Member Reviews
What a wonderful cozy mystery!! It's fast paced and full of wonderful characters that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Loved it!!
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
In Peanut Butter Panic, Bailey is catering the desserts for a new village Thanksgiving celebration. But when the boyfriend of the celebration organizer’s mother dies from an allergic peanut reaction, Bailey must prove that her family’s sweet shop didn’t accidently kill him toot sweet.
I always look forward to reading the latest book in the Amish Candy Shop mystery series because it feels like catching up with old friends. These books usually have a holiday theme, which always gets me in a holiday mood too. Plus, how can I not love Jethro, the adorable and rambunctious pet pig?
The mystery is good but there really isn’t a chance to solve it before Bailey does, which disappointed my inner armchair detective. Instead, the main focus of the book is Bailey’s relationship with her boyfriend Aiden. Since Aiden has quit his job in the town sheriff’s office and taken a job in a nearby city, they rarely see each other, and Bailey’s source of insider info is gone.
If you love cozy mysteries with a sweet romance, realistic characters, and a pig straight from a 1930s screwball comedy movie, don’t miss Peanut Butter Panic. 5 stars!
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
This is the seventh in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries by the author. Once again we get to meet all the friends we have made in the past in Harvest, Ohio.
Bailey King, the candy maker, is super busy with it being the busiest weekend of the year, however, we find her even busier, when once again, she ends up being a sleuth, trying to discover who the murderer is of visiting guest.
The animals that have appeared in the books are always fun to read about again, especially Jethro the pig.
This, like all the books in the series, is an exceptionally enjoyable cozy mystery that you will not want to put down until the mystery is solved. I highly recommend this book to lovers of cozy mysteries. I received a copy of this book from Kensington Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
This was a great, fast paced, enjoyable, cozy mystery. The characters are real, felt like visiting old friends and catching up. The plot flowed effortlessly throughout the story.
This series is great, but the book can be read and understood as a read alone. For me, I cannot wait for the next book. Highly recommend if you are a cozy mystery lover.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Peanut Butter Panic is the seventh installment in the An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series set in the Amish community of Harvest, Ohio and featuring chocolatier Bailey King and her adorable rabbit, Puff. It's Thanksgiving and the staff of Swissmen Sweets has once again been roped in by Margot Rawlings to provide the candies for the community feast on the town square.
The usually unflappable Margot is beside herself with the news that her mother, Zara is coming to town. Zara is a retired judge currently living in Florida and she is not well liked by the Amish in Harvest, having sentenced many of them to strict punishments for seemingly petty crimes before leaving the bench. Zara arrives with a younger man in tow and makes the shocking announcement that they are engaged. Blaze is smarmy and seems to be making passes at Bailey, but she is still shocked when dies at the dinner table - a victim of peanut poisoning.
A delightful addition to the series which ones again weaves the lives of the Amish in with the English. The story ends with the promise of exciting things to come in Bailey's relationship, the future of Swissmen Sweets and the idea that a canine might be joining the duo of Jethro the pig and Puff.
I received an advanced copy of Peanut Butter Panic from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.
Peanut Butter Panic is the seventh book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. It's Thanksgiving in Harvest, Ohio and Bailey King is getting ready for the busiest weekend of the year at Swissmen Sweets. In addition, she's helping to organize things and supply desserts for the town's community Thanksgiving celebration that will include both Amish and non-Amish residents. When one of the attendees is murdered, Bailey has to put her candy-making on hold to investigate.
Bailey is a likable character. She is hard-working, loyal, and is able to get along with both the Amish and non-Amish residents of Harvest. This makes her the perfect person to investigate this crime (and others in prior books) since the Amish feel more comfortable talking to her than they do members of law enforcement. Amish customs and foods are discussed throughout the book and one popular food item that I hadn’t heard of before this book plays an important role in the story.
