Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Sins of the Bees: A Novel by Annie Lampman is a crime thriller. Silvania Merigal has nothing, only bonsai trees. She lost her mother and then the man who raised her, her grandfather. After a rape leaves her pregnant, Silvania is going through her grandfather’s belongings when she discovers she has a grandmother called Isabelle. Wanting to know where she is, Silvania traces her grandmother’s footsteps back to Hells Canyon, back to a hippie beekeeper who had plenty of secrets, back to Y2k, a cult buried deep in the canyon. The Almost Paradise compound is run by Len Dietz but it's not even close to paradise. Child brides are left pregnant as Silvania discovered in paintings her grandfather had. Paintings her grandmother sent to him to look after. Dead mountain sheep, gun-running, and violent occupation of the compound visitors' center are not what Silvania expected to find. Joining forces with beekeeper Nick Larkins and Isabelle, Silvania finds herself deep in a tense situation that threatens destruction all around.

Sins of the Bees: A Novel by Annie Lampman is a thought-provoking read. From the outset, you can see that this is way more than just a crime fiction story. This is a tale of loss that will cut deep into you as you read it. The storyline is unique and full of tension and action. There are plenty of twists to keep you hooked and a great mystery with some well-developed characters that shine through with their own unique characteristics and stories. There is more than one story going on here but it all ties together in one neat package that you seriously will not want to put down. And when you’re done reading it, you’ll want more. Yes, it has some violence and some sex scenes – doesn’t any good story? - but nothing out of the bounds of the plot and nothing graphic. If you want something different to pass the time, a story that you can really lose yourself in, this book is for you.