Bailey King is waiting for the selection committee to announce their choice of Head Chocolatier at the renowned JP Chocolates in New York City. But when her grandmother calls her to tell her that her grandfather, Jebidiah, is ill, she drops everything, returning to the small Amish village of Harvest, Ohio. That her grandparents were Amish is a secret she has kept even from her best friend, Cass. Her original intention was to spend just a day or two with her family, but then she learns that the town's rich developer, Tyson Colton, has been buying up all the neighboring stores for a some secret plan, and Jebidiah has been the main holdout. When Tyson's murdered body is found in the candy kitchen, even Bailey comes under suspicion. As she looks to find the real murderer, her dreams of Head Chocolatier seem to be slipping away. Can she count on anyone in the town to help her, maybe the dreamy deputy, Aiden, who seems to have a personal connection with her grandparents. This is the first in a new series for veteran author, Amanda Flower, known for her Appleseed Creek Mystery series (also set in an Amish community), as well as the Magical Bookstore Mystery and the Living History Museum Mystery series. The writing is fluid, and the characters well fleshed out. I enjoyed the relationship between Bailey and her grandparents, especially the calming nature of her grandmother. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Bailey's chocolate creations, as she helped her grandparents fulfill a contract for a planned wedding dessert tasting. I would like to learn more about some of the other village inhabitants, so I can't wait for the next book in this series, as well as how Bailey's relationship develops with Aiden. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this advance reading copy.

Envision an Amish Disneyland. That is what a local developer had planned as he tried to force Amish shop owners to sell their business to him but that ended when his body was found in the kitchen of an Amish candy store. His body was discovered by Bailey King a New York City chocolatier and granddaughter of the shop's owners. She now finds herself needing to solve the murder to not only help her grandparents but to get her off the very short suspect list.

This story has a great mix of Amish and "Englisch" characters but Jethro the pig may be my favorite. The mystery is well written and will keep you guessing until the end. This is the first book in the An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Agatha Award winning author Amanda Flower.

A delightful mystery with a fairly neat plot and likable characters. The only thing I didn't care for was that the characters were a little too-dimensional. The bad guy is unrelentingly bad, the grandparents are unrelentingly wonderful, etc. I would like to see a bit more complexity in them. But it was an enjoyable story set in a village I wouldn't mind visiting. Especially if Bailey cared to make me some chocolates :>)

You simply can't go wrong with anything Amanda Flower writes, and the debut of her Amish Candy Shop mystery series is no exception. The entirety of Assaulted Caramel takes place in the 48 hour period following a phone call from Bailey King's Amish grandmother about her grandfather's failing health. Bailey puts her life in NYC on hold to return to Harvest, Ohio, and on her first night back home she finds the dead body of a man her grandfather had been arguing with earlier in the day in the candy shop kitchen. Both she and her grandparents become the main suspects and Bailey has no choice but to remain in Harvest to clear their names. She takes on the task of providing desserts for the wedding of the dead man's son which puts her in contact with a plethora of suspects, and the killer ends up being someone I never would've suspected.

The cast of characters in this series is wonderful, with just the right mix of Amish, small town residents and big city people. Bailey isn't perfect and her return home forces her to face the changes she needs to make in her life, BFF Cass is a hoot, and potential love interest deputy Aiden has his own ties to her beloved grandparents. Aiden's mother Juliet's black & white spotted pig Jethro just might steal the show (and more than a few hearts), and Nutmeg the cat saves the day when Bailey finds herself in a sticky situation. Tears are shed at the end, and Bailey makes a decision about her future that has me very excited to read Lethal Licorice, on store shelves in January!

Amanda Flower’s knows how add the right about of sweetness to an edge of your seat mystery.

I’ve read a lot of cozies, but I’ve never tried an Amish series, I really didn’t know what to expect when I started the book, I sure didn’t expect to read 14 chapter’s in my first setting. I even went back to read the rest the story next day. The setting is very detailed, the characters are very easy to love and the mystery was totally a surprise, I thought for sure it was someone else.

The only downside I found was I felt this story was rushed. I just don’t see it possible for anyone to do all of the things the characters was able to do in just a couple of days.

All in all Assaulted Caramel is one mystery you shouldn’t pass up I am sure glad I tried it and can’t wait for book two in the series.

Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower is the first book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. Bailey is a chocolatier in New York City on the verge of becoming head of JP Chocolates. She drops everything to go to Ohio when she learns her grandfather's health is failing. Her Amish grandparents own Swissmen Sweets which is being sought after my an Englisch businessman. When that same businessman ends up dead in the candy shop kitchen, Bailey is the main suspect. She must clear her name and save her grandparents' reputation. I really enjoyed this book. The combination of Bailey who is not Amish and her grandparents works well. Bailey's personal journey was as big a part of the story as the mystery. Even though I thought I knew who the killer was, I was surprised by the ending. This book features a strong religious theme, but it does not come across as pushy. I loved the inclusion of the polka dot pig, Jethro. This is a wonderful, clean cozy mystery. I am already looking forward to the second book in this series.

Engaging First in Series
Assaulted Caramel is the debut novel in Amanda Flower’s An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. This book is cleverly crafted and well written, with well-rounded and interesting characters. The story flows smoothly and the author is very talented in her descriptive and witty writing. This well plotted mystery was difficult to solve, with no shortage of suspects and plenty of clues to sift through. I was surprised when the culprit was revealed. Highly recommended reading for all cozy mystery lovers. I look forward to reading, Lethal Licorice, the next in the series.

Bailey King is an assistant chocolatier at JP Chocolates in New York City and on the short list for a promotion to Head Chocolatier. When Bailey’s Amish grandmother calls to tell her that her grandfather's health has gone downhill, she travels to Harvest, Ohio. Bailey’s father left the Amish community before she was born and raised her in Connecticut, but she spent summers with her grandparents, Jebediah and Clara King, and learned to love chocolates in their Amish candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. As she is approaching the candy shop, she sees her grandfather arguing with a man on the sidewalk and rushes to him when he collapses. She later learns the man, Tyson Colton, is a local developer that had been pressuring her grandparents and their fellow Amish shopkeepers to sell their businesses to him. On her first night in Harvest, Bailey enters the shops’ kitchen to find that Mr. Colton has been stabbed with Jebediah’s favorite chocolate knife. Detective Carpenter and the Sheriff would love to pin the murder on the King family, especially on Bailey, but Deputy Aiden Brody believes in their innocence. Even though Bailey didn’t grow up Amish, she respects the Amish ways and the relationship between her and her Amish grandparents is heartwarming. There is undeniable chemistry between Bailey and Aiden and two adorable animals, Jethro, a small black and white spotted pig, and, Nutmeg, a stray cat that Bailey agrees to take care of who both have the potential of taking the limelight.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower is a great start to a promising new cozy mystery series. I've never read a book based in Amish country before, and I likely wouldn't have had I not enjoyed the author's Magic Bookshop mysteries. Plus the premise sounded interesting - city girl with a great job returns to visit her Amish grandparents, who own a candy shop, and becomes involved in a murder mystery. Very interesting indeed. The main character, Bailey, is very likeable, as are her grandparents and several of the other characters who live in the village. Even Bailey's best friend from NYC, Cass, is likeable and even funny because of her bluntness. I'm glad that the author didn't make romance a driving factor in the main character's motivation to stay in Harvest. I like some romance in cozy mysteries, but it's too predictable when it's made into a big deal in the first book of a series. There were some sad parts and, for the first time ever, I actually did cry while reading a cozy mystery. But, I loved the book. The killer was a big surprise to me as I never once suspected them. And that's what makes a murder mystery really good. I hate it when I guess the killer long before the big reveal. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and many more beyond that one. I do hope we get to see Bailey's best friend, Cass, again in Harvest in future books. She was one of my favorite characters. Perhaps a spinoff cozy mystery series starring Cass in NYC is something the author will think about in the future.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my mine, and mine alone.

I really liked this new start to a series that featured main character Bailey King. Bailey takes a break from her job as a chocolatier in New York City to return to Ohio when her grandfather falls ill. She helps her Amish grandparents by working in their candy shop. When a developer who had run ins with her grandfather is found dead in the candy shop, her grandfather is a suspect. Bailey is determined to clear his name.

I loved Bailey and her grandparents and thought that the Amish candy shop was a perfect backdrop for the story. This was a fun and entertaining book and I'm already looking forward to more!

It's an entertaining, fast-paced reading. Bailey visits her Amish grandparents because her grandpa is ill and suddenly finds herself being the prime suspect in a murder, where a lot of people seem to have a motive for it. I have to say I had problems figuring out who the culprit was, and found a couple of twists in the end.

Assaulted Caramel
Amish Candy Shop, Book #1
Amanda Flower
5+ Stars


Synopsis:

Sometimes you need a sweet tooth to take a bite out of crime . . .

