNW5?amp=1
Here is also our really fun cozy mystery discord
Killing time w/ cozies:
https://discord.gg/bwh6fMTt
Someone is always on talking about cozies! Hope you will join us!!
Our book club info:
Club title: Killing time w/ cozies book club
When: 4th Saturday of every month @ 4 pm Es time- May book pick Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy Coco
Where: my YouTube channel- https://t.co/Jx58B4KNW5?amp=1
Here is also our really fun cozy mystery discord
Killing time w/ cozies:
https://discord.gg/bwh6fMTt
Someone is always on talking about cozies! Hope you will join us!!
December 25, 2019
Have y’all heard the buzz about this new series? Let It Bee is a honey boutique shop located in the lovely town of Oceanview, Oregon. Proprietor, Wren Johnson loves making taffy, candles, lotions, balms, scrubs and more with soothing fresh honey. When Wren and her Havana Chocolate Cat, Everett, are walking on the beach, they stumble across a female body that’s unfortunately deceased. Crime scene evidence points straight to Wren and one of her handmade items.
Author Nancy Coco plots an engaging beachfront mystery in an appealing setting that’s a great read for the wintertime blues, vacation at the beach or ski lodge, or wrapped up in a fleece throw at home on a cold winters night. I enjoyed the recipes and tips scattered between the chapters of the book. Wren’s Aunt Eloise is a fun character who adds levity in between the more serious scenes. Reading about bees is interesting and the live hive in Wren’s Boutique is unique.
There’s no shortage of suspects as far as who might have wanted to kill the victim or who might be framing Wren for the crime. About halfway through the story, I had a hunch who the bad guy was and it turned out I was correct. The mystery is very good!
I believe Cozy fans will find DEATH BEE COMES HER an interesting, satisfying read. I’m already looking forward to the next honey of a story! 😊🐝
I reviewed a galley arc provided by Kensington Publishing for an honest review. Thank you.
Author Nancy Coco plots an engaging beachfront mystery in an appealing setting that’s a great read for the wintertime blues, vacation at the beach or ski lodge, or wrapped up in a fleece throw at home on a cold winters night. I enjoyed the recipes and tips scattered between the chapters of the book. Wren’s Aunt Eloise is a fun character who adds levity in between the more serious scenes. Reading about bees is interesting and the live hive in Wren’s Boutique is unique.
There’s no shortage of suspects as far as who might have wanted to kill the victim or who might be framing Wren for the crime. About halfway through the story, I had a hunch who the bad guy was and it turned out I was correct. The mystery is very good!
I believe Cozy fans will find DEATH BEE COMES HER an interesting, satisfying read. I’m already looking forward to the next honey of a story! 😊🐝
I reviewed a galley arc provided by Kensington Publishing for an honest review. Thank you.
January 15, 2021
A new series by Nancy Coco was something I was looking forward to as I love the Fudge Shop mysteries. However, so much in this book did not work for me. The writing flows well and is easy to read. The story itself is just so implausible, from the various reasons she's a suspect to the way they investigate. The characters were OK but don't stand out for any reason. I loved the concept of the hive against the building for customers to see but it wasn't enough to keep my interest. There were so many inconsistencies - tubes for lotion and then two pages later, she uses only jars - and so much repetition of points that were made just the page before. I had a hard time sitting down to finish this one because of all these problems. I may read the next one but I won't reach for it as quickly as I would one of the Fudge Shop ones.
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#DeathBeeComesHer #NetGalley
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#DeathBeeComesHer #NetGalley
June 1, 2020
I love this author's Fudge series, so I really hate that I didn't enjoy this book.
Wren is just silly and some of her interactions aren't believable. Not too mention the last page had a huge error!
Wren is just silly and some of her interactions aren't believable. Not too mention the last page had a huge error!
January 20, 2022
The Pacific Northwest's coast has lots of rainy weather, it also has the tourist town of Oceanview where we find the new series, Oregon Honeycomb Mystery taking place. The author has done a wonderful job of setting us up with Wren and her Havana Brown cat, Everett. Wren is the owner of a specialty shop in this tourist town. She specializes in handmade beeswax and honey made products including lip balm,candles and face moisturizers .
All is well until a woman is found dead clutching one of her homemade lip balms. Of course the suspicion is thrown right into her lap with such an obvious clue. I loved the caring relationship she has with her cat who has more than a casual mention in the book.
I enjoyed the characters and the recipes for home made honey facial creams and more sounds divine. We are nicely set up for the next book in the series which releases in March and I am looking forward to reading it.
Pub Date 26 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
All is well until a woman is found dead clutching one of her homemade lip balms. Of course the suspicion is thrown right into her lap with such an obvious clue. I loved the caring relationship she has with her cat who has more than a casual mention in the book.
