A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series

READERS' FAVORITE - GOLD MEDAL WINNER Death By A HoneyBee is an enjoyable read which will capture the interest of most die-hard mystery fans! Abigail Keam writes with vision and understanding. Keam leaves the reader yearning for more. -Midwest Book Review   Josiah Reynolds is a beekeeper trying to stay financially afloat by selling honey at the Farmers' Market. She finds her world turned upside down when a man is found dead in her beeyard, only to discover the victim is her nemesis. The police are calling the brutal death murder and Josiah is the number one suspect! Fighting an unknown enemy in the glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon, and antebellum mansions, Josiah struggles to uncover the truth in a land that keeps its secrets well.  Josiah faces the world with sarcastic humor and a number of quirky, oddball friends that can only be found in the Bluegrass town of Lexington, the heart of Kentucky horse country. Some mysteries end with a bang, some are not solved at all and the first one ends with a cliff hanger, but they always entertain in the sassy, humorous, and suspenseful world as Josiah goes about sleuthing. Like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, Josiah observes the world about her and solves even the must troubling cases.   Death By A HoneyBee is the first of an episodic series and as such ends in a cliff-hanger which is crucial to the rest of the series. Attached to HoneyBee is a bonus chapter from Death By Drowning which continues our heroine's story in linear time. I hope you enjoy reading Death By A HoneyBee as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It was a labor of love. The Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series is just like fried chicken - finger-licking good! Add some sweet tea and a piece of chocolate pecan pie with a scoop of ice-cream and you got yourself some tasty reading. We are introduced to a cast of characters and a storyline that, like honey, is sweet and delicious. -Linda Hinchcliff, Chevy Chase Magazine 

DEATH BY BRIDLE is as fast-paced and full of personality as we have come to expect from Abigail Keam. A really great read! Midwest Book Review  Josiah is back on the trail of a murderer. Arthur Aaron Greene III is one of Kentucky's most prominent horse breeders but he is found hanging from the rafters in a horse barn with stones in his pockets and a bucket of water under his feet. The only witness is a nine year old boy who can't seem to remember exactly what happened.   Relentless in her pursuit of the killer, Josiah stumbles into decades of lies and deception that include her dear friend, Lady Elsmere. Josiah discovers that she must go back to 1962 if she is to find out the truth at all, while making the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in the lush Bluegrass horse country. Fighting an unknown enemy in the glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon, and antebellum mansions, Josiah struggles to uncover the truth in a land that keeps its secrets well.

Ethel Bradley thinks someone is trying to kill her, but doesn't know who or why. She enlists the help of her childhood friend, Lady Elsmere, but Lady Elsmere has troubles of her own in the form of a ne'er-do-well English nephew who's trying to steal her estate. Both women turn to Josiah Reynolds, who has just returned from New York.   Josiah calls Detective Goetz who recommends a shamus named Walter Neff. Walter and Josiah scour the Bluegrass for answers that turn out to be deadly. To make matters worse for Josiah, Fred O'nan (the rogue cop who tried to kill Josiah in Death By A HoneyBee) is a free man and still gunning for her.  Josiah, full of sass and vinegar, meets these challenges head on with the support of her friends, Franklin and Matt. Will Josiah be thwarted this time?   Kentucky can be a cruel mistress to those wanting justice and exacts a high price for it. Sometimes the "dark and bloody ground" demands double indemnity. This is something Josiah knows very well. Very well indeed.

Life takes a dramatic turn for Josiah when she witnesses a death at an engagement party for Matt, her best friend. Charming socialite Addison DeWitt falls into a fit after taking a sip of bourbon. That would be upsetting enough, but Josiah is sure it is murder. However, no one will believe her except for Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer. The three of them conspire to bring the murderer to justice. It turns out the suspect is always three steps ahead of them. To make matters worse, Josiah's daughter, Asa decides to move to London, Franklin leaves town, and Jake starts singing a different tune. Josiah doubts her ability to meet the future alone. Maybe it's time to sell the Butterfly and move to Florida with the rest of the old folks. But Josiah is sure of one thing. There is justice and then there is Kentucky justice.