I was fairly sure I knew who the killer was but still enjoyed reading about the investigation. I remained entertained throughout the book, in part because there was a lot going on in the story in addition to the murder mystery. As always, Jethro the pot-bellied pig gets into plenty of mischief, but is always forgiven. Bailey’s cousin and employee Charlotte is gaining more and more confidence and adjusting to recent changes in her life. Bailey is considering expanding the candy shop, but needs to find a way to satisfy her ambition while still honoring her Grandmother’s wishes and Amish ways. There are also complications in Bailey’s personal life now that her boyfriend Aiden Brody is now working for the Ohio Bureau of Investigations in Columbus, two hours away from Harvest. Bailey and Aiden have a lot to talk about besides the murder. Readers who also follow the author’s Amish Matchmaker series will love seeing best friends Louis Henry and Millie Fisher in this book. Peanut Butter Panic has a satisfying ending and is a great installment in this charming cozy series. I would rate the book 4.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The ebook was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Bailey King is busy for Thanksgiving. Swissmen Sweets is providing desserts for Harvest, Ohio’s first village-wide Thanksgiving celebration. Margot Rawlings, the event’s organizer, seems unfazed until she discovers her mother, former judge Zara Bevan, will be in attendance. Many Amish don’t like Zara because she was malevolent towards them when she was a judge. So, no one is prepared when Zara arrives with younger boyfriend Blaze Smith and reveals their impending nuptials at dinner. But after the announcement, Blaze suffers an allergic reaction and dies. Now, everyone who attended the meal, including Bailey, are prime suspects, along with Margo. Bailey must dig in and get to the bottom of this murder, before the killer goes up for seconds.
This was a sweet, yet captivating cozy mystery. Bailey is a great sleuth who works with the police when she feels she’s in over her head. She doesn’t like to take chances on her life, and I like that. It was great to see other characters, like Jethro, whose antics always put a smile on my face. The mystery was very well written, with just enough red herrings to make me wonder. The ending was satisfying. I will definitely read more from this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Some people just attract trouble. Bailey King left New York City for a gentler life in a small Amish town.. Instead of escaping the perils of a big city, Bailey seems to have brought them with her to Harvest, Ohio. In the seventh book of Amanda Flower's Amish Candy Shop mystery series, the town wide Thanksgiving celebration is marred by a death due to a peanut butter allergy. Bailey's desserts often feature peanut butter which leads to her being a suspect. Bailey's friendships and love life are interwoven with the story line as she investigates in attempt to find out the true killer. Flowers writes several cozy series and I will be checking out some of the others ones now that I have read all of these.
I have loved these books since the beginning. I had no idea that I would end up having them on my "favorite series" shelf, but here we are. I have read most of what this author has written and I have loved them all with the exception of one]. So imagine my surprise [AND disappointment] when I started reading this and realized that it was going to be problematic for me.
There is a certain trend in cozies right now to beat the reader over the head with the same information, just told in different ways [sometimes its obvious, other times less so] and I have to tell you, it is both tedious to read and INSULTING to the reader. We do not need to be told the same thing over and over and over again. In the case of this book, we are ALL aware that Bailey both missed Aiden and "knows she needs to talk to him about him being in Columbus" and the fact that Aiden has changed since taking the job at the BCI. We've known that since he left in the previous book. Unfortunately, we are hit over the head with this over and over and O V E R again. It was unnecessary - even new readers would get that after a couple of mentions, but it is mentioned in every single chapter [I was keeping track. I realized early on this was going to happen and started to pay attention to it], sometimes more than once. And more often than not, it was just the same thing over and over, no attempt to disguise it. We are also told [at the beginning] that Bailey wants to expand Swissman Sweets and needs to talk to her grandmother about it. Great. Awesome. Unfortunately, that talk doesn't happen until late in the story and by then, I was almost yelling at the book TO GET IT DONE ALREADY. IF it was as important as she makes it out to be, she would have carved out time. Her grandmother loves and respects her and respects her business sense and is not a monster. She's not even Ruth Yoder [ ;-)]. It just made me eyeroll over and over and over again.