I enjoyed the characters and the recipes for home made honey facial creams and more sounds divine. We are nicely set up for the next book in the series which releases in March and I am looking forward to reading it.
Pub Date 26 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
April 9, 2022
Book 1 Week owned a Bee shop. Let it Bee. Where she sold Lip balm, lotions candles and even candy. She even has a hive with bees. It was Halloween approaching. She and her employee were going to dress up all week until
Hallowieen. Seen was going with a Wizard of Oz theme. Porsche her employee was going as different characteta.So when her and her cat Everett went out walkin TV they found a body. It was a woman Anges . Her gran and Angus were always competed in crafts and such. But she is not the one of Suspension When is because she found body.so she decided she would take it in her own hands to find out who really did it. This is a good read
Hallowieen. Seen was going with a Wizard of Oz theme. Porsche her employee was going as different characteta.So when her and her cat Everett went out walkin TV they found a body. It was a woman Anges . Her gran and Angus were always competed in crafts and such. But she is not the one of Suspension When is because she found body.so she decided she would take it in her own hands to find out who really did it. This is a good read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2021
I enjoyed this opening story to begin a series but was disappointed in editing errors. I'll focus first on the delights...
• I'm always very excited when I discover a new series in a setting I've never read before so I welcomed reading this cozy in the setting of Oceanview, a small town on the Oregon coast.
• At the beginning of many of the chapters there is an interesting fact about the benefits of honey and scattered throughout the cozy are also some recipes from tasty treats to creating soothing honey-based skin care products. In 2 instances, facts at the introduction of a chapter are about Havana Brown cats, also known as "Chocolate Delights."
• Regardless of the length of romantic interests in a cozy, it was a joy to have the main character Wren Johnson enjoy the company of someone other than associated with law enforcement which is beginning to be an ad nauseam element of cozy mysteries. Kudos to the author for a different diversion.
• I was not familiar with the Disney movies “Halloweentown” with the 1st film released in 1998, as filmed in St. Helens, Oregon, where every year the town celebrates the season by hosting the Spirit of "Halloweentown" Festival from mid-September through October 31. For those familiar with the film series and/or for all who love the Halloween holiday I’m sure those readers will be charmed by the week-long celebration in Oceanview in honor of the movies in the week leading up to Halloween.
o Halloweentown (1998)
o Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)
o Halloweentown High (2004)
o Return to Halloweentown (2006)
The most perplexing error is in one of the last paragraphs of the last chapter as the main character states the number of deaths in this storyline. How does an author and/or editor of a major publishing house of cozy mysteries let that error slide through to publication? I found that to be perplexing and a major disappointment.
As the positives outweighed my disappointment in the spelling and the last perplexing error I am going to give the next book in the series a chance.
• I'm always very excited when I discover a new series in a setting I've never read before so I welcomed reading this cozy in the setting of Oceanview, a small town on the Oregon coast.
• At the beginning of many of the chapters there is an interesting fact about the benefits of honey and scattered throughout the cozy are also some recipes from tasty treats to creating soothing honey-based skin care products. In 2 instances, facts at the introduction of a chapter are about Havana Brown cats, also known as "Chocolate Delights."
• Regardless of the length of romantic interests in a cozy, it was a joy to have the main character Wren Johnson enjoy the company of someone other than associated with law enforcement which is beginning to be an ad nauseam element of cozy mysteries. Kudos to the author for a different diversion.
• I was not familiar with the Disney movies “Halloweentown” with the 1st film released in 1998, as filmed in St. Helens, Oregon, where every year the town celebrates the season by hosting the Spirit of "Halloweentown" Festival from mid-September through October 31. For those familiar with the film series and/or for all who love the Halloween holiday I’m sure those readers will be charmed by the week-long celebration in Oceanview in honor of the movies in the week leading up to Halloween.
o Halloweentown (1998)
o Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)
o Halloweentown High (2004)
o Return to Halloweentown (2006)
The most perplexing error is in one of the last paragraphs of the last chapter as the main character states the number of deaths in this storyline. How does an author and/or editor of a major publishing house of cozy mysteries let that error slide through to publication? I found that to be perplexing and a major disappointment.
As the positives outweighed my disappointment in the spelling and the last perplexing error I am going to give the next book in the series a chance.
December 15, 2020
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this!
I love mysteries and I love bees so I was very excited to read this. The main character, Wren, has a shop called Let It Bee where she sells handmade lip balms, lotions, candles, and other bee related items. She even has a beehive built into the wall. I liked the bee facts and the recipes before each chapter. There was a lot of action so never a dull moment. Some of the side characters were interesting including Everett the cat.
