Title: Hive of Suspects
Author: Shelia Pim
Bug Rating:
Synopsis: Rich beekeeper poisoned after eating honey from his own hives in small Irish town. Who dunnit?
I think the reason I picked up this book should be obvious–the cover jacket has an obvious bee theme! The bees are a major part of the plot, and if you aren’t a beekeeper, you’ll learn a fair amount by just reading the book. The insertion of the bee lore does make the story drag a bit in spots, but most of the time it’s seamless. Sometimes the descriptions of the bees are almost a side note from the author:
“Modern beekeeping aims at the prevention of swarming, but it would be a pity if it ever entirely succeeded, for a swarm is one of the sights of country life. It is true that there is something rather sinister about it, as always when well regulated automata get out of hand. In the ordinary way the forty or fifty thousand bees in a good stock pack themselves so tightly into the hive that one forgets what a lot of them there are. In the air they take up a good deal more room. “
The murder weapon, if you will, is honey comb laced with poison. How it got there, and who put it there, is the focus of the rest of the novel, with a great deal of small town inquisitiveness from “helpful” neighbors.
There is a very amusing episode where the chain of custody is interfered with by robbing bees (Helpful hint: if your murder weapon is honey, don’t leave suspected murderous honeycomb out on the table by an open window!).
It’s a very short book–150 pages–so I can’t say too much without giving away the plot. The book was written in 1952, and reflects both the economic difficulties of Ireland during that time period, and some attitudes about women that are definitely old-fashioned.
It wasn’t a great book, but it was a nice little mystery, and kept me guessing for quite a while. If you see it in your library, I’d pick it up!
