My Nails and My Book Review - The Murder of a Queen Bee by Meera Lester

**NetGalley**

Title: The Murder of a Queen Bee

Series: Henny Penny Farmette #2

Author: Meera Lester

Goodreads Summary: All abuzz about murder . . .

Former police officer Abigail Mackenzie has made a fresh start as a beekeeper and farmer in picturesque Las Flores, California—but she never suspected her new hometown would prove to be a hive of criminal activity.

When Abby invites her free-spirited friend, Fiona Mary Ryan, owner of Ancient Wisdom Botanicals, to her farmette for lunch, she never imagines that Fiona’s no-show will lead to a murder investigation.

Only hours after their lunch date, Fiona’s body is found in a burning car in what at first appears to be a tragic accident. But after the coroner’s report is issued, it’s clear she was dead before being placed in the vehicle. Someone has gone to great lengths to cover up a murder. But who—and why?

Driven by her loyalty to her friend, and her deeply ingrained skills as a trained investigator, Abby sorts through suspects—who seem to be sprouting up everywhere. Speculating that Fiona’s herbal business might hold the key to motive, Abby isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty to smoke out a killer . . .

Includes farming tips and delicious recipes!

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

It took me a while to get into this book, but I did end up enjoying it. The author paints an absolutely amazing picture, and strangely this was what made it hard for me to get into the book at the beginning. It seemed to have a little too much focus on the descriptions and not enough on the story. The ending also seemed to drag out a little too long, which made the climactic ending a bit anticlimactic by the time it ended. But overall it was well written with an interesting mystery.

My Manicure: So, I'm going to start by saying that it is really hard to draw a straight line on a curved surface with my non-dominant hand. Yeah, I ended up with slightly wonky bees that have a strange resemblance to the Steeler's throwback jerseys. The yellow is 3 coats of an unlabeled Color Club. Then I freehanded the stripes with a Kiss Black striping polish, and dabbed a coat of Finger Paints Th-ink Outside the Box on the other fingers. Simple, but with a very clear inspiration.

~Kelly