A Wytch's Book Review Blog

Lethal Licorice (Amish Candy Shop Mystery #2) by Amanda Flower

Harvest, Ohio, is a long way from New York City, where Bailey King left a coveted job as a head chocolatier to take over Swissmen Sweets, her Amish grandparents’ candy shop. Now, while caring for her recently widowed grandmother, she plans to honor her grandfather’s memory by entering the annual Amish Confectionery Competition. But between lavender blueberry fudge and chocolate cherry ganache truffles, Bailey may have bitten off more than she can chew when the search for a missing pot-bellied pig turns up a body suffering from sugar overload—the fatal kind . . .
 
A candy maker from a neighboring town who wanted Englischer Bailey disqualified for being an outsider, Josephine Weaver died from an allergy to an essential licorice ingredient. The suspects include: Josephine’s niece, a young woman going through her rumspringa, or running around time, and Bailey herself. Now it falls to Bailey, who’s sweet on the local sheriff’s deputy, to clear their names and entice a killer with a cast-iron stomach for cold-blooded murder . . .

After the death of her beloved Grandfather Bailey has stayed in Harvest to help her Grandmother run the Amish sweet shop and also to be the entrant for the ACC (aka the Amish Confectionery Competition) which her Grandfather had entered before his heart attacks, one of the other contestants tries to get her disqualified but as she is representing Swissman Sweets and is prepared to make everything traditionally Josephine Weaver doesn't succeed, but Bailey doesn't expect to see the grouchy Amish woman well and truly dead ..... inside the organ loft, and the organ being played by the woman's niece! Now with the niece and Bailey in the frame for murder. a pot bellied pig gone missing and Bailey discovering more about her Amish family, so can she and Aiden Brody figure out who wanted Mrs Weaver dead and why - and keep Bailey and her family safe?

Murder Freshly Baked (Amish Village Mystery #3) by Vannetta Chapman

Don’t taste it / Don’t share it /Just throw it away / If you try my bakery pie / You won’t live to see another day.

The Amish Artisan Village of Middlebury, Indiana, might be the last place you would ever expect to find a murderer. But Amber has been managing the Village for decades and there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. Or so she thought.

When poetic notes begin appearing around the bakery, warning that some of the pies have been poisoned, Amber is as confused as she is concerned. Who poisons pies? And more to the point, who leaves poems of warning after they’ve done it? When Amber decides to help the police track down the sweet-toothed saboteur, she enlists Hannah Troyer for another round of Amish-style detective work.

Can Amber and Hannah help the police before the Poison Poet strikes? Both women will need to draw on their faith to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built in Middlebury . . . and to protect the girls who work in the Amish Artisan Village.

Someone is out to ruin everything that Amber has worked towards, she is receiving poison poetry by email and someone is also leaving pies with Skull and Crossbones on them (along with more notes), she has been warned not to contact the police (after she did with the first email) but others contact them re the pies and so forth! That would be bad enough but there is also another problem, a local man is leading three women on, all from the Village and two of them are Amish, which causes problems when all three turn up to support the man!  That would be bad enough but then at a race for cancer event he is killed, and Amber along with her friends needs to figure out what is happening, before it gets any worse!

Murder Tightly Knit (Amish Village Mystery #2) by Vannetta Chapman

Even before she heard of Owen Esch’s death, Hannah Troyer knew something was amiss at The Cat’s Meow yarn shop. The store has been closing at odd times, the ever-dependable Mary isn’t always at her post . . . and an Englisch man has been seen loitering around back.

Now, as leaves of brown, gold, and orange blanket Middlebury, Indiana, Owen lies dead on the Pumpkinvine Trail. The only clues to the murderer’s identity point in two very different directions—one of them leading right to The Cat’s Meow.

The police call in a federal investigator, but Hannah and Village manager Amber Bowman are in no mood to wait for them to figure out what they already know—that no one from the Amish Village could have killed Owen Esch.

Amber and Hannah will need to work quickly to solve the murder mystery and bring harmony back to the Amish community.

The Village is a place where the Amish and the Englisch (as the Amish call them) work side by side, and to a certain extent it is more like an extended family for Amber Bowman (her own sister says that Hannah who runs to coffee shop is like the little sister they wished they had), so everyone is stunned when a local Amish man who has just arrived back (but not yet baptised) ends up dead by cross bow bolt on the local path, the last thing was a message he was sending to Mary at the yarn shop. Mary has been secretive of late and Amber and Hannah are hoping she hasn't got into something dangerous.

