The Killing Bee

Jacob Burns Mystery #4

by Matt Witten

Lobbying hard for a gifted and talented program at the local school for their precocious offspring, Jacob Burns and his comrades are stunned when Sam Meckel, the unpopular principal at the school and a fierce opponent of their cause, is found dead, bludgeoned to death with a spelling bee trophy. Original.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

Matt Witten is a TV writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who has written for many TV shows including House, Pretty Little Liars, Law & Order, Medium, Supernatural, and CSI: Miami. His thriller novel The Necklace is published in eight languages, is an Amazon Editors' Pick, and has been optioned for film by Leonardo DiCaprio. His novel Killer Story won a Foreword Indie award for best mystery and has been optioned for TV by Endgame Entertainment. Matt wrote four amateur sleuth novels that were published by Signet, including the Malice Domestic Award-winning Breakfast at Madeline’s, and he has been nominated for two Edgars and an Emmy. His published stage plays include The Deal, Washington Square Moves, and The Ties That Bind. He wrote the movie Drones, produced by Whitewater Films. His futuristic thriller, 51%, comes out in 2026. NBC has hired Matt to cowrite a TV pilot based on 51%.

Reviews

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed the search for the person that killed Sam Meckel, the principal of the local public school. Everyone was a suspect that had been at school that morning. Jacob Burns, a writer and stay at home dad, with past experience as a private investigator, questions friends, parents in his neighborhood making everyone uncomfortable. I really never figured out who did it until the end. Knowing how important student test scores are to public schools and how stupid it is to value the scores more than the students is a crime I hope is solved in the near future.

[Mary Hammock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out good then went down hill. But still a decent read.
303 pages

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Killing Bee - NR
Mat Witten
Writer and stay-at-home dad Jacob Burns investigates the murder of a grade school principal in this new mystery from Law & Order executive story editor Matt Witten

It just didn't work for me, but that could be just be me.

[Kitty Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of principal of school murdered over academic scores of gifted children.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great short mystery series

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book. The story line caught my attention but didn't have me wanting to turn the pages. I won't be reading any others in this series.