I didn't really care for the cop. He didn't really work as a love interest and mostly seemed suspicious. He also didn't seem to follow proper police procedures at times and went overboard. I was hoping for a better twist with the killer but it was fairly obvious. This book could have received a higher rating but there were too many loose ends and some things that didn't make sense. Also there were quite a few errors that took me out of the story. One example is when Porsche and Jason are assisting Wren. The situation is resolved and Jason just disappears. Porsche goes off with Wren while Jason vanishes. The biggest error is at the end though. Not only is there a wrong body count but . . . on the very same page, a paragraph apart, it says what happens to the killer, with the police and EMT action following making zero sense. Hopefully these are just errors in the ARC version.
I love mysteries and I love bees so I was very excited to read this. The main character, Wren, has a shop called Let It Bee where she sells handmade lip balms, lotions, candles, and other bee related items. She even has a beehive built into the wall. I liked the bee facts and the recipes before each chapter. There was a lot of action so never a dull moment. Some of the side characters were interesting including Everett the cat.
I didn't really care for the cop. He didn't really work as a love interest and mostly seemed suspicious. He also didn't seem to follow proper police procedures at times and went overboard. I was hoping for a better twist with the killer but it was fairly obvious. This book could have received a higher rating but there were too many loose ends and some things that didn't make sense. Also there were quite a few errors that took me out of the story. One example is when Porsche and Jason are assisting Wren. The situation is resolved and Jason just disappears. Porsche goes off with Wren while Jason vanishes. The biggest error is at the end though. Not only is there a wrong body count but . . . on the very same page, a paragraph apart, it says what happens to the killer, with the police and EMT action following making zero sense. Hopefully these are just errors in the ARC version.
March 24, 2021
A great new cozy mystery with a unique setting! I'm always looking for a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre and this one was fun! The setting is a gift shop centered around all things bees, including a bee hive that the customers can watch the bees in their natural habitat. The shop owner, Wren, while being from the town has been gone for several years and just came back to be near her Aunt and open her shop making her an "outsider" in the eyes of the locals. When a frenemy of the Aunt's is found dead Wren finds herself at the top of the suspect list. The characters are really well developed which is hard to do in the first of a cozy mystery series as there usually isn't enough pages to feel like the character gets fully fleshed out. The author did an outstanding job of making her characters feel real and lead you to connect with them. The plot was interesting, entertaining and keep you turning pages! I absolutely can't wait to see what happens next in this series as I will definitely be coming back for more!
December 20, 2019
Series: An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery – Book 1
Author: Nancy Coco
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Business
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 352
Publishing Date: December 31, 2019
A fantastic new series “An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery “ from Kensington Books starts with Death Bee Comes Her written by Nancy Coco, a seasoned author who takes storytelling to a new level. This book is a delightful, fast-paced read that will have readers smiling with anticipation and working to unravel the mystery.
A new series isn’t always a success, but this one is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The main characters are well-rounded, charismatic, intelligent with sparkling wit, and easy to relate too. Wren, and her aunt Eloise, keep readers entertained while also getting interested in all things Oregon, and all types of crafting. Wren’s cat, Everett, is just as easy to like and even worry about, maybe more so than the owner.
The suspects are few, but this makes for a very tight storyline. The clues are spread throughout the book and keep readers guessing as to their meaning. It is easy to get caught up in the varied character's lives. The killer once unmasked may not be a complete surprise to many, but the motive behind the murder will undoubtedly keep readers in suspense. Fans will come back to this new series with each addition, and happily spend several hours alongside Wren, Eloise, and Everett.
I enthusiastically recommend this new series and its debut novel Death Bee Comes Her
to readers who love animals, crafts, and books with new exciting characters and plots that will give them hours of pleasure and something to look forward too.
Author: Nancy Coco
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Business
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 352
Publishing Date: December 31, 2019
A fantastic new series “An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery “ from Kensington Books starts with Death Bee Comes Her written by Nancy Coco, a seasoned author who takes storytelling to a new level. This book is a delightful, fast-paced read that will have readers smiling with anticipation and working to unravel the mystery.
A new series isn’t always a success, but this one is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The main characters are well-rounded, charismatic, intelligent with sparkling wit, and easy to relate too. Wren, and her aunt Eloise, keep readers entertained while also getting interested in all things Oregon, and all types of crafting. Wren’s cat, Everett, is just as easy to like and even worry about, maybe more so than the owner.
The suspects are few, but this makes for a very tight storyline. The clues are spread throughout the book and keep readers guessing as to their meaning. It is easy to get caught up in the varied character's lives. The killer once unmasked may not be a complete surprise to many, but the motive behind the murder will undoubtedly keep readers in suspense. Fans will come back to this new series with each addition, and happily spend several hours alongside Wren, Eloise, and Everett.
