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Peanut Butter Panic–complicated, but humorous, mystery
Peanut Butter Panic
by Amanda Flower
I always enjoy the novels in Amanda Flower’s cozy mystery series The Amish Candy Shop Mysteries. Peanut Butter Panic is no exception.
Bailey, an Englisch chocolatier, is co-owner with her grandmother of Swissmen Sweets in the tourist town of Harvest. There is a lot going on for Bailey. Margo, the town event coordinator, has organized a Thanksgiving celebration for the whole area that unifies the Amish and the Englisch in one big celebration. The arrival of Margot’s mother Zara, a fierce retired judge who is remembered for the harsh sentences she passed on Amish defendants, arrives suddenly and is unexpectedly accompanied by a much younger boyfriend. Her appearance throws Margot into a panic as Zara has made it clear that Margot has never lived up to her standards. When a murder occurs at the dinner, both Margot and Zara appeal to Bailey who has a reputation as a successful unofficial sleuth.
Other complications in the plot for Bailey include the intense sales period of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is difficult to produce enough sweets for all of these events in addition to the Jethro bars made for tourists in honor of the pot-bellied pig Jethro who has appeared on Bailey’s cooking show. Add in the difficulties of Bailey’s semi-long distance relationship with Aiden who has accepted a position with the Ohio BCI. She is also considering expanding Swissmen Sweets which would be a big change for her and for her grandmother.
There are a lot of twists and turns as hidden relationships and identities emerge. When the book appeared to be at a point of closure, I found myself wondering if I had missed something as I read. I still didn’t know whodunnit! But the last pages hold yet another surprise, the mystery is solved, and some real justice is done.
Characters are vital to this story. The reactions of people to Margot and to her mother Zara speak volumes. There is animal humor in the book as Jethro the polka-dotted pig plays an important role along with Puff the rabbit and a new character, Gator, a rather vicious little purse dog. Another character I enjoy is Charlotte who has a recently decided to leave the Amish way and is gradually transitioning to the Englisch way of life. This is a fun cozy with interesting characters and a good plot. I recommend the whole series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #7 in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: August 23, 2022—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Amateur sleuthing required a great deal of balance I realized. Enough meddling to get the answers but not so much as to obstruct justice or negatively impact the prosecution of a criminal.
I did notice that the shouts and cheers for the little bacon bundle were a tad more jubilant than they had been for me. I understood. I wasn’t an adorable little comfort pig. It was difficult to compete with such cuteness.
“…Zara was the kind of person who could have a terrible time just about anywhere. She complained about everything, even when it was done just as she liked it. She found fault with just about everything I did.”
The Sugarcreek Surprise–trusting again
The Sugarcreek Surprise
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
I was glad I returned to Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Creektown Discoveries series to read the second book, The Sugarcreek Surprise. Part way through the first book in the series, Brunstetter found her pace and upped her style. She maintained and even improved on it in this fictional tale of two young people who have been hurt by life and are afraid of renewed suffering if they give life a second chance—outside of the protective shell each one created.
Paul is betrayed by the woman he has been courting who drops him for his best friend. Lisa has survivor’s guilt when, as a child, her parents and grandparents are in a fatal car crash, but she alone survives. Fortunately, these two are mentored by loving relatives and friends. Life is not easy for either one of them and even more surprises are thrown their way as they cautiously try to open up to others.
I enjoyed this trip to Walnut Creek and Sugarcreek, Ohio. Lisa is a school teacher and I found the differences in her classroom
and the typical Englisch classroom fascinating. School extends only through eighth grade for the Amish. Although the children are typical for their ages in mischievousness and enthusiasm, they arrive with basic manners and parental expectations for good behavior. Paul has an excellent work ethic and is skilled in carpentry. Both are committed Christians and practice their faith through Amish customs. They learn to pray more and trust God more. Witnessing how Amish practices play out in our current world is interesting. This book makes it clear that there are benefits and hardships to contemplate about both Englisch and Amish lifestyles.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Barbour Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #2 in the Creektown Discoveries Series, but could be read as a standalone because the main characters first appear in this book.
2. The book ends with recipes and discussion questions
Publication: March 1, 2022—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Even snippets from the past, which sometimes flitted through her mind, caused Lisa to feel fearful and despondent. She’d convinced herself that the only way she could be happy was to keep her focus on the present and refuse to give in to thoughts of the past.
The Lord knows each of us very well. He also knows what needs to happen for each of us at the proper time.
“Fear doesn’t stop death; it stops life. And worrying doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s peace.”
Courting Can Be Killer–partially requited love
Courting Can Be Killer
by Amanda Flower
Millie Fisher, the “sedate Amish woman,” and Lois Henry, the “flamboyant Englisher,” join forces again to solve a murder, one quite personal to Millie. Don’t worry If you missed the first book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series as author Amanda Flower is quite skilled in providing background information. There are also tie-ins to Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, but the two function independently of each other.
In Courting Can Be Killer, Millie and Lois were childhood friends and are now in their sixties. They are as opposite as possible, but they complement each other and prize their friendship. Lois loves being the sidekick of the “Amish Marple” and is a bonus to the relationship because she is not bound in her investigations by the strict Amish code, sometimes stretching the truth until it breaks. Her driving a car and having a cell phone are quite handy as well.
