Betty Rowlands, queen of the contemporary cosy, brings us a deliciously intriguing mystery which a surprising sting.

Aidan Cresney seems to be a model citizen. An active member of the parish council and a former barrister, he took up beekeeping as a retirment hobby.

Cresney confidently boasts that bees will never attack an apiarist "who knows what he's doing". Yet one day he is found dead after suffering multiple stings.

When a second family member dies in similar circumstances, tongues begin to wag. And Melissa Craig, the Cotswolds' intrepid crime-writing sleuth, starts to uncover some disturbing secrets...

Sweet Venom is a well-plotted and captivating crime novel from this acclaimed author.