When Beck Wise vanished his girlfriend Melissa Makepeace poured herself into caring for the family farm in Kamloops, silently absorbing yet another man disappearing from her life. But when Beck reappears three months later, thin, pale, with no idea what day it is and filled with memories of being part of a bee colony, a series of layered mysteries begin to unravel. What had happened to Beck? Where did her father go? How can she keep the farm together? With gorgeous descriptions, deft characterizations and a page-turning plot, Mad Honey immerses the reader in a search for truth bounded by the everyday magic of beekeeping, of family and of finding peace, all while asking how much we really understand the natural world.
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I just finished reading Mad Honey By Katie Welch and here is my review.
Melissa runs her family farm and life is pretty great until her boyfriend Beck, disappears one day from the farm, leaving behind his beloved bees. Soon she comes to the realization that he isn't coming back and throws herself into making the farm better than ever.
Three months later Beck turns up, terribly thin, pale and with no recollection of where he has been. Taking mercy on him, Melissa sets about helping him heal but for some reason he wants nothing to do with the bees he spent months being addicted to. His reasoning, he thinks he had become part of a bee colony.
Did he get a head injury? What happened to Beck? Can Melissa work out what happened while trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her father all those years ago but what will the truth do to her?
The premise of this book was so unique I couldn't wait to get started on it. I don't think I have ever read a book with such an interesting concept. I actually really enjoyed the pieces of knowledge the book gives on bees and honestly, it made me want to know more about the furry little pollinators. I definitely fell down a rabbit hole there.
It was interesting watching the dynamics between Melissa shifted with her adoptive sister when Beck returned and then when her mother came back.
I also really enjoyed the fact there were two mysteries to uncover and the plot twist on what happened to Beck!! OMG! I would never have guessed it in a million years! The book was written in such a way you never really know what has happened until they tell you.
I felt the pace was consistent and it never got boring. The storyline was very unique and that was a massive bonus. The farm setting was delightful as well and really added to the magic of this read.
I actually had my doubts that this book would be a binge read but I had to.... I finished it in a day. I couldn't put it down. I think I even convinced my husband to read it too!
Definitely a 4.5 out of 5 read for me. Not your normal run of the mill thriller but man did it thrill me in all the right places.
Thank you to Katie Welch and Wolsak and Wynn for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
