Tag: Amish Candy Shop Mystery

BONUS REVIEW: Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower

BONUS REVIEW: Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie spent 10 years in Michigan, caring for her ailing sister. While there, she became acquainted with a boy named Ben. Now an adult, Ben has followed Millie back to Holmes County, Ohio, to start over. He has fallen in love with a young woman named Tess. Ben hoped his honorary aunt, Millie, as the local matchmaker, would help him convince Tess’ father to let them marry. While Millie can see the love Ben has for Tess, she advises patience rather than going against Tess’s father’s wishes. But Ben seems to be in a hurry to move the relationship along. Millie can’t get him to explain why.

When tragedy strikes at the Amish Flea Market where Ben worked, Millie and her best friend, Lois, are determined to find out what happened to Ben and if it had anything to do with Tess or her father. “‘Amish Marple’ and her lovely sidekick are on the case.”

Review

Millie and Lois are such a fun sleuthing team! I am thoroughly enjoying this Amish Matchmaker Mystery series by Amanda Flower. There’s just enough crossover with the Amish Candy Shop series to make fun connections. But not too much that it would alienate readers unfamiliar with that series. And I love Millie’s goats! (Far more than the pig, Jethro, from the other series. That pig is a menace.)

I was caught off guard that Ben was the victim in this book. It’s in the official synopsis, but that wasn’t in my head when I started reading. Usually there’s some emotional distance between the protagonist and the victim. And often the victim is odious. But that wasn’t the case here. Ben is earnest and hard working. And he’s loyal to Millie who cares for him as if he’s family. That connection gave this mystery an unexpected emotional edge, and I liked it.

I will read pretty much anything Amanda Flower writes at this point, but I think this is my favorite series of hers right now. Millie and Lois are an odd couple in all the best ways. They make for a dynamic and FUN duo. Add in those hilarious goats, and a great mystery that kept me guessing until the end, and I am a happy reader. You can read my review of book one, Matchmaking Can Be Murder, here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Juliet and the Reverend are getting married. Bailey and Aiden – as well as Jethro the pig – are their attendants. The whole community has turned out for the event, both the Amish and the “English.” Bailey’s biggest concern is the wedding cake – a four-tier cake with marshmallow frosting and pink fondant polka-dots. Ohio temperatures in July are not friendly for the decorations.

The real wrinkle in the day, though comes from the woman who stormed in during the middle of the wedding to create a scene for Reverend Brook. But no one could have anticipated that.

It was even less expected when Bailey later found the woman dead.

What was the woman’s connection to Reverend Brook? Why did she crash his wedding and call him a “traitor?” Who was the man Bailey saw her with after the wedding? Could the Reverend have been the one to kill her?

Review

This was great. The mystery was excellent! The pacing was perfect, as was the solution. I was caught completely off guard in the end. I loved that.

The ongoing character development pieces were interesting. I was pretty frustrated with Juliet and Jethro the pig early on. That pig is a menace! And there’s an interesting wrinkle in Aiden and Bailey’s relationship in this book. Bailey shows remarkable restraint in the face of rude condescension and manipulation. There are also developments in Juliet and the Reverend’s relationship in addition to the wedding. On top of all that is the lead up to Bailey’s new TV show (which hasn’t launched yet by the end of the book). The only thing that would have made me happier with this is to get some resolution with the nasty pretzel shop owners. Maybe that is coming in a book soon.

Fans of the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series should not miss this one. The mystery is top notch, and series regulars are in top form. I am also impressed by how well the author incorporated faith pieces into this so naturally. This is not published by a Christian publisher, but the faith pieces in this are supremely well done. I have read Christian novels that haven’t done as nice of a job.

It looks like Amanda Flower has three more books releasing this year – Mums and Mayhem, the next book in her Magic Garden series, releases in August. Its release date was pushed back due to the pandemic. Dead-End Detective, a new mystery from Hallmark Publishing, releases in August as well. Finally, Courting Can Be Killer, the second book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series releases in November. The author is even launching another new series in 2021 with the book Farm to Trouble, a Farm to Table Mystery. Flower fans have a lot to look forward to!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Botched Butterscotch by Amanda Flower

BONUS REVIEW: Botched Butterscotch by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this novella from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Bailey is looking forward to spending time with her parents, especially considering it’s Mother’s Day weekend. Aiden’s mom has invited Bailey and her parents to a Mother’s Day brunch. And the ladies have tickets for a women’s tea that weekend as well.

