A New York chocolatier lands in a sticky situation when she returns to her Amish roots in this debut cozy mystery by the Agatha Award-winning author. Bailey King is living the sweet life as assistant chocolatier at a famous New York chocolate company. But just when she’s up for a major promotion, she gets word that her grandfather Jebidiah’s heart condition has worsened. Bailey rushes to … Bailey rushes to Harvest, Ohio, where her grandparents still run Swissmen Sweets, the Amish candy shop where she first learned about delicious fudge, truffles, and other assorted delights.
Unfortunately, Baily’s grandparents are suffering from more than just heart trouble. A local Englisch land developer is trying to take over their shop. And when the man is found dead in the candy shop kitchen—with Jebidiah’s chocolate knife buried in his chest—the sheriff suspects Bailey. Now, with the sweet help of a handsome deputy, Bailey is out to clear her name. But as a cunning killer tries to fudge the truth, she may be headed straight into a whole batch of trouble . . .
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Good read
Reading it was fun.
Great! It really held my interest.
Looking forward to more from this author. The story moves you along smoothly and you become invested in the characters, what their roles are and what they may do next. It will keep you guessing until near the end.
Really enjoyed this book about a chocolatier – fun having her have Amish grandparents!
Not sure the author knows a lot about the Amish.
Fun to read. Loved it.
Loved it!
I really enjoyed this book. Just wish one to follow was cheaper.
I love the characters and it is such a page turner. I have an affinity for mysteries and this one will not disappoint. Can not wait for the next book.
I thought the book was a page-turner from start to finish
Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower is the first fantastic book in a new Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. It is fresh, emotional, fun and made up of strong characters that you love and others you despise. The story takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as you try to figure out who has murdered the despicable Tyson Colton and why. The way Amanda Flower weaves the Amish community in with the Englischers makes it the fabric of the mystery. I loved it and definately look forward to the next book in the series.
Bailey returns to Ohio to check on her Grandfather who is ill but finds the Amish community being targeted by Tyson Colton. When she arrives and Colton is badgering her Grandfather causing him to collapse it sets her up as a suspect when Tyson is found by Bailey dead in her grandparents kitchen in their Amish Candy Shop Swissmen Sweets. Bailey has to help her grandparents keep their business going, clear her name and figure out who really killed Tyson.
Bailey is a strong, confident, smart character that seems to be able to hold her own. I think how she handles the arrogant demanding Eileen mother of the bride is awesome. Her chocolate expertise keeps Eileen at bay and her Grandparents business from being maligned by the wicked Eileen. When she meets Juliet and Jethro her pet pig I HAD TO LAUGH. I think her reaction is so funny seeing a pig in a Church and you just have to love Jethro. Aiden the sheriff deputy is compassionate yet smart and doesn’t hold a grudge against the Amish unlike his boss the sheriff. When Cass, Baileys best friend, shows up and her quirkiness as well as her smart mouth adds a fun element to the situation. Cass as Baileys side kick in the investigation has a comical relief element and yet her straight forwardness seems to get some results. All characters from Bailey right down to Jethro the pig makes the book work and keeps you engrossed in the story.
I laughed, got angry, cried and stewed right along with the story. This book is a great mixture of love, family, faith and friendship. If you like a good mystery, set in a small town with an Amish Community as part of the plot, strong unique characters, with twists and turns on an emotional roller coaster, and so many suspects that make you wonder whodunit to the end then you must read this book. The ending was a surprise but I won’t spoil it for you. I couldn’t put it down. I would give it 5 stars.
Great character development. You feel like you have met these people. And a surprise ending .
Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower begins An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. Bailey King has rushed to Harvest, Ohio to check on her grandfather, Jebidiah King. She received a call from grandmother, Clara that his heart condition was worse and he had been taken to the hospital. Bailey is walking up to Swissmen Sweets (where her grandparents work and live) to sees her grandfather having a disagreement with someone before collapsing (he would not stay in hospital). Her grandparents are Amish and have a strong work ethic. It was at her grandfather’s side that Bailey learned her love of chocolate. It turns out that the man arguing with Jebidiah was Tyson Colton. Tyson has been trying to convince Jebidiah to sell the shop. Tyson has big plans for the town. The next morning, Bailey heads downstairs to get her phone and finds Tyson Colton stabbed to death in the shop’s kitchen. It is soon apparent that the police consider Bailey’s grandfather their prime suspect. Bailey knows that this situation will only worsen her grandfather’s heart condition. She switches out her sugar thermometer for a deerstalker cap and sets out to find Tyson’s killer.
I found Assaulted Caramel to be well-written and engaging. It has an easy writing style which made for an enjoyable read. The story has real characters, a lovely setting, steady pace and plenty of humor. One of my favorite things in the book (besides the luscious chocolate and fudge descriptions) was Jethro, the spotted pig. Jethro’s description and antics had me chuckling. I also appreciated the snark from Bailey’s best friend, Cass Calbera. I hope we see more of Cass in future novels. My rating for Assaulted Caramel 4.5 out of 5 stars (I liked it, but easily solve the mystery). I did feel that there was too much internal dialogue (Bailey thinking). The mystery had some good elements and many readers will not guess the identity of the culprit until the second half of the story (or you might be surprised). There are the right number of suspects and pointed clues. I am eager to read Lethal Licorice when it comes out in February.
Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower is the first book in her new Amish Candy Shop series and was a delightful read from the first page.
Bailey is a very likable character. The love, respect and loyalty that she shows to her Amish grandparents made her feel “real” to me. She is also smart and determined to help her grandparents as much as she can while she is visiting. Ms. Flower’s descriptive writing clearly paints Harvest, OH and the Amish community that lives in and around the area. The dialogue was often funny and included some great one liners from her best friend, Cass. All of the characters were well developed but with plenty of room for growth as the series progresses. Oh, and there is a totally different pet featured in this cozy story, a polka dotted pot bellied pig named Jethro who nips the people he likes. I was totally smitten with Jethro. The plot was steady paced with enough twists to keep me guessing until the reveal and that was a shocker for me. I will be looking forward to reading more in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
What a wonderful beginning to a brand new series. Bailey, an assistant chocolatier, is waiting to hear about a promotion she is up for when she is called away to Amish country. Her grandfather’s heart condition has gotten worse and she wants to be there for him and her grandmother. Bailey’s first night there has her tripping over the body of a local developer and her grandfather becomes a suspect. Bailey can’t leave her family alone to deal with this mess thrust upon them and decides she must figure out who the real culprit is. I was immediately pulled in and fell in love with the wonderful characters set before me. I laughed, got mad, and even cried as I read, Flowers really knows how to tug at the heart strings. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.