Back when Constant Reader suggested Keeping the Bees (November 8, 2016 post) a book about the Mason Bee was also included. I finally got around to reading Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time, by Dave Hunter and Jill Lightner. This bee does not make honey, is not aggressive (and doesn't sting), doesn't swarm, and likes to stay close to home (as it were). This makes it an excellent addition to a back yard. It is a much better pollinator, too. This is a great 'how to' book if you are thinking of adding bees to your yard.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or On the Segregation of the Queen, by Laurie R. King came out some years ago but I did not read it until now. It is the first of the Mary Russell Novels which partners a retired Sherlock Holmes with a precocious 15 year old orphaned girl. Intellectual and quick witted, she is just what he needs. Lots of clues, disguises, and deductions here, it was a delightful read.

Lastly, a mystery by an old favorite writer. It actually involves a wasp rather than a bee, but it's close enough! Death in the Clouds is one of the Hercule Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie. All the elements are here: a closed room, a few people all within sight of each other, a limited time frame for the murder to occur .... a wonderful, traditional English cozy. I followed the clues (or rather, what I thought were clues) and came up with the wrong person! A wonderful way to spend that nasty weekend in February. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog