“The Amish Miss Marple strikes again…exciting.” —Kirkus Reviews“Refreshing…Flower combines quirky characters, close-knit community, and first-class sleuthing to great effect. Fans of Amish mysteries will love this.” —Publishers Weekly “There is nothing cozier than the second ‘Amish Matchmaker Mystery.’” —Library Journal Between minding a pair of rambunctious goats, meetings with her quilting … —Library Journal
Between minding a pair of rambunctious goats, meetings with her quilting circle, and matchmaking, Millie Fisher has plenty to keep her busy through her golden years. But the witty widow always makes time to solve the odd murder . . .
Some Amish men don’t know what’s good for them. That’s what Millie Fisher told herself when young Ben Baughman set his heart on marrying Tess Lieb. With Tess’s father refusing to give his blessing and Tess’s ex-boyfriend being a wet blanket, the hapless couple was bound to butt heads more than Millie’s Boer goats. But when Ben tragically dies in a mysterious fire, Millie wonders if someone in her hometown of Harvest, Ohio, wanted Ben out of the wedding picture altogether . . .
With the help of her quilting buddies, and her outspoken Englischer friend Lois, Millie is determined to patch together all the clues without even dropping a stitch. She only hopes it won’t be the death of her . . .
Praise for Amanda Flower and her Amish cozies
“As it turns out, Amanda Flower may have just written the first Amish rom com.”
—USA Today
“Flower has hit it out of the ballpark . . . and continues to amaze with her knowledge of the Amish way of life.”
—RT Book Reviews
“At turns playful and engaging . . . a satisfyingly complex cozy.”
—Library Journal
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COURTING CAN BE KILLER, the second Amish Matchmaker Mystery by Amanda Flower, is a great sophomore offering in this fun series. A spin-off of the Amish Candy Shop series, it can be read as a standalone or as part of either, or both, series.
Main character Millie is of a certain age and known for her matchmaking skills among the Amish community in Harvest, Ohio. Having returned to her hometown after caring for her ailing sister, she has rekindled her friendship with Englisher Lois and welcomes Ben, a youth from her sister’s district, with open arms. Ben is only nineteen years old but thinks he has found his match with Tessa, a local apple grower’s daughter, and works four jobs in effort to impress Tessa’s disapproving father. When Ben tragically dies, Millie, with the help of Lois, set out to find a killer and preserve Ben’s reputation and memory.
I really like Millie. She is mature, intelligent, compassionate, and thorough is all that she does. Her “opposites attract” relationship with Lois is my favorite aspect of the series. Neither character is a blown out of proportion caricature of her respective culture, and their friendship seems natural and firmly rooted as only long-term relationships can be. It is nice to see characters from the Amish Candy Shop series drop in here and there, and Millie’s goats provide comic relief.
The mystery is well plotted and paced. There are only a few suspects, but Flower definitely kept me guessing until the very end. This story feels a little more somber than some cozy mysteries out there, perhaps because the victim is so young and seemingly a good guy or because his future was not going to be what he thought.
COURTING CAN BE KILLER is a wonderful cozy. Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy of this title from the author and Kensington Publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Read 11.20.2020
I fully enjoyed the second addition in this new series by the prolific author Amanda Flower; I am so glad that she is writing more in this series.
Millie [who is Amish] and her childhood “Englischer” friend Lois are at it again and it is one interesting romp from page one until the end. I love Millie and her open outlook on life and how she doesn’t let being Amish dampen her interests and inquisitiveness, all while staying very true to her faith and what she believes at her very core. She is a good mix of how people of faith should be and I really like her because of it. And Lois? Lois is what everyone wishes they could be – a lover of life, a devoted friend and an instigator to the very end, Lois is absolutely an amazing character. I love how she teases Millie about her Amish life, but never, ever makes fun of her or what she believes; she in fact accepts and respects what Millie believes and supports her in that, but isn’t afraid to speak real truth to her when needed. She is the bestest of best friends and we ALL could use a friend like that in our lives. I love how they work together and support each other [even in the face of dealing with the terrifying Ruth Yoder] and have the easy kind of friendship that is only comes out of being friends for years, even when distance has happened. Their relationship really makes these books and makes the mysteries more believable.
This mystery was good [and having Aiden and glimpses of Bailey and her crew is a fun addition], but very sad. And that is all I will say about it. This one you need to read from page one. Any review about it will influence the future reader and that would be a great disservice to them. So suggest you read it and find out for yourselves; and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Flower, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When a young man very dear to Millie Fisher dies in a fire at the local flea market the Amish community suspects that he had set the fire himself. Wanting to clear his good name Millie and Lois Henry begin shifting through evidence and and questioning suspects who would benefit from Ben’s death. Who really started the fire that night at the flea market?
