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Over the course of the last year or so, I’ve seen the Henny Penny Farmette Mystery series by Meera Lester and have been intrigued but just haven’t had the time to pick up a copy. When I finally had the opportunity, I grabbed the chance to sit and read the newest release, A HIVE OF HOMICIDES. With this third book in the series, I found I’ve been missing out on a delight series and now need to go back and read the first two books! A HIVE OF HOMICIDES can be read as a stand-alone and I easily felt like I got to know the characters quickly. The protagonist, Abigail “Abby” MacKenzie runs a farmette and raises bees and even though she’s an expert, she still gets stung once in a while. I love how each chapter includes either fascinating facts about honeybees (I wouldn’t want to be a male bee!), farming tips, or recipes… all which sound incredibly delicious. These “extras” add charm to the book! Years ago while I was on vacation with my husband, we chanced upon a honey store. I was mesmerized by their clever take on including a working bee hive in their store. They had replaced part of a wall with glass then used pipes to let the bees in from the outside. You could easily see the busy bees working on building their hive and making honey, although I was quite relieved that they were on the other side of the glass and couldn’t reach me!
When Abby’s good friend’s husband is murdered and her friend seriously injured right after their marriage renewal vows, Abby knows she needs to investigate. But this time PTSD almost gets the best of Abby dragging her down with anxiety, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. On top of that, her former colleagues at the police department seem to think that she is capable of the murder and the betrayal is deeply felt. The author effectively captures the mood of the dark abyss Abby finds herself in and I found myself cheering her on, hoping that she finds a way to overcome. And of course she does but I admire the author’s sensitivity to the matter and the way she brings it about. Despite the personal issues Abby must face, she still feels a great sense of duty towards bringing the killer to justice. The plot holds several twists and turns with enough action to keep the reader turning pages.
With the variety of recipes to whet the reader’s appetite, I had a difficult time deciding which I wanted to try first. In the end I chose to try the Rustic Pear Galette since pears are in season. I decided to use Pillsbury refrigerated ready-made crust (the top rated pre-made crust by America’s Test Kitchen!) which made this a quick and easy dessert to put together. Fresh pears with candied ginger adding a pop of flavor and apricot jam adding a pop of color, I think we have a new fall favorite in our household!
Amazon Synopsis
When Abigail Mackenzie left the police force to become a farmer and beekeeper in beautiful Las Flores, California, she thought her days of criminal investigation were behind her . . .
Her present life is mostly filled with hard work and happy occasions, including the upcoming event with her friend Paola, a truffle maker, who’s renewing her vows with her husband Jake, owner of the Country Schoolhouse Winery. Abby is delighted to provide her trademark lavender honey for the occasion.
But after the ceremony, the guests of honor are nowhere to be found. When Abby goes looking for them, she hears a gunshot and discovers Jake dead in his car and Paola injured beside him.
Who was the intended target? Jake had a reputation as a busy bee with the ladies. Is it possible that one of his flings, stung by rejection, took revenge? Or could it be sour grapes with one of his colleagues at the winery? If Paola was meant to be the victim, Abby needs to protect her as she searches for the shooter.
When a second murder occurs, it’s up to Abby to crush the clues—before the killer gets her over a barrel.
A special thanks to Meera Lester for providing one lucky winner a signed hardcover copy of A HIVE OF HOMICIDES! Contest ends Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Serves 4 - 6
- Parchment paper, for lining a baking sheet or tart pan
- All-purpose flour, for flouring a cutting board
- Pastry dough, enough for 1 large pie crust (made from scratch or store-bought)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/8 cup for sprinkling on pie crust
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 - 4 large ripe pears (I only needed 3... my pears were huge!)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter*
- 1 large egg
- 2 - 4 tablespoons apricot jam (I found 2 tablespoons plenty)
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
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Line a baking sheet or tart pan with parchment paper.
