Family secrets, lost and future loves and a past that isn't quite as it seems combine in this engrossing novel set in the beautiful Cornish countryside. Multiple points of view, interesting and authentic characters, and a real love of the natural world make this a fascinating and engaging book to read. The landscape just comes alive and it very much makes you want to book a trip to Cornwall immediately.

This is the first time I have come across this author and it was the title and the blurb that attracted me.

The story revolves around Trengrose a country estate in Cornwall. Erza Curnow has lived there all his life, when new owners arrive his life becomes a battle to keep his home. There are multiple story lines to enjoy, particularly interesting the ones concerning the bees. Learning about sharing news with the bees is absolutely charming.

A fascinating read as beside the storyline the author's strong feelings for our environment and nature shine through in her writing.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher Apollo for the opportunity to read and review.

Ezra Curnow has lived in the little cottage on the Trengrose estate all his life. Like his father and his grandfather before him, he was born there, has worked the land, and plans to die there. When Eliza, mistress of the estate, dies without a will, the ownership of his slice of Cornish paradise is in question. Her estate is sold to Toby and Minty Hardman, a wealthy London couple looking for a fresh start and an escape from the city. To them, Trengrose is a lucrative rental opportunity that includes the cottage, which they believe is theirs. The battle lines are drawn in a fight where both sides will do whatever it takes to win.

Compassionate, immersive, transportive and witty, I adored this book. With her skilful storytelling, layered choreography and richly drawn characters, Jane Johnson pulled me into the pages, and I lost myself within this story of family, secrets, mystery and Cornish folklore.

At the heart of this story is Ezra, a gruff, curmudgeonly recluse who may appear spiky on the outside, but has a heart as sweet as the honey from his beloved bees. I loved him immediately, not followed by his hardened facade, but charmed by his love of Cornwall, nature and the home he’s always known. In flashbacks we learn more of Ezra’s story, slowly understanding why he prefers isolation. These sections were moving and mysterious, sometimes offering us more questions than answers. One of the things I enjoyed most about Ezra is how he may come off as a doddering old man, but underneath he is wily, and as he fights to keep his home he proves himself a more formidable opponent than the Hardman’s anticipated, particularly Toby who believed Ezra would be easy to intimidate. I took an instant dislike to Toby, who was pompous, rude and vindictive. The rest of the Hardman family were likeable, and I particularly loved the multi-generational friendship between Dom, the Hardman’s son, and Ezra. And I can’t talk about the characters without mentioning Bucca, Ezra’s grumpy and malevolent cat who cracked me up with his cunning antics. I could have happily read a book with him as the main character and couldn’t get enough every time he was on the page.

A delightful story full of surprising twists, this is another must-read from Ms. Johnson.

Ezra has lived in the little cottage on the Trengrose Estate all his life, as his fathers and forefathers before him. Suddenly with Miss Eliza dying and leaving no will, his life is turned upside down when the property is sold and the new tenants have other ideas for the cottage.
After a very slow start where I wasn’t connecting with the characters or understanding the direction of the novel it actually turned into a beautiful story of belonging, and being of one with nature and the natural surroundings. Along with a little bit of magical realism interspersed with information about the environment and how we can look after it.
Erza was a very wily character and I did have a few smirks on my face as he got up to some antics. The rest of the characters grew on me too, except one who shall remain nameless.
There is a small dual timeline of Ezra’s time in Cyprus with the British Army. I did wonder of the significance of this but it all came together beautifully at the end.
A truely satisfying read and I am very pleased I persevered.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

A beautiful story which is going to stay with me. Pretty sure it’s going to be my book of the year I loved it so much. The descriptions of Cornwall’s landscape had me remembering a lovely holiday spent there by the sea many years ago. The author’s love of the area really shone through the pages.

Ezra has been living in the little cottage in the grounds of a large estate, managing the plants and bees, just like his father and his grandfather before him. In fact he has lived in this cottage all of his life, initially with his family but now there is just him. And the cat who has chosen to live with him. And Merlin the jackdaw who visits for tasty treats, landing on Ezra’s shoulder. He happily potters around, tending to the land which mostly sustains him, and talking to the bees. 