I enthusiastically recommend this new series and its debut novel Death Bee Comes Her
to readers who love animals, crafts, and books with new exciting characters and plots that will give them hours of pleasure and something to look forward too.
February 22, 2021
This is the first book in the "Oregon Honeycomb" mystery series, featuring Wren Johnson, owner of the Let It Bee honey boutique.
Wren's business is doing well, and she's excited for the upcoming Halloweentown festivities, which should bring in even more business. However, while walking along the beach with her cat, Everett, Wren discovers the body of Agnes Snow, local harridan and terror of the craft shows. Agnes is found with a label from one of Wren's lip balms clutched in her hand, and when it's determined she died due to poison in her lip balm, Wren becomes the prime suspect. Wren's Aunt Eloise insists that they do some investigating of their own, but their amateur sleuthing turns up another dead body. Now Wren is really in the hot seat. Will she be able to clear her name?
The story wasn't bad, but some things didn't sit well with me:
- What sort of person asks a grieving widower if he knows who may have wanted to murder his wife?
- The officer in charge of the investigation was a complete jerk to Wren, publicly humiliating her more than once, but hey, he had dreamy Paul Newman eyes...so call her maybe? OMGag. I am sick to death of the love interests in these cozy mysteries being someone involved in law enforcement, especially when said person is an asshole.
- Officer McAsshole is now asking Wren and Eloise to help with a sting operation? No.
- I wasn't on board with the motive for murder.
- When Everett turned up missing, Wren pretty much went about her life. Um, I'd have been tearing the town apart in search of my cat.
The main characters were portrayed well, but the sideline characters were rather flat. The plot progressed at a steady pace, although some of the plot points didn't seem plausible.
The story was okaa-aay. It would have earned a solid three rating, but you know what? I'm knocking one star off for making the potential love interest be the investigating officer. Again. Yes, that's completely subjective on my part, but that tired old trope has been done to death, and I'm so over it. Two stars. And no, I don't believe (bee-lieve?) I'll be seeking out more in this series.
Wren's business is doing well, and she's excited for the upcoming Halloweentown festivities, which should bring in even more business. However, while walking along the beach with her cat, Everett, Wren discovers the body of Agnes Snow, local harridan and terror of the craft shows. Agnes is found with a label from one of Wren's lip balms clutched in her hand, and when it's determined she died due to poison in her lip balm, Wren becomes the prime suspect. Wren's Aunt Eloise insists that they do some investigating of their own, but their amateur sleuthing turns up another dead body. Now Wren is really in the hot seat. Will she be able to clear her name?
The story wasn't bad, but some things didn't sit well with me:
- What sort of person asks a grieving widower if he knows who may have wanted to murder his wife?
- The officer in charge of the investigation was a complete jerk to Wren, publicly humiliating her more than once, but hey, he had dreamy Paul Newman eyes...so call her maybe? OMGag. I am sick to death of the love interests in these cozy mysteries being someone involved in law enforcement, especially when said person is an asshole.
- Officer McAsshole is now asking Wren and Eloise to help with a sting operation? No.
- I wasn't on board with the motive for murder.
- When Everett turned up missing, Wren pretty much went about her life. Um, I'd have been tearing the town apart in search of my cat.
The main characters were portrayed well, but the sideline characters were rather flat. The plot progressed at a steady pace, although some of the plot points didn't seem plausible.
The story was okaa-aay. It would have earned a solid three rating, but you know what? I'm knocking one star off for making the potential love interest be the investigating officer. Again. Yes, that's completely subjective on my part, but that tired old trope has been done to death, and I'm so over it. Two stars. And no, I don't believe (bee-lieve?) I'll be seeking out more in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2021
This was the first book in a new series and I thought it was a decent start.
Wren owns a shop that specializes in Bee byproducts and even has the bee hives inside her shop for her shoppers to look at. Wren’s aunt and Agnes Stone are pretty big crafting competitors and so when Wren runs across the body of Agnes and she is clutching the label from one of Wren’s lip balms, she becomes suspect number one.
Wren decides she is going to try and figure out who actually done it since she knows she didn’t do it and the police don’t seem to be interested in finding anyone else right at that moment. The cop Jim doesn’t want her snooping around, especially when some other things happens that makes it seem like she could be harmed.
It seems there are several people that were not on great terms with Agnes and could have a reason for wanting her dead. It also seems that someone is not wanting Wren snooping which gets Wren in more trouble with the law.