Now, all that makes me sound like I didn't like the book. I did. It was okay. The murder was interesting [though I knew who the killer was early on <--to me it was pretty obvious] and the means was a new one and I liked how the author handled the idea of food allergies as they are very real and scary [as someone who suffers from them, I know first hand]. Was it the best book in the series? No. Not at all. Sadly. But there are really good parts that I truly enjoyed. I love Puff and Jethro [WHO could hate that adorable but obnoxious pig - every scene he is in is hilarious. The whole scene at Ruth Yoder's farm is...well, I'll let you read it and find out for yourself]. I love how Charlotte is coming into herself and how she is growing and learning to speak up for herself and how she truly helps Bailey [it is like she is Bailey's commonsense sometimes] and how the Amish still treat her well, even though she's left the Order] and her relationship with Officer Little is very sweet. And we get a glimpse into why Margot Rawlings is the way she is [and isn't her Mom a real TREAT. UGH]. It was interesting to have a story centered around her and I liked that aspect of it as well. It shows what a good person she really is and how hard she truly works for the community she loves.
Do I wish the reveal and the end were better? Yes. I despise rushed reveals [this is another trope that cozy writers are indulging in and it is also NOT okay. I don't want an info dump in the last chapter pleaseandthankyou] and the whole conversations that Bailey needs to have felt rushed and...well...unrealistic. Though I will always love how gracious and loving Bailey's Mammi is. She is a lovely, lovely character and I truly hope we see more of her in the next book. I have missed her in the past few books.
Overall, this was not the best read for me, but it was by far better than some I have read [and not finished] recently. I love these characters and Harvest so much and 10 books in [7 full books, 3 novellas], I have no intention of abandoning ship now. I will be waiting with baited breath for the next one and and all the adventures that Bailey and her crew get into.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Flower, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cozy mysteries are my favorite genre, I recently discovered the Amish Candy Shop mystery series and devoured the first 6 audiobooks in about a week!! Lucky for me, I got approved for #7 soon after and it was just as good as the rest! I do recommend the audio books over the typical written because the narrator is great at doing all the different voices for the many characters. The author knows how to draw in the reader and create an interesting, entertaining story. I’m starting on her spinoff series next!
It is always so much fun returning to Harvest OH and catching up with Bailey King of Swissmen Sweets, her Amish relatives and friends, boyfriend and police officer Aiden, and Jethro the pig! Peanut Butter Panic finds Bailey up to her elbows in chocolate making dessert for the first all-community Thanksgiving meal. Amish and English are invited, making for a very large crowd. The event planner, Margot, is in a terrible state as her mother and former judge in Harvest (who was not well-liked), has returned for the holiday along with her very much younger fiance. Unfortunately, the fiance drops dead at the meal - which is the first surprise in the book as you are certain the judge, for good reason!, is the one to be murdered. Bailey, working with Aiden, helps solve the murder before the wrong person is arrested.
There is a lot going on in this story - Aiden is potentially taking a promotion and job out of town, leaving Bailey wondering about their relationship, and Bailey's cousin Charlotte must make up her mind about remaining Amish or not and Bailey has some ideas about the business that she's not sure her grandmother will accept. It is very easy to get wrapped up in these 'side' stories forgetting about the murder that has been committed!
The story is full of twists and turns which keeps you guessing and very puzzled about the identity of the culprit. All of the pieces seem to fit together and point to one individual, but doubts planted about this individual made you not quite sure until the very end that they were indeed the guilty party!
This is a wonderful series - you know when you pick up the book that you are in for an engaging story with some humor, romance, friendships, faith and a murder or two thrown in! Prepare to spend the day reading, as you will not want to put the book down once you pick it up!
It is no secret that the “An Amish Candy Shop Mystery” series, among other Amanda Flower series, are some of my favorites. There is just something about the Amish life in these books, the delectable candy and the special peanut treats she makes that keep me happy. The village is filled with wonderful people such as Juliet and Margot, not to mention Bailey’s love interest, Aiden. With the seventh book in the series coming out later this month, Peanut Butter Panic will make you smile, wonder about life and relationships, and ultimately give you comfort.