I always enjoy a Cozy Mystery written by Amanda Flower. This story yanked me in and kept me from the beginning. I listened to the audio of this book and thought it was very well narrated. This mystery kept me guessing and I was surprised by the ending. I thought it was entertaining, and I enjoy the sleuths , Millie and Lois.
I recommend Courting Can Be Killer to fans of Cozy Mystery and fans of the Author. This is book two of An Amish Matchmaker Mystery.
There is just something special about Millie, the main character in the “An Amish Matchmaker Mystery” series. In the latest addition to the series, Courting Can Be Killer, Millie finds herself caught n the middle of a matchmaking conundrum, a father who doesn’t like his daughter’s would-be suitor and a murder that hits far too close to home. Being retired hasn’t slowed her down, and even though she is an older sleuth, who happens to be Amish, doesn’t stop Millie from bringing a killer to justice.
Readers have to love Millie; there simply is no other choice. An older sleuth can be hard to sell to readers, but Millie, and her childhood BFF Lois, make everyone wish they could be their friend, neighbor, or relative. The two women are full of mischief and mayhem but with good hearts and a lifetime of understanding. The Amish life isn’t for everyone, yet Millie makes you want to join her. Even when there is a killer on the loose, and no one is certain when or if they will be caught, and in some cases, don’t care, the simple life Millie leads forces readers to sit back, reflect, and relax.
Suspects are few and far between; in a small Amish community, there isn’t a lot of people who would want the victim dead, but those that there are, have good motives that keep Millie and Lois on the move. The victim is young, hard-working, and not someone most people think would be murdered. Ms. Flower does a remarkable job of giving readers just enough detail and evidence that they can figure out who the killer is, as well as understanding, and at times, sympathizing with, not only the victim and suspects but with the murderer. Adding to the fact of the author’s use of an older sleuth who is Amish make this book and series magnificent and delightful.
I have one small complaint; however, there just wasn’t enough action from Millie’s fantastic goats; I adore Peter and Phillip! I am happy to recommend Courting Can Be Killer to lovers of mysteries with older sleuths, a simple life with insights into Amish life, and friends that will stay with you for many years to come.
A delightful book! I think the idea of a matchmaker is intriguing, especially an Amish matchmaker. Millie’s young friend, Ben, whom she met in Michigan has come to Harvest and is determined to court local Amish girl, Tess. Tess’s father is against her courting anyone and wants to send her away to help his sister with her triplets. Both Ben and Tess beg Millie to help talk to Tess’s father and help him change his mind. Unfortunately, before Millie can do anything, Ben is found dead after a fire destroys the flea market where he was working at night as a watch guard. Millie and her English friend, Lois, set out to find out what happened to Ben. I absolutely love Amanda Flower’s Amish Matchmaker and Amish Candy Shop series. Both are delightful and I love learning more about the Amish. I really felt for both Ben and Tess in this book. For Tess, I can’t even imagine being told I had to move far away from my family to take care of an aunt’s children and not get to choose what I wanted to do. I can understand why she latched on to Ben. For Ben, I can’t imagine being told to leave home by my parents and to find my own way. It was nice to see how Millie looked out for both young people and wanted to help them. I look forward to more of this heartwarming series and seeing what’s next for Millie!
Millie has learned that she is really good at one thing and that is matching couples together, she can always tell when a couple doesn’t match. She sees that young Ben Baughman is barking up the wrong tree when it comes to Tess Lieb. The two aren’t a good match and Tess’s father agrees, he refuses to give his blessing. That isn’t going to stop the two from getting married though. When Ben is killed in a house fire Millie wonders if it was an accident or murder. She truly thinks someone wanted Ben out of the picture when it comes to Tess but who and why needs to be answered. Millie looks to her quilting buddies for help not to mention aide from her very outspoken English friend Lois. Will she be able to work all the pieces into one whole picture before she herself ends up a part of the puzzle?
This was a cute little cozy. Millie is an Amish matchmaker. She befriended young Ben when she was caring for her sister. Ben moved to Millie’s hometown and she took him under her wing. Ben has a crush on young Tess whose father is against the match. When Ben is killed, Millie can’t believe he set the fire nor that he was drinking or on drugs. She, along with her Englischer friend, Lois, set out to find out what happened.
This is the second in the series. I have not read the first book, but I had no problem figuring out who the characters were and how they fit into the story. In fact, many of these characters are also in Amish Candy Shop series, which I have read. This is an easy read and a nice escape. I enjoyed the characters. Millie and her goats are cute!