Overall, I liked Wren but I think she was a little bit of a pain with her snooping when Jim would tell her not too. He was trying to protect her, as was her lawyer, who also told her to stay home, but she kept going out and getting herself in trouble or making herself look even more like the bad guy. I liked both the cop and the lawyer probably more than I liked Wren.
I did think the mystery in this one was a bit different and kind of sad once you find out the reason. It also had a bit of a twist at the end that was cool.
I liked it, but I will have to try the next one to see if it becomes a series I want to continue. Sometimes with cozies you have to try more than one book to really get into the characters and town, etc.
Wren owns a shop that specializes in Bee byproducts and even has the bee hives inside her shop for her shoppers to look at. Wren’s aunt and Agnes Stone are pretty big crafting competitors and so when Wren runs across the body of Agnes and she is clutching the label from one of Wren’s lip balms, she becomes suspect number one.
Wren decides she is going to try and figure out who actually done it since she knows she didn’t do it and the police don’t seem to be interested in finding anyone else right at that moment. The cop Jim doesn’t want her snooping around, especially when some other things happens that makes it seem like she could be harmed.
It seems there are several people that were not on great terms with Agnes and could have a reason for wanting her dead. It also seems that someone is not wanting Wren snooping which gets Wren in more trouble with the law.
Overall, I liked Wren but I think she was a little bit of a pain with her snooping when Jim would tell her not too. He was trying to protect her, as was her lawyer, who also told her to stay home, but she kept going out and getting herself in trouble or making herself look even more like the bad guy. I liked both the cop and the lawyer probably more than I liked Wren.
I did think the mystery in this one was a bit different and kind of sad once you find out the reason. It also had a bit of a twist at the end that was cool.
I liked it, but I will have to try the next one to see if it becomes a series I want to continue. Sometimes with cozies you have to try more than one book to really get into the characters and town, etc.
January 14, 2020
I'm loving this new series set in a coastal Oregon town named Oceanview. It sounded like tons of fun being around Halloween and having a whole week for people to get dressed up and let the kids go trick or treating to the shops. Poor Wren's only problem was that she was practically accused of murder, and the police had to seize a third of her inventory.
Wren wasn't one to give up easily, so with the help of her awesome aunt Eloise and her sweet cat Everett, she set out to find the person who was the real killer and appeared to be trying to frame Wren for murder. There were so many great red herrings and suspects that I was never sure who I thought did it.
I loved the main characters of Wren, Aunt Eloise, Everett and Porsche! Porsche made a great bestie and sleuthing buddy. I'm always rooting and doing the happy dance when anyone in the cast is into technology, but I especially enjoy it when it's a senior member of that cast like Aunt Eloise. She had a good healthy knowledge of new and old school knowing that both could come in handy.
An extra treat at the end of the book was the first chapter from the next Candy-Coated mystery! I'm so anxious now for that to come out and for the second book in this series!
Reminder, this is a B&N exclusive for a year, so if you want to read it, you'll need to get the paperback. I haven't seen it even there in digital format. I ordered the book but I had received an ARC paperback from the publisher which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.
Wren wasn't one to give up easily, so with the help of her awesome aunt Eloise and her sweet cat Everett, she set out to find the person who was the real killer and appeared to be trying to frame Wren for murder. There were so many great red herrings and suspects that I was never sure who I thought did it.
I loved the main characters of Wren, Aunt Eloise, Everett and Porsche! Porsche made a great bestie and sleuthing buddy. I'm always rooting and doing the happy dance when anyone in the cast is into technology, but I especially enjoy it when it's a senior member of that cast like Aunt Eloise. She had a good healthy knowledge of new and old school knowing that both could come in handy.
An extra treat at the end of the book was the first chapter from the next Candy-Coated mystery! I'm so anxious now for that to come out and for the second book in this series!
Reminder, this is a B&N exclusive for a year, so if you want to read it, you'll need to get the paperback. I haven't seen it even there in digital format. I ordered the book but I had received an ARC paperback from the publisher which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.
June 9, 2021
A great new cozy mystery with a unique setting! I'm always looking for a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre and this one was fun! The setting is a gift shop centered around all things bees, including a bee hive that the customers can watch the bees in their natural habitat. The shop owner, Wren, while being from the town has been gone for several years and just came back to be near her Aunt and open her shop making her an "outsider" in the eyes of the locals. When a frenemy of the Aunt's is found dead Wren finds herself at the top of the suspect list. The characters are really well developed which is hard to do in the first of a cozy mystery series as there usually isn't enough pages to feel like the character gets fully fleshed out. The author did an outstanding job of making her characters feel real and lead you to connect with them. The plot was interesting, entertaining and keep you turning pages! I absolutely can't wait to see what happens next in this series as I will definitely be coming back for more!