Bailey is busy making candy with her grandmother, cousin, and friend. She doesn’t have time for anything else. But when she finds Margot panicked and desperate, she agrees to help. Margot's mother, a notorious former judge who has it out for the Amish, is coming to town, and no one is happy about it. When Zara gets to the village, she has a young man in tow. As the Thanksgiving day village-wide dinner begins, Blaze, Zara’s boyfriend, falls over into his mashed potatoes and dies from a peanut allergy. At first, it is believed to be an accident, but Bailey has her doubts and soon learns they are justified. But who would want to kill the man and why?
Bailey jumps in to help clear her peanut candy treats, and Margot, who is quickly becoming the number one suspect. There are plenty of other suspects, mainly Amish men, that Zara sent to prison, but why would they kill a stranger and not Zara? It makes no sense. So without any thought to her problems or safety, she begins to seek out the people who might have wanted to hurt Zara and decides to kill her boyfriend to exact their revenge. The suspects are all local, and with the help of her cousin, she tracks down each one of them.
The charters in this series are always fun to spend time with. Swissmen Sweets and their yummy candy make your mouth water. Using a peanut treat as a weapon for murder should be illegal, but I definitely enjoyed the idea. Having Margot at the center of this book makes her more human; until now, she has just been a bossy tyrant who manages to convince Bailey to do anything she asks. Of course, no book in this series would be complete without Jethro, the pig, he has become a star, and central character readers adore. The Amish country is described lovingly, and it is clear that the author knows her subject matter well. The killer, once revealed, shows no remorse, and readers will not have any sympathy for them.
The story was a little slower than usual, and there was nowhere near enough of Aiden this time. However, I like the direction the series is going in and hope we will get more peanut treats, Margot, Jethro, and, most of all, more murders for Bailey to solve. Peanut Butter Panic fits nicely into the series and sets up some interesting future scenarios. I hope everyone reads this book and the entire series and loves it as much as I do.
This is the 7th book in this series which features Bailey, her friends, and grandma as they run the local candy shop in a lovely Amish community. Bailey is busy getting ready for Black Friday, when her friend Margot implores her to take over the huge community Thanksgiving celebration. The reason --Margot's uptight mom is coming home! Bailey comes through for Margot. During the Thanksgiving dinner, a guest with a peanut allergy, becomes horribly ill and dies! Bailey, as the local off the record investigator, is asked by Margot and her mom to find the reason the fellow died. Bailey's beau is not too keen on this as he is part of local law enforcement. This is a great cozy read. It moves smoothy and quickly without hangups. The characters are well drawn, and the animals add some comic relief. Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC. Look forward to the next installment in the series.
When Margot's mother is in town, Bailey is pressed into making sure the Harvest Thanksgiving Dinner goes off without a hitch. But when Zara's boy toy keels over at the dinner, Bailey needs to help both daughter and mother. It's always fun to visit these characters and this book has some heavy reflection for Bailey and her boyfriend. A good mystery with a surprise in who the killer turns out to be. Another good book in this series! And Jethro is the star of black Friday!
Book 7 in An Amish Candy Mystery. Harvest, Oh is getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with a community feast. The candy shop is extra busy since they are providing dessert for the celebration and prepping for the Black Friday rush. The local event coordinator, Margot, that we’ve grown to tolerate throughout the series, is extra frazzled when she learns that her mother will be in attendance. Zara was once a strict judge who was extra harsh when it came to sentencing the Amish. The mystery centers around her, her much younger fiancée and an unfortunate peanut allergy.
This case started off with an unexpected surprise. I originally thought the victim would be the culprit! With secretive ties to the Amish and a few red herrings, I enjoyed trying to search through the clues and piece this mystery together.
Jethro continues to be my favorite and always steals the scene with his crazy antics. This mischievous pot bellied pig and his quirky owner, Juliet, are quite the pair and definitely love the extra recognition fame has brought their way.