Humor is parceled out in just the right amount, as is friendship and loyalty. The characters are very well developed, each rich in his or her own idiosyncrasies. Ms. Keam writes such that readers want to know more of Josiah's life and the ending will not disappoint their need to know. -Readers' Favorite In spite of having to recover from serious injuries from her fall down a cliff with O'nan, Josiah Reynolds is back to sleuthing. This time her friend, Irene Meckler, asks Josiah to investigate the death of her nephew which was ruled accidental. Irene has her doubts.   Along with her best friend Matt and Jake Dosh, a physician assistant hired by Josiah's daughter, Josiah again makes the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in the mysterious world of antebellum homes, bourbon, and Thoroughbred racing of Kentucky's Bluegrass region. Will Josiah discover the real reason for the death of her friend's nephew? As Josiah fights for her recovery, she fights for the truth regarding a youth and the secret as how he died. In a land where secrets are buried deep in the earth, Josiah searches in a land that doesn't let go of its past easily. The past never dies in Kentucky - the dark and bloody ground.

Terrence Bailey awakes one night to find his mother-in-law standing in a corner of his bedroom. The only problem is that his mother-in-law has been dead for seven years. Several weeks later Terrence dies of a heart attack . . . or does he? Josiah's nose starts twitching in a bad way when Terrence goes to the "Great Beyond" and she thinks his death has something to do with Jean Louis, an internationally-known portrait artist who has come to the Bluegrass to paint Lady Elsmere's portrait.   She just doesn't like Jean Louis and does some digging on him.  What she finds will involve Detective Goetz and almost get her daughter, Asa, shot. Again, Josiah blames the black earth of Kentucky for spitting back secrets that should have remained buried in the dark and bloody ground. 

Josiah Reynolds is tracking down the disappearance of an old friend's son. But while she is chasing a missing person, O'nan is hot on Josiah's trail chasing her. And he is threatening, conniving, and blackmailing others to help destroy the woman he thinks ruined his life.   Or will Josiah outwit him as she has always done?  One thing is for sure . . . when Josiah and Onan clash at the Cumberland Falls, one of them will die. As Josiah always says - there is justice and then there is Kentucky justice.   Will Josiah survive the thundering waters of the Cumberland Falls, or will Onan finally push our brave Josiah over the Falls to meet her maker?

Charlie Hoskins was a self-made man. Born poor as a church mouse, he was relentless in his pursuit of money to the point of being universally hated. Oh, he was admired for his rags-to-riches story. He was admired for being a good businessman. But Charlie never learned tact and made many enemies in the process of realizing his goals. He didn't care that in order to accomplish his dreams, he trampled on those of others. So it didn't surprise Josiah Reynolds when someone decided to kill Charlie. The only thing that bothered her was that her lawyer and friend, Shaneika Mary Todd, might have done the dirty deed! Join Josiah as she discovers the truth in a world that hides its secrets among antebellum mansions and million dollar horses grazing in emerald pastures. This is the world of the Bluegrass . . . a world of wealth, privilege, and now murder!

In the tradition of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, our amateur sleuth, Josiah Reynolds, finds herself embroiled in yet another Southern murder mystery. This time it involves the disappearance of a good friend whose house burns down to the ground. Not only does Josiah's friend go missing, but her husband and another woman as well. Hmm. Were they all involved in a love triangle that went bad or was it just coincidence? Josiah, our intrepid female sleuth, is on the case! Josiah Reynolds opens her front door to find her neighbor, Sandy Sloan, clutching her little dog, Georgie. "Hi Josiah. Sorry to bother you. Can you keep my dog for a couple of days while I check on my mother? She's ill and needs help."  Josiah reluctantly says yes, not because she didn't want to take care of the animal. She has plenty of room for a little dog like Georgie. She is reluctant because she knows Sandy's mother couldn't possibly be ill. Her mother is, in fact, dead.   Why would Sandy tell such a lie? And a stupid lie at that. Was Sandy trying to signal she was in distress and needed help? Josiah has no way of knowing that in four hours, Sandy would disappear from the face of the earth, and no one–not even Josiah–would be able to find her and that it would lead to murder!

