A Beeline to Murder: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery

Farming tips and murder vie for the reader’s attention in Lester’s appealing, though flawed, debut cozy, set in the California wine country town of Las Flores. When cop-turned-farmer Abigail “Abby” Mackenzie tries to deliver a jar of honey to pastry chef Jean-Louis Bonheur, she finds him dead on his kitchen floor. Abby’s friend, police officer Katerina Petrovsky, welcomes her assistance in the ensuing investigation, but when the coroner rules that Jean-Louis killed himself, his distraught brother, Philippe, hires Abby to prove otherwise. Abby finds plenty of potential suspects and motives, but she is caught by surprise when the victim’s dog, Sugar, saves her from a brutal attack. Too many characters and Abby’s struggles to run a thriving farmette distract, but it’s the occasional plot hole, such as a highly questionable method of suicide, that truly makes this first novel less successful than it could have been. Recipes, including one for doggy treats, appear throughout. [em]Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott-Notch Literary Agency. (Oct.) [/em]