A murder mystery with a twist.

Genre: Murder Mystery

Pages: 405

First published: 2022

Original language: English

The Plot: Olivia Mcaffee lives a quiet life in a sleepy New Hampshire town, making a fresh start following the end of an abusive marriage. Lily Campanello is the girlfriend of Olivia’s son, Asher. She’s the new girl in town. Both women are familiar with how it feels to start life over.

When Lily is found dead, Asher is arrested for her murder. Olivia is convinced that Asher is innocent. But as secrets about both women emerge, it becomes clearer that he has a temper, just like his father. He’s hiding more than he has shared with her. A powerful novel blending romance with suspense and complex issues, Mad Honey is a story that will stay with you long after it has ended.

What did I think of this book?

Mad Honey is unusual in that it is authored by two writers – one well known, one not so much. It is a lengthy work with many strands to the narrative. If I’m being totally honest, it was a bit too long for my liking, and could have benefited from some skillful editing during the lengthy murder trial, which makes up the second half of the novel.

For me, murder mysteries fall into two camps – those that are predictable (usually ending in me taking a wild guess at who the murderer is, often correctly!) and those that are not. I am pleased to confirm that Mad Honey falls firmly into the latter camp. I was kept guessing throughout the novel, and never quite knew where it was going next. The murderer, when they are revealed, is a genuine surprise, hiding in plain sight right before our eyes. This is a good thing!

What was most interesting about this book?

It’s difficult to review Mad Honey accurately without revealing spoilers, but hopefully it isn’t too much of a spoiler to tell you that, mid way through the novel, it is revealed that Lily is trans. This gives the genre a new spin, and provides us with a motive for her murder (which until then, has none).

Unhealthy relationships are a theme throughout, as is abuse, and where the lines between them are drawn.

What am I going to take away from this book?

There is still much to learn about the trans community, and much that I took away from this book that I did not know. I learnt a great deal about the transition process, gender dysmorphia and the mental health issues associated with becoming one’s true self.

Lily is a character I liked and respected greatly, for her unwavering belief in herself and her relentless pursuit of a fulfilled life as her true self. She deserved (and won) my respect. On the other hand, I found myself identifying with her fear and reluctance to reveal her secret to the world. Trans or cisgender, we all have secrets, and parts of ourselves that we struggle to reveal for fear of reprisals. It’s a novel that elicited many emotions in me – sadness for the victim, but also sadness for her alleged murder. Like Olivia, we struggle to believe that Asher could have committed this crime and likewise struggle with our emotions when it becomes clear that he may be guilty. It is a skilful novel that weaves such a web of emotions in the reader.

Will I enjoy this book?

That depends. If you enjoy traditional murder mysteries (e.g. in the Agatha Christie mould), you may find this one too complex, with its multiple themes, layers of narrative and discussion of complex issues. But if you’re up for something a bit different, that adds a new layer of complexity to the genre, it’s a good choice.

Rating: 3/5 (it would have been 4/5 if it had been a bit shorter!)