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my honest opinion on this book.
I loved it! I am embarrassed to admit it has been a while since I’ve read this author’s cozy mysteries, and I am going to remedy that. The author is adept at opening the door of the novel and welcoming the reader in with friendship, faith, and humor. The characters are well-portrayed by their conversations and actions. I particularly enjoyed the pets who are part of life in Holmes County, Ohio.
Millie, an Amish woman who moved back to town about a year ago, is a matchmaker for those looking for a lifelong spouse. She was blessed with her perfect husband until he died early more than two decades ago, and she has a gift to help those in her community now. Millie had lived with her sister in Michigan for a decade, caring for her as her health deteriorated through the end of her life. When she first moved to her sister’s, Ben was eight years old and lived with his family on the next farm. He spent many hours over the years helping Millie and her sister out, refusing to ever accept pay. Instead, he considered Millie to be like a devoted aunt.
It is no wonder that when Ben wanted to start over, he came to Holmes County. Millie had told him so much about what a wonderful area it is and that there is a large Amish community there, plus he already knew her. He stayed in her home for only a brief time, until he rented a room in someone’s basement. He now works four jobs, one of them full time, as he and a young Amish woman, Tess, want to court and marry. Tess’s father Josiah will not give his approval for them to court. Not only does Ben hope to change Tobias’s mind through hard work, he also hoped that if Millie, a matchmaker, talked with Tobias, he would allow the couple to court and marry.
Ben never had the opportunity to prove himself to Tobias, however; Ben died in a fire that swept through the indoor flea market where he was an overnight guard. It is discovered that somehow the young man slept through the inferno, so the rumor grows that he was committing suicide by destroying the flea market. Particularly unhappy are the women of the quilting group Millie attends, especially Ruth, the bishop’s wife. The quilting group had a booth at the flea market and lost several excellent pieces.
This mystery has the best of the author’s talents, including a complex and well-executed plot, fascinating characters, the delightful antics of scene-stealing goats and other pets, and a well-portrayed Amish community. I love Millie and Lois, a most unlikely pair of mature sleuths; you won’t find a close, lifelong friendship like the one between this Amish woman and a flamboyant, clearly non-Amish woman, and Peter and Phillip. There are characters who cross over from the Amish Candy Shop series while keeping the primary focus on Millie, Lois, and the fire and murder.
I was surprised at involvement of the whodunits and motives! The ending was very satisfactory, and I do not want to miss the next in series. I highly recommend this to all who appreciate well-written cozy mysteries that include mature sleuths, Amish communities, humor, and pets.
Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is book two in the An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone. It also has a bit of a cross over with the An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.
What I love about this book is the protagonist and her side kick are senior citiizens, one being Amish, the other English, one outspoken, one quiet. Flower gives plenty of plot twists and possible susects, I will say, I was surprised who the victim was. The start of the book, I thought knew who it was going to be, was I wrong. There are also laugh out loud moments. She has me wanting to get goats!
This well written Cozy will have you guessing to the end and you will not want to put it down.
I was given an ARC by Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.
I really like all of the books I’ve read written by Amanda Flower. This one is the first of this series I’ve read, but the main character, Millie, is in The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series and I like her. I am glad she has a series of her own. She’s sweet, strong, self-sufficient but knows she has friends in her life. I really like that she’s friends with non-Amish Lois. They’ve been friends since childhood and it goes against what others in the Amish community might think is wise. I like that Millie stays on her path and enjoys the company of who she likes.
I also like that Millie is drawn into the investigation of the suspicious death of a young Amish man in a fire. Blame falls on him for the destruction of the building that was used as a farmers’ market. Millies knows he can’t have been guilty of setting the fire.
A wonderful cast of characters and a superb setting. I look forward to reading more in this series. I really would love to meet Millie and Lois and everyone else, even the ornery goats.
