I struggled with today’s post because, thanks to my commute to work and what feels like endless chores around my home, I’ve listened to three pretty great reads in the last week. All were crime fiction (of course) with very different themes. This first one is a throwback to the very first book review I did on this site. Back in October 2020, I reviewed one of Gregg Olsen’s true crime books. Today I’m giving you a glimpse into his fiction writing, which is A++ and can only be compared to the likes of Karin Slaughter and Chevy Stevens.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I found this book to be a bit confusing – mostly due to my own struggle to focus on the audio while doing other things (like driving). Around chapter 22, I had to go all the way back to the very start and begin again. There are so many characters to keep straight, which definitely requires full focus. I’d either recommend listening while doing mundane tasks or sitting down with the actual book. Once I gave it the attention it deserved, I was captivated.
Title: The Hive
Author: Gregg Olsen
Rating: Loaded with Lies, Secrets & Drama
Genre: Crime Fiction
Page Count: 475 pages (13 hours, 41 minutes via audio)
Published: 2021
Marnie Spellman is the queen bee – literally – of her little town. As a child, she was famously lifted off the ground by a swarm of bees that supposedly whispered secrets of the world to her. As an adult, she built her cosmetics empire on her ability to create natural beauty products made with the honey from the bees she kept. Behind the glossy image that Marnie portrays for the world is a secret that’s been hidden for 20 years.
After a young college student is found dead in present day, and a local detective starts investigating, all signs start pointing to the case of a woman who died mysteriously twenty years earlier. What do the two deaths have in common? Why, Marnie Spellman, of course.
This story is about what happens when a group of people try to keep a secret, a determined detective comes snooping around, said group starts getting nervous, and what’s hidden in the past starts to unravel. This is also the story of the rise and fall of the queen bee and her five followers. The truth usually comes out in the end. Usually.
TL;DR
If you’re looking for a good gossipy crime fiction read, this is it.
If you liked this book, you might enjoy: any of Gregg Olsen’s other crime fiction books.
Little Book Bites 