FIVE STARS! "Abigail Keam's . . . Death By Drama: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery, is an engaging and entertaining whodunit! Keam's plot is agreeably reminiscent of classic drawing-room detective novels, and her characters work so very well together. Death By Drama: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery is most highly recommended." -Readers' Favorite Josiah joins an amateur thespian group that puts on plays in quirky places like public parks and crumbling antebellum mansions. It is a way to socialize, and Josiah feels lonely when her friend Hunter stops calling. Since the new play is being staged at Hunter's ancestral home Wickliffe Manor, Josiah sees this as a win-win situation. She gets to have fun and remind Hunter that she is still alive and kicking. Hint. Hint. What could go wrong? Everything! Hunter ignores the acting group including Josiah, and it doesn't help when the leading lady, Madison Smythe, drops dead on Hunter's antique Persian rug. To make matters worse, Franklin, Hunter's brother, is arrested for her murder! Josiah does the only thing she can. She sends an S.O.S. to her daughter Asa to investigate the murder. Asa must also discover why a love note from Hunter was found in the dead woman's coat pocket. Josiah is ready for romance, but she doesn't want to fall in love with a cheater . . . and possibly a murderer!

READERS' FAVORITE - "With an assortment of eccentric and sophisticated characters, Death By Design is a witty, humorous, and charming mystery. It is the kind of mystery that pairs well with a glass of iced tea, one that's hard to put down until the end. A MUST READ!" In the tradition of regional female sleuths like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, comes Josiah Reynolds, who lives in the beautiful Bluegrass of Kentucky. Josiah and her quirky band of friends solve murder mysteries where Thoroughbreds, antebellum mansions, and oak-cured bourbon abound. Josiah Reynolds can hardly believe she hears someone call out her name as she strolls down 75th Street in New York City. With the promise of a free drink, Bunny Witt steers Josiah into nearby Bemelmans Bar where she proceeds to unfold a tale about being stalked by a mysterious stranger.  It seems that Bunny's apartments in London and New York have been broken into and searched, yet nothing was taken. She is desperate for someone to find out who is tormenting her and why before she heads home to Lexington, Kentucky. She has decided that someone should be our Josiah! This chance encounter leads Josiah into the world of haute couture, mysterious princes from India, precious gems, and murder in a Southern town that keeps its secrets well!

Josiah Reynolds and her girlfriend had just seen a movie and were going home when they discover a dead body. Why does this always happen to Josiah?   She learns the dead man was a reporter and a stranger to the Bluegrass. The police believe his death is due to a botched robbery, but Josiah thinks otherwise and begins snooping around.   When Detective Drake tells Josiah to back off, Josiah's forensic psychiatrist boyfriend, Hunter, comes to the rescue and hires her to help investigate the case. Now Josiah has carte blanche to all the reports concerning the case, and they bear out her theory of what really happened to the dead reporter, but no one will listen. Josiah makes it her mission to unearth evidence that will prove her theory. She begins the dangerous game of finding out the truth in a world that hides its secrets among antebellum mansions, oak-cured bourbon, and million dollar horses grazing in emerald pastures. This is the world of the Bluegrass—a world of wealth, privilege, and now murder!

READERS' FAVORITE MURDER MYSTERY WINNER! FIVE STARS by READERS' FAVORITE!  Abigail Keam's sleuth mystery novel, Death By Stalking, brings the English cozy mystery home to Kentucky's Bluegrass in a most delightful way. Keam gives the new reader enough background information within the story for it to be enjoyed as a standalone, but you won't want to miss a single book in the Josiah Reynolds Mystery series. Keam's characters are well defined and credible, and her plot fairly bristles with red herrings for the armchair sleuth to consider while reading. Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery is most highly recommended.  If you like female sleuths who are snarky, brassy, and fun, you'll love Josiah solving murder mysteries along with her quirky friends in the glamorous Bluegrass where Thoroughbreds race, bourbon is oak-cured, and antebellum mansions keep their secrets well. Josiah, Baby, her mastiff, and Lady Elsmere rush to the rescue of their neighbor, Rosie, who is being harassed by Gage Cagle, a mean, old stump of a man. Lady Elsmere confronts Gage and has him thrown in jail for trying to extort money from Rosie. Glad to be rid of this loathsome man, Lady Elsmere, Josiah, and Rosie attend the Bluegrass Antique Auction and Ball. To their surprise, Gage shows up and boldly threatens Josiah, Rosie, and even Baby. Dismissing Gage as nothing more than a loudmouth fussbucket, Josiah enjoys the ball until she stumbles upon Rosie covered in blood and standing over Gage's near lifeless body. "I didn't do this," Rosie swears before fleeing, leaving Josiah trying to save the life of a man they both detest. While Josiah attempts to staunch Gage's bleeding, she can't help but wonder, if Rosie didn't assault Gage, then who?