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Sprinkle flour over a cutting board and then roll the pastry dough into a 14-inch round. Place the round on the lined baking sheet or tart pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
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Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl.
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Cut the pears in half. Use a melon baller (or a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon) to remove the pithy centers and then slice each half into 1/4-to-1/2 inch thick slices to lay them out in a fan shape.
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Coat the pears with the cornstarch mixture and place them on a large plate.
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Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator. Position the pear slices on pie crust, starting from the center of the dough and working outward, leaving a minimum of four inches of dough to fold back over the fruit.
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Sprinkle the candied ginger over the pears. Place dots of butter all around the galette. Press the dough around the edges over the fruit to hold it into place.
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Beat the egg with a whisk in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the edges of the dough. Sprinkle the egg-covered dough with the remaining 1/8 cup sugar.
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Bake 30 - 60 minutes, or until the crust is a golden brown. Remove the galette from the oven to a wire rack. (My crust was very thin so it browned quickly. My pears were plenty soft too.)
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Spoon the apricot jam into a small saucepan and heat thoroughly. Alternately, you can microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 to 25 seconds. Brush the warm jam over the pears and serve the galette.
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*I totally forgot to add the butter and my tart turned out fine. My pears were very juicy and tender as is.
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I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
No, I haven’t been around a real beehive, but certainly enjoy the output! Thanks!
No, I’ve never been around bees in their hives.
No I have never been around a real bee hive, but I love the honey! This book looks like I have found another new author to dive into!
No I have never been around beehives.
I have. The nature center near the place I lived before Alaska had one. It was so interesting even though bees scare me. Lol. I enjoyed your review! Thank you for the opportunity.
Not intentionally. Thank-you for the review and introducing a new to me series
no bee hives that I know of
I’ve never been around a bee hive. Both the book and recipe sound interesting.
I have been around bees in their hives. Where we use to live there was a huge hollow tree that the bees made their hive in. We had a few acres and it was located on the far back corner just off our property so they were never a bother. I did pay very close attention when mowing close to the hive though. 🙂
I would love to read A HIVE OF HOMICIDE. Thanks for the chance to win a copy. <3
I love pears and can't wait to try this recipe.
I’ve never beeen close to a beehive.
Yes, I have. When I was little my grandpa had some hives.
I’ve never been around bees in their hives. Bees freak me out. All that buzzing gives me the heebie geebies! haha! Thanks for the chance to win too!
I’ve never visited any farms with bee hives but I do love to buy local raw honey. I think it’s wonderful for your health.
I have never been bees in a hive. But I would like to read about them.
Yes I’ve been around bees in a manmade hive and also in their natural hive. It is amazing how they can provide a safe hive in nature to build their honeycombs. Thanks for hosting Meera Lester and her book on your blog. Also thanks for providing a giveaway for this wonderful book.
I haven’t been (I’m allergic). I’ve seen them behind an enclosure in the zoo or museum and it’s fascinating watching them. My grandfather used to have hives when I was small and he would give us honeycombs. I wonder if that was when I developed my allergy??
yes we live in a rural area and my husband wanted to raise bees till he saw that they were making hives all over our house!
I think we actually had some hives when I was very little.
No, I haven’t been aound bees in their hives. I’ve seen the hives [big white box looking things] in a field, or smaller area, as we’ve driven by. But to get close? — Nope, not likely to happen.
Yes, I’ve been around beekeepers hives. Thank you for the chance to win.
Never been around bees, but hopeful to move to the country some day, maybe have a bee hive.
No, I haven’t, I don’t enjoy being close to bees, afraid of getting stung.
I’ve never been around bees in their hives and actually don’t wish to be.
No – and I don’t care to be!
I haven’t been around bees in there hives. Thanks for the chance.
I have never been around a beehive before. They look quite interesting.
I haven’t been around bee hives but I love to watch bees and really missed them in my yard for a year or two…
Marilyn [email protected]
I’ve never been around bees in their hives, but I find them fascinating!
