Thank you NetGalley for this Advance Reader Copy of this book for my honest review. From the cover I thought this was going to be super cute but as they say “never judge a book by its cover”. I started this and about 30% in I almost stopped reading it. Instead I just skipped around the book to get to the end. Whenever I picked it up in the story I felt like I didn’t miss much. The writing was very repetitive and felt like it took a while to get anywhere. I’m sure there is an audience for this book and people who would love it, but unfortunately I am not that audience. Thank you again for this ARC and the chance to read this book.

I loved the dog. And aur naur murder in small town. It took place in Kansas but it kinda gave little English village to me. Ending was a bit predictable but it was still a very fun book and I would read more stuff by this author.

I found this book interesting. The mystery kept me guessing. I like the characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the series but the first one I have read. Sissy is working at her aunt's Sunflower Cafe in the Amish community Yoder, Kansas. She is also writing an advice column. Ginger, a local herb farmer, is found dead on her farm. At first the police want to rule it as an accident but Sissy is not so sure. I really enjoyed the Amish town setting and all the characters. The mystery was good with lots of suspects. I will go back to read the first two and I look for word to reading more. Enjoy

A Murder for the Sages is the third book in the Sunshine Café Mystery series. The main character, Sissy, is an adorable character who works at the local café for her aunt. She’s new to town and is getting reacquainted with her extended Amish family and making new friends. She has a sweet little dog who loves to come along as Sissy investigates.

The mystery is well thought out and contains plenty of suspects. Sissy is trying to help a cousin whose friend was killed in an unusual accident on her herb farm. Sissy’s aunt, who is a bit cranky but lovable, is really into solving this murder with Sissy. They live in a small town and it is fun getting to know the locals. I’m not familiar with Amish culture so I’ve enjoyed learning about that too. The book left me feeling good at the conclusion, and throughout reading it. That is always the best sign for me of a series I want to continue reading. I’m looking forward to the next in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies for this wonderful ARC. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I’ve posted this review to my Goodreads, Bookbub, & Amazon accounts.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard
Review by Sarah Erwin

While "A Murder for the Sages” is book three in Amy Lillards “Sunflower Cafe Mysteries” it is the first one I read, and I enjoyed it tremendously. It was especially fun to listen to as an audiobook, narrated by Lisa S. Ware.

Sissy Yoder is a secret advice columnist and also works at her Aunt Bethel’s Sunflower Café in Yoder, Kansas, home to such a close-knit, cozy community. The mystery novel opens with everyone in the Cafe talking about the unusual death of herb farmer Ginger Reed. Deputy Sheriff Earl Berry has ruled it an accidental death, but customers aren’t sure they buy that–did Ginger really accidentally run herself over with the tractor?

Naomi, a friend and employee of Ginger and Sissy’s cousin, Naomi, insists Ginger’s death must be murder. She asks for Sissy’s help, and Sissy, along with her loyal Yorkie companion, Duke, are on the case. What Sissy soon discovers is that there is a rather long list of suspects, and she wants to keep digging but Naomi suddenly puts the brakes on the investigation.

I adored the small town setting and wonderful characters. I wanted to travel to Yodder and dine at the Sunflower Cafe. Aside from the murder, it felt like a place where I could forget my worries and simply enjoy the company.

I don’t know how Sissy keeps her advice columnist alter ego Aunt Bess a secret, and I’m glad she shares it with a trusted few here. The Aunt Bess sayings at the start of each chapter are delightful. I especially enjoyed the family dinners and Sissy’s dog Duke. It’s fun to watch Sissy really come into her own and defend her choice to stay in Yoder and live in a chicken coop to her well-meaning but meddlesome mom. I’m cheering for Sissy to write a book. There’s also a charming romantic interest for Sissy that has me eagerly awaiting the next book.

A truly cozy treat for mystery fans!