Josiah goes to a fundraiser for abandoned Thoroughbred horses and meets Rudy Lee; whereupon, he tells her that a fortune teller at the event prophesied that he will murder Josiah and then be murdered himself. But while Josiah tells Rudy that the fortune is utter nonsense, she can't help shake the notion the fortune teller might be right. Especially when someone does try to kill her!   Join Josiah in her search for the truth in the "dark and bloody" ground of Caintuck where secrets are held tight to one's heart and deep within the dark, loamy soil of the ancient hunting grounds of the Shawnee and Cherokee.

Josiah is working in her honeybee yard when she hears a commotion coming from a horse pasture. She rushes toward the uproar and comes upon a huge, enraged Texas Longhorn bull. The massive beast is angrily snorting, pawing the turf, and  threatening  a  prized Thoroughbred stallion, Comanche. Getting the bull to calm down is no small task and in the end, Josiah has a busted fence and a barn door ripped off its hinges. Once the bull is secure, Josiah hurries to confront the bull's owner only to discover he is dead and lying in a pool of his own blood.   The police naturally assume the bull is responsible for the man's death, but Josiah has her doubts. She is convinced foul play is involved and works to save the Texas Longhorn from being "put down." Will she solve the murder and save the Longhorn in time?

Josiah is joined by Shaneika, and her sweet, innocent cousin, Heather, on an archaeological dig at Fort Boonesborough where Daniel Boone led pioneers to the wild frontier of "Caintuck." At Boonesborough, Josiah and Shaneika meet the Dane twins, rich society women, who just  rub them the wrong way.   However, Heather is entranced by the sisters, having read about them in the society columns and financial pages.  That is until Heather catches one of them plotting to murder her identical twin.  But which twin is planning to murder?  Heather can't tell them apart.  She tells Josiah what she witnessed, hoping our intrepid sleuth will intervene.   Josiah is unable to prevent the murder, but soon discovers Heather is neither sweet nor innocent and might have a motive for lying about the Dane sisters.  As Josiah does some digging of her own, it turns out other participants on the excavation also have motives for murder.  Josiah searches for truth in a land that hides its secrets well in soil soaked with the blood of innocents and scoundrels alike.  Kentucky is not called the "dark and bloody ground" for nothing.

Halloween is right around the corner when Lady Elsmere throws an elaborate Civil War costume ball. Wearing a nineteenth-century ball gown, Josiah ventures into the party's corn maze to find her dog, Baby, and take him home, only to find Baby standing over a fallen scarecrow. But is it really a scarecrow Josiah doesn't have time to find out because someone dressed as the Grim Reaper bolts out of the shadows, swinging a scythe and heading straight for her. Our heroine picks up her skirts and flees, yelling, "Murder! Murder in the corn maze!"

Josiah Reynolds is hitching Morning Glory, her American Paint Horse, to an antique pony cart when horse whisperer, Velvet Maddox, hurries over to them.  Pointing a thin, crooked finger at Josiah, she announces that Josiah can't participate in the annual Shawnee Trace Horse Parade.  "I see death standing next to your horse.  Beware, Josiah.  Beware."   Startled, Josiah is worried as Miss Velvet is never wrong about such things, but decides to plunge ahead.  Surely this time Velvet is mistaken.  No one can see death.  The event goes off without a hitch until spectators surge forward onto the parade route and surround the horses, causing them to spook.  Morning Glory rears up and the pony cart runs over something.  Josiah stops her horse immediately and peers over the side of her cart.    There is a shoeless leg sticking out from underneath the cart.  Josiah realizes that Miss Velvet was correct.  Death was, indeed, hovering near her horse.