When the owner of the estate dies without leaving a will and a new wealthy couple buy it, the ownership of his cottage comes into question. They want him out but Ezra is not budging. They have no idea what this old man is capable of and I was behind him the whole way! 

We are taken back to Ezra’s younger days, throughout the book as we learn more about his life. There is romance, there is heartbreak, and there are secrets. And I was not prepared for those secrets! They were secrets on a whole other level!

This really is such a special book to lose yourself in, and I could do nothing last Sunday until I read the whole book in just two sittings. The pages flew by as I was lost in Ezra’s world. It has a place on my forever bookshelf as I know I will want to read it again and again. I fell in love with this elderly gent, who was so contentedly living a peaceful and happy life. 

This is a must read. Put it to the top of your reading list.

In a quiet corner of West Cornwall, Ezra Curnow has lived in a cottage on the Trengrose estate all his life - just like his father and grandfather before him. Surrounded by his garden and orchard, and the wildlife that inhabits them, he is content to live out his days in the only home he has ever wanted.

But changes are afoot. Miss Eliza, mistress of the estate, has passed away without leaving a will, and having kept her family secrets hidden. His beloved Trengrose is now in the hands of newcomers from London, financier Toby Hardman and his aristocratic wife Minty, who have big plans - including removing the ancient Celtic cross that marks gateway to Trengrose, inviting 'glampers' on to the land, and worst of all, renting out Ezra's cottage to holidaymakers.

Ezra may be getting on in years, but he is not about to go down without a fight. He has impressive resources that make him a worthy adversary, and, unknown to him, the aid of a spirit from beyond the grave who will not rest until the truth is known...

What an absolutely fabulous book, full of many-layered storylines and themes about glorious Cornwall!

The story begins with elderly Ezra communing with only remaining hive of bees on the once thriving Trengrose estate, telling them of the death of Miss Eliza, last bastion of the Rosevear family. He is unsure about what the future holds, but is determined to hold onto the little paradise he has fostered around him, come what may. And what comes is a battle with the boorish Toby and somewhat otherworldly Minty as they set about their scheme of 'improvements' that rip the heart out of Ezra's beloved Trengrose. But Ezra is not to be underestimated: a veteran of combat, starting with the rough and tumble that comes with being half of a set of twins, and honed by haunting experiences in the British Army during Cypriot unrest in 1957 (brought to bear through intense flashbacks), he is ready to defend his 'castle' in a variety of ingenious ways.

I was invested in this story from the first beautifully written page to the last. In a delicious mix of emotional family drama, environmental odyssey, gentle romance, and historical gold-mine, Johnson excels at bring her characters and setting alive, and my goodness, does she put your heart through the wringer in the process. A difficult stand-off leads to burgeoning threads about Ezra's family; the Hardmans and their children; and the secret history of Trengrose, which is gradually revealed through a captivating mystery about Eliza Rosevear and her mother.

In the telling, Johnson makes you fall in love with Cornwall in all its natural splendour, and revels in its flora and fauna (especially bees and the plants needed to sustain them) through the wise old eyes of wily Ezra, who I adored (along with Bucca the grumpy cat). She also cleverly shines a light on the tragic fate of rural communities under attack from property developers, holidaymakers, and second homers, in a way that hits you hard.

I laughed and cried my way through this incredible story, completely invested in the fate of Trengrose, and a happy ending for the characters worthy of rescue and redemption (and a suitably fitting ending for those that deserve neither). I closed the cover with my heart full. A book to treasure.

Minty and Toby hope that escaping their London life to rural Cornwall will give their family the much needed fresh start they need on more than one level. When the slightly worse for wear but beautiful country house Trengrose comes on the market, it seems like they’ve hit the jackpot. They want to develop it into a retreat with glamping pods and maybe convert the cottage close by into a holiday rental.

