Where to Start Reading the Queen Bee Mysteries
For the best reading experience, you should read the Queen Bee Mysteries in strict publication order. While each book features a self-contained whodunit that is solved by the final page, the overarching character arcs, romantic relationships, and subplots progress sequentially. Following Story Fischer as she recovers from a messy divorce, builds her market, finds new romance, and manages her eccentric family is best appreciated when read in the order they were written.
Queen Bee Mysteries in Publication Order
Written by Deb Baker under the pen name Hannah Reed, the series spans five main novels published between 2010 and 2014. Here is the complete list of the Queen Bee Mysteries in their recommended reading order:
1. Buzz Off (2010)
The series kicks off during September, which happens to be National Honey Month. Beekeeper Story Fischer has just finalized her divorce from her ex-husband, Clay, and is focused on running her local market, The Wild Clover. However, the sweetness turns sour when her beekeeping mentor, Manny Chapman, is found dead in his apiary, seemingly stung to death. When a second body is discovered in the local river and Clay becomes the prime suspect, Story must step in to clear her ex-husband's name and prove her bees are innocent of murder.
2. Mind Your Own Beeswax (2011)
Story is trying to balance her growing business and a budding relationship with state policeman Hunter Wallace. The peace of Moraine is broken when one of Story's hives is abandoned, leading her into the dense Wisconsin woods to locate them. Simultaneously, the return of a controversial local woman, Lauren Kerrigan, stirs up old town gossip. When Lauren's body is found in the exact woods Story is searching, Story is dragged into a complicated case involving a decades-old murder and local legends.
3. Plan Bee (2012)
Moraine’s annual Harmony Festival is in full swing, but Story's life is anything but harmonious. She loses the Honey Queen crown to a notorious shoplifter, her domineering mother tries to ban her hive from the festival, and a young genius causes chaos with loud science experiments. Things go from chaotic to deadly when Story discovers a body in the local cemetery. When the corpse disappears and then reappears stuffed inside her ex-boyfriend's fireplace, Story has to solve the mystery before the town’s festival blows sky-high.
4. Beeline to Trouble (2012)
Story’s sister arrives with a group of professional food flavorists in tow. Story agrees to host the group with fresh breakfast from the Wild Clover, but tragedy strikes during a tour of her hives when one of the flavorists is murdered. To make matters worse, Story's home-brewed carrot juice is identified as the source of the poison, making her the prime suspect. While adjusting to living with her boyfriend, Hunter, Story must find the real killer to save her reputation and her business.
5. Beewitched (2014)
Autumn brings apple cider, caramel apples, and a self-proclaimed witch to Moraine. The town is divided over the newcomer, but the tension peaks when a full coven arrives to perform a new-moon ritual, resulting in a dead witch found in a local corn maze. Story is forced to navigate local superstitions, magic, and mayhem to unmask the killer in the final installment of the series.
Chronological Order and Reading Caveats
The chronological order of the Queen Bee Mysteries aligns perfectly with the publication order. Because there are no prequel novels, short stories, or external tie-ins that disrupt the timeline, readers do not need to worry about complex timeline jumps. However, readers should note that the series concluded (or went on a permanent pause) after the fifth book, Beewitched, in 2014, as the author shifted her focus to other projects.
Meet the Locals: Key Characters in Moraine
Part of the charm of the Queen Bee Mysteries is the recurring cast of quirky Moraine residents who populate Story's world:
- Story Fischer: The protagonist, a resilient beekeeper, amateur sleuth, and owner of The Wild Clover market.
- Hunter Wallace: A state policeman who becomes Story's primary love interest and eventually her live-in boyfriend.
- Clay: Story's ex-husband, whose lingering presence in Moraine frequently complicates her life.
- Story's Mother: A domineering and scheming woman who constantly meddles in Story's romantic and professional affairs.
- Johnny Jay: The antagonistic local Police Chief who frequently clashes with Story during her investigations.
Beyond Moraine: Author Connections and Sister Series
If you finish the Queen Bee Mysteries and want more cozy whodunits in the same style, you can explore the author’s other series written under both her real name and her pen name:
- Scottish Highland Mysteries (written as Hannah Reed): This four-book series beginning with Off Kilter (2014) follows Eden Elliott, a single woman who moves to the Scottish Highlands to start over, finding herself solving local murders amidst beautiful, rural landscapes.
- Yooper Mysteries / Gertie Johnson Series (written as Deb Baker): Featuring a sassy 60-something sleuth in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, this series shares the same lighthearted humor, quirky characters, and cozy small-town vibes found in Moraine.