The tea is a fundraiser for Abigail’s Farm, a program for women in recovery who have finished rehab. Going into it, Bailey assumes the riskiest thing about the tea is having Aiden’s match-making mother spend time with Bailey’s mom. But that’s before thousands of dollars are stolen in the middle of the fundraiser.

Review

This is the second novella in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower. It’s considered book 4.5 in the full series. Book 5, Marshmallow Malice, will release at the end of May.

This was a fast read. Readers should note this is a novella, not a full length novel. There’s no murder, and the story is pretty straightforward. Series regulars like Juliet, Aiden’s mom; her pig, Jethro; and community leader Margot make appearances. The ladies at Abigail’s Farm and their neighbors are new characters for this story.

As this is a novella, there’s not the same pacing and suspense as you would find in a full book. I missed those elements. I like the twists and turns in a full length cozy. Fans of the series will want to check this out so you have all of the adventures for your favorite characters. There’s a new pig in this story that was a hoot! If you are more interested in  a regular mystery with Bailey and Aiden and the rest of the folks in Harvest, you don’t have to wait long.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie Fisher recently moved back to Holmes County, Ohio. She had lived in Michigan for years, taking care of her sister. But now she’s back, enjoying being home in her Amish community with family close by.

Millie has a reputation as something of a matchmaker in her community. God has given her a sense for when two people are a good match – or not. Which is why Millie is so eager to talk to her niece, Edith. She rushed into an engagement to Zeke Miller, but it’s obvious to Millie that the two are ill-suited for one another. Thankfully, Edith agrees and breaks her engagement.

Gossip spreads quickly in the small community. And people have some strong opinions about the break up. It caught everyone but Millie by surprise. But it’s nothing compared to the surprise of finding Zeke, murdered. Millie is desperate to help Edith, but she’s keeping secrets and she looks guilty. Millie’s going to have to work her people skills to figure out who wanted Zeke dead – and why.

Review

This was terrific! It’s a spin off of the author’s Amish Candy Shop series, so the setting and several of the secondary characters are familiar.

I loved Millie and her English friend, Lois. They are a delightful contrast, and they are hoot together! Because of those two, this is my new favorite Amanda Flower series.

Flower does a great job weaving this book together. There are enough connections to the other series that readers of those books will feel instantly at home. But they are presented in such a way that newcomers won’t feel like they’ve missed something. The author also seeds the book with story threads that can play out in future books. I can’t wait.

The mystery was great. All the pieces came together well. The pacing of the sleuthing worked, too. I enjoyed everything about this one – don’t miss it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lethal Licorice AND Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Lethal Licorice AND Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Lethal Licorice – Summary

Weeks after the death of her grandfather, Bailey King is representing him in the Amish Confectionery Competition in their home town of Harvest, Ohio. She’ll be competing with her licorice, taffy, peanut brittle, and fudge. Bailey is hoping to win the fudge contest at least, since chocolate is her forté, but winning the whole contest would be excellent PR for their candy shop, Swissmen Sweets.

Several of the Amish contestants are unhappy that Bailey is in the contest. She isn’t Amish, even though she is following all the same cooking rules as the other contestants. No one is as bitter about Bailey’s entry in the contest as Josephine Weaver. So when Josephine turns up dead, Bailey is a murder suspect again.

But she’s not the only suspect. Josephine’s niece is pushing against the rules of her strict Amish district. She and Josephine may have had words. And then there’s the matter of Josephine’s candy shop – who will inherit her successful business and prime location? And what about her antagonistic shop neighbor? Bailey is determined to dig through the motives of these other suspects, find the real culprit, and clear her name.