Ezra Curnow has called the Trengrose estate home all his life. He was born there and his father and grandfather before him all worked the land there. So when the new family from London want him to move out of the cottage he loves with all his heart, he is determined not to give up easily. There is no clear legal evidence as to who the cottage belongs to and it’s not long before Ezra has a true battle on his hands and Minty and Toby realise it’s not easy being accepted as a newcomer to Cornwall.

But at Minty starts to work on the main house, she comes across some old documents that suddenly make her feel differently about her plans and it isn’t only the house that is keeping secrets.

This is a book that will certainly transport you to Cornwall, one that make you smile more than once and a read that won’t give up its secret until very near the end, however hard you’ll try and guess it. I really enjoyed not only the story but some of the information about birds, bees and nature in general, which was hidden in there in a gentle way and I also really liked the way the characters were developed as the story went on.

Every so often, along comes a book which just takes you by surprise and leaves you wishing that you hadn't read it - just so you could enjoy it all over again. This is one such book!

Ezra Curnow was brought up on the Trengrose estate, in the cottage he still lives in; his parents and grandparents lived there too and it is his home. Then Eliza, estate owner, dies without leaving a will. The estate is put on the market and sold to a London couple with no understanding of Cornish ways - their only interest is to adapt the estate to make money and they have their eyes on Ezra's cottage as a rental property. However, Ezra isn't quite the pushover they expect . . .

Whatever I suspected from this novel, it was so very much more in every respect. I disappeared into another world, another time, whenever I lifted my kindle to read. A very special tale and one I delighted in, all the way through. It made me smile, it made cringe, it made me laugh. It made me want never to get to the end of it. I really cannot recommend this one highly enough and, as such, it has to earn all five shiny stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Ezra epitomises someone who is ‘in tune’ with nature in a way people once were but are sadly less so these days. He grows his own fruit and vegetables (and some other things as well), tends to the bees in their hive and uses herbal remedies. He doesn’t see humans as superior to animals. Although he has a cat companion, he doesn’t own him; Bucca comes and goes as he pleases. The same with the jackdaw who pecks mealworms from Ezra’s pocket.

Ezra has few material possessions and his cottage doesn’t have the things we might consider essential today, like electricity, a telephone line or an inside bathroom. But that doesn’t matter to him. He’s happy living in the cottage where he was born and the only way he intends to leave is, in his own words, feet first.

The sale of Trengrose House threatens to upend everything because its new owners, the Hardmans, see only its financial potential. They represent everything Ezra is not. They’re not interested in preserving the estate with its orchards and meadows. To them the Celtic cross in the lane is merely an obstacle not a sacred monument that’s stood there for centuries. And they’re definitely not interested that Ezra’s lived in the cottage all his life, they just want him out. Unfortunately they haven’t counted on Ezra’s determination, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. And his capacity for mischief making.

There’s quite a contrast between the more lighthearted moments and what we learn about Ezra’s experiences as a young man.

The landscape, culture and history of Cornwall is an essential element of the book, reflecting the author’s own attachment to the county. The story also incorporates some of the social and economic issues Cornish people face today, such as a lack of affordable housing, but in a way that never feels like a political tract. There is though a strong ecological message that runs throughout the book. ‘Everywhere humans go, they wreck it. Pillage the land for whatever profit they can make out of it, without giving a thought to the consequences for any other living thing.’

It seems to me all the characters learn something in the course of the book, leading them to a sense of fulfilment. With Ezra’s help, Mindy and Toby’s son Dominic learns to identify the local flora and fauna, whilst their daughter Miranda comes to appreciate the wild landscape around Trengrose with the help of Ezra’s great-nephew Sam. Mindy becomes absorbed in discovering the history of Trengrose House and its previous occupants, uncovering some long hidden secrets in the process. Toby? Well, the only thing he learns is that there are some things money can’t buy. (The description of him as an ‘encysted pustule’ is spot on.)

The reader learns quite a bit as well about Ezra, including some things I certainly didn’t see coming.