I look forward to continuing this series. It will be interesting to watch Swissmen Sweets grow as a company. I’m also anxious for Aidan and Bailey. Their relationship has had some challenges in this book and the last. I’m hoping it positively progresses in the next story.
I received an ARC from @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks - all opinions are my own.
Thanksgiving weekend is a big deal wherever you are but Bailey's got a lot on her plate this year. Not only is she prepping candy for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales, she's also helping Margot, who has organized a community dinner for the day itself. And then, Margot's mother, the difficult and much disliked Zara turns up, with Blaze, her younger fiance (!) in tow. And, wait for it- Blaze ends up dead at the dinner, a victim of his peanut allergy. Who did it? Well, lots of candidates here but Bailey will sort through the suspects to find the truth even as she deals with her own love life. It might be the 7th in the series but it should be fine as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fun cozy read in a terrific setting with candy!
The story was filled with so many interesting aspects that I couldn't put it down until the very end. My interest was piqued not only by the mystery but also by Bailey's relationships, the future of the candy store, and the struggles of a young Amish man trying to support himself.
Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own
The people of Harvest, Ohio, prepare for their first-ever village-wide Thanksgiving celebration, trying to blend the Amish and the English traditions. Nothing about the event bothers Margot – until she learns that her mother will attend. Zara, a former judge who was very harsh on the Amish, made few friends when she lived in Harvest, and many in town have not gotten over her strict sentences. When her much younger boyfriend dies from an allergic reaction and Margot is the primary suspect, Bailey feels compelled to investigate.
This is the seventh book in this series, which I have enjoyed from the start. Reading one of these books feels like visiting old friends, and I enjoy watching relationships grow from one book to the next. While there always seems to be a bit of tension between some of the Amish and some of the English, for the most part, they’ve learned how to peacefully coexist, and usually in a way that is mutually beneficial. The mystery here had a good twist or two that made it hard to figure out until just before it was revealed in the book, and there were some personal developments with some of the characters that make me even more eager than usual to read the next book in the series.
It is almost Thanksgiving in Harvest and Bailey is extremely busy at the chocolate shop. When Margot announces that her mother is coming to town and asks for Bailey's help in making sure the Thanksgiving event goes well, Bailey agrees to help. Margot's mother, Zara, arrives along with her much younger boyfriend, Blaze. Blaze, who has a peanut allergy, dies at the town Thanksgiving dinner, shortly after Margot and Zara argue. His allergy looks to be the cause of his demise. Bailey starts investigating when the police suspect Margot.
I always love this series. Bailey is a great lead character. I love her cousin Charlotte and Deputy Little. It has been wonderful to see how far they have come in the series. I do wish there had been more of Aiden in the book. I hope to see more of him in the next book. I received this book from Kensington publishing and net galley in exchange for an honest review.
Peanut Butter Panic is the seventh book in bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Amanda Flower's popular Amish Cand Shop Mystery Series. And it is a delightful addition to the series, complete with a scene-stealing pot-bellied pig!
Amateur sleuth Bailey King is a cable-tv cooking show star and candy-maker who runs a candy shop with her Amish Maami (grandmother) in the small town of Harvest, OH. In this story, a village-wide Thanksgiving celebration ends in death by a severe allergic reaction to peanut butter of a harsh former judge's new boy-toy fiancee. However, once the judge bullies Bailey into helping with the investigation, some long-simmering resentments come to light.
While I've read other books by this author, this is the first book from this series I've read, and it's easy to see why it's so popular. It is a well-written, solid, cozy mystery with engaging characters and a charming setting. There's more than meets the eye with this one, too, as Flowers examines several different relationship issues, including mothers and daughters, romantic relationships, and how the Amish and the English live and work side-by-side. Plenty of red herrings, a twist or two, and a super likable MC keep you turning the pages. So if you're looking for a sweet, foodie cozy that feels right for fall reading, look no further! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. I really enjoyed it!