Author Jodi Picoult is one of my very favorite authors, and I am now looking forward to reading more by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Mad Honey reminds me of Jodi Picoult’s earlier books, which is a positive, in my opinion. I loved that the authors included a short explanation of how they came to write a book together, which was sparked by a Tweet by Boylan. I do not usually love books with multiple authors, but this book feels cohesive and it works well.
The novel is told through multiple narrators and timelines, and one narrator is Olivia, a beekeeper and single mother to high school senior Asher. Olivia and Asher are living in New Hampshire, where Asher befriends Lily, who has recently moved to New Hampshire. Lily has moved to New Hampshire hoping for a fresh start, and although she does find the new beginning that she is looking for, she sadly does not enjoy it for long.
After an argument with Lily, Asher stops by her house to check in with her. To Asher’s shock, he finds Lily dead at the bottom of a staircase. Before he can begin to make sense of what has happened, Asher is arrested and charged with Lily’s murder. The courtroom trial is the most captivating part of the novel, with Asher’s attorney uncle defending him as the prosecutor paints such a grim picture that even Olivia begins to question Asher’s innocence.
This is a really, really good book. It is not an amazing book, but it kept me hooked and I enjoyed reading it. Some of the characters seem superfluous, or maybe just not detailed deeply enough? The authors introduced a twist, or “big reveal,” about halfway through, and although I wasn’t initially sure how I felt about it as a “reveal,” or as something that needed the surprise element, I thought the topic was well-explained and added to the story. Overall, I cheerfully recommend this book, especially to Picoult fans.