I can definitely recommend this book and author (
Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is an entertaining cozy mystery. Millie Fisher is a great main character. I like how she talks to the goats and lives on her own. Millie is the matchmaker for her community as well as Amish Marple (Lois nicknamed her this). She is a sixty-seven-year-old Amish woman who is the opposite of her best friend and Englischer, Lois Henry. Lois is a hoot. I like that she is so different from Millie (pink hair, colorful clothes, loud voice). I laughed often while reading about Millie’s and Lois’ antics as well as those of Millie’s goats, Peter and Philip (they seem to get into more mischief than my cats). The goats are hilarious. I thought Courting Can Be Killer was well-written with steady pacing. The story moved along quickly and was over way too soon. I like the characters and the town of Harvest, Ohio. An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series is a spin-off from An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. While Bailey King is out of town, we do visit Swissmen Sweets and catch up with Charlotte. We get a quick visit with Bailey later in the story, and get to see what Jethro, the polka dotted pig, is up to (it is funny). Courting Can Be Killer can be read as a standalone if you have not had the time to read Matchmaking Can Be Murder. The mystery was fun to follow. There are a couple of suspects along with good clues to help readers solve the crime. Deputy Aiden Brody and Deputy Little are on the case. Deputy Brody would prefer Millie and Lois stay out of the investigation, but he does find their information helpful. Courting Can Be Killer is an amusing cozy mystery with hooligan goats, a rash of robberies, a bothersome bishop’s wife, a dubious blaze, a curious chair, a domineering dad, and two senior sleuths.
Is it proper to say that a murder mystery was a joy to read? I can’t help but be happy when I finish an Amanda Flower cozy mystery. Especially when it weaves two of her series together. Characters from her Amish Candy Shop series make plenty of appearances and yes, for those that have read that series, Jethro makes himself known!
The combination of Amish Millie and Englisch Lois is a hoot. I would love to follow them for one day just to see their thinking in action. Wherever they are you can guarantee that trouble will not be far behind.
I cannot wait to read more of their antics.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
A slice of Amish life and a cozy mystery…what an awesome combination. Millie is an older Amish lady, and her best friend is Lois, an Englisher and they solve mysteries in their small Ohio town.
This is the second book in the series, but I don’t think you have to read the previous book to enjoy this one. It was fun and interesting with a great mystery and an unexpected bad guy.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
Courting Can Be Killer is the second book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series by Amanda Flower.
The relationship between Millie, who is Amish, and Lois, who is not, is very entertaining. Millie seems more open-minded that many of those in her district and Lois respects Millie, even when she does not agree with the Amish ways.
There is a fire at the flea market and. Millie and Lois investigate to clear a young man’s name. I liked how they worked with the police, at least certain officers. It was an entertaining mystery and an ending that surprised me.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoy the books that Amanda Flower writes with the setting of Harvest, Ohio, home to Amish and Englisch families. This story is a crossover between the Amish Matchmaker Mysteries, main character Millie Fisher, an Amish woman, and the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, main character Bailey King, whose grandmother is Amish. Millie is an Amish matchmaker and helps the Amish find a match. Her best friend Lois is an Englisch woman and the two have been friends since childhood and have recently reunited after both moved back to Harvest. They also like to solve mysteries. In Courting Can Be Killer, the two are trying to find out who caused a fire that killed Ben Baughman, a young Amish man, and to clear his name. Some believe that he started the fire that burned down a flea market where he was a night guard. Ben followed Millie to Harvest from Michigan where he was living with his father and Millie was looking after her sister before she passed away. Millie is like an aunt to Ben and is heartbroken when he dies. Is his death an accident or foul play?
This is a funny series of two opposite women who unite in friendship and enjoy each other’s company. I like the town of Harvest and the different characters. It feels like a real place that I enjoy visiting through the books. I look forward to the next adventure with Millie and Lois. Millie has another friend, this time an Amish man, who would like to court her but Millie is trying to stay loyal to her deceased husband. Maybe they will spend some time together in the next book.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is one of the Amish Matchmaker series featuring Millie Fisher, the community’s matchmaker and her sidekick, Lois Henry, who is not Amish. They are both characters, as far away from one another as is possible, and yet, totally compatible. Millie was pretty much retired. Lois worked when she felt like it in her granddaughter Darcy’s cafe. This is a simple murder mystery with some crossover because it takes place in Harvest, Ohio, as does the Swissman Sweets novels. Millie had only been back for a year or so. She had been in Michigan for several years caring for her dying sister. While there she had met young Ben Baughman who lived next door and had done small jobs for the elderly sister. Just several months ago, Ben had appeared at her door, claiming that he’s had to leave Michigan. Millie gave him a room, which didn’t last long. He was a go-getter and soon had several jobs and a room in a local Amish home. He wanted to marry a local, girl, Tess Lieb. For some reason it appeared to be a big rush. She ran in to him at one of his jobs, as night watchman for the local flea market, where many Amish sold their goods. They had been having a problem with thefts at night. He was in a hurry, but the, he always was. The next day he was dead, and many believed he had set the fire at the flea market in which he perished. The whole story made no sense to Millie, so she decided to look into it. So she and Lois set off, despite Deputy Aiden’s repeated request to let him do his job.
