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Source Novel - A TASTE FOR HONEY - H.F. Heard

posted 15 years ago by Harold_Robbins
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It seems generally forgotten that the actual source for THE DEADLY BEES was the 1941 mystery novel A TASTE FOR HONEY by H.F. Heard - {Henry Fitzgerald Heard, commonly called Gerald Heard [October 6, 1889 - August 14, 1971], a historian, science writer, educator, and philosopher. He wrote many articles and over 35 books). The novel was one of several Heard wrote featuring Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother. Obviously this aspect of the story was dropped when the novel was adapted into THE DEADLY BEES by Robert Bloch.

"Somewhere along the line the world has lost all of its standards and all of its taste."

[–] dirk275 15 years ago

I've looked for this book but couldn't find it. How is the book and how close does the movie follow it? I'd really like to know. Thanks.

I don't have time to jaw with anyone who won't identify himself!

[–] daviddermott 11 years ago

Here is a review of the Heard "taste for Honey" story:

http://betterholmesandgardens.blogspot.ca/2011/10/book-review-taste-fo r-honey.html

And there is a Gerald Heard website:

http://www.geraldheard.com/taste.htm

There was even an early TV movie based on the Heard story,
"Sting of Death" (1955) on the "Elgin Hour"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0569913/
and SURPRISE it DID star Boris Karloff!

I noticed a slight "Holmes" feeling to "Deadly Bees".
After Sherlock Holmes retired from the PI career he became a
beekeeper and wrote a book about beekeeping, under a pseudonym,
I think (can't find the reference now). I half expected that the
"Modern Bee Farm" (by S. Simmons) book that appears in the "Deadly Bees" to
be the Holmes book but I found that S. Simmins was the real author.