January 25, 2021
"Death Bee Comes Her” the 1st instalment in the "Oregon Honeycomb" Mystery series by Nancy Coco. What can I say other than I think Nancy has another hit series on her hands! I will definitely be preordering book 2 ~ A MATTER OF HIVE AND DEATH.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest in Vancouver, the Oregon Coast is a favourite place for me to visit so was nice to be able to picture the setting. I really enjoyed this story, and loved that it features a cat named Everett. Plus the bonus of honey recipes at the end of each chapter was a nice addition. I can see this becoming a new favourite just like her Fudge series.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters of Wren, Porsche, and Aunt Eloise .
I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I think there could be a possible romance blooming too.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest in Vancouver, the Oregon Coast is a favourite place for me to visit so was nice to be able to picture the setting. I really enjoyed this story, and loved that it features a cat named Everett. Plus the bonus of honey recipes at the end of each chapter was a nice addition. I can see this becoming a new favourite just like her Fudge series.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters of Wren, Porsche, and Aunt Eloise .
I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I think there could be a possible romance blooming too.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 19, 2019
4.25 stars
I am a big fan of Nancy Coco and this is going to be a new favorite cozy series for me. In this first installment, we meet Wren - a Oregon native who runs a new bee & honey product shop. When she discovers the body of her aunt's rival she is quickly considered a person of interest in the murder. Determined to clear her name and save her shop (and her own reputation) she cannot help but investigate, even when it gets her into more danger.
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I loved Wren and how determined she was, even when things were looking their worst. She was smart even when the police seemed to spend most of their time looking at her. She has the cutest Havana Brown cat that she dotes on and who is a lovely sidekick for her. I really enjoyed the shop setting and appreciated all the little bits about the wonderful properties of bees and honey. From these descriptions, I would definitely be visiting this shop if it were local. The writing was fast paced and though the investigating went a little bit in circles, it still kept me interested the whole time.
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The mystery had me stumped and as frustrated as Wren and her aunt were. The side characters were great and the fact that they were so willing to help definitely added to the story. The ending was dramatic, but almost wrapped up a little too quickly for all the build up. I am definitely looking forward to more installments in this series and reading more about this bee friendly shop. Thank you to the publishers for a copy; I was happy to give my honest thoughts.
I am a big fan of Nancy Coco and this is going to be a new favorite cozy series for me. In this first installment, we meet Wren - a Oregon native who runs a new bee & honey product shop. When she discovers the body of her aunt's rival she is quickly considered a person of interest in the murder. Determined to clear her name and save her shop (and her own reputation) she cannot help but investigate, even when it gets her into more danger.
_
I loved Wren and how determined she was, even when things were looking their worst. She was smart even when the police seemed to spend most of their time looking at her. She has the cutest Havana Brown cat that she dotes on and who is a lovely sidekick for her. I really enjoyed the shop setting and appreciated all the little bits about the wonderful properties of bees and honey. From these descriptions, I would definitely be visiting this shop if it were local. The writing was fast paced and though the investigating went a little bit in circles, it still kept me interested the whole time.
_
The mystery had me stumped and as frustrated as Wren and her aunt were. The side characters were great and the fact that they were so willing to help definitely added to the story. The ending was dramatic, but almost wrapped up a little too quickly for all the build up. I am definitely looking forward to more installments in this series and reading more about this bee friendly shop. Thank you to the publishers for a copy; I was happy to give my honest thoughts.
December 30, 2020
Death Bee Comes Her is the debut of the An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series set on the Oregon coast and featuring Wren Johnson, owner of a honey boutique named Let it Bee. Wren is an environmentalist whose main focus is drawing attention to the plight of honeybees, so all of her homemade creams, moisturizers and lip balms are made from locally sourced honey and she has built a working bee hive inside the walls of her store.
It's late October and the town is buzzing with excitement over the annual Halloweentown festival. The rivalry between Wren's Aunt Eloise and rival crafter Agnes Snow are also ramping up. An early morning walk along the beach with her prized Havana Brown cat, Everett leads Wren to discover Agnes' body lying dead in the sand. Agnes is clutching a tube of Wren's lip balm after the police determine that there was poison in the balm, Wren and her aunt become the prime suspects. Determined to clear their names, Wren sets out to hunt down a killer.
A big fan of the author's Candy-Coated mystery series I was looking forward to this new series. However, the plot and characters fell a little flat for me. Parts of the mystery seemed disjointed - characters were introduced that suddenly seemed to disappear, but perhaps will become relevant in future installments. It was extremely disappointing that the book ends with a glaring error that was obviously overlooked by both the author and editors - I actually had to go back and reread the last chapter as I thought I'd overlooked a crucial detail. Realizing that sometimes it takes a book or two to really get a series going, I won't give up on Wren and Everett just yet.
