Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower is the fourth story in the cozy Amish Candy Shop Mystery series and I have enjoyed them all. This can be read as a standalone, but reading the previous books will give you some background to the characters, but it is not necessary to do so. Bailey King, had been working in New York as a chocolatier before returning to Harvest, Ohio after the death of her grandfather. She is helping her Amish grandmother run their family owned candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. Bailey is not Amish but she understands them and is accepted by them more than most Englischers.

In Toxic Toffee Bailey has just returned from New York where she had begun filming a cooking show. When she returns, she agrees to help out with the town's Easter celebrations. Her part is to create a 6 to 7 foot toffee rabbit for the town square. As sh is talking about this venture, Stephen Raber, an Amish farmer who raises and sells rabbits, collapses in the town square. Was it a heart attack or was it something more nefarious?

I always enjoy a visit to Harvest, Ohio. I love the characters in the series from protagonist Bailey to her grandmother, police detective and love interest Aiden, and everyone in between. The animal characters also play a good role. Who wouldn't want to live in a town where there are pet pigs, bunnies, goats and more. The characters are all authentic and I would love to meet them and sample some Swissmen Sweets. It is easy to see that Amanda Flower has done her research and this Amish town is quite authentic. The mystery is well-plotted and woven nicely throughout the story. There are clues and red herrings sprinkled throughout the story for the reader to find. I did figure out who the murderer was prior to the final reveal, but the reveal itself was a surprise and well written. Another wonderful addition to this series.

I always look forward to reading one of Amanda Flower's books, she is an amazing storyteller, you can open up one of her books and your daily problems fad away as you become one of her characters.

Bailey is one of my favorite characters, not only does she get to play with candy at her grandma's candy shop, but she also has an amazing community of fun and crazy people and animals to be around so, your never bored with the village and the people. Oh, and I cannot forget about her hot cop boyfriend Aiden ;)

I love how Amanda can toss enough clues throughout the story to keep me guessing and at the end, I am surprised that none of my suspects is the one who did it.

The added rabbit in this story was a very nice touch, I am always pleased when an author can write about a different kind of pet instead of the same cat or dog, not that I love dogs and cats but as you keep reading about the same old pets it gets kind of old.

One of my favorite cozy mystery series and I highly recommend you bump it on top of your reading list.

TOXIC TOFFEE, the fourth installment in Amanda Flower's Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, is a well-plotted "whodunnit" that is sure to engage readers. In addition to the murder plot, Bailey King is tasked with growing her grandparents' business, Swissmen Sweets, crafting an eight-foot chocolate rabbit, and navigating the relationship with her new beau, Deputy Aiden Brody. Flower has created an utterly charming world set in Ohio Amish country. A great continuation to the series!

Once again Bailey finds herself on the hunt for a murderer in her hometown and this time the threat is coming close to home so she needs to figure it out quickly! A great plot is well woven with delightful characters with well developed personalities. This series is set in an Amish community that has become Bailey's new home as she helps her Amish grandmother run the family candy shop. It is filled with quirky characters that will soon feel like beloved friends after a book or two from the series! While you can definitely enjoy just this book without being completely lost in the series, you will miss out on tons of entertainment and character development if you don't start at the beginning! I dare you to try to read this cozy mystery series without breaking a smile or two!

I found Toxic Toffee an entertaining read. The characters are well-rounded and likeable and the mystery got me puzzled for a good while. There's also a healthy dose of humor in the book and lots of cute animals. Something that made the book even more interesting was the setting of the predominantly Amish town.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

While a murder might not be considered delightful, this novel overall is. The characters are likable and well-rounded, the various pets are fascinating, and the mystery is definitely hard to solve. I like the setting of the predominantly Amish town, which the author demonstrates excellent knowledge of. There is also a healthy dose of humor, some of those this-could-only-happen-to-me moments that the author is adept at.