Secrets of the Bees is a heartwarming story that has woven into it a message about the risk we run if we lose our connection with nature and value things purely in monetary terms. ‘You can’t buy birdsong, or the sight of your bees visiting your own flowers, or the sun through the leaves of the apple trees, or the smell of ripe tomatoes you’ve grown from seed…’ Add a whiff of the supernatural, a touch of mystery and an element of melodrama and you have all the ingredients for an entertaining read.

Trent rose has been in the same hands for a long time, but with Eliza Rosevear’s death it is sold to Toby Hardman who also sets his sights on Ezra’s cottage. But Ezra has lived there all his life and his father before him, he couldn’t contemplate anywhere else. There are secrets around Trengrose and they will come to light.
Set in Cornwall the story is one I could hardly put down, with many unexpected twists to it. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Ezra has spent his whole life living in her cottage on the Trengrose estate in Cornwall. it was his fathers home and his grandfathers before that. and he intends it to be his until he passes too. this is his home perfect as it is. its his peace.
but when the estate owner dies she leaves no will. and the whole estate goes up for sale. its bought by Toby who is just a London business man who knows what he wants. he begins changing the estate to bring in business and is always on the lookout for how to bring in more. this is how they come to have their eyes on Ezra's cottage. Ezra's home. and because Ezra doesnt have anything official to say its his his literal whole life is at risk. because if he loses his home he loses everything. it is his everything.
i loved this book so much. it was brilliantly told so much so you feel you are in the estates walls. you are in the cottage. you are in the Cornish scenery. i felt involved in the characters lives. and was fighting all the way for Ezra! especially as along the way it might be Ezra who this new family needs. yes you heard that right Toby you big bully. and seeing how some of my initial thoughts of some of the family changes was pure skill on Jane's part.
this is a wonderful book. from the cover i was already immersed into her tale. but from then on in it just got better and better and better. and that didnt stop right until the last page.

A very surprising book that I enjoyed in the end .

It did start slowly and was difficult to get into but eventually turned into a story of hope and redemption in a way.

I did find the Ezra part at the end difficult to comprehend and felt it deserved to be further back in the story as it was fundamental to the man that Ezra had become. To say more would be a terrible spoiler.

Toby and his wife buy Trengrose and want to ‘Londonfy’ it and make it into a glamping site. Ezra and his humble cottage put a spanner in the works. Toby was thoroughly unlikeable and I suppose this is testament to the author that she managed to make him so. Parts where he got what he deserved were well written.
Minty - or to give her her full name Araminta - eventually realised that Cornish heritage might be more important than yurts in a field though she was still to have an income. Her husbands business and personal dealings finally made her see that Trengrose was where she wanted to be.
Add in her children Dom and Miranda (Ran) and Ezra’s great nephew Sam - and there was plenty of opportunity to have more relationships within the tale.


There were twists and turns and enough interest to keep me reading to the end. The author lives in. Or wall I understand and obviously realises what a special county it is

I found the dual timeline difficult at first as it seemed too disjointed, but as you get further into the book it starts to pull together. The characters are brilliant and I loved the old house as well as the bees. It's wonderful to see the healing power of nature. Emotional and heartbreaking at times.

First book for me by this author, lovely book well written with great characters and such a lovely story. Will look out for more books by Jane Johnson
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to Publisher Head of Zeus | Apollo for the early read

This was an absolute joy of a read. Perfect ingredients of great characters and their existing and developing relationships. A fantastic storyline weaving in the modern challenges of popular holiday spots struggling to stay solvent and maintain their community and character. I particularly loved the weaving in of nature and the symbiotic relationship when man and nature work in respect and harmony versus wantion pillaging of earths resources and focus on acquisition. This book is no chick lit but the very best of romance and family connections. Five resounding stars

What an emotional story. Read this is two days. Love the feeling of the book and the history involved. A great twist that I never expected. Mades us understand nature has it's ways of communicating with us.

