When Rachel Mast returned to Stone Mill, Pennsylvania, she unwittingly became a bridge between the closed Amish community and the Englisher police. Now, as she prepares for her wedding, she’s drawn into an investigation that could end in a different ceremony—her funeral . . . Rachel didn’t know Daniel Fisher well, but it still comes as a shock when her fiancé, a state trooper, tells her that … tells her that the young Amish man’s death may not have been a hunting accident. The police believe he was murdered and they need Rachel’s help telling the family. But when she does, they don’t seem upset or even surprised. Even more unsettling, Daniel’s brother-in-law confesses—while his mother begs Rachel to prove his innocence. But why would he give a false confession? Who is he trying to protect?
As Rachel’s search for answers overshadows her wedding plans, rumors swirl that she might not show up at the altar—and that Daniel wasn’t as upstanding as he seemed. While the list of people who wanted him dead grows, Rachel is caught in the killer’s crosshairs, and if she’s not careful, it may be more than her feet that turn cold . . .
Praise for the Amish Mystery series
“An excellent addition to the Amish mystery subgenre.”—Library Journal
“An exciting tale of mystery, love, and danger.”—Booklist
“A well-informed look into the tranquil world of the Amish with a fairly edgy puzzler.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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This book was really good, and it had a scary twist towards the ending! I was not expecting who murdered Daniel to be who it turned out to be! The story ending ended very well, and I was impressed at Emma Miller’s writing skills!!! I can’t stop using exclamation marks, because the book was truly that good of a book!! Definitely a page turner!! I definitely recommend this book!!
Plain Confession
An Amish Mystery, Book #5
Emma Miller
5 Stars
Synopsis:
When Rachel Mast returned to Stone Mill, Pennsylvania, she unwittingly became a bridge between the closed Amish community and the Englisher police. Now, as she prepares for her wedding, she’s drawn into an investigation that could end in a different ceremony–her funeral . . .
Rachel didn’t know Daniel Fisher well, but it still comes as a shock when her fiance, a state trooper, tells her that the young Amish man’s death may not have been a hunting accident. The police believe he was murdered and they need Rachel’s help telling the family. But when she does, they don’t seem upset or even surprised. Even more unsettling, Daniel’s brother-in-law confesses–while his mother begs Rachel to prove his innocence. But why would he give a false confession? Who is he trying to protect?
As Rachel’s search for answers overshadows her wedding plans, rumors swirl that she might not show up at the altar–and that Daniel wasn’t as upstanding as he seemed. While the list of people who wanted him dead grows, Rachel is caught in the killer’s crosshairs, and if she’s not careful, it may be more than her feet that turn cold . . .
Praise for the Amish Mystery series
“An excellent addition to the Amish mystery subgenre.”–Library Journal
“An exciting tale of mystery, love, and danger.”–Booklist
“A well-informed look into the tranquil world of the Amish with a fairly edgy puzzler.”
–Kirkus Reviews (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. Rachel is caring, smart and willing to do whatever it takes to help her friends. When she feels that an Amish man is wrongly accused of murder, she is determined to find the real killer.
Rachel is a buffer between the Amish world and the English world and she knows that without her help, the wrong man will get sent to prison. I really like the fact Rachel continues to respect the traditions and beliefs of the Amish, although she