Bailey King is living the sweet life as assistant chocolatier at world-famous JP Chocolates in New York City. But just when Bailey’s up for a life-changing promotion, her grandmother calls with news that her grandfather’s heart condition has worsened. Bailey rushes to Harvest, Ohio, where her grandparents still run Swissmen Sweets, the Amish candy shop where she was first introduced to delicious fudge, truffles, and other assorted delights.

She finds her grandfather is doing better than she feared. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for a local Englisch developer, whom Bailey finds dead in the candy shop kitchen—with Jebediah King’s chocolate knife buried in his chest. Now the police are sweet on her grandfather as the prime suspect. Despite the sincere efforts of a yummy deputy with chocolate-brown eyes, Bailey takes it on herself to clear Jebediah. But as a cunning killer tries to fudge the truth, Bailey may be headed straight into a whole batch of trouble . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

Bailey is a smart strong woman who is not afraid of hard work. She is up for a promotion as head chocolatier at a New York based chocolate shop. But when she gets a call from her grandmother, telling her that her grandfather is very sick, she does not hesitate to leave New York and go back to Harvest, Ohio, where her grandparents live, to spend time with her grandfather and help him get better. While she is there, Bailey finds a dead body in her grandparent’s Amish candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. When her and her grandfather find themselves high on the suspect list, Bailey knows she has to find the real culprit to clear their names.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really enjoyed getting to know Bailey and her grandparents. They had such a special close bond and it was heartwarming to read how they interacted with each other. Although Bailey did not grow up being Amish, she respected the ways of the Amish people in the town and her grandparents. I really liked how the author combined both worlds seamlessly and gave this book a unique twist. I also enjoyed meeting Cass, Bailey’s friend and coworker from New York. She brought a lot of humor to the story.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was right there watching all the action taking place and listening in on conversations. I could smell the chocolate and see all of the fantastic creations that Bailey and Cass made.

The mystery was well plotted and difficult to solve. With so many suspects to consider and clues to sift through, I was unable to solve it until the reveal at the end. And I must say I was surprised at who the killer was. I really like when that happens.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. It has everything that I look for in a cozy: great characters, a wonderful small town setting, humor, suspense and a hard-to-solve mystery. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series whenever it is released.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Well-crafted, fast-paced. The lifestyle of jet setters contrasting with Amish traditions.

I could not put the book down. It was just like trying to stop after eating one piece of high quality chocolate. I want more!

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Bailey KIng is on the cusp of having her career dreams come true when she must travel to Ohio from NYC to be with her ailing grandfather. Her grandparents are Amish and run a chocolate shop in a town where the Amish and the English co-exist in a edgy compromise. Bailey not only finds her grandfather is dying but she also finds a dead body in the shop in the middle of the night. The deceased is a much hated man who wants to turn the town into an Amish Disney World. Bailey and her family are prime suspects according to two of the local lawmen, one of whom has an added reason to push that idea.
Poor Bailey must contend with so many conflicting demands but decides the two most important ones are to help her grandparents and find out who really killed the victim. It's an interesting book for the insights into how the two cultures clash in one little town. Bailey personifies the dichotomy. It makes her an interesting character. There are lots of other characters with potential not the least of which is a little orange kitty named Nutmeg. The book left me wanting to know them better.
I give this five purrs and two paws up..

Bailey King has been working hard as an assistant chocolatier at JP Chocolates in New York City and crossing her fingers she is the one that is going to get the promotion to be announced soon. But Bailey gets a phone call from her grandmother with some bad news, her grandfather’s health has gone downhill. Bailey just knows it’s pretty serious since her grandparents are Amish and simply using a phone to contact her is no small thing in the Amish community.

Bailey decides to take a few days and head to Harvest, Ohio to make sure things are alright with her grandparents. Shortly after arriving however Bailey finds herself walking into the kitchen of the Amish candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, that her grandparents own and where Bailey learned her love for chocolate, but instead of chocolate Bailey finds that a local developer that had been pressuring her grandparents to sell has been murdered in their kitchen. Not only is Bailey’s grandfather now a suspect even with his poor health but also Bailey herself so she needs to stay and find out just what really happened in that kitchen.

Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower is the first book in the new cozy mystery series An Amish Candy Shop Mystery. As with most cozies that I find myself enjoying this series has it’s own unique setting bringing the main character to the small town charm with her Amish grandparents. Just infusing the Amish ways within the story added it’s own bit of flavor that was hard to not like getting to know a bit about.