(Review ill appear in King's River Life Online Magazine)

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard is the third A Sunflower Café Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those who are new to the series. This is a lighthearted story with plenty of humor. Sissy Yoder does not believe the local herb farmers death was an accident. It is not often that someone is run over by their own tractor. Sissy’s cousin, Naomi insists it was impossible and wants Sissy to ferret out the truth. Sissy, of course, is intrigued and decides to do a little snooping around. Sissy’s job at The Sunflower Café allows her to hear the latest gossip. The more Sissy digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It is a fun mystery. I do feel there is too much repetition. The same details and phrases do not need to be repeated excessively (an example is that Sissy works at the Sunflower Café). It begins to feel like filler. I do know how Sissy endures her pushy and annoying mother. Mrs. Yoder feels that Sissy is wasting her journalism degree by working at the café. She is unaware that Sissy does have a syndicated column (the woman could not be trusted with that information—talk about loose lips). There are a variety of quirky characters in the story. Amy Lillard has a vivid imagination. I love Sissy’s darling little dog, Duke. I also find Sissy’s Chicken Coop to be darling (perfect for one person and a small dog). Yoder, Kansas has not been the same since Sissy has arrived. I wonder what Sissy will get up to next time.

A MURDER FOR THE SAGES is the third book in the Sunflower Cafe Mysteries series and I’m looking forward to returning to Yoder, Kansas another time or two. Sissy is once again playing at being an amateur sleuth to help solve a murder. And she has a few helpers much to the dismay and chagrin of the local police. There are clues and red herrings throughout that need to be sifted through and analyzed.

The story has a good flow and kept my interest throughout. There are multiple stories being told and they are woven together nicely. Gavin and she are just friends but he’s always around and even goes with her to her family’s Friday night family dinners. Could there be more to this friendship like many in town believe? It was fun reconnecting with Sissy’s Amish relatives and some of the townspeople.

There are secrets and lies and lies by omission and once again Sissy pulls everything together to figure out whodunnit. All details are important and there are vivid descriptions. There is closure with the solving of the murder and hints on whose story will be next. I can’t wait to see what Sissy and the others are up to next.

Ms. Lillard is a favorite author of mine and I enjoy her stories about the Amish. Give her books a try if you haven’t already.

This is a delightful return visit to The Sunflower Café in Yoder, Kansas. Sissy Yoder secretly writes a newspaper advice column under the pen name of Aunt Bess as she continues to help her Aunt Bethel at the cafe. Sissy's other talent is solving mysteries, and the case of Ginger Reed may be a challenge indeed! Was her death an accident, or is there a murderer lurking in Yoder?

Aunt Bess's thought-provoking advice is at the beginning of each chapter, and it perfectly showcases Amy Lillard's humor and creativity. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments in A Murder for the Sages, but there's also mystery, a deepening relationship between Sissy and Gavin Wainwright, and Sissy's indecision about her life in this Amish community. Should she return to Tulsa or is Yoder, Kansas the place she's meant to be?

If you're looking for a fun-filled cozy mystery that keeps you searching for answers, grab a copy of A Murder for the Sages. It's another enjoyable Sunflower Café Mystery from author Amy Lillard!

I received a digital copy from the author via NetGalley. There was no obligation for a positive review.

A Murder for the Sages is a cozy mystery set in Yoder, Kansas, which follows Sissy Yoder as she reconnects with her Amish family and gets to know the close-knit community. A local herb farmer is discovered dead after appearing to have been run over by her tractor. While the rest of the town is ready to believe it was a tragic accident, Sissy thinks otherwise. Sissy, with the help of her friend Gavin, is determined to solve the mystery surrounding Ginger's death.

While A Murder for the Sages checks a lot of the boxes for a cozy mystery, it just wasn't for me. I neither connected with the characters nor the setting. I found the characters to be underdeveloped and a bit annoying, including Sissy. The relationships between everyone in town is a bit confusing and takes away from the overall plot. Some of the decisions made by characters just didn't make any sense. Finally, while the mystery kept me wanting to finish the book, the actual resolution wasn't overly satisfying. While I definitely think plenty of cozy mystery fans will enjoy this series (and this book), it just wasn't for me. On a positive note, I love all of Aunt Bess' quotes at the beginning of the chapters.

A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard is the latest Sunflower Cafe mystery. Once again, Sissy Yoder is in the middle of an investigation. It just doesn’t make sense to her that someone ran themselves over with a tractor. But that is what the local police think. So she and Gavin and Aunt Bethel decide to poke around. But will they get hurt in the process? Read it and see! I enjoyed it!

