Claire Weatherly has come to respect how the Amish of Heavenly, Pennsylvania, value tradition. But not all traditions are necessarily quaint. When a decades-old mystery threatens the well-being of local police detective Jakob Fisher, she’ll pit herself against a community rooted in the past so that he can get on with his future.
When Claire decides to visit the one-room schoolhouse Jakob … schoolhouse Jakob attended as a young Amish boy, she’s puzzled by his refusal to go along too. As Jakob tells his story, Claire is stunned and saddened by the heartbreaking tale of a childhood mistake that led to the mysterious disappearance of a precious family artifact—and signaled the first break between Jakob and his mother, made all the more painful now that he’s been shunned by the family and community he loves.
Knowing there’s only one way to help heal the irreparable wound that continues to haunt Jakob, Claire sets off to follow the trail of the missing heirloom, never suspecting that it will lead her to Jakob’s oldest friend, a long-ago Christmas secret, and an enduring truth about family, love, and the power of forgiveness.
Praise for the National Bestselling Amish Mysteries
“The best cozy mystery debut I’ve read this year.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben
“Delightful . . . Well-portrayed characters and authentic Amish lore make this a memorable read.” —Publishers Weekly
“A fascinating cozy that showcases the culture of the people.” —Gumshoe Review
“Bradford’s characters are some of the best developed, most interesting ones I’ve come across in a cozy mystery.” —Lesa’s Book Critiques
About the Author:
Laura Bradford is the national bestselling author of the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, and the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries (written as Elizabeth Lynn Casey). A new cozy mystery series will be added to the mix in 2016 with the release of The Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries. Laura is a former Agatha nominee and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. In her free time, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, traveling, baking, and visiting the sea lions at the Central Park Zoo. For more information and all the latest book news, visit her website at www.laurabradford.com.
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For years former Amish man and now Police Detective Jakob Fisher has suffered from guilt for something he did when he was only nine years old. He had snook into his mothers special keep shakes and removed a family artifact. It was a sterling silver teaspoon with Christmas holly on the handle. He wanted to take it to school to show his friends and tell the story about the spoon. The class was busy rehearsing for the Christmas play the school would have later that day. Jakob had set the spoon aside and forgotten about it. Later when he remembered the spoon he went looking for it but the spoon was no where to be found.
Jakob knew he had disappointed his mother even though she didn’t get upset with him. You see the spoon had belonged to her parents and grandparents before them. Her mother and father had gifted her with the family heirloom when she and Mose had married. It was tradition for years that each Christmas the spoon would be used to stir peppermint hot chocolate for the children and Grace had carried on the tradition in her own family. Now that tradition had been broken.
When Jakob told Claire Weatherly about the spoon and how guilty he still felt all these years later for hurting his mother, Claire decided that she would work to find the spoon . Jakob didn’t know what she planned to do. Claire knew how all of this saddened Jakob and especially now that he was under a ban for leaving the Amish church after baptism.
The story stems around Claire’s search for the family artifact. It’s a short story that I enjoyed very much. I found it to be very touching and heartwarming. Readers of Cozy Mysteries and Amish Fiction will enjoy this story. It’s book 4.5 of Laura Bradford’s An Amish Mystery series. I hope you will read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
I downloaded a Kindle ebook from the Ohio Digital Library. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
Claire Weatherly is going to enjoy a rare day off with her aunt Diane, and the two are going to play tourist, visiting the Amish sites that are open for tours. When Claire mentions this to Jakob Fisher, her new boyfriend, he tells her a story about a Christmas years ago. Raised by a local Amish family, Jakob actually attended school in the one room school house Claire and Diane will be visiting. The last year he was there, he took a fancy Christmas spoon his mother owned to show off to his friends, and it got lost. Claire decides to see if she can figure out what happened to it. But can it be recovered all these years later?
I’ve been meaning to read this short story at Christmas one year, and I’m glad I finally made the time. While the events of the past are set around Christmas, the contemporary part is not set during the season, which was a surprise that I got over quickly. The story was perfect for a short story; it kept me engaged without being overly complex. The ending made me tear up, but in a good way. We don’t see all of the characters, but it was wonderful to check in with those who were part of the story. It took me just under an hour to read, so if you want to read it this year, there is still time to slip it in before the holiday.