The characters in here have a wide range of personalities to get to know but I found them all likable, although I do believe Jethro, a pet pig, might have stolen the show at several points in the book. The author did a good job slowly building the list of suspects as Bailey begins to investigate the small town that kept me wondering just who the murderer would turn out to be in the end. I will certainly be interested in seeing what happens in this small town and with these characters in any future installments to the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Assaulted Caramel is the first book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.

Bailey King has been working for JP Chocolates and has worked herself up to where she expected to have her dream job as the head chocolatier in about four days. But an emergency phone call from her Amish grandmother just might put that on hold. Bailey packs a few clothes and heads for Harvest, OH to visit with her grandparents and to find out how bad her grandfather’s health is. As she is nearing the grandparent’s store, Swissmen Sweets, she sees her grandfather in an animated discussion with Tyson Colton, an Englisher real estate developer. Colton has been purchasing Amish businesses for redevelopment. Shortly after her grandfather yells that he will never sell, he collapses. Colton turns and walks away nearly running Bailey over. The next morning Colton’s body is found in the kitchen of Swissmen Sweets.

Deputy Carpenter who was one of the first on the scene seems to feel certain that Bailey or her grandparents are responsible for Colton’s death and all they need to do is gather the evidence to arrest Bailey or her grandfather. But then, on the other hand, Deputy Aiden Brody seems to be just the opposite, praising her grandparents as great people and seeming to take an interest in the case and information Bailey has to offer. Thinking they might be doing the good cop-bad cop, she doesn’t want to share too much with either one.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, Swissmen Sweets was to provide the desserts for the marriage of Colton’s son, Jace, and Mira. Eileen, the mother of the bride insists that Bailey show that she is capable of preparing desserts that will meet her high standards. Eileen quickly arranges for Bailey to use the church kitchen, where the wedding will take place, to prepare a sample selection of desserts. She is sure that while she is doing her baking that there will also be an opportunity to gather more information about Colton.

Cass, a friend of Bailey’s and co-worker at JP Chocolates arrives in Harvest to convince Bailey to return to New York for the announcement of the head chocolatier job, but instead, Bailey convinces her to help learn who killed Colton.

Another great Amish series from Amanda Flower that gives the readers a look into the life in a community of Englisher and Amish and how they interact with another. A well-plotted and interesting story with a cast of believable characters.

I am looking forward to the next book in this new series.

A recipe for Salted Caramel Fudge is also included.

I read and finished Amanda Flower's Assaulted Caramel this past week. This one is out August 29th and you can even pre order book two which comes out next January!
I had an idea in my head what this would be like when I started however I was very impressed with how the storyline progressed. The unexpected surprises Amanda had for us in this story! I find that I enjoyed the relationship between main character Bailey King who is NOT Amish and her very much Amish grandparents tugged at my heartstrings in unexpected ways! You can feel the chemistry jump off the pages between Bailey and Aiden and your will want to adopt little Nutmeg for yourself.
I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series and feel author Amanda Flower has done an awesome job with Assaulted Caramel.

Almost thirty years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn undergo a traumatic attack in their home. They survive the attack, but their mother is killed. The sisters, as well as their father, are devastated by what happened and none of them are ever the same again. Sam leaves the small town of Pikeville, but Charlie remains with her father and becomes an attorney just like her dad. Now, twenty-eight years later, Charlie is involved in another horrifying experience as the main witness to a senseless, violent act. Because Charlie is on the scene at this event, the secrets from her own family’s violent past may now come to light, further changing the course of both Charlie and Sam’s lives.

The main characters of the book are sisters who have been estranged for years and each woman is flawed, in part because of what they had to live through so many years ago. The narrative alternates between past and present events and is told from more than one point of view to give the reader the full story of what went on in the past. Eventually, the reader discovers how what really happened has affected Sam and Charlie’s present lives. Each woman is very different, but has their own obstacles they must face to try to find happiness. Both women, especially Charlie, do things that often make it hard to like them, even when feeling sympathy for their situations. Some of their actions make more sense as the whole story comes out, but some remain hard to understand.

Karin Slaughter has written a number of novels that are very popular, and I’m glad this book is a standalone, since it provides a nice way to sample the author’s writing without having the knowledge about a long-running series. The Good Daughter is a gripping thriller with a suspenseful plot that continues to surprise the reader throughout the book. One of the main twists is completely unexpected - horrifying for the sisters and shocking to the reader. The book is well-written and is very intense with graphic violence and explicit language. Both the past and the present acts of violence both deal with disturbing subjects and aren’t always easy to read. However, in spite of this, I wanted to keep going and get to the truth in both cases, even when the violence had me wanting to look away. Fans of the author will enjoy the book and fans of Allison Brennan or Jeffrey Deaver will want to give this author a try.