Kansas, amateur-sleuth, situational-humor, verbal-humor, local-law-enforcement, cultural-differences, journalist, relationships, cozy-mystery, rural, small-business, small-town, family, family-business, family-dynamics, relatives, pet-dog, columnist, religious-practices, Amish-community, murder, murder-investigation*****

When is a vehicle accidental death not an accident? When the vehicle is a farm tractor, and the death is murder. Twenty-something Sissy Yoder has returned to her nearly Amish family in Kansas after her life tanked in Tulsa. She works in the family Sunflower Cafe to cover the fact that her real income comes from writing a syndicated column. A neighbor has died in a weird tractor event in her own field, but the family thinks it is murder and that Sissy is the one to solve it rather than the local law who is a bungling braggart. Lots of laughs and some fine sleuthing make this another winner.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!

An unusual death takes us right into the heart of the gossip in the Sunflower Cafe in Yoder, Kansas.
Sissy Yoder is enjoying her time in Yoder and the slower pace of life. However, her curiosity over the death of Ginger Reed draws her into an investigation that is both hindered and helped by her Amish relatives.
There are laugh out loud/snort moments.
The author brings together two happenings within the community to weave the plot to a murder.
Some parts seemed a bit slow to me, but I did enjoy catching up with Sissy and family…and we finally meet Owen, Sissy’s brother.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this book.

This mystery seemed very slow-going but it could’ve been that it was just building toward a really good ending that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’d never suspected the person who ended up as the killer, and honestly I couldn’t really come up with anyone as the perp. The showdown was a little tense but didn’t drag on forever which was good. I also love it when dogs or cats are the heroes of the day or to paraphrase Sissy “better than Lassie even.”

The ending was super sweet and pretty much what I’ve waited these three books to see. I haven’t heard anything about whether there’s gonna be a book four but I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

I loved this wonderful cozy mystery filled with great characters and many secrets and murder. I love Sissy and Aunt Bethel and Gavin. I love how everyone gathers at the Sunflower Cafe for their morning gossip. I loved the story and all the secrets. I loved the twists and turns. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Sissy Yoder loves her hometown and family. It may be small, but it’s definitely where her heart is. When her cousin asks Sissy for help in finding out what truly happened to a local farmer, Sissy put on her sleuthing hat.

Can Sissy prove that this was no fatal accident, but rather murder? Or will she find herself planted deeper than a carrot seed in the Spring?

I adore this series. Who doesn’t love acquaint siding, an adorable dog, and a solid mystery. I’ve read quite a few books by this author, and I’ve never been disappointed. Add this to your TBR list and you won’t be disappointed

Such a Fun Read

Small town life in Yoder, Kansas, is just that—small town life. Everyone knows everyone. So what can possibly go wrong? Well, that becomes a myth when Ginger Reed winds up dead. This leads to more questions than answers, which include quite a lengthy list of suspects.

So what's a person to do when your friend asks you to please find out what really happened? Sissy just can't say no, and that's where the mystery begins. Sissy, her faithful Yorkie, Duke, her "we're only friends" friend, Gavin, and a host of others work together to get to the bottom of the story.

I was kept on the edge of my seat, guessing who had done it the entire time. The mixture of mystery, romance, and quirky characters made it such a fun read. And when you add Aunt Bess's words of wisdom throughout, you truly have a real winner of a story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

Another enjoyable trip back to Yoder, Kansas. The Amish community uses tractors on their farms. The talk of the day at the Sunflower Café is how is it possible for herb farmer, Ginger Reed to run over herself with her own tractor which tragically ends her life? Advice columnist and amateur sleuth Sissy Yoder once again teams up with her Aunt Bethel as there seem to be more questions than answers. When Deputy Earl Berry ends his investigation saying it was an accident, Sissy and Aunt Bethel agree that foul play had occurred to Ginger Reed, so they go into full covert investigation mode. The Sunflower Café Mystery Series is entertaining with Sissy’s three-and-a-half-pound Yorkie, named Duke and even more so with the Aunt Bess quotes beginning each chapter.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own.