Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower is the seventh full length novel in the cozy Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. Along with three companion novellas in this series each of the books holds it’s own mystery that will be solved so they can be read in any order or as a standalone if choosing to do so. For those that follow from the beginning in the series though there is character building carrying over from book to book to tie them altogether.

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 so they often turn to her for help.

This time around it’s Thanksgiving in Harvest and Bailey has agreed that Swissmen Sweets will be providing desserts for the town’s celebration. With hundreds of people from town, English and Amish alike, expected to attend Bailey is amazed at how well the event’s organizer, Margot Rawlings, is keeping pace. That is until Margot’s mother shows up at the event with a new younger boyfriend, Blaze Smith. Things definitely heat up when right in the middle of eating Blaze has an allergic reaction and dies and Bailey knows from experience there is a murderer to be found among the many guests.

First I’ll just say that the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is probably at the top of my favorite cozies list to keep returning to time and again and this installment was just as much fun as the rest of the series. At this point though I should also mention I’ve lost track of how many series I am reading from this author as she keeps bringing me back to all of her books. This particular series has all of the quirkiness In the characters, a fun sidekick in a rambunctious little piggie and always a great mystery to follow while laughing out loud the entire time. Another great installment, can’t wait for the next!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Many thanks to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
I love this series! Bailey is a chocolate maker who lives with her Amish grandmother. She gets caught up in a murder mystery.
This book is perfect for people who like cozy mysteries!
Is it bad that Jethro is my favorite character?

This book was so fun Bailey runs Swissmen Sweets and is providing desserts for the Harvest, Ohio’s first village-wide Thanksgiving celebration. The event’s organizer, Margot Rawlings, is unfazed . . . until she discovers her mother, former judge Zara Bevan, will be in attendance. The Amish do not like Zara Bevan she was very tough in sentencing the Amish and there are bad feelings against her. She announces she is engaged at the Thanksgiving dinner and then her Fiance ends up dead. There are many suspects those who the Judge sentenced harshly are on the list. This was a exciting read and I did not know who the killer was until the end. Amanda Flower has come up with a delightful tale and I love the Pig he is a star on Bailey's show since he has appeared several times and everyone wants a photo with the Pig.

Peanut Butter Panic is a great cozy read. It is an easy book to recommend to a wide range of patrons. I enjoy mysteries that allows the reader to guess who the murderer is.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I love to visit Swissmen Sweets and always look forward to new books in this series. I love how Amanda Flower blends the Amish and a mystery together. The story was fun to read and I can't wait until the next book comes out.

The surprise arrival of her termagent perfectionist mother has, Margot, the normally super efficient town special events planner in panic mode. On her way to the airport, she enlists the already over-committed, Bailey King, to manage the tasks for tomorrow's Thanksgiving events. Seems that two decades into her Florida retirement has not been long enough to erase the memories of the anti-Amish judge in Harvest, Ohio. When a suspicious death is ruled a homicide, Bailey is drawn into investigating to protect those she knows are innocent. It's not so much the plot, but also the beloved characters residing in Harvest that make each of the books in this series so enjoyable. Still the mystery is well-paced with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.

Love the cast of characters, English and Amish, and I thought the feast on the green was a fabulous choice for the plot focus. I could truly envision people scurrying around to plan and, ahem, execute. Solid cozy mystery in typical Amanda Flower form; well thought out, well written, memorable characters.

As always this series is excellent! An Amish Candy Shop Mystery never disappoints. I'm looking forward to the next installment. I enjoy the crossover of characters from the Matchmaker Mysteries.

I thoroughly enjoy the Amish Candy Shop Mystery and Peanut Butter Panic was a great addition to this series. In this book, we meet Zara Bevan, the mother of Village organizer, Margot Rawlings. Zara was previously a judge in the area and she had treated the Amish that came before her in court very severely. She was not well liked and it was surprising that she chose to return to Harvest Ohio in such a public way, attending the town Thanksgiving Dinner. When Margot goes to pick her up at the airport, she finds her dragging along her boy toy, a man younger than Margot herself. At the dinner Zara announces that she and her boyfriend Blaze Smith, are going to get married. At the dinner Blaze suffers an allergic reaction, and his epi-pen is nowhere to be found. He dies and suspicions abound. Will Bailey be able to help find the culprit before the local police once more bumble the case.