Flower’s books are all simple, clean, enchanting looks into the life of the Amish in Ohio, as well as peeks into the daily lives of her individual characters. They are fun to read and very easy to invest in the ongoing lives of her characters. As in all cozies, the death of the victims may be gruesome, but there is little or no description so that contributes to the lightness of the novel. People have sincere motivations for their behavior, Amish or not, so they are easy to identify with. The books always end positively and live a good feeling with the reader. Courting Can Be Killer is not exception, although it is always hard to see someone so young die. Courting Can Be Killer is part of an ongoing series where peoples’ lives develop as each new mystery rears its head. Reading it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon! I am a fan.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Courting Can Be Killer by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #courtingcanbekiller
Courting Can Be Killer is the second book in An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series by Amanda Flower.
Millie Fischer is affectionately known as The Matchmaker in the community of Harvest, Ohio. Millie was delighted to learn that Ben Baughman, who she thinks of as her nephew, has moved to Harvest. Ben has asked Millie for help in persuading Tess Leib’s father, who owns an apple orchard, that he would be able to provide for a wife and children. Ben has been working four jobs since he has moved to Harvest. Unfortunately, before Millie can discuss Ben with Mr. Leib, there is a fire one night at the Harvest Village Flea Market, where Ben is the nightwatchman. Ben is discovered dead in the ashes of the fire. Investigators determined that the fire was started by a lantern that was found near Ben’s body. Ben’s demise will be listed as suicide by the police.
Millie doesn’t believe that Ben committed suicide, and with the help of her friend since childhood, Lois set off to determine who might have wanted Ben dead.
It’s always enjoyable to visit Harvest’s residents, whether this beautiful series or the lovely Amish Candy Shop series. The story is very well-written and plotted with enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the end. The characters are well-developed and very believable. This series also has some of the Amish Candy Shop characters joining Millie and Lois in this one. Millie and Lois are delightful, they work well together, and their interaction provides some very humorous banter. I love Peter and Philip and all the trouble they can cause.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Courting Can Be Killer
An Amish Matchmaker Mystery, Book #2
Amanda Flower
5 Stars
Synopsis:
In the second Amish Matchmaker Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower, Millie Fisher has plenty to keep her busy through her golden years, whether it’s minding a pair of rambunctious goats, meetings with her quilting circle, and matchmaking. But the witty widow always makes time to solve the odd murder…
Some Amish men don’t know what’s good for them. That’s what Millie Fisher told herself when young Ben Baughman set his heart on marrying Tess Lieb. With Tess’s father refusing to give his blessing and Tess’s ex-boyfriend being a wet blanket, the hapless couple was bound to butt heads more than Millie’s Boer goats. But when Ben tragically dies in a mysterious fire, Millie wonders if someone in her hometown of Harvest, Ohio, wanted Ben out of the wedding picture altogether…
With the help of her quilting buddies, and her outspoken Englischer friend Lois, Millie is determined to patch together all the clues without even dropping a stitch. She only hopes it won’t be the death of her… (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I love the relationship between Millie and Lois. They are so different but they get along great and care about each other a lot. They spend a lot of time together, especially when they are sleuthing, which they seem to do a lot. When an Amish man is killed in a fire, the circumstances are suspicious. Millie and Lois decide to do some sleuthing to try to help law enforcement solve the case. I really enjoyed seeing some of the characters from the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, that was a lot of fun.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it added to my enjoyment. I felt like I was right there with Millie and her goats, seeing what mischief they would get into. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. When I have a book to read by this author, I know I am in for a real treat.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
An older Amish matchmaker, Millie, and her dear friend, Lois, a flamboyant “Englischer” make for quite a pair and when Millie’s friend dies a mysterious death Lois is right there to help her get answers. Rumors are flying and getting facts in a tight lipped Amish community seems to be almost impossible but Millie is determined to set the facts straight.
As a fan of Amanda Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mysteries I immediately felt at home with this series set in the same town of Harvest with some crossover characters. I also enjoyed the Amish proverbs that were sprinkled in throughout the story. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
Amish, cozy-mystery, family, friendship, investigation, situational-humor, verbal-humor
Amish matchmaker Millie Fisher has moved back to her home county in Ohio after caring for her sister in Michigan. Now that they are 67, Millie and her non-Amish friend from childhood, Lois, are still great friends despite their differing lifestyles. So when a young man from the Amish community in Michigan who had moved to Ohio with Millie winds up dead in a suspicious a fire the two old friends sleuth together when not chasing Millie’s goats or piecing quilts. I really enjoyed the story about a different Amish community than the ones I am familiar with, and the mystery was pretty good, too!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!