As well as this Hannah's beau (Jesse) is twitching because his brother has arrived back ..... again, he arrives and then leaves throwing the family out, the problem is he arrived shortly before Owen Esch was killed and so the out of State police are looking at him as suspect #1, now Amber, Hannah, Jesse and Amber's assistant Pam need to figure out what is going on so that Andrew (Jesse's brother) doesn't take the fall for a cold blooded killer.

Home for a Spell (A Bewitching Mystery #7) by Madelyn Alt

Back to work at her antique shop, Enchantments, Maggie's broken leg makes helping customers a lame proposition-but that doesn't mean the rest of her life is slowing down. While her boyfriend, the magically- inclined Marcus, has some unfinished business to attend to and her best friend is getting ready to tie the knot and move away, Maggie decides it's time to find her own change of scenery. And she'll start by finally getting a new apartment.But Maggie's new dream home turns into a nightmare when the apartment manager is found dead before she can even sign the lease. And Maggie finds herself not only searching for a new home-but for a frightfully clever killer...

Maggie has overdone it and her broken ankle is not fixing as it should, when she realises that Marcus has put his studying on hold to look after her (and finds out that her best friend Steff and Steff's fiance Dr Dan will be moving in a few months) she decides to look for a reasonably priced (rent wise) ground floor apartment, she finds a possibility through Marcus's Uncle Lou and whilst the apartment manager gives her the creeps she doesn't anticipate finding him dead before she could sign on the dotted line! Oh and then she finds out that the owner of the apartments is her boss Liss's brother-in-law (well at least he was married to Liss's murdered sister) and he informs her that under no circumstances will she EVER get one of his rentals.

Now with her ex boyfriend Tom actually asking Marcus for help (they discovered a trashed computer, which Marcus has only just built for the manager!) and then Marcus and Maggie discover more about the manager and some of the renters of the apartments than they ever wanted to know, the thing is who else discovered his not so deep secret and decided to silence him for good?

A Killer Carol (An Amish Mystery #7) by Laura Bradford

Heavenly, PA has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland, and Claire is delighted to celebrate the season...but a fiendish killer has other plans in this all-new installment in the national bestselling series.

As the owner of Heavenly Treasures, the local gift shop, Claire is busier than ever helping her English customers (and even a few of her Amish friends, like Esther and Ben) find the perfect gift for the special people on their shopping list.

Claire makes sure she has time for her boyfriend, Detective Jakob Fisher. But the man, who was raised and then shunned by the Amish over his choice of career, has been unusually secretive lately. She tries not to worry, to trust their relationship, but trying and doing aren't exactly matching up.

Before she can figure out what's going on with Jakob, word comes that Ruth and Samuel Yoder are being questioned in the death of an elderly Amish couple, found murdered not long after the newlyweds were seen leaving the victims' farm. Ruth, in turn, seeks Claire's help in convincing the police that she and Samuel had nothing to do with what happened. But when Claire comes across a cryptic note tucked inside the wedding gift the victims had given the newlyweds no more than an hour before their murder, she finds herself in dire need of a little convincing as well.

Can Claire get to the bottom of things in time to ensure a merry Christmas for all?

Christmas should be a time of joy, family time and ringing tills! certainly not murder and potential break ups.

Claire is worried, Jakob seems to be pulling away from her and taking calls that he is being really secretive about she hopes that it is just pressure of work for both of them, but the worry is still there.  She is explaining this to her Aunt Diane when they are interrupted by the sight of Police lights headed into the Amish farmland and a phone call from the young Amish girl (Annie) who is Claire's assistant, apparently Annie and other of the young Amish people had gone to sing carols outside the home of an elderly Amish couple only to discover them dead! Initially they all think that they died together of natural causes ... but this isn't the case.  Now Claire and Jakob are butting heads over the case as his only suspects are Samuel and Ruth Yoder (nee Miller) the newly married couple.

Now Claire wants to figure out what is happening with Jakob, she needs to give her friend Ben a push in the right romantic direction, and help Ruth and Samuel prove their innocence and all before the Christmas season starts in earnest!

Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder (Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery #3) by Meg Macy

Sasha and her sister Maddie are thrilled that the Silver Bear Shop and Factory has won the Teddy Bear Keepsake Contest, which means they get to produce a holiday specialty toy, a wizard bear named "Beary Potter." Promising to be just as magical is Silver Hollow's annual tree-lighting ceremony and village parade. Only one hitch: the parade's mascot, Santa Bear--played by Mayor Cal Bloom--is missing.