~ Christine

Amanda Flower books are a pleasure to read, and Assaulted Caramel, the first entry in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, is no different. I will admit I was a bit apprehensive about reading an "Amish mystery." Ms. Flower's books are such a joy to read; I was concerned I wouldn't like the new series and therefore tarnish all books by her in my eyes. I was very mistaken and pleasantly surprised.

In this book we meet Bailey King who has been living in New York as an assistant chocolatier. She got her passion for chocolate by spending summers with her Amish grandparents in Ohio in their candy shop. When Bailey receives a call her grandfather is ill, she drops everything to be at his side. She arrives just in time to see her grandfather collapse after an altercation with a developer that wants to the shop, and those around it. The developer is soon found dead, however, and all signs point to the King family. Bailey must clear the names of her grandparents as well as herself, cater the desserts for a wedding, and try to play it cool when around the handsome deputy in town.

I truly enjoyed this mystery and almost literally counted the minutes until I could return to it's (digital) pages to read about Bailey, her grandparents, and chocolate. I love the cozy atmosphere, and I thoroughly enjoy the humor Ms. Flower interjects in her stories. The next book in the series, Lethal Licorice, doesn't arrive until February of 2018, and I am already impatiently waiting! This was easily a five-star book, but since it is the first in the series, I want to leave myself room to give following books five stars! I was disappointed when the author stopped writing the India Hayes mysteries, and while I am now reading her Living History Museum mysteries and now these, I am concerned she is spreading herself too thin and another series will soon fall by the wayside. Here's hoping we get many more adventures of Bailey King!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bailey King is about to land her dream job as head chocolatier at a very famous store in New York City. Instead of celebrating, she is rushing to the side of her ailing grandfather. Her grandparents just so happen to run an Amish candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, in the charming town of Harvest, Ohio. Bailey is worried about her beloved Daadi's heart condition and appalled at the developer who is trying to buy their shop. She's even more surprised when she finds his body in the candy kitchen the next morning. Set on saving the family owned business and clearing their names from the top of the suspect list, Bailey jumps at the chance to start investigating. Along the way she uncovers many hidden secrets, befriends a church going pig, meets the worst mother of the bride and gets a bit flustered by the kind local deputy.

Wow, what a strong debut for a new series!!! I've always been a fan of reading Amish fiction. When I saw that it was paired with a cozy mystery, I jumped at the opportunity to read this first. I have enjoyed the author's other Amish series - Appleseed Creek. You can tell that she truly respects their way of life and weaves some very believable details throughout her stories.

This book had so many great things going for it. First up, the cast is fantastic. There is a good mix of city folk, Amish and small town locals. The main character is really great. She's not perfect and I love how throughout the book she started questioning her morals. Maami and Daddi are the quintessential grandparents. Yes, their granddaughter was raised differently, but they love, support and encourage her wholeheartedly. Cass is my new favorite sidekick. Her reactions to the culture shock were hilarious and I loved her sarcastic tone. I hope she finds her way back into future books!!! Aiden is a great love interest. I'm very intrigued by his past and gentle spirit. His mother, Juliet, and her pet pig, Jethro, are such a fun duo too!!! I'm excited to watch all of these storyline develop and curious about some of the other shop owners - especially those ones with big secrets.

The mystery part of this book was great. It caught my attention right away and kept me guessing until the very end. There were quite a few plausible culprits and various clues to work through. That ending was a fantastic twist too!!!

The setting is incredibly charming. Harvest sounds like a place I'd visit in a heartbeat. I love all of the little shops located around the square. I'm anxious to see how Bailey moves forward with the candy shop. The book did include a recipe for Salted Caramel Fudge at the end.

I think what made this cozy stand out is the realness of some of the situations. Bailey went through a good interrogation at one point, she dealt with several emotions regarding her relationship and sick grandpa and she found out that not being honest hurts feelings in more ways than one. I respect that not everything was a happy ending, it left me intrigued to find out how she is going to patch a few things up. I'll definitely be anxious to read the sequel!!!!!

I was immediately entranced with 'Assaulted Caramel', happily the first in a series by Amanda Flower. This was my very first exposure to a book about the Amish culture and it was instructive and entertaining at the same time. There is a well done mystery, great relationships, humor and a little romance. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Amish Candy Shop Mystery.