I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, a face from Millie’s past has come to town, to earn money, and he hopes- a bride. Though things don’t end well for him, a bit of town history comes to light in the aftermath.

I like the camaraderie between Millie and Lois, and they have a good way of solving things together. They’re adorable as best friends, and that works well for how they solve mysteries in these books. Though I’d like to see Millie get her happily ever after, I still want the solving to happen with Lois.

A slice of Amish life and a cozy mystery...what an awesome combination. Millie is an older Amish lady, and her best friend is Lois, an Englisher and they solve mysteries in their small Ohio town.

This is the second book in the series, but I don't think you have to read the previous book to enjoy this one. It was fun and interesting with a great mystery and an unexpected bad guy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

This is the second book in the Amish matchmaker series. There is a fire at the local flea market and a friend of Millie's, Ben, dies in the fire. A rumor starts spreading through the community that he started the fire. Millie, to clear his name starts investigating with her best friend, Lois. Millie is a wonderful character. I love how she and Lois balance each other. They make a perfect team. I love Millie's goats, Peter and Philip. They provide numerous laughs throughout the book. The mystery was well done and i didn't guess the killer until the end. I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just because your Amish doesn’t mean you can’t solve a murder or two! In Courting can be Murder, Millie is a widow and a matchmaker for her local Amish community. When Ben, one of the town’s bachelors, dies mysteriously, Millie and her Englischer friend Lois step in to solve the crime. Could Ben have been killed by his beloved’s father who forbade the engagement? Or was Ben caught by a fire that he set himself?

I enjoy all the books written by Amanda Flower. I enjoy the original series set in Harvest, the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, slightly more than this spin-off series. That might just be because I adore sassy pigs more than feisty goats. It might also be the sweet romance in the original series between Bailey and Aiden. There is a hint of a future romance for Millie at the end of Courting can be Murder. Yay!

If you want to be lifted away from your life of “Safer at Home” restrictions and “election fraud” tweets, this is a great comforting read. 4 stars!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed Amanda Flower’s books, and Millie Fisher is fast becoming one of my favorite characters in her books. She’s a delightful character, and her Amish lifestyle makes her an unlikely “detective”. Millie’s quite the investigator. I love her close friendship with Lois, who in many ways is Millie’s complete opposite. This cozy mystery is an entertaining page-turner as the two friends try to solve the mystery of the death of Millie’s friend. Millie’s goats add an extra layer of fun to the story.

This book crosses over with Amanda Flower’s “Amish Candy Shop” series, and it was interesting seeing Deputy Aiden Brody at work in this book, too. I’m not going to give away many details in this review, but if you love Amish books, cozy mysteries, or both, you’ll enjoy following Millie and Lois as they conduct their investigation.

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

5 Stars: 5/5 Star Rating

Who knew that courting could be a killer? Who knew that matchmaking can get a woman in trouble? Millie and Lois are insisting on helping the police solve the mystery of Ben's death in the fire at the local flea market, and the sweet, amusing pair of friends just don't heed the warnings along the way. And they don't heed the deputies warnings to let them handle the investigating, leaving it to the professionals.

I loved this mystery and I never did figure out "whodunit" until I read the ending. I love mysteries that leave me guessing.

I received a digital ARC of this book from netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

Courting Can Be Killer is the second book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series by Amanda Flower.

The relationship between Millie, who is Amish, and Lois, who is not, is very entertaining. Millie seems more open-minded that many of those in her district and Lois respects Millie, even when she does not agree with the Amish ways.

There is a fire at the flea market and. Millie and Lois investigate to clear a young man’s name. I liked how they worked with the police, at least certain officers. It was an entertaining mystery and an ending that surprised me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: December 1, 2020

Courting Can Be Killer is the second book in An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series by Amanda Flower. I have not read the first book (yet!), but I was able to jump right into this book.

This was such a great book. I love that it is told from the perspective of an older woman, who is considered to be a matchmaker in her community. I love the town, the people in it, and of course, I love the mystery.

This was such a great cozy mystery. I have really enjoyed the other books I have read by the author and this one did not let me down! I will definitely be reading the previous book in the series, Matchmaking Can Be Murder, and I look forward to reading the future books as well. I also plan on reading all of the books in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, which takes place in the same town as this series.