Lethal Licorice – Review

This was a great second mystery in this series. You can read my review of book one here. I am enjoying the Amish/English differences and the conflict that arises from them. Bailey and her grandmother are great characters, although the young Amish women around them – Emily, and now Charlotte, are my favorite characters.

The mystery was great. I was guessing all the way to the end. But honestly, I was just as interested in the ins and outs of the Amish community in the story as I was in figuring out the murderer. My only complaint in the whole novel was about the poor lost pig. At one point, Bailey gets a clue about the location of the missing pig – more than 24 hours after he disappeared – but she doesn’t call someone while she deals with murder stuff, or go on her own to check out the clue. While it all works itself out in the end, it was a jarring delay considering the animal was likely without food or water while missing.

Overall, I am loving this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

Premeditated Peppermint – Summary

It’s Christmas in Harvest, Ohio, and Bailey King and her grandmother are preparing an assortment of peppermint treats for the Christmas Market to showcase their store, Swissmen Sweets. The plans for the event are all in place – the live nativity, the parade, and the Amish businesses selling their wares. What is NOT in the plan is Bailey’s New York ex, Eric Sharp, coming to town.

Eric has convinced his television crew to come to Ohio and film an Amish Christmas – including Amish candies from Swissmen Sweets and a romantic reconciliation with Bailey. The fact that Bailey doesn’t want anything to do with Eric’s plan doesn’t seem to be getting through to anyone. But when the show’s executive producer is found murdered, Eric needs Bailey for more than his TV show. He needs her to find the killer before he’s arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.

Premeditated Peppermint – Review

This is such a fun series! The mix of English and Amish characters, many with strong personalities, makes for great interactions. The only down side is the way those strong personalities tend to bulldoze right over Bailey much of the time. Her best friend, Cass, is one of my favorite characters because she puts herself between Bailey and those other characters. Of course, she can be just as guilty of pushing Bailey into all sorts of crazy scenarios. But because she is protective most of the time, her meddling isn’t as frustrating. I would like to see Bailey stand up for herself a little more as the series goes on.

The mystery in this book was solid. There were dueling motives for the murder, and Bailey tackled both with some great sleuthing. There are some interesting developments for the overarching story of the series in this book, too. I’m eager to see where those developments lead for book four – Toxic Toffee – out in the spring of 2019.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bailey King puts her life as a chocolatier in New York aside to travel to Harvest, Ohio. Bailey’s Amish grandfather is sick. Even though she is up for a huge promotion at work, family comes first.

When she gets to Ohio, Bailey discovers that a developer, Tyson Colton, is trying to buy out her grandparents’ candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. After an argument with Bailey’s grandfather, Colton is found dead in the kitchen of Swissmen Sweets. As her grandfather’s health makes him too weak to be a viable suspect, Bailey becomes the sheriff’s top choice.

In order to stay out of jail, protect her family, and get back to New York to save her job, Bailey’s going to have to figure out who really killed Tyson Colton. There’s no shortage of suspects, from the other Amish store owners Colton tried to buy out to his own son. Bailey has her work cut out for her!

Review

I loved this! It was a great cozy with interesting characters and some fun humor. Great all the way around.

The Amish pieces were a nice contrast to Bailey’s usual world in New York as well as the world of most readers. There was a great balance with Bailey as she understood the community because of her family, but at the same time she was outside it. I think Bailey’s struggle with issues of faith when faced with the faith of her grandparents and the Amish community could be a fascinating aspect of future books.

I really enjoyed the mystery. In general, I find mysteries stressful when the protagonist is the main suspect. But I liked the other pieces of this – the characters, the setting, the candy, the potential romance – so much that it balanced the tension well.

My only complaint is that I have a couple questions I don’t feel were answered in the solution to the mystery. I’ve gone back and re-read sections to be sure I didn’t just skim too quickly over something, but I still didn’t find complete satisfaction with the solution on the murder. Maybe this is because I read an unedited review copy. Perhaps this last 5% of the solution will be resolved when I read this in a final copy – which I will. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Bailey and her family and friends. I already have book two, Lethal Licorice, in my shopping cart to pre-order before its February 2018 debut.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for providing an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review. I honestly adored this book!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½