I received an advanced copy of Death Bee Comes Her from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.
It's late October and the town is buzzing with excitement over the annual Halloweentown festival. The rivalry between Wren's Aunt Eloise and rival crafter Agnes Snow are also ramping up. An early morning walk along the beach with her prized Havana Brown cat, Everett leads Wren to discover Agnes' body lying dead in the sand. Agnes is clutching a tube of Wren's lip balm after the police determine that there was poison in the balm, Wren and her aunt become the prime suspects. Determined to clear their names, Wren sets out to hunt down a killer.
A big fan of the author's Candy-Coated mystery series I was looking forward to this new series. However, the plot and characters fell a little flat for me. Parts of the mystery seemed disjointed - characters were introduced that suddenly seemed to disappear, but perhaps will become relevant in future installments. It was extremely disappointing that the book ends with a glaring error that was obviously overlooked by both the author and editors - I actually had to go back and reread the last chapter as I thought I'd overlooked a crucial detail. Realizing that sometimes it takes a book or two to really get a series going, I won't give up on Wren and Everett just yet.
I received an advanced copy of Death Bee Comes Her from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.
May 23, 2020
Another sweet Kensington Cozy Mystery read. This one is first in a series about a honey store owner & her amazing cat who gets involved in solving crimes in her small oceanside town.
The author does a wonderful job of transporting you to this quaint oceanside village, you swear you can smell the tang of salt & feel the cool ocean mist. I like how NC brings in the danger facing honeybees because a World without honey would be plain sad!
This town would be a great place to live even with murder. I will just say this starts with a walk on the beach with an amazing talkative cat which leads to a dead body.......
The author does a wonderful job of transporting you to this quaint oceanside village, you swear you can smell the tang of salt & feel the cool ocean mist. I like how NC brings in the danger facing honeybees because a World without honey would be plain sad!
This town would be a great place to live even with murder. I will just say this starts with a walk on the beach with an amazing talkative cat which leads to a dead body.......
January 20, 2021
An engaging cozy mystery with an original twist at the end. I am hooked on the new Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series. The recipes and helpful hints in each chapter are nice too. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
March 24, 2021
Cute little cozy mystery with a cat.
January 10, 2020
Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy Coco is the debut of An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series. I enjoyed this delightful new cozy from beginning to end. Wren Johnson has a unique honey boutique called Let It Bee in Oceanview, Oregon. There is an actual beehive in her store behind glass. Wren has a variety of products in her shop from candy to lip balm to lotions. I loved the description of her shop and could envision it in my mind. I like Wren who owns (well, as much as you can “own” a cat) Everett, a Havana Brown cat. She walks him about town on a leash and harness. Wren talks to Everett and he seems to understand what Wren is saying with appropriate responses (a clever kitty). It is adorable. Oceanview has a weeklong festival called Halloweentown. It is an extravaganza with everyone dressing up and handing out candy to the kids. I enjoyed Wren’s clever costumes. I happen to be a fan of the Halloweentown movies. The author took the time to set the stage for this book and the series with her descriptions of the town and its residents. The mystery was interesting, and I liked following Wren as she combed for clues. There is plenty of action and good clues. I like how the mystery was laid out. While I was able to identify the evil doer easily, it did not take away from my enjoyment of this honey of a whodunit. There is an excerpt for Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas from Nancy Coco’s A Candy Coated Mystery series. Death Bee Comes Her is a charming cozy mystery with a chatty cat, healthy honey, a pestilent poison, scrumptious candy, and creative crafts.
May 29, 2024
The end was so unsatisfying. Besides all the mistakes and ridiculous-ness (and not fun ridiculous-ness) in the book, we get characters at the end asking how something happened and get a "I guess we'll never know" shrug of the shoulders as the non-answer. Nope. The author has to explain how something huge happened. (More than one huge event that is left unexplained.) A main character should have been killed but wasn't killed and the reason makes absolutely no sense. The motives make no sense. The last page states a body count that is completely inaccurate and entirely inexcusable. There are so many loose ends and huge loose ends, too. Not to mention what could be considered harm to animals. Yes, the animal is fine but there was no reason to do what the author did to the animal. I would recommend avoiding this book for harm to animals as well as rampant errors throughout and no satisfying end and no wrapping up of the mystery. The disregard for readers is confirmed in that last chapter of basically saying to us, these are the huge questions you have and we're going to talk about them to shrug them off and say we'll never know. And throw in giant errors, too. Seriously - you don't know how many people you killed off in the book?