My sister has 4 hives, and I have visited, but kept my distance! and then I got stung by a yellow jacket at home. LOL! Bees don’t ever bother me, because I never bother them in my flowers.
My sister has 4 hives, and I have visited, but kept my distance! and then I got stung by a yellow jacket at home. LOL! Bees don’t ever bother me, because I never bother them in my flowers.
Yes once. My dad was getting honey. So I went once. never went again. Too many bees and I hated honey. But thank you for the chance to win a signed hardcover copy of A Hive Of Homicide.
never been around bees and their hives!
I’m allergic to bees so I stay away from them. They are not my friends.
Yes – a friend of our family has bee hives on his property.
No, I haven’t..I’m allergic!
I’ve never been around working bee hives, although I have seen them dotting the fields when I used to drive up to Rome GA. I always enjoy visiting the craft shows in the fall when the local beekeeper sets up his booth, selling his jars & sticks of honey. It gives me a chance to stock up on the good stuff! A Hive of Homicides sounds like a great read! It’s always a bonus when there are recipes & interesting facts included. Thanks for the chance!
I have not spent time around beehives, just at a distance. We did have a bee colony in our hollow tree out front a few years ago. We never realized what was happening for a long time, then we saw a few bees and then not long after that we were in the house and we heard a huge crash and the ground shook like an earthquake. We ran to the window to look out and the tree had fallen over due to the weight of the bees and the honey. That was a colony of very angry bees. It was scary.
This is our second year with bees. They are truly amazing! We have had some honey from one hive, but mostly we leave it for the bees. I love having them, it’s calming to watch them work. Thank you for the generous giveaway!
My husband doesn’t normally like pears, but maybe this recipe could change his mind.
When I was young a tree in our yard had a huge bee hive that covered the whole trunk. We had to get a bee keeper to come and take the whole hive away with him. It was kind of scary.
Yes. My aunt had some acreage on the edge of Corvallis. Across from her was a farm & apiary. The guy was super nice and would let us kids make the rounds with him. We would visit my aunt almost every summer (from AZ). We would go over to collect fresh honey most every time we arrived. She made the best baking powder biscuits and our thing was to take a thin slice of honey comb/honey and put it between the hot biscuits slathered with real, fresh butter. Most years either her, or the farmer, would send us a 4 or 5 inch block of comb & honey for Christmas. He died when I was 15. Haven’t had honeycomb since.. Miss it
I’ve never been around bees, I’m terrified of them lol. I know a couple people who raise them. Thank you for the giveaway!
No I never have been around a beehive. My father in law was a beekeeper and the honey was delicious!
I’ve visited a honey farm on a field trip in elementary school once, and have been to a local orchard that also keeps bees several years ago. It is absolutely fascinating to see the bees return to the hive loaded down with pollen and watch as the honey is harvested. Honey straight from the honeycomb is delicious!
No, I’ve never been around bees in their hives. I’m actually afraid to since I have so many allergies. Don’t know how a sting would affect me.
No, I’ve never been around bees in their hives. I’m actually afraid to since I have so many allergies. Don’t know how a sting would affect me.
I have never been around a bee hive. However one day a huge swarm of Bee’s flew to my neighbor’s house, formed on a tree overnight. The next morning they flew away. They were fascinating. We just figured they were looking for their ideal location to build a new hive.
My friend has bees but I won’t go near them
I’ve never been around a bee hive, but I love to buy local honey at the farmers market. Would love to read the book and learn more about them and try the recipes. The Ginger-Pear Galette looks so good!
we had one in our tree when i was younger..i stayed away from it
No, I’ve never been around a beehive in “the wild”, but I’ve seen one exhibited at the state fair, etc. Would love the chance to win a book!
No I haven’t. I’m a little afraid of bees.
I have seen beehives, but not gotten very close
not much, i do love cooked pears tho (and this series)