We start briefly in New York City at Bailey King’s former employer and mentor, Jean Pierre Ruge of JP Chocolates. She is in New York, along with her grandmother’s young cousin Charlotte, to film several episodes of Bailey’s Amish Sweet’s Candy Maker. They return to Harvest in Holmes County, Ohio, where she now lives with her beloved Maami (grandmother) Clara, and works at her grandparents’ shop, Swissmen Sweets, an Amish candy shop.

Easter is days away, and Margot Rawlings, an amazing fundraiser in Harvest, has a special request for Bailey, a master carver of chocolate creations. Margot is speaking with an Amish man who is holding a fluffy white bunny with a pink bow. Margot begins to describe what she really wants to put in the town square. If Bailey would kindly mold the largest ever toffee bunny, it will help tourism to Harvest. Why toffee? Her mother was raised in England and loved toffee, as does Margot. Suddenly Stephen, owner of Puff, the white bunny, puts Puff in Bailey’s arms, grabbed his chest, and fell over dead.

Bailey has been dating Aiden Brody, nicknamed Hot Cop by Bailey’s best friend Cass, is a sheriff’s deputy. His mother, Juliet, is convinced they are going to get married, trying to push Bailey to a June wedding. Juliet has a black and white spotted comfort pig named Jethro, and is good friends with Reverend Brook. Aiden was at the Reverend’s church when the call came in for Stephen’s collapse as someone came into the church during the night, leaving a big, sticky mess.

Bailey had helped give CPR to Stephen, but even the EMT’s could do nothing when they arrived. Aiden arrived quickly. Stephen had a heart problem, so it is assumed that was the cause of his death. Eli, Stephen’s son, came to Bailey’s house that night, stating that a mutual friend suggested he see Bailey to help him find his father’s murderer. For the past two weeks, threatening notes had been left in their phone shed, which he gave to Bailey. Each is worse than the preceding one. Stephen didn’t trust law enforcement and chose to wait it out. He said that Bailey could share them with Aiden, and as he left, plopped down Puff, his father’s favorite bunny, for Bailey to take care of. Bailey really doesn’t want to get into asking questions about one more murder. She wants to honor Aiden and her family, enjoy them, and work at the family candy shop, especially after so many weeks away.

As events unfold, and it is learned that Stephen was poisoned, Bailey did get involved. She couldn’t not get involved, especially since it seemed that the poison may have been prepared at the nearby church during the break-in for Stephen’s consumption. Bailey is threatened even as she tries to put together a huge toffee bunny while caring for a cuddly, wonderful rabbit in addition to her adorable cat, Nutmeg.

Each of the characters is well-demonstrated through realistic dialog and actions. I really enjoy Bailey as she navigates life in the town that now feels more like a home than the Big Apple ever did. I admire her dedication to her Maami, who I also like very much. Charlotte is fresh and exciting. While she has not yet been baptized, she learns about the Englisch world while not dishonoring her Amish faith. Most of the characters are very likable.

This was a challenging mystery to solve! Plot twists brought interesting changes in the story and the mystery. The story moves along at a fast, steady pace. It pulled me in from the first page and kept my attention throughout. I enjoyed the animals that are part of Amish country in general, and to the specific pets; they add to my interest in the novel. The setting of the Amish village also attracts me. I was very surprised to learn who the killer was and the real motives! Every loose end was addressed by the end of the novel, and this left me looking forward to the next in series. I highly recommend it!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Once again, Amanda Flower showcases her witty and entertaining style in her latest cozy mystery, Toxic Toffee.

Bailey has just returned from a stint in New York in time for an all out Easter celebration. She has been pegged to make a eleborate toffee rabbit for the town when an Amish rabbit raiser ends up dead. Bailey and her deputy boyfriend Aiden search for clues as a cast of would be murderers surface.

This book has all the makings of an Amanda Flower mystery...quirkey characters, humorous dialogue, animal antics, and well developed characters with minds of their own. Another great mystery for the series!

Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower is the fourth full length novel in the cozy Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. Each of the four novels along with a companion novella feature the same characters and contain their own mystery solved within each. Ideally reading in order would be the best way to enjoy the overall series but it’s not needed as they can all be understood on their own or in any order.