February 15, 2021
A new series by Nancy Coco was something I was looking forward to as a I love the Fudge Shop mysteries. However, so much in this book did not work for me. The writing flows well and is easy to read. The story itself is just so implausible, from the various reasons she's a suspect to the way they investigate. The characters were OK but don't stand out for any reason. I loved the concept of the hive against the building for customers to see but it wasn't enough to keep my interest. There were so many inconsistencies - tubes for lotion and then two pages later, she uses only jars - and so much repetition of points that were made just the page before. I had a hard time sitting down to finish this one because of all these problems. I may read the next one but I won't reach for it as quickly as I would one of the Fudge Shop ones.
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#DeathBeeComesHer #NetGalley
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#DeathBeeComesHer #NetGalley
February 20, 2020
I liked the characters,especially Everett the cat. The setting was good. But some things bothered me. Things that happened like the threatening note pinned on the back door. It would have been the first thing I thought of if my cat went missing. And the hat pin? This wasn’t mentioned again. Wren was suspect number one,but she didn’t have a motive. The phone that appeared in Aunt Eloise’s hand and the big goof on the last page brought the book down to three stars plus the obvious culprits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2024
This was a VERY long read for only 320 pages. Very good in some instances and sooooo not good in others.
June 26, 2025
Death Bee Comes Her frustrated me to no end. First, everyone assumes Agnes was murdered for literally no reason. They see her lying dead on a beach with no stab wounds or gunshot wounds and immediately assume murder, instead of say, something like a heart attack. Furthermore, before it is even ruled as a murder, Jim immediately assumes that Wren is guilty.
When Jim wants to question Wren the first time, he threatens to handcuff her. He does not tell her that he is bringing her in for questioning. In fact, he refuses to tell her where they are going and why. This is illegal and violates several police procedures.
When Wren does not immediately tell Jim what is in her lip balms, he threatens to arrest her for murder. Again, this is illegal and unrealistic.
When the police conduct a search and seizure, they seize all products and break several glass display cases. This is unrealistic and unlikely.
Mildred and Wren were actual idiots going into Bernie’s house.
Why would they call Agnes’ craft shed a “Den of Shame”? The ending with Theodore and Mildred felt unlikely and quite a few questions were left unanswered. How exactly did Eloise get the phone or the key? Who locked Everett in the box in the shed? Does Wren get her seized products back? Do Wren and Jim start dating (a romantic interest was hinted at for most of the novel)?
When Jim wants to question Wren the first time, he threatens to handcuff her. He does not tell her that he is bringing her in for questioning. In fact, he refuses to tell her where they are going and why. This is illegal and violates several police procedures.
When Wren does not immediately tell Jim what is in her lip balms, he threatens to arrest her for murder. Again, this is illegal and unrealistic.
When the police conduct a search and seizure, they seize all products and break several glass display cases. This is unrealistic and unlikely.
Mildred and Wren were actual idiots going into Bernie’s house.
Why would they call Agnes’ craft shed a “Den of Shame”? The ending with Theodore and Mildred felt unlikely and quite a few questions were left unanswered. How exactly did Eloise get the phone or the key? Who locked Everett in the box in the shed? Does Wren get her seized products back? Do Wren and Jim start dating (a romantic interest was hinted at for most of the novel)?
September 17, 2022
I really like this author's Candy-Coated series, so I had high hopes for this book, and was not disappointed. It didn't have many of the issues found in many cozy series first books, which was a nice change of pace. The MC didn't deliberately put herself into TSTL situations, although she steadfastly ignored orders from the police to stay out of the investigation. We all know that's not going to happen, or there wouldn't be a book to tell the story!
I like the MC's relationships with her friends and especially her aunt, and loved learning about Havana Brown cats, a breed I'd never heard about before. I can see Everett becoming a favorite book cat, right up there with Diesel and Eddie :) I know the town depends on tourism to stay afloat, but an entire week of shop owners dressing in over-the-top Halloween costumes just seems a little, well, over-the-top.
The mystery was well-done, with plenty of suspects on my mental list. I was happy to learn that the killer was actually relatively high on my list of possibilities, and I even had the motive partially right. I will definitely read more from this series and look forward to learning more about bees and Havana Browns :)
I like the MC's relationships with her friends and especially her aunt, and loved learning about Havana Brown cats, a breed I'd never heard about before. I can see Everett becoming a favorite book cat, right up there with Diesel and Eddie :) I know the town depends on tourism to stay afloat, but an entire week of shop owners dressing in over-the-top Halloween costumes just seems a little, well, over-the-top.
The mystery was well-done, with plenty of suspects on my mental list. I was happy to learn that the killer was actually relatively high on my list of possibilities, and I even had the motive partially right. I will definitely read more from this series and look forward to learning more about bees and Havana Browns :)
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