I definitely recommend reading this book if you enjoy cozy mysteries or Amish fiction!

I'm so grateful to Amanda Flower, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

Millie Fisher loves helping the members of her Amish community find their perfect match. Ben Baughman, who is like a nephew to Millie, wants her help in convincing Tess Lieb’s stern father that he would make a suitable husband for Tess. Millie agrees to speak with Tobias Lieb, but before she is able to make any ground in her talks with him, tragedy strikes. Now the “Amish Marple” and her Englisch best friend Lois Henry are determined to find out the truth behind the suspicious death in Harvest, Ohio’s Amish country before anyone else becomes a victim.

This is the second book in this series and it also includes crossover characters from the author’s Amish Candy Shop series. Those who read that series will love seeing Deputy Aiden Brody lead the investigation, but it’s not necessary to read those books to be able to enjoy this one. I read the prior book in the Amish Matchmaker series, but I would have been able to catch up on the characters even if I hadn’t.

The best part of the book is the unusual and loving friendship between Millie and Lois. The two women are very different but their love and respect for each other is obvious. I love how the outspoken Lois speaks out against people who are disrespectful to Millie when Millie would feel uncomfortable doing that herself. The downside of the book is the abundance of unlikable side characters. You expect a couple in a story like this, but except for the main characters, rude and judgemental people seem to be the rule instead of the exception. This takes away from the light mood of the book and even the antics of Millie’s rambunctious goats Phillip and Peter can’t make up for it.

The plot of the book is interesting and there are more suspects than you would expect in a devout Amish community. When Millie is able to uncover the truth, I was very surprised by the final revelation. There is also an ongoing subplot involving Millie’s childhood friend Uriah Schrock. Uriah didn’t play a large part in this book, but it looks like the author was setting up a future storyline in a subsequent book and I hope Millie opens herself up to the possibility of romance. I like this author and really enjoy the interesting duo of Millie and Lois. I think this book will appeal to fans of any of the author’s other series written under either Amanda Flower or Isabella Alan or fans of Laura Bradford.

~ Christine

Millie and Lois return in a second adventure. Lois calls Millie Amish Marple and it’s fairly accurate. Millie applies understanding of Amish ways and an understanding of human nature to finding out who started a fire at the flea market and killed Ben.
I was a bit surprised at how this mystery worked out in the end.
The book takes place in and around Harvest, Ohio. The book has cross over of characters from the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. Juliet and Jethro, the pig make several appearances. There is an interaction with Bailey, the main character of the Amish Candy Shop series. These interactions made the book even better for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
I really like Amanda Flower’s style of writing. It is humerus and paced at a rate that suites me. I find her characters refreshing and unique - in this particular mystery we have a 60+ Amish Lady that investigates the death of a young friend of hers who was found dead in a fire. Did he set it himself? Did someone kill him first, then set the fire? Why was he so desperate for money?
Our leading lady even gets a small bit of romantic action, which quite frankly gladdens my heart. I’m all a bit too fed up with romances that only happen to young people for whom putting their socks on is an easy and un- noteworthy exercise.
Really enjoyed this one and will be carrying on with the series.

In this 2nd book of the series, Millie is worried about her young friend, Ben. It seems he has his heart set on courting Tess, despite the fact that her father strictly forbids it. Then, when he is found dead at the scene of a fire and rumors spread that he started it, Millie knows she has to investigate if only to clear Ben’s name. This is a spin-off from another series by this author, and occasionally has crossover visits, including ones from the mischievous Jethro. I love the relationship between Millie and her friend, Lois. Their conversations often include cultural references about which Millie is clueless, and provides humor to the story...including when Lois calls Millie “Amish Marple.” But the best part of this series, besides the cozy mystery, is that people can stay friends despite differences in their backgrounds, religions, and core beliefs. And finally, who can resist the antics of the two pet goats! Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book through NetGalley and all opinions are strictly my own.

Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is one of the Amish Matchmaker series featuring Millie Fisher, the community's matchmaker and her sidekick, Lois Henry, who is not Amish. They are both characters, as far away from one another as is possible, and yet, totally compatible. Millie was pretty much retired. Lois worked when she felt like it in her granddaughter Darcy's cafe. This is a simple murder mystery with some crossover because it takes place in Harvest, Ohio, as does the Swissman Sweets novels. Millie had only been back for a year or so. She had been in Michigan for several years caring for her dying sister. While there she had met young Ben Baughman who lived next door and had done small jobs for the elderly sister. Just several months ago, Ben had appeared at her door, claiming that he's had to leave Michigan. Millie gave him a room, which didn't last long. He was a go-getter and soon had several jobs and a room in a local Amish home. He wanted to marry a local, girl, Tess Lieb. For some reason it appeared to be a big rush. She ran in to him at one of his jobs, as night watchman for the local flea market, where many Amish sold their goods. They had been having a problem with thefts at night. He was in a hurry, but the, he always was. The next day he was dead, and many believed he had set the fire at the flea market in which he perished. The whole story made no sense to Millie, so she decided to look into it. So she and Lois set off, despite Deputy Aiden's repeated request to let him do his job.

Flower's books are all simple, clean, enchanting looks into the life of the Amish in Ohio, as well as peeks into the daily lives of her individual characters. They are fun to read and very easy to invest in the ongoing lives of her characters. As in all cozies, the death of the victims may be gruesome, but there is little or no description so that contributes to the lightness of the novel. People have sincere motivations for their behavior, Amish or not, so they are easy to identify with. The books always end positively and live a good feeling with the reader. Courting Can Be Killer is not exception, although it is always hard to see someone so young die. Courting Can Be Killer is part of an ongoing series where peoples' lives develop as each new mystery rears its head. Reading it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon! I am a fan.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Courting Can Be Killer by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #courtingcanbekiller

It is such a pleasure to read the second book in this series, which is an off-shoot from the author’s Amish Candy Shop mysteries. In this series, an Amish matchmaker, Millie, and her Englischer friend, Lois, solve the whodunnits.

Millie is finally settled back in her old hometown of Harvest, Ohio. A young man, Ben, she knew from her years in Michigan has moved to town. He doesn’t have family, so Millie becomes his almost aunt.

Ben is young but he falls in love and wants to marry a young woman, Tess, whose father is against the match. Millie is concerned because the couple doesn’t seem, to her, to be the right match but she also wants Ben to be happy.

When Ben dies in a warehouse fire, things don’t seem to add up. Was it a tragic accident or was it deliberately set? Did Ben set it himself?

Because Ben came to town to be with Millie, she feels like she must solve the mystery and keep Ben’s memory untarnished. Lois, as always, is right beside her. Lois is an outspoken lady, whose past we learn much more about in this story.

It is a great whodunnit and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters grow. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and in the original series as well.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Courting Can Be Killer is the second book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series, a spin-off of the Amish Candy Shop series. Both take place in Harvest, a fictional town in Holmes County, Ohio. I've read all of the books in the Amish Candy Shop series (except for novella Candy Cane Crime), so when I saw this was available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read and review it. I hadn't read the first book in the series beforehand, but I don't think that was a detriment. The book revolves around Millie, an Amish woman of a certain age, and her best friend Lois, an Englischer. They're working to solve the death of Millie's young friend Ben, who perished in a fire.

I thought the mystery aspect was good. There were several red herrings, and it wasn't evident to me until the very end "whodunit." The cast of characters was also interesting, and I enjoyed reading about those from the Amish Candy Shop books. What I did not enjoy were Millie's goats, Peter and Philip. I thought they added nothing to the story. Amanda Flower must be an animal lover, because all of her books incorporate animals in one way or another. Unfortunately, this time it missed the mark. I also would have liked to see more matchmaking in the book. It is the Amish Matchmaker series, after all! I know it's a mystery and not a romance, but I was hoping there would be more of a storyline with Millie and Uriah as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

COURTING CAN BE KILLER, the second Amish Matchmaker Mystery by Amanda Flower, is a great sophomore offering in this fun series. A spin-off of the Amish Candy Shop series, it can be read as a standalone or as part of either, or both, series.

Main character Millie is of a certain age and known for her matchmaking skills among the Amish community in Harvest, Ohio. Having returned to her hometown after caring for her ailing sister, she has rekindled her friendship with Englisher Lois and welcomes Ben, a youth from her sister’s district, with open arms. Ben is only nineteen years old but thinks he has found his match with Tessa, a local apple grower’s daughter, and works four jobs in effort to impress Tessa’s disapproving father. When Ben tragically dies, Millie, with the help of Lois, set out to find a killer and preserve Ben’s reputation and memory.