The main character in this series, Bailey King, had been working in New York as a chocolatier before she decided to return to Harvest, Ohio and help her Amish grandmother run their family owned candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. While Bailey is not Amish herself she does find herself fitting into the community with her Amish roots and trusted more than other outsiders.

This time around in Toxic Toffee Bailey has just returned from a working trip to New York where she had begun filming a cooking show. As soon as Bailey was back she got roped in with helping out with the towns’ Easter celebration but as they are working out the details Stephen Raber collapses in the town square. Of course instead of Stephen’s death being natural causes it becomes clear he was murdered and Bailey again helps on the investigation.

Following this series from the beginning I’ve really enjoyed it overall as it has just that right mix of quirky fun and mystery. I loved how the author has taken a regular American and thrust her into the Amish world giving her the means to fit into both the regular community and Amish people. And as much as I like the characters there’s also plenty of cute critters stealing the show too. Two thumbs up and 4 1/2 stars for this latest adventure.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Easter is just around the corner and Bailey King is heading back home to Harvest, Ohio, after wrapping up the shooting for her new tv show. Bailey is looking forward to spending time with her grandmother at their chocolate shop, Swissmen Sweets. Unfortunately, town resident Margot Rawlings has a plan for Bailey that includes carving a giant chocolate rabbit for the town festivities. Meanwhile, another town resident and rabbit farmer, Stephen Raber, is murdered right in front of Bailey. Bailey is smack in the middle of another murder investigation and will have to work closely with her boyfriend and sheriff deputy, Aiden Brody, if she hopes to survive.

I didn’t think Amanda Flower could top her last book, PREMEDITATED PEPPERMINT, but oh boy was I ever wrong! I alternated between worrying for Bailey and laughing hysterically throughout TOXIC TOFFEE. The antics of Jethro the potbellied pig are of course outrageously funny, but it is all the various rabbit shenanigans that had me in tears from laughing so hard. I’m not going to share any spoilers, but one scene in particular still makes me laugh out loud.

The Amish lifestyle is a central part of the story line underpinning all of the Amish Candy Shop books and I enjoy how Amanda Flower educates Englishers such as myself on the Amish culture. I’m particularly intrigued by a new character we meet, Millie Fisher, and her role in the community. Even better, I’m thrilled she’s the main character in a new series, starting with MATCHMAKING CAN BE DEADLY.

TOXIC TOFFEE is the fourth book in the Amish Candy Shop series and is my favorite installment yet! Readers new to the series can jump right in and enjoy this entertaining and fun cozy mystery. I love each and all the characters in Amanda Flower’s series, although Puff may have displaced Jethro after reading TOXIC TOFFEE. If you love humor in your cozy mysteries, then look no further than Amanda Flower and TOXIC TOFFEE as I’m sure you’ll enjoy her books as much as I do!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Rabbits! Rabbits! Rabbits!

Bailey King returns from New York just in time for “Easter Days”. A new festival created to bring more tourists to Harvest, Ohio. While there will be plenty of live rabbits hopping around, Bailey has been asked to make a huge sweet bunny featuring tons of toffee. While trying to get all the details Bailey meets rabbit keeper Stephen Raber and his special bunny, Puff. In the middle of the conversation, Mr. Raber falls to the ground. Bailey shouts for help, but the man is dead. Everyone assumes he had a heart attack, but the coroner finds evidence Stephen Raber was poisoned.

Bailey finds Mr. Raber was very well-liked in the community, why would anyone want to kill him? The victim’s son begged Bailey to find the killer as she had before for others. Then when she learns the murder weapon was a piece of toffee she feels she has no choice and pushes Aiden, her boyfriend/Deputy Sheriff to let her in on his investigation. He knows the Amish will open up with her more than they would with him so he agrees. They may go down a few rabbit holes to solve the case of the Toxic Toffee, but as long as they solve the case, it’s worth it.