I enjoy all the talk of chocolate, festivals and life with the Amish in this series. It is a very busy time for Bailey and the employees of Swissmen Sweets. Learning about Margot's mother reminded me that prejudice abounds in our world against people of all races, cultures, religion and more. Blaze is after Zara's money and everyone knows it, including Zara. He is also deathly allergic to peanuts and even brought his own Amish Spread without peanuts, so how did peanuts get in his food. Bailey's boyfriend, Aiden is now working for the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, so he isn't around much, although he is called in for this case. I was worried that their relationship might not last, but fortunately, Amanda Flower has a twist for us. As usual, all the pets are there including Jethro the pig. This was another well written and plotted cozy mystery with lots of suspects, some red herrings and some big twists. I definitely recommend Peanut Butter Panic to cozy mystery lovers, better yet, read the whole series if you haven't already.

Peanut Butter Panic

by Amanda Flower

I always enjoy the novels in Amanda Flower’s cozy mystery series The Amish Candy Shop Mysteries. Peanut Butter Panic is no exception.

Bailey, an Englisch chocolatier, is co-owner with her grandmother of Swissmen Sweets in the tourist town of Harvest. There is a lot going on for Bailey. Margo, the town event coordinator, has organized a Thanksgiving celebration for the whole area that unifies the Amish and the Englisch in one big celebration. The arrival of Margot’s mother Zara, a fierce retired judge who is remembered for the harsh sentences she passed on Amish defendants, arrives suddenly and is unexpectedly accompanied by a much younger boyfriend. Her appearance throws Margot into a panic as Zara has made it clear that Margot has never lived up to her standards. When a murder occurs at the dinner, both Margot and Zara appeal to Bailey who has a reputation as a successful unofficial sleuth.

Other complications in the plot for Bailey include the intense sales period of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is difficult to produce enough sweets for all of these events in addition to the Jethro bars made for tourists in honor of the pot-bellied pig Jethro who has appeared on Bailey’s cooking show. Add in the difficulties of Bailey’s semi-long distance relationship with Aiden who has accepted a position with the Ohio BCI. She is also considering expanding Swissmen Sweets which would be a big change for her and for her grandmother.

There are a lot of twists and turns as hidden relationships and identities emerge. When the book appeared to be at a point of closure, I found myself wondering if I had missed something as I read. I still didn’t know whodunnit! But the last pages hold yet another surprise, the mystery is solved, and some real justice is done.

Characters are vital to this story. The reactions of people to Margot and to her mother Zara speak volumes. There is animal humor in the book as Jethro the polka-dotted pig plays an important role along with Puff the rabbit and a new character, Gator, a rather vicious little purse dog. Another character I enjoy is Charlotte who has a recently decided to leave the Amish way and is gradually transitioning to the Englisch way of life. This is a fun cozy with interesting characters and a good plot. I recommend the whole series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #7 in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, but could be read as a standalone

Publication: August 23, 2022—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

Amateur sleuthing required a great deal of balance I realized. Enough meddling to get the answers but not so much as to obstruct justice or negatively impact the prosecution of a criminal.

I did notice that the shouts and cheers for the little bacon bundle were a tad more jubilant than they had been for me. I understood. I wasn’t an adorable little comfort pig. It was difficult to compete with such cuteness.

“…Zara was the kind of person who could have a terrible time just about anywhere. She complained about everything, even when it was done just as she liked it. She found fault with just about everything I did.”

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Amanda Flower's 7th installment in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series does not disappoint! This installment is set during Thanksgiving and the mad rush to get the candy shop ready for tourists kicks off the story with a bang. When Bailey's mother and her too young boy friend arrive to announce their nuptials everything changes when he dies right after dessert. The book is fast paced with many possible murderers and the ending will have you reaching for some holiday treats to celebrate another fabulous book.

