Series: Amish Village Mystery #1
Published by Zondervan on March 25th, 2014
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Romance, Women Sleuths
Pages: 368
When the coffee shop manager is murdered in Middlebury’s Amish Artisan Village, two women from different walks of life must join together to solve the mystery.
Spring has arrived in Middlebury, Indiana, and Amber Wright is optimistic about the growing profit from her collection of Amish shops—until she receives a call that Ethan Gray is dead. Hurrying over to A Simple Blend, she finds a solitary hole in the front window and the store manager lying next to the espresso machine, dead from an apparent heart attack. All the money is still in his register.
When Amber hires a young Amish woman, Hannah Troyer, to take over the shop’s duties, the two women become fast friends—as well as amateur sleuths. The police believe Gray’s death is a by-product of vandalism, but Amber and Hannah aren't convinced.
Clues that don't add up, a neighbor who is pulled into the midst of the investigation, a town with secrets to hide, and a blossoming romance—all will combine to push Amber and Hannah into unfamiliar roles in order to reveal answers to the mysteries around them.
"Chapman's latest is a mix of mystery and romance with vivid characters, a realistic setting and themes of loss, trust and love." — Romantic Times, four-star review
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: Safe for most audiences.
Profanity: None
Sex: None
Violence: Mild violence. Nothing overly descriptive.
Drugs & Alcohol: Non-descriptive drug use is mentioned as well as drinking.
Trigger Warning: Not suggested for those who suffer from Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes).
Murder Simply Brewed is book #1 in the Amish Village Mystery series by Vannetta Chapman. Other books in the series include Murder Tightly Knit (#2) and Murder Freshly Baked (#3).
Everyone knows that I’m obsessed with coffee. So, this book had everything that I love in it. There’s murder, pie, and coffee. Wait, that came off completely wrong. I don’t love murder! I do love mysteries, pie, and coffee!
I’ve been on a mystery kick lately. Years ago, I used to devour Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Trixie Beldon books at a rate that alarmed my parents. Murder Simply Brewed takes me back to those days when reading a cozy murder mystery was the highlight of my day. I’m really not helping my case, am I?
Anyway, this book is a breath of fresh air in the Amish genre. Who would have thought of Amish and murder? Apparently, Vannetta Chapman.
Even once I figured out “whodunnit,” I couldn’t have predicted the how. In fact, I didn’t see it coming at all!
Overall, this book is a great read for people who want a squeaky clean murder mystery. There is no gore or disturbing violence. It’s just an enjoyable, clean cozy mystery. Two sweet budding romances are just icing on the cake for this book. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of this series!
About Vannetta Chapman
Vannetta Chapman holds a BA and MA degree in English and has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. She published a novel with Abingdon Press called A Simple Amish Christmasin October of 2010. Her first Quilt Shop Murder Mystery, Falling to Pieces (Zondervan) was released in September of 2011 and received the 2012 Carol Award for best mystery. She currently lives in the Texas hill country.
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