A very good Amish/Mystery story
927756
After reading the other reviews, there's not much to add but it is a really great book & very hard to put down.
A lot of twist & turns that you won't see coming.
I highly recommend it!
Vannetta's A Simple Amish Christmas would be another good one to read too.
4554369
I really enjoyed this wonderful Amish mystery book. It is the first book in Sweet Shop Mysteries series. I was hooked from the first sentence. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. This is a cute Amish mystery, I recommend to anyone who like Amish/mysteries. This is my first book by Naomi Miller and it won't be the last. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
4178271
This is an excellent book and very true to the Amish ways and beliefs. An exciting story that leaves you wanting more!
968071
The death of an 18 yr old Amish girl in a cornfield in Blood Rock, Indiana  looks like an accident,
 but sheriff Serenity Adams suspects foul play. To solve the murder, she must investigate the
nearby Amish community with the help of a man who left the Amish at 19 and was shunned for many years.
But his mother, father, and sister still live there.
3.5 stars
My thoughts:  I felt this was a very moving mystery, it kept my interest from beginning to end.
It has a good cast of characters I will follow in other books in this series.

Cons:  I have lived in Indiana for 28 yrs., and we have many Amish here, and many corn fields, just like in this story.
But in this story you will find something I have not seen in Indiana which is Amish with Blonde hair,
and blue eyes.  This story has many Amish blondes in it, it also has Amish with Phones in their house,
NO Amish here that I know of have a phone in their house.  The Amish here drive their buggy to town,
in this story they get a driver for most every where they go except to visit one another or to their church.
Here they only ride in cars when it is well over a 2 hour drive to get there. Or out of State, of which they rarely go.
Corn fields we have here do NOT have soft grass between the stalks, we  just have dirt/clay, in this story
it is soft grass between stalks.  I also had a problem towards the end when the sheriff had a concussion and a sore thigh,
she could hardly move, stand, or walk, she was throwing up, then all the sudden she jumps up and is well enough to drive and
never goes for medical attention. That seemed very off to me.

Even though I found some errors with what we have here in Indiana where I live and this Authors info in this story it
is still a very good story, and I did enjoy reading it, I just could not over look these other things since it is where I live.

This story has the F bomb a few times in it.  It has sex but not detailed.  There is detailed kissing.
It is NOT a Cliffhanger!
I DO RECOMMEND IT AND WILL READ OTHERS IN THE SERIES.
Happy reading....
1285596
Very good short story. A book that will show you the Amish life. Kinda like a love story type of book
1054227
This was a great story of the AmIsh and their struggles in the 1920's. The government telling these Amish that their children had to attend public schools. So after a time of trouble, some of the families talk about moving to Mexico. The Bender family ends up being the pioneering family. This is the story of that move and the struggles they encounter. A really good story, I am going to order book #2 right away.
2382839
Hannah, an old order Amish young woman, has left her home in disgrace after her fiance, Paul, has refused to hear her side of an unexpected pregnancy. After giving birth and being kicked out of her father's home, she left and looked up an Aunt who had also been banned from their Amish family. Hannah moved in with her aunt, learned to love her immediately, and through her, met Martin, an Englisher with plenty of money and the responsibility of raising his sister's two children. Hannah nursed her aunt through illness and death. Hannah and Martin fell in love, and an older Doctor in the town befriended her, nursed her back to health after her high risk pregnancy, gave her a job and a will to live and follow her dream of becoming a nurse.

An unexpected emergency back home called Hannah back. She was hesitant, but still loving her family and home, she drove the four hours to be with her sister, Sarah, who had become a total mental case and whose father refused any outside intervention. Hannah was basically shunned and ignored by the townspeople because of the way she had left, the Bishop's verdict and the fact she was now living as English. Hannah was determined to get Sarah some modern mental health help and her life becomes entangled with her old fiance Paul, who is now a mental health counselor and the one assigned to oversee the care of Sarah.  Hannah feels she really does not fit in anyplace anymore, but is anxious to get back to Martin, the love of her life. Paul has a new girlfriend who figures hugely in the outcome of this love mystery.

Eventually lives collide, old hurts return, new ideas seem wrong, and her best friend Mary has kept her doctor's report a secret since her accident, and defied his counsel by becoming pregnant. Hannah has enough medical knowledge to know a catastrophe is waiting to happen.

She is met with opposition no matter which way she goes. Yet, she sticks to her convictions and gets help for both Sarah and Mary --both at a terrible cost and worry to her and those who love her. The book contains intrigue, mystery, religious conflicts and a very tumultuous love story.

I was completely surprised with the book's ending, and to say anymore would be to spoil this lovely series' ending. I am looking forward to more books by this author.
4874730
All of Vannetta Chapman's books have been very good, telling a great mystery as well as giving readers a closer look at Amish life.  This particular book was set in MIddlebury Indiana--I had recently visited in Middlebury so I was able to associate well with the stores in town and the immediate surroundings.
3224942
A PLAIN DISAPPEARANCE by Amanda Flower - An Amish Mystery

Well - to begin with - when I started to read the book and realized it was the 3rd in the series, I had to go and get the first two and read them. So glad I did, although Amanda brings you up to speed on what has previously happened in this 3rd book so you are not lost by any means. All of the books are great but I will concentrate on A PLAIN DISAPPEARANCE. A word of caution - do not start this book thinking you will just read a few chapters and go on your way - you can't do it. You will not want to put the book down and will feel lost when it is finished - wanting to go on and find out what happens next.

The main characters in the book - Timothy and Chloe - share their faith and belief in God in ways that amazed me - and they were examples to others who saw the way they lived and wanted to be like them. We all need to do that in our own lives. Timothy has left the Amish faith and trusted in God and is learning to enjoy his English way of life. Chloe does not understand a lot of the things that Timothy has gone through and it is interesting to see her realize his former life. Becky - Timothy's sister - is adorable and a gives Becky joy and a lot of anxiety as she finds her own way of life. Becky's love life is a mystery in itself to everyone.

Appleseed Creek has a lot of interesting people and things going on - and it seems Chloe is in the middle of all of them - especially when it involves the police. You will enjoy her escapades and how she winds up solving things for the police.

The book ended too soon for me - I wanted her to marry Timothy - but that will be enough for an entire book I am sure. And what about her father - will she make amends with him? Can she forgive him after all these years? Can't wait for the next in the series - hope it comes out soon.

Being an Amish fiction follower, I must say this one is exceptional in explaining the Amish culture and customs. You are caught up in their lifestyle and feel like you are there in person, whether in the homes, in Appleseed Creek or sharing their holidays. And the food - oh my - the descriptions are wonderful and make you hungry. I am not usually a mystery reader but this one kept me on my toes, trying to guess who did what and looking for clues - they are there - and I was right in some instances - but the ending was still a surprise to me.

I was given the opportunity to review this book for Handlebar, giving my own opinion of the book.
3234468
This is a very good series - This first book starting the series and introducing the characters is great!  I guarantee that you will be hooked by the time you are a quarter thru the book.  The characters in this book are all likeable; there is suspense and by the time you finish this book you are chomping at the bit to get into the 2nd book; which is even more suspenseful and interesting.  A very different Amish Story.  You won't be sorry you got this book. I learned a lot from this book - the fact that it is based on true fact and the book is a part of the author's heritage is good; but the author is a great story teller.  I've got a another "favorite Author"!
2821469
This is my first story of the Amish. I liked the characters and how nice the are to family and friends?it was the first I knew of how private the y were in not giving their family name.
1788453
Very enjoyable mystery lots of amish info and feel. All of Gaus books are good mysteries with all kinds of Amish culture. Hope he writes more.
3042505
This little book was short and very good. I was attracted to the cover. It's a quick read and stops at just the right place to leave the reader eager to buy The Stubborn Father due to be released in April. I like that this series has a different twist to it. There aren't too many Amish Millionaires ! I have been a long time fan of Wanda Brunstetter and I like the fact that her daughter in law Jean Brunstetter has teamed up with her to write this series. I met Wanda Brunstetter in 2014 at her Fan Filled Weekend in Sugar Creek Ohio. This story takes place in this area. Berlin and Charm Ohio and Walnut Creek. Being familiar with the area I can follow along with this story much more easily.
3419312
Not your typical Amish fiction, this has enough Englisch influence that it isn't as predictable. I enjoyed the story of Betsy and watching her open her bakery in Florida. There is also mystery here and a touch of romance. What bothered me were some slight inconsistencies, a character thought about saying something, didn't actually say it, and the person he thought about saying it to answered him as though he did say it. I had to stop and reread that section a few times because I didn't actually believe it was in there. It was a quick read and it (mostly) kept my attention.
2028082
I've read a lot of Amish fiction.  So many of the books spend so much time ensuring you're educated in the ways of the Amish, but fail to weave in an interesting story.  I found the characters to be intriguing, and their lives complicated enough to be interesting.  It was a very sweet love story, and I'd like to read more by this author.
1141288
While I certainly liked the story, I think it is easy to romanticize the Amish and not remember they are living, breathing people. We see a little into their culture, with a strong reliance on God shining forth. While they handle living perhaps a bit better by keeping their ways in line with God's ways, it is important to realize they are still human. All in all, a good read.
1484793
A young Amish man is found dead in a barn that was on fire. Let me add this: the fire was set on purpose.  Who would want to kill an Amish man and why? It is up to Chief Kate Burkholder to find out what, when, why, what and how. This is the 10th book in a series, but you could really read it as a stand alone. However, it made me immediately want to start book one in the series.

I am a huge fan of Amish fiction. However, a word of warning. If you like Christian/Amish fiction, you may like this, but be forewarned, it is darker than most Amish fiction. There are curse words and Amish folk that have left the fold and are quite bitter, most for good reason.

The other interesting aspect of this is the main character, Chief Burkholder used to be Amish herself. So, she sometimes struggles between her current life and her past roots.

I am so excited that this is a series and I have the opportunity to go back and read 9 other stories in this series. I highly recommend it. I read it in a very short time.