The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits

by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton

Fannie Miller is a single Amish woman of forty-three who owns a quilting shop. She is also a big fan of mysteries. She has collaborated on several investigations with Foster Bates, a retired cop who has become a private investigator in Sugarcreek, Ohio. They develop a friendship and learn to respect each other’s intuition about the cases that come their way. 

Miss Fannie enters a baking contest, as she has for the last ten years. This year the prize is twenty-five thousand dollars which she could use to repair her roof or expand her quilting shop. Her main goal, however, is to use her aunt’s buttermilk biscuit recipe to win a blue ribbon. 

Some strange things seem to be going on in the town. There is a strained feeling and a number of contestants have disappeared. Is something dangerous and illegal going on? Fannie convinces Foster that there could be and they need to look into it.

Fannie progresses to the finals along with the Beiler sisters: Faith, Hope, and Charity. These ladies, known as the town gossips, own a wonderful bakery where they sell their delicious cinnamon rolls. Michael and Melissa Taylor are also in the finals. They are a troubled couple who have separated several times. Melissa has had numerous miscarriages. They want to adopt a child, but have discovered that it would be very expensive.

Another thread concerns John Troyer, the church district’s bishop, and his son Jeb who suffers from social anxiety. It points up the difficulty of juggling business, spiritual, and family priorities.

As you might guess from the cover, this cozy mystery is fun, clean, and non-violent. It is a satisfying mystery, and I enjoyed watching the friendship develop between Fannie and Foster. There are limits to their relationship because Fannie is Amish and Foster is not. It is also interesting to see how each of them views the other’s lifestyle. If you like gentle Amish stories with some mystery thrown in, I think you will like The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery, Religion, Christian, Romance

Notes: 1. I don’t know if this will become the first in a series of Miss Fannie books, but it certainly could be. 

    2. The recipe for Miss Fannie’s Buttermilk Biscuits is included.

  3. This story is also being produced as a musical.

Publication:  January 1,2025—Barbour

Memorable Lines:

“So, what makes you think you’re in danger?” He asked, holding tight to the edge of his wooden desk to keep from getting swept into the vortex of another complicated Fannie Miller case against his will and better judgment.

The bigger the scandal, the less evidence was needed to back it up.

“Gossip isn’t harmless. It taints reputations, including the reputation of the person telling it. No wonder the wise avoid it.”