Petunia Yoder holds an unusual title. In her Amish community of Blueberry, Pennsylvania, the twenty-two-year-old is considered to be the youngest old maid. She doesn't fit the mold of what is considered to be a good wife. She is opinionated and speaks her mind and has no plans to change. She finds herself in an unusual situation when her best friend Eden is charged with the murder of Ike Smoker, the man Eden had hoped to marry. Asher Nash, the homicide detective assigned to the case, asks Petunia to help with the investigation as he is a stranger to the Amish community and he needs help communicating with them. Even though this is a highly unusual and unconventional request, Petunia agrees with the hope that she can clear her best friend.
Ike Smoker was probably the least-liked person in Blueberry, as he had almost no redeeming qualities. As Petunia and Asher dig deeper into the case, it becomes obvious that there is no shortage of suspects. People that Petunia thought she knew well, lie to her without hesitation. As the story progresses, shocking secrets are revealed. Thinking they are close to catching the murderer, Petunia is placed in a life-threatening situation. As for the murderer, I never would have guessed.
What I found especially appealing about MURDER OF AN AMISH BRIDEGROOM, by Patricia Johns, is that the premise is unusual and original. I am hoping to read more about Petunia and Asher. Highly recommended.
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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