On the back roads of rural Ohio, Chloe Humphrey befriends an
Amish girl who is being harassed by a couple of locals.
Chloe is on her way to her new job, Director of Computer
Services at Harshberger College in Appleseed Creek, Ohio.
Becky Troyer is running away from home. She's leaving the
Amish faith and her family and stepping out on her own to
pursue her passion for drawing. Her family and the Amish
community is very much against that passion, calling it an
idol.
Chloe allows Becky to stay with her in the very run-down
Victorian she rented, sight unseen, off the internet. The
porch steps and flooring seem a little unsafe and the
doorknob falls off upon entry. Becky calls her brother,
Timothy, to come fix the door so they can at least sleep
without fear of an intruder. Chloe is instantly attracted to
Timothy, but he seems more concerned about his sister and
her new living arrangements.
Becky sets out the next day to find a job. No one in
Appleseed Creek will hire her. Word has traveled fast
through the Amish community and everyone turns a cold
shoulder to her. The next day she gets an interview with a
greenhouse just outside of town. Chloe walks to work most
days, so Becky "borrows" Chloe's car to go to her interview.
She has no license and on the way runs into the Amish
District Bishop's buggy. He is killed in the accident, and
Becky is charged with manslaughter, not to mention
"stealing" the car.
A forensics team discovers that the brake line was cut, and
the accident was no accident at all. The manslaughter charge
is dropped, but Chloe and Timothy are determined to find out
who tampered with the brakes and, more importantly, why. Is
someone after Chloe, or is it Becky they were trying to get?
This delightful Amish mystery takes a number of turns in the
search for the culprit and the reason behind the accident.
The author brings several different suspects into the
picture, but Chloe and Timothy rule them out through a
process of questioning a plethora of people. They really
become a couple of super sleuths. Chloe knows first-hand how
accidents can tear families apart, and she is determined to
figure this one out. Amanda Flower has blended the Amish,
English and even the Mennonite cultures together in a small-
town setting to bring us a wonderful story about family,
faith and perseverance. You'll enjoy A PLAIN DEATH!
Welcome to Appleseed Creek, the heart of Ohio’s Amish
Country, where life is not as serene as it seems.
While her Cleveland friends relocated to Southern California
and Italy, 24-year-old computer whiz Chloe Humphrey moves
with some uncertainty to Appleseed Creek to direct
technology services at a nearby college. Her first
acquaintance is Becky, an ex-Amish teenager looking for a
new home.
While driving Chloe’s car, Becky collides with a buggy,
killing an Amish elder. But what looks like an accident is
soon labeled murder when police discover the car’s cut brake
line.
Now, Chloe must take on the role of amateur sleuth to
discover who the real intended victim was before the
murderer makes a second attempt. Becky’s handsome
Amish-turned-Mennonite brother, Timothy, a local carpenter,
comes in handy along the way. With God’s help, they’ll solve
the mystery that’s rocking this small community.