LoveReading Says
Trengrose House, a beautiful estate in Cornwall, is a house with secrets.
Secrets of the Bees by Jane Johnson, spills not only the secrets of the bees, but the secrets of the people around them.
Elderly Ezra Curnow is proudly self-sufficient. He lives in the cottage in which he was born with no mod-cons (things like an inside toilet or electricity). He knows the rhythms of the nature that surrounds him, especially the bees.
When Londoners Araminta (Minty) and Toby Hardmans buy the Trengrose House estate on which the cottage sits, a battle royale begins between Ezra and the couple.
Cornwall itself proves to be a character in the book, with the gorgeous descriptions of the flora and fauna to be found there. If you’ve ever been to Cornwall or long to go there, reading this book is like a journey along its the narrow country lanes.
Johnson notes in the acknowledgments that she was able to write the book because of her deep personal connections to the region. The intimate knowledge gleaned from those connections shows, along with the fascinating descriptions of the Cornish nature.
The bees have a message, both for Ezra and the readers: All shall be well.
Maureen Stapleton
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Secrets of the Bees Synopsis
Time has forgotten this remote corner of West Cornwall, and left its many secrets undisturbed. Until now...
Ezra Curnow has lived in the little cottage on the Trengrose estate all his life. He was born there, as was his father, and his grandfather before that. It is his own little paradise.
Then the mistress of the estate, Eliza Rosevear, dies without leaving a will, and the cottage's ownership is put into question. Trengrose's charm soon attracts London financier Toby and his wife Minty, and Toby immediately sniffs an opportunity to rent out Ezra's cottage to tourists. But Ezra, a wily old chap, is prepared to battle to save his beloved home, and he has a number of secret weapons in his armoury.
As Toby resorts to more drastic measures, Ezra's case looks increasingly hopeless. But the recently deceased mistress of Trengrose took some secrets to her grave too, and she doesn't intend to rest quietly until they come to light...
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781804546260 |
| Publication date: |
5th June 2025 |
| Author: |
Jane Johnson |
| Publisher: |
Apollo an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
336 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Modern and Contemporary Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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Jane Johnson Press Reviews
'Jane Johnson writes the sort of books you want to tell everyone about… I'm addicted.' Katie Fforde
'Absolutely gorgeous... full of dark family mysteries and the wild, savage beauty of nature. I laughed and I wiped away tears. A book I will re-read and treasure.' Zoë Marriott
READERS LOVE SECRETS OF THE BEES:
'One of the best stories I have read in a while'
'I was drawn in from page one. Brilliant!'
'Could not put this down. Great twists and a lovely ending'
'Perfect for fans of historical fiction who like a bit of mystery built in'
'This novel is amazing... one to help you lose yourself for a while'
About Jane Johnson
Jane Johnson is a British novelist and publisher. She is the UK editor for George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb and Dean Koontz and was for many years publisher of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Married to a Berber chef she met while researching The Tenth Gift, she lives in Mousehole, Cornwall, and Morocco.
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