I really like Millie. She is mature, intelligent, compassionate, and thorough is all that she does. Her “opposites attract” relationship with Lois is my favorite aspect of the series. Neither character is a blown out of proportion caricature of her respective culture, and their friendship seems natural and firmly rooted as only long-term relationships can be. It is nice to see characters from the Amish Candy Shop series drop in here and there, and Millie’s goats provide comic relief.

The mystery is well plotted and paced. There are only a few suspects, but Flower definitely kept me guessing until the very end. This story feels a little more somber than some cozy mysteries out there, perhaps because the victim is so young and seemingly a good guy or because his future was not going to be what he thought.

COURTING CAN BE KILLER is a wonderful cozy. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this title from the author and Kensington Publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Courting Can be Murder by Amanda Flower is the 2nd book in an Amish Matchmaker Mystery series and another great addiction. This series is connected to the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, another series I enjoy. Millie Fisher has recently returned to Harvest, Ohio Amish community after living in Michigan and taking care of her sick sister. Millie is a quilt maker and matchmaker. When a young man Millie met in Michigan, moves to her district, than ends up dead Millie is determined to find the killer. Millie and her best friend Lois, who is not Amish, work together. I love their friendship. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I enjoy all of Ms. Flower's series. I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed is you like Cozy mystery books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A young Amish man that Millie knew in Michigan decides to move to Harvest after he has problems with his family. He fall in love with a young Amish girl whose father doesn't want her courting. Ben dies in a fire at the flea market where he is the night watchman. When suspicion for starting the fire falls on Ben, Millie and Lois start to investigate. The series is set in the same county as The Amish Candy Shop Series, so several of the secondary characters from that series shows up as well as Bailey King. Millie has known Ben since he was 8 years old. She is the only that seems to care that Ben is dead and his reputation in tatters. Not even Ben's father seems to care that his son is dead. By the end, the person responsible is caught. Amanda Flower's is one of my favorite authors so I look forward to a new book of hers. I've enjoyed both books in the series, and I am looking forward to the third.

Courting Can Be Killer is the second book in An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series by Amanda Flower.

Millie Fischer is affectionately known as The Matchmaker in the community of Harvest, Ohio. Millie was delighted to learn that Ben Baughman, who she thinks of as her nephew, has moved to Harvest. Ben has asked Millie for help in persuading Tess Leib’s father, who owns an apple orchard, that he would be able to provide for a wife and children. Ben has been working four jobs since he has moved to Harvest. Unfortunately, before Millie can discuss Ben with Mr. Leib, there is a fire one night at the Harvest Village Flea Market, where Ben is the nightwatchman. Ben is discovered dead in the ashes of the fire. Investigators determined that the fire was started by a lantern that was found near Ben’s body. Ben’s demise will be listed as suicide by the police.

Millie doesn’t believe that Ben committed suicide, and with the help of her friend since childhood, Lois set off to determine who might have wanted Ben dead.

It’s always enjoyable to visit Harvest’s residents, whether this beautiful series or the lovely Amish Candy Shop series. The story is very well-written and plotted with enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the end. The characters are well-developed and very believable. This series also has some of the Amish Candy Shop characters joining Millie and Lois in this one. Millie and Lois are delightful, they work well together, and their interaction provides some very humorous banter. I love Peter and Philip and all the trouble they can cause.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

The second installment in The Amish Matchmaker Mystery series continues to develop the characters and relationships of Book 1. Millie and Lois are the classic example of opposites attracting in almost every way, and their friendship is the strongest component throughout. The mystery itself is well thought-out and developed, with a satisfying conclusion. The emotional depth of the characters creates a genuine sense of empathy or at least believability around them.

Despite all of the technical positives, there is a proverbial fly in the ointment, at least for me. The emphasis to the point of exaggeration that this book is about the Amish (it seems that a page doesn’t go by without the word) gives me pause. I became increasingly uncomfortable as the book continued, wondering if there isn’t a bit of cultural appropriation at work. Being placed on display or used as a commercial hook seems to violate the proud and private nature that is the essence of many Amish communities. While I certainly can’t say that the series is disparaging in any way, I can’t help feeling that its premise and purpose may be disrespectful. For this reason, I will not be continuing with the series.