I love these characters. Even with a murderer in their midst, they still know what’s important. Keeping a special bunny safe, constructing a giant toffee rabbit, keeping the sweet shop’s shelves full for customers, and in Juliet Brody’s case, getting Aidan and Bailey hitched in a summer wedding. (They have barely started dating and are definitely not engaged.) 🙂 All the characters are fleshed out and believable. The interactions and dialogues are true to life. The animals are absolutely delightful too. The author also sweetens the story with plenty of humor in all the right places.

The mystery is a real puzzler. Stephen Raber’s is new to us readers but has been a resident of the Harvest area for a long time as part of the Amish community. Bailey and Aiden could ask almost anyone in town about his life and how it has changed since he lost his wife. The fact that Bailey has become the caretaker of the victim’s pet rabbit named Puff is an interesting twist and felt like it gave Bailey an added push to solve the crime. Unfortunately she also on the killer’s radar and she finds herself in some very dangerous situations. Ms. Flower plotted out this story so well. There is always something happening and there are some fantastic twists. I had no idea “whodunit” until Bailey did.

I really enjoy the way Amanda Flower uses her Amish knowledge to build stories that show the two cultures coming together in so many ways. Bailey and her Amish grandmother have such a wonderful relationship. She also has an amazing relationship with Charlotte who has not yet been baptized into the faith. It is truly heartwarming the way the entire community comes together in good times and in bad.

Each visit the Harvest is unique and they always end too soon. I can’t wait to return in December for the premiere of Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series.

I think this might be my favorite of all the Amish candy shop series.

Bailey King’s in New York wrapping up a six-week shoot on her first cable TV show, Bailey’s Amish Sweets, when she gets a call from her Ohio town’s resident busybody. With Easter around the corner, Bailey’s been recruited to create a giant toffee bunny for the weeklong springtime festival that will also feature live white rabbits. But back home in Harvest, death becomes the main attraction when Stephen Raber keels over from an apparent heart attack

Bailey learns from her boyfriend, or “hot cop” as her best friend, Cass, calls him that Stephen might have died by something more sinister. Can Bailey help find out what happened to Stephen and give his family peace?

I have enjoyed reading this series by Amanda Flower. I was glad to see that the setting of this book had returned to the small town of Harvest and the candy shop. I love the characters in this community and it was good to get a glimpse of several of them again. There’s some amusing scenes in this story as the town celebrates “Easter Days” and Bailey is placed in charge of sculpting a giant six-foot Easter bunny out of toffee and chocolate as a display for the town’s festival. But once more, a murder of an Amish man happens in this Amish/English community and Bailey finds herself again in trying to solve a mystery and find the killer. The storyline held my interest and the mystery wasn’t one that was immediately easy for the reader to solve. There’s a couple of romantic storylines that weave in and out of the story and add a nice sweet touch where needed.

The books in this series are clean and sweet, and these cozy mysteries are just the right length for when you want something lighter and entertaining to read. I’m hoping there will be another in this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Toxic Toffee is the fourth installment in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series set in Harvest, Ohio and featuring chocolatier, Bailey King. Bailey has been in New York City for the past six weeks shooting her new TV show for the Gourmet Network accompanied by Charlotte Weaver, her Amish Swissmen Sweets assistant who is currently on rumspringa.

Minutes after returning to Harvest, Bailey is faced with pushy Margot Rawlings who has put herself in charge of all the town festivities and events. Margot is planning Easter Days, a week long celebration and not only has she filled the town square with white rabbits but she is demanding that Bailey carve a giant chocolate rabbit to be put on display with the catch that the rabbit needs to include toffee. But things take a deadly turn when Stephen Raber, a respected elder in the Amish district and owner of the bunny farm, dies on the square apparently poisoned by none other than a toffee treat.

When Stephen's son Eli approaches Bailey and asks her to find his father's killer, she is hesitant knowing that her boyfriend Sheriff Deputy Aiden Brody isn't going to be happy with her meddling in his investigation. But with encouragement from her Grandmother and other Harvest townsfolk, Bailey sets out to track down the killer and once again make peace between the English and Amish.