When a fire breaks out in a flea market, Millie’s “adopted nephew” Ben is found dead. Rumors spread fast in the Amish community that Ben, who recently moved to the area and is therefore considered an outsider, is responsible for the fire. The duo set out to defend the young man’s reputation. In the process, Millie comes under attack although the long-suffering Deputy Sheriff Aiden has warned her numerous times that her interviewing various suspects is dangerous. Lois, however, is delighted as she see the assault as a sign that they are getting close to discovering the murderer.
Woven into the main plot are some potential romances as Millie is known as the local matchmaker. Animals provide both chaos and humor as Jethro the potbellied pig makes an appearance, and Millie’s two mischievous Boer goats, Phillip and Peter, cause havoc and provide protection. The Amish are not immune from having dysfunctional families, and we meet several in this cozy mystery. The ending is a surprise and justice is served. The epilogue gives closure for the characters with a little positive philosophy thrown in as well, and the sound advice is from the Englischer!
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #2 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series
Publication: December 1, 2020—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“…in this life one should always be willing to take a chance and roll the dice.” She grinned. “That sounds like one of the Amish proverbs you recite all the time, doesn’t it?” “It doesn’t.” I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“I knew when my second husband bought a singing bass for our living room wall that there were no more rules when it came to good taste.”
A feeling of peace came over me. I knew the Good Lord had moved Lois to come and check on me. It gave me comfort to know this, and the fear I had been holding onto all evening started to melt away.
Matchmaking Can Be Murder–Amish and Englisch worlds collide
Matchmaking Can Be Murder
by Amanda Flower
Already familiar with the little town of Harvest through Amanda Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, I was a a little confused when I found myself in a familiar town, but with a new main character, Millie. Then I remembered that Matchmaking Can Be Murder is the first in a new series. Many of the characters in the first series, which focuses on Bailey, an Englisch candy maker are back in this series. The new series features a sixty-seven year old Amish woman with a knack for knowing if two people are compatible. She returns home after years of caring for Amish kin in various communities.
Harvest is a mixed community with its Amish and Englisch citizens getting along fairly well. It is interesting to learn more about the Amish while watching their interactions with their non-Amish friends and neighbors. Especially fun is the reunion of Millie with her childhood friend Lois, a gregarious lady who has had a lot of husbands and is quite outspoken. Her clothing and jewelry are as eye-catching as Millie’s style of dress is plain. Lois makes many references to contemporary technologies and cultural icons that go right past Millie. More humor is found in the trained goat duo of Phillip and Peter who are Millie’s pets, guard goats, and lawn keepers.
Although Millie is the main character, the mystery centers around her niece Edy, a young widow with three children, whose fiancée is discovered dead in her greenhouse shortly after she breaks off the engagement. Millie and Lois attempt to discover who murdered Zeke, but they uncover more crime and convoluted personal relationships than they could ever have predicted.
It is interesting watching Millie in action as she tries to find out the truth while staying within the limits of what is right. She and Lois have to work at keeping each other in check and out of trouble. A nice touch is the author’s inclusion of Amish proverbs as they come to Millie throughout her day. I enjoy the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, but this spinoff series is even better!
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: The first book in the Amish Matchmaking Mystery Series, it is a spinoff but it is not necessary to read the series it came from.
Publication: December 31, 2019—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Sometimes it worked to a person’s advantage to be friends with the biggest gossip in the district. I just had to feed Raellen the right information, and she would take care of the rest.
…”they can only fully commit to the Amish life when they know what the Englisch one is like. If they see the way the rest of the world lives and then commit to our ways, they are more likely to stay here.”
There was no way to rebuild what was shattered, but what we could make was something brand-new, something that was different but stronger than before. That’s what I hoped for the very most.
Toxic Toffee–Jethro and Puff add humor
Toxic Toffee
by Amanda Flower
As I read Amanda Flower’s latest cozy mystery, Toxic Toffee, I was delighted to see familiar characters, like Jethro the polka dotted pig. I was amused by the introduction of a huge fluffy pet bunny named Puff and intrigued by the mysterious death of a rabbit farmer whom everyone loves. Reading about the construction of a ten foot toffee rabbit and other Easter treats was appealing to this chocoholic as well.
All of this sweetness is wrapped up in an intriguing mystery that starts in New York City where Bailey, chocolatier extraordinaire, and her naive Amish relative Charlotte have been filming candy making for a TV show. They soon leave the fascinating Big Apple where Charlotte’s Amish is frequently “showing” as she encounters a very unfamiliar world. They return to Holmes County, Ohio, where they help Bailey’s grandmother in their Amish candy shop. Bailey is approached by the son of a murdered man with a request that she help solve the mystery of his death. She agrees because of her community ties. Although “Englisch,” her ancestry is Amish and her grandmother is very respected in the community.
Threatening notes and a late night attack ramp up the danger level for Bailey and the concern level for her boyfriend, Deputy Aiden Brody. There are plot twists, turns, and surprises all the way to the end. Suspense, humor, and interesting characters make Toxic Toffee a must read for cozy mystery lovers.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #4 in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.
2. I believe this could be read without reading the previous books in the series, but I think this is one of the best so far in the series.
Publication: June 25, 2019—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
“Not lucky. Blessed. Luck is an Englisch idea, not an Amish one.”
…I couldn’t live in fear. I would be afraid enough to be careful, but I would not allow myself to be stifled by fear.
“In my opinion, it’s better for a young person to leave the faith and be Englisch than force themselves to be Amish and make everyone around then miserable.”
education pathways 