Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite

Josiah Reynolds, a former art history professor, was once a celebrity with wealth, social position, and a famous husband. Now all of that is gone. She finds her circumstances drastically altered. Retired, Josiah is now a full-time beekeeper, trying to stay afloat by selling honey at the local Farmers’ Market. She finds her world turned upside down when a man is found dead in her yard, only to discover that the victim is her competitor and nemesis. The police suspect Josiah; she is their primary suspect.

Josiah, along with her assistant, Matt (twenty years her junior and gay), and her lawyer, Shaneika (an African-American woman, rumored to be a descendant of a historically prominent Lexington family) try to find out who framed her. Josiah’s powerful, but secretive, daughter pops in and out of her mother’s life, pulling strings to protect her mother from danger.

Set in beautiful Bluegrass horse country, Josiah makes the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in Kentucky. Fighting an unseen enemy, in the glamorous world of thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon, and ante-bellum plantation houses, Josiah struggles to uncover the truth in a city that keeps secrets well.

Ms. Keam has the makings of a very good mystery writer. By tweaking the suspense level, she will surely accomplish this goal. "Death by a Honey Bee" is an enjoyable read which will capture the interest of most die-hard mystery fans.