This is one of the best books I have read in many months, and I read a lot of books. It will remain with me for a long time, having made such an impression on me.
The story is completely immersive, each characterisation so detailed and strong that I felt as if I knew them all. It’s such an unusual narrative, mixing the new owners of the ancient estate of Trengrose, with the centuries old history of the previous inhabitants, which is convoluted to say the least! It’s also completely fascinating, mixing modern family dynamics with details of the much older family dynamics of the Trengroses.
Ezra Cunlow, descended from a family line of estate managers at Trengrose, is truly a force of nature, and such a complex character. The strands of the story of Ezra’s National Service in Cyprus are harrowing to read, and the unforeseen outcome so very sad.
Woven throughout this remarkable book, is the author’s in-depth knowledge of the natural world, and her ability to describe nature that makes it come alive for the reader. It is so thought provoking, forcing us to think about how we are destroying nature so thoughtlessly.
Finally it has made me decide that I must visit Cornwall, it is so beautifully described, and seems so very different from my native east of Scotland, but also in many ways similar.
I am in awe of what this author has achieved with this book, and I am so sad to leave the Trengrose and Cunlow families, at least until I read this novel again.
My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. Highly recommended.

Another beautifully crafted novel from Jane Johnson, who you quickly learn will not disappoint, with rich settings and high emotion in her work.
This novel follows the fortunes of a rich couple with their teenage children who buy the mansion at Trengrose in Cornwall, in hopes of making it earn its keep with glamping and the like. However, the fly in their ointment is old Ezra Curnow, inhabiting an old cottage in the estate, the legal rights and ramifications of which hadn't been hammered out before the sale was finalised.
The ongoing stalemate between the two households as the Hardmans try to be rid of Ezra make for some amusing reading before things turn darker, but there is a deeper heart to this story, and although at some point you will likely put the pieces together faster than the protagonists, to understand what's coming, I'm pretty sure this wonderful book will still surprise you and profoundly move you, unravelling you as it unravels in its turn. The prose dances and warms like one of the titular bees - Jane Johnson is truly a master of her craft (all the time she spent with Tolkien and Robin Hobb has stood her in good stead!) Highly recommended.

Secrets of the Bees by Jane Johnson is a gentle yet gripping tale set in a secluded pocket of West Cornwall, where history and mystery are woven into the landscape. When Ezra Curnow’s beloved cottage is threatened by new ownership of the Trengrose estate, an age-old battle between tradition and modernity begins to stir.

Though the story starts at a slower pace, it gradually draws you in, rewarding patience with a rich sense of place and thoughtful themes. Ezra is a brilliant character—rooted, wise and quietly defiant—and the way the natural world is portrayed really resonated with me. I particularly appreciated how the narrative explores our deep connection to land, heritage and the passing of time.

A beautifully atmospheric read that lingers long after the last page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I first discovered the author Jane Johnson when I read her wonderful novel, The White Hare, which has stayed with me ever since.

I immediately fell in love with the reclusive Ezra Curnow who just wanted peace and quiet and time to indulge his love of nature and his beloved Cornwall without any outside noise, pottering around in his little garden tending to his plants and vegetables and the important Trengrose residents the bees!

With only Bucca, the most cantankerous and vindictive of cats as company ( I would cry with laughter at every mention of Bucca and his scheming ) and a jackdaw called Merlin All was pretty idyllic for Ezra until the last mistress of Trengrose Estate, Eliza Rosevear dies, and the arrogant bully Toby arrives from London with his poor wife Minty and their children.

With no will to be found, the future for Ezra in his family’s cottage is in jeopardy, but fear not Ezra, an old soldier will not be tossed out without a battle on the cards. As the family settle into their new rural idyll, they quickly realise that they will not be accepted into the Cornish community easily. Minty, an interior designer, has a passion for writing about old aristocratic families and discovers a hidden document that will change all their lives forever.

I loved every bit of this book from start to finish, there is folklore, drama, humour, and so many secrets unveiled throughout that the Secrets of the Bees is a book that will appeal to everyone. There are twists aplenty which just makes this book a read that is impossible to put down. There are many characters to love and to hate with gusto, but Ezra just captured my heart with his gruff and hard exterior he tries to hide a heart as sweet as the honey from his bees
Another Jane Johnson book that I highly recommend to you all.