title: Master Detective: The Life and Crimes of Ellis Parker, America's Real-life Sherlock Holmes (Updated and expanded)
author:  John Reisinger 
description: <span>John Reisinger's first published work was an article on construction in Greenland while he was an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. Since then he has written several books, articles, and short stories on topics ranging from Civil War blockade running to the manhunt for an escaped German POW, to the Mayans, to the biography of one of America's greatest detectives. He even found time to write a children's book.</span><br /><span>John writes books centered on some the weird corners of real-life, believing that truth is more incredible and interesting than any fiction. Reading his books is like stepping into another time and place.</span><br /><span>His book Master Detective has been published in several editions, including versions in Taiwan and Mainland China.</span><br /><span>Like the detective in his current series, the Max Hurlock Roaring 20s Mysteries, John lives on Maryland's Eastern Shore, not far from the Chesapeake Bay. John has written and spoken on topics such as writing, crime and forensics, and the secrets behind some of the world's landmark structures. Two of his books have won gold medals from the Global eBook Awards. John has spoken to graduate school classes and civic organizations, and has appeared in a TV episode of Mysteries at the Museum.</span><br /><br /><span>His website is wjohnreisinger.com</span><br /><br /><span>His blog is johnreisinger.net</span>
zlib_text: **The Honeybee Heist**
  
  __
  
  _(A Virginia Holmes Cozy Mystery)_
  
  By Zelda White
  
  Published by Poisoned Pen Press. Copyright 2018.
  
  [**_Follow Zelda White on Bookbub!_**](https://www.bookbub.com/authors/zelda-
  white)
  
    
  
  Chapter 1
  
  ![](Images/image00056.jpeg)
  
  My name is Samantha Fox, and I’m a detective. Well, _co_ -detective is a
  better term for it at this point. Partner to the world-famous Virginia Holmes.
  Virginia Holmes, solver of mysteries great and small.
  
  … But mostly great, on account of her feverish desire to challenge her
  intellect. Apparently a career of more than 30 years as a police detective
  wasn’t enough for her. No, Holmes found retirement to be more boring than
  expected, and it didn’t take much to get her back in the game, working as a
  private eye and seeking out the most interesting cases she could.
  
  Dragging me along for the ride.
  
  There was a time, as you may know, when solving crimes wasn’t exactly on my
  radar. I had a job—albeit not a great one—working as an execu