The Honey Farm

Lily King meets Patricia Highsmith in this slyly seductive debut set on an eerily beautiful farm teeming with secrets. The drought has discontented the bees. Soil dries into sand; honeycomb stiffens into wax. But Cynthia knows how to breathe life back into her farm: offer it as an artists’ colony with free room, board, and “life experience” in exchange for backbreaking labor. Silvia, a wide-eyed graduate and would-be poet, and Ibrahim, a painter distracted by constant inspiration, are drawn to Cynthia’s offer, and soon, to each other. But something lies beneath the surface. The Edenic farm is plagued by events that strike Silvia as ominous: taps run red, scalps itch with lice, frogs swarm the pond. One by one, the other residents leave. As summer tenses into autumn, Cynthia’s shadowed past is revealed and Silvia becomes increasingly paralyzed by doubt. Building to a shocking conclusion, The Honey Farm announces the arrival of a bold new voice and offers a thrilling portrait of creation and possession in the natural world.

A dark, seductive and threatening debut novel, set on a remote honey farm teeming with secrets.

'Perfect escapist magic' Good Housekeeping 'Jo's book is as rich and sweet and moreish as baklava' Milly Johnson Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews, Jo Thomas's irresistible, sun-filled novel transports you straight to the mountains of Crete. Sometimes you have to go back before you can move forwards... One magical summer Nell fell in love in the mountains of Crete and her life changed for ever. Eighteen years later, Nell is ready for a new beginning. When she sees a honey farm in the same hilltop town has lost its bees, the opportunity is impossible to resist. Welcomed back to Greece by the warm sun and aroma of wild thyme, Nell finds memories of her past at every turn. But much has changed since she's been away. As Nell throws herself into restoring the honey farm, she starts to unlock the truth of what happened all those years ago. She soon learns that the course of true love - just like Cretan honey - can be wild and sweet. And well worth the wait... Jo Thomas takes you there. Readers are raving about THE HONEY FARM ON THE HILL: 'Jo Thomas has the ability in her writing to take you right there' I Read Novels 'Incredibly enjoyable ... could practically smell the herbs in the air' Rachel's Random Reads 'I absolutely loved this book ... a darned good story' Julie's World of Books 'So richly imagined and so wonderfully written - highly recommended!' On My Bookshelf 'Superb escapism! ... the way the views, smells, sounds of the island are captured are spectacular' Be Reader Books 'Jo Thomas is a purveyor of dreams. I defy anybody to read this book and at the end of it not to dream a little of the Cretan life' Short Books and Scribes 'Warm, sensual and heartwarming' Books, Life and Everything 'A charming and delightful slice of escapist romantic fiction' Heat 'The ultimate cheery tale' Sun

Vintage Margaret Atwood meets Patricia Highsmith in this slyly seductive debut set on an eerily beautiful farm teeming with secrets. The drought has discontented the bees. Soil dries into sand; honeycomb stiffens into wax. But Cynthia knows how to breathe life back into her farm: offer it as an artists' colony with free room, board, and "life experience" in exchange for backbreaking labour. Silvia, a wide-eyed graduate and would-be poet, and Ibrahim, a painter distracted by constant inspiration, are drawn to Cynthia's offer, and soon, to each other. But something lies beneath the surface. The edenic farm is plagued by events that strike Silvia as ominous: taps run red, scalps itch with lice, frogs swarm the pond. One by one, the other residents leave. As summer tenses into autumn, Cynthia's shadowed past is revealed and Silvia becomes increasingly paralyzed by doubt. Building to a shocking conclusion, The Honey Farm announces the arrival of a bold new voice and offers a thrilling portrait of creation and possession in the natural world.

'Perfect escapist magic' Good Housekeeping 'Like the best kind of holiday!' Lucy Diamond Jo Thomas's irresistible novel transports you straight to the mountains of Crete. A gorgeous, sun-filled new read from the author of The Oyster Catcher and Late Summer in the Vineyard. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews. Sometimes you have to go back before you can move forwards... One magical summer Nell fell in love in the mountains of Crete and her life changed for ever. Eighteen years later, Nell is ready for a new beginning. When she sees a honey farm in the same hilltop town has lost its bees, the opportunity is impossible to resist. Welcomed back to Greece by the warm sun and aroma of wild thyme, Nell finds memories of her past at every turn. But much has changed since she's been away. As Nell throws herself into restoring the honey farm, she starts to unlock the truth of what happened all those years ago. She soon learns that the course of true love - just like Cretan honey - can be wild and sweet. And well worth the wait... Jo Thomas's new novel Sunset Over the Cherry Orchard is available to pre-order now. Readers are raving about The Honey Farm on the Hill: 'Jo Thomas has the ability in her writing to take you right there' I Read Novels 'Incredibly enjoyable ... could practically smell the herbs in the air' Rachel's Random Reads 'I absolutely loved this book ... a darned good story' Julie's World of Books 'So richly imagined and so wonderfully written - highly recommended!' On My Bookshelf 'Superb escapism! ... the way the views, smells, sounds of the island are captured are spectacular' Be Reader Books 'Jo Thomas is a purveyor of dreams. I defy anybody to read this book and at the end of it not to dream a little of the Cretan life' Short Books and Scribes 'Warm, sensual and heartwarming' Books, Life and Everything 'A charming and delightful slice of escapist romantic fiction' Heat 'The ultimate cheery tale' Sun

Grandma needs some honey for cookies. Hayden visits a neighbor who has a honey farm. There he learns how Mr. Albright gets the honey from the hives. A jumping off point to explore the life of bees and how they are so necessary for our ecology

A farmyard full of animals, a hundred backpackers in the house, thousands of tourists in the garden, millions of bees in the air - and one family. What could possibly go wrong? This funny and poignant memoir also includes original organic balm and farmhouse recipes.

Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin, this is the emotional third instalment in The Cordwainers series by bestselling author Iris Gower. READERS ARE LOVING THE CORDWAINERS! "I have really enjoyed reading this whole series...I would recommend the reading of any of the books by this author." - 5 STARS "Loved these books [-] definitely recommend this series: once you start you will want to read them all" - 5 STARS "One not to miss..." - 5 STARS "Yet another brilliant Iris Gower book..."-5 STARS "You finish one book and you just have to start the next one." - 5 STARS ************************************************************* CAN SHE OVERCOME THE PERILS FACING HER AND WIN THE HEART OF THE MAN SHE LOVES? Fon Parks isn't surprised when farmer Jamie O'Conner asked her to marry him - he trusted her and could rely on her: she had nursed his wife until her death and knew his son and the ways of Honey's Farm. She adores Jamie, but her love is unrequited. When the future of the farm is threated by people who want to destroy Jamie and his wife, she determines, with the support of her friend Eline Harries, to take action, stand strong against the dangers confronting her and earn the love of her husband. Honey's Farm is the third title in Iris Gower's Cordwainers series. Have you read The Shoemaker's Daughter and The Oyster Catchers, the previous two books?