A fast paced, laugh out loud plot that sees the return of many series regulars including Aiden's mother Juliet and her polka dotted pig, Jethro. The author does a wonderful job taking the reader deeper into the lifestyles of the Amish and introduces a delightful new furry friend, Puff. A relationship twist at the end will leave readers grinning and looking forward to the next adventures of Bailey and the residents of Harvest.

I received an advanced copy of Toxic Toffee from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

This was a new and refreshing mystery story and a part of the Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series. This was actually the first of this series that I have read. But I am definitely going back to see what I have missed. I love a cozy mystery and this was a unique one that I truly enjoyed. It was fun and entertaining throughout!

Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower is number four in the Amish Candy Shop mystery series, featuring Bailey King, candy shop owner, who is finishing up a stint in New York filming her cable TV show featuring Amish candy making. Her Amish friend, Charlotte Weaver was with her, as her assistant and also to lend a real Amish flavor to the program. They arrived back in Holmes County, Ohio to the news that Bailey's nemesis, Margot Rawlings, was spearheading an Easter Festival and wanted Bailey to create a six-foot Easter bunny, made of toffee. Not exactly the homecoming she had hoped for. Before long, a murder has taken place, right out in the square, while Bailey was talking to the man. Steven Raber had just collapsed, dead. Of course, Bailey was to get involved. Didn't she always?

There's a reason for the moniker "cozy mystery." Reading one is always like going home, whether it is the reader's first time or one is invested in the series. So it is with Flowers' books. There is just enough Amish to make the books interesting; just enough candy to make the reader hungry; and just enough romance to make every reader wish they had a Deputy Sheriff Aiden Brody in their lives. Flowers writes in a very cozy, homey way that, despite the fact some pretty bad things happen, makes the reader feel good about the whole thing. Not to mention, the murder is discovered and all is well. A reader can't help but love this book. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a comfortable read.

I received a free ARC of Toxic Toffee. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #toxictoffee

* Amish * Easter * Candy * Bunnies *
This wonderful cozy has all the boxes checked. There is a rabbit and a pig. There are several sweet romances. There is an Easter celebration in the town square that includes a 6' tall chocolate bunny. And there is a very intriguing murder mystery. This is book 4 in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries series. This book stands alone well and is a fun book to read. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Toxic Toffee is book 4 in the Candy Shop mysteries. I love this series and an usually baffled at who the murderer is. This book kept me guessing also. In this novel Bailey has just returned from filming her candy television series in New York. She is commissioned to construct a giant toffee bunny for a festival in town. A much-loved Amish man, Stephen Raber drops dead. He raises rabbits but has a favorite one as a pet. Bailey becomes the caretaker for said rabbit. Bailey finds herself yet again involved with solving who killed Mr. Raber much to the chagrin of her deputy boyfriend Aiden. This book is full of twists and surprises and things are not always as they appear to be.

In addition to the solving of the murder there is the quirky characters that add enjoyment and humor to the book. There is Aiden's mother Juliet. She makes no secret that she wants Bailey as a daughter-in-law and is quite funny in her statements. Juliet has a spotted pet pig Jethro that she treats like a child and will sometimes dress up in pokey dotted garments to match Jethro.

I highly recommend reading this book. Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgallely for providing me a copy of this book to read and review.

I love this series and can't wait for more .....would enjoy seeing more detail of Bailey's time in New York filming the cooking show in the next one

This was an enjoyable light cozy. Bailey is a relatable character, and I like the village this is set in. The tensions between the English and the Amish and their respective ways of life always add a bit of depth to the books in this series, and I'm happy to return to Harvest when a new book comes out.

The overarcing storyline throughout several books involving Aiden's mother, Juliet, is getting a little old and ridiculous, though. I know these relationships aren't meant to be hard-core and believable, but Bailey's inability to just say the truth about her relationship with Aiden is becoming annoying to me.

Other than that, this was another relaxing read full of candy and murder:>)

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this book and its setting in Amish community. Great cozy mystery with a story line full of twists, turns and anticipation. Thank you Amanda Flower for this lovely book and I look forward to reading more.