It's always a pleasure to read Flower's books and this series gets better with each new installment. This is a delightful blend as usual with the mystery, the town, and her personal life. Peanut Butter Panic deals a bit more with her relationship with Aiden after both seemingly get precisely what they've wanted. She's got this TV show and the shop while he has (on the surface) a dream job. It's a great blend of drama into the mystery that gives some uncertainty in their relationship. So excited to see what happens next in the series!

Fairly quick read. I enjoy reading the Amish Candy shop mystery series. It’s like visiting old friends. I was also glad to see that Charlotte made a decision.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

this is another new cozy mystery series for me and i was super excited to jump in! the cover immediately caught my eye because of the adorable pig featured in the center … and i was not expecting jethro to play such a big role in the plot! he’s undeniably the town’s favorite pet and is such a fun addition to the character list! i really liked the action incorporated into the plot - in mysteries i’ve read, the victim is found after being murdered so i really liked this interesting twist in “peanut butter panic” and that got the action-ball rolling for me. i enjoyed the subplot between bailey and her grandmother. i loved their teamwork and it’s exciting that bailey is looking at expanding the family business. the plot takes some time to focus on bailey’s prospective plans but i wish it would’ve moved through a bit faster. she’s constantly hung up over the idea of telling her grandmother her ideas and it all felt repetitive until they finally have “the conversation” in the end. all in all, it’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store for swissman sweets.

Peanut Butter Panic
Amish Candy Shop Mystery, Book #7
Amanda Flower
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Thanksgiving is Bailey King’s busiest holiday weekend. This year promises to be even more hectic, since Bailey’s candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, is providing desserts for Harvest, Ohio’s first village-wide Thanksgiving celebration. Yet, even with a guest list close to seven hundred people—Amish and English alike—the event’s organizer, Margot Rawlings, is unfazed . . . until she discovers her mother, former judge Zara Bevan, will be in attendance.

Zara’s reputation as a harsh critic is matched only by her infamy as a judge who has actively harmed the Amish community. So no one is prepared when Zara arrives with much younger boyfriend Blaze Smith and reveals their impending nuptials at dinner. That should have been the day’s biggest news, except shortly after the announcement, Blaze suffers an allergic reaction to something he’s eaten and dies on the spot.

Now, Bailey’s desserts are prime suspects, along with Margot and nearly everyone who attended the meal. With such a cornucopia of possibilities, Bailey must dig in and get to the bottom of this murder, before the killer goes up for seconds… (Goodreads)

Review:

Thanksgiving is alive and well in Harvest, Ohio. They are having a village-wide Thanksgiving celebration and everyone is welcome. Unfortunately that includes Margot’s mother, Zara. What is not alive and well is someone at the celebration. When someone is killed Bailey and her friends will have to figure out who the killer is.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning and took me on a fun ride. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well crafted and I think death by allergy is a diabolic one. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. Join Bailey and her friends in a special Thanksgiving celebration.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

I have read a couple of books in this series and enjoyed them. The characters are well developed, the town sounds like an interesting place to live, and the relationships keep things interesting. Jethro, the pig, is a hoot and has you laughing. The murder mystery is done well and you are left guessing until the end. There are lots of clues that lead you to a variety of suspects, but there is a delightful shocking reveal toward the end. I always enjoy my visit with the residents of Harvest, Ohio and look forward to the next adventure with Bailey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I received a free epub copy from NetGalley.

I'm torn with this one. The mystery was easy to guess just based off how the characters were written. But I still hung on to the very last page because Amanda Flower's writing is just so entertaining. The whole community that she has developed is intriguing and the mix of Amish and English people are enjoyable. The real life struggles that Bailey and Aiden were having were so relatable, they were both trying to succeed in their own fields while still trying to stay connected.

This book gave us a lot of possibilities of what's to come in Harvest for everyone and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.