After a frantic search among the floats, Bloom is found dead. When the outfit is removed, it's clear the mayor's been electrocuted. Who zapped hizzoner and then stuffed him into his Santa Bear suit? While the police investigate the grisly crime, Sasha attempts to track down the murderer herself, with some help from the Guilty Pleasures Gossip Club. Can they wrap up this case in time for Christmas--or will Sasha meet her own shocking end?

Meg Macy is writing about the season of goodwill, toys, competitions and murder! and it is a total page turner from start to finish.

Sasha and Maddie (and more to the point the Silver Bear Shop and Factory) have won the chance to create and make the holiday Teddy Bear, which is a limited edition make, so everyone will be working extra hard to get the usual bears done AND the "Beary Potter" Wizard Bears as well, the problems come when the staff need to take time off for two funerals, one was expected as he had been ill for a while, the second ... well that was the Mayor (who was also supposed to be playing Santa Bear) who was found electrocuted.  Now Sasha is digging through the tinsel and stuffing to find out who wanted Hizzoner out of the way and why, not helped by the fact that the new Detective is being obstructive. and the fact that Maddie is working at her new job and unable to help out at the shop as needed.  Add in a vindictive ex-employee, people lying .... a lot, and Sasha's boyfriend being away - can Santa re-appear in Silver Hollow?

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name? 

Alexandra Victoria (but call me Sasha) Silverman. My mother is an Anglophile, and loves everything about the Royal Family – which is why she named me after Queen Victoria. How did I come to be called Sasha? In Kindergarten, when my teacher suggested it, I realized it was easier to spell. Not that Mom was happy, but oh well. Dad loved it, and called me a smart cookie. Hmm. I wonder if that’s why I’m such a cookie fiend. . .

What is your Profession?

I manage the family’s Silver Bear Shop in Silver Hollow, Michigan – and my Uncle Ross supervises at the adjacent factory. I take care of sales, greeting customers, and planning events to coordinate with the village’s seasonal celebrations. We host an annual Teddy Bear Picnic over the Labor Day weekend, and we held a Cran-beary Tea Party to kick off the village’s Oktobear Fest and Parade of Bears – sculptures of decorated resin bears on Main Street. December is our busiest month, of course, with the Tree-Lighting ceremony on the village green and parade of floats, each with a unique holiday theme, plus a church Bearzaar, Christmas cookie contest, our Holiday Open House to show appreciation for our customers, and the annual staff party at the factory with special games and food. Whew.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

I’m a sucker for watching rom-coms with my significant other, both classic and modern, such as The Princess Bride, Bringing Up Baby, Father Goose (okay, I’m nuts about Cary Grant!) plus Overboard (both Hawn/Russell and Faris/Derbez versions), Crazy Rich Asians, The Proposal, Silver Linings Playbook, The Big Sick, and both versions of Sabrina – the classic with Audrey Hepburn and modern with Harrison Ford. I have a harder time squeezing in a chapter or two of a cozy or historical mystery, but I try!

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

I love reading YA – J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter series, the Hunger Games series, Twilight series, whether it has post-apocalyptic or magical themes. And I love those movies too.

If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book? 

That’s a tough question! I’d love to be Hermoine Granger, but I’m definitely not one to hit the books and study like her. But she’s so clever and resourceful! Without her, Harry would have been toast.

What is your ideal evening?

Spending time with Jay Kirby, my boyfriend, but our schedules make that really difficult. I’m hoping for a Valentine’s Day dinner with a movie and popcorn afterward. That would be great, but murder has a way of sabotaging the best-laid plans. We’ll see.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 23 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews

September 23 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

September 24 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

September 24 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 25 – Book Babble – REVIEW

September 25 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

September 26 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 26 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

September 27 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 27 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT

September 28 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 29 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 29 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW

September 30 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT

September 30 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW  

October 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

October 2 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

October 2 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

October 4 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

October 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 6 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

A Witch in Time (A Bewitching Mystery #6) by Madelyn Alt

Maggie O'Neill-Stony Mill, Indiana's newest witch-is dealing with both her burgeoning love life and her sister's giving birth to twins when she learns that a local teenager has been found dead. Later, at the hospital, she hears a whispered conversation that sends chills down her spine. Could the conversation be related to the teen's death? Or to a murder that hasn't happened yet? It may take all her witchy intuition to find out.

