MURDER OF AN AMISH BRIDEGROOM is the delightful debut of a new Amish cozy mystery series by Patricia Johns. Petunia calls herself the youngest old maid sleuth in Blueberry, Pennsylvania. At twenty-two, Petunia is more interested in sewing and solving crimes than finding a man to marry. When her best friend Eden Beiler is arrested for murder, Petunia joins forces with an English detective to clear Eden’s name and track down the real ice-cold killer hiding in her warm-hearted community.
On a snowy winter day, Petunia decides to make some ice cream after her baking attempt goes bad. When she travels to the ice house to purchase some ice, she finds her friend Eden Beiler with blood on her hands. Inside the ice house, Ike Smoker lies dead with an ice pick in his chest. Ike and Eden had been dating, much to the dismay of Eden’s family. Ike had no intentions of marrying Eden, but he didn’t mind tarnishing her reputation. Petunia is horrified by the crime, but she believes her friend Eden is innocent. English Detective, Nate Asher, is not quite convinced Eden isn’t guilty, but he persuades Petunia to help him navigate the Amish customs and community, so they can find the truth. Petunia agrees and she and Asher embark on an investigation filled with secret wives, hidden families, unpaid loans, curious family photos, and a body in the snow. Can Petunia find the real killer and bring Eden home for good?
MURDER OF AN AMISH BRIDEGROOM is a wonderful first novel in the Amish Seamstress Mysteries. Petunia Yoder is a young Miss Marple solving crimes within her beloved Amish community, where one has to work hard to uncover the secrets that members are hiding. Petunia is smart, industrious, and level-headed. Her father, Elias, owns a buggy tour company and supports his daughter’s inquisitive nature. Having lost her mother years earlier, Petunia takes care of her father and is focused on increasing her seamstress business. Petunia deems herself unmarriageable, but Detective Nate Asher, has piqued her interest and he is exposing her to the world of police work. Together, they make an effective crime-solving duo, learning to appreciate each other's strengths and differences. The mystery plot is solid with well-placed clues, good pacing, and a surprise ending. MURDER OF AN AMISH BRIDEGROOM is entertaining, engaging, and a great start to this new mystery series set in an Amish community with unique and interesting characters. Solving crimes has never been so much fun!
The quiet Amish lifestyle isn't all that it seems in this debut cozy mystery series, for fans of Amanda Flower and Wanda E. Brunstetter.
Petunia Yoder is Blueberry, Pennsylvania’s youngest old maid, at twenty-two years of age, and completely unmarriageable. But she’s determined to celebrate her friends’ weddings with joy and a full heart. Unfortunately, Petunia’s best friend, Eden Beiler, is playing a dangerous game with a man who is ruining her reputation.
Ike Smoker is the community’s iceman—the one who cuts, stores, and sells the ice—and when Petunia discovers him dead with an ice pick in his chest, Eden is found on the scene with blood on her hands. Homicide detective Asher Nate is new to the area, and he has a challenge on his hands. The Amish community sticks close together, and he doesn’t understand the subtleties and nuances of the clues he uncovers. He needs an Amish interpreter, and he asks Petunia if she’ll help. In a bid to keep her best friend out of prison, she agrees.
The community is filled with people who had good reason to hate Ike Smoker, especially as Petunia and Asher begin to uncover his secrets. Was someone trying to protect their family's reputation? Or to exact revenge for a sin buried deep in the past?
There’s a litany of damning clues that litters the ground—and if Petunia and Asher can’t come up with the truth, they could end up as the next ones on the killer’s list.
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