Life never seems to go smoothly for Maggie, she is set up for the PERFECT evening/night with her new boyfriend Marcus when she gets a desperate call from her mother, her sister Mel has gone into labour early and everyone is meeting at the hospital, Marcus takes her there and waits (whilst discovering how crazy Grandpa G is and how controlling Maggie's mother tries to be!), the reason for the early labour turns out to be the fact that Mel was carrying twin girls, with her husband suddenly saying he needs to leave as he has a court case the next day, Maggie stays with Mel in case she is needed.  Whilst watching over the two new arrivals and her sister she ponders a snippet of conversation she heard whilst stuck in the lift and she also witnesses an argument in the next room (well just outside the door).  All of this means she isn't as careful as she might be and she ends up falling on the stairs and breaking her ankle!

Now she is staying with Marcus and at the same time discovering that she is not only an empath but a burgeoning psychic as well, both of which come in useful when there are a couple of very unusual deaths in the town.

Where There's a Witch (A Bewitching Mystery #5) by Madelyn Alt

Taking a break from her job at Enchantments, Stony Mill's finest mystical antique shop, Maggie O'Neill visits a carnival where she senses some bad spirits. And when a construction worker is suspected of killing a young woman, it's up to Maggie and the N.I.G.H.T.S. ghosthunting team to uncover the dark spiritual energy leaking into their town before it spoils everyone's fun.

Ms Alt has done it again! Maggie is knee deep in paranormal trouble before she can blink!

This time she gets suckered into driving the two young assistants from Enchantments over to a local church where there is to be a ground breaking festival ready for a new wing (the boyfriend of Tara, one of the young women, the other being Evie, is one of the construction crew), before they can leave (having had their car boxed in) there is a cave in and a spirit attaches himself to Maggie, with all the excitement Tara managed to leave her mobile at the site so back she, her boyfriend Charlie, Maggie, Evie and Marcus go to find it (oh and they DO let the vicarage know!), what they find is more than just the mobile they also find a corpse - so back to spirit helping all round (not assisted by an article in the local paper outing the adults as witches).

Maggie and Marcus need to find out what happened so that young Elias (the Spirit) can stop being stuck on the earthly plane and Maggie needs to make a decision about her boyfriend (or is he?) Tom.

Knitting Masterclass: With Over 20 Technical Workshops and 15 Beautiful Patterns by The Knitter (Editor)

A master class can really help intermediate and advanced knitters learn even intimidating stitches and skills. This comprehensive collection from The Knitter recreates that experience on the page, with techniques drawn from the magazine's popular Masterclass series. The “seminars”—led by top teachers, lavishly photographed, and featuring exclusive projects—include Creating Perfect Lace, Steeking without Fear, Confident Cables, Provisional Cast On Methods, Flawless Fair Isle, and more. 

This is the type of book you want by your side whenever you are trying something new knitting wise - a great resource that I will dip into on a regular basis!

A Fatal Fleece (Seaside Knitters Society Mystery #6) by Sally Goldenbaum

As Izzy Chambers and the Seaside Knitters prepare Izzy’s yarn studio for the tourist season, fellow knitter Birdie Favazza has her hands full with a visiting granddaughter she never knew existed. Gabby soon becomes a fixture in the town—riding off on Birdie’s bike, teaching her own crochet class, even striking up an unlikely friendship with a reclusive local fisherman named Finnegan, himself the source of much local turbulence.

But it’s Cass Halloran, the lobsterwoman, who stumbles over the body of the old fisherman, covered with leaves and sea grass, and wearing the yellow fleece vest she once made him. When Cass unwittingly becomes a suspect in his murder, the knitters rally to protect their dear friend.

Soon the Seaside Knitters will discover that caring for Gabby while casting their net for a killer is tricky business indeed.  They’ll have to keep their wits about them as they piece together the clues, working to catch a killer before one of their own winds up knitting behind bars.

Sally Goldenbaum knits the clues and characters together in a fascinating way!

The tourist season is kicking off and the Seaside Knitters are getting in the swing of things, Cass is finishing knitting a waistcoat for Finnegan, a retired fisherman, he seems reclusive and curmudgeonly to most but Cass is accepted by him (hence the knitting!), Birdie has a surprise in the form of a step granddaughter (Gabby - who also gets accepted as a friend by Finnegan), so far everything is rosy, but Finnegan's somewhat estranged daughter has arrived back in town, Birdie's brother-in-law, Nick (Gabby's great uncle) seems to be overly secretive about something, something involving Finnegan, and then Cass discovers Finnegan dead, wearing the yellow waistcoat (which he had loved and wore daily after she gave it too him) which was how she found him.

Now Cass seems to be in line to be suspect number one and so the Seaside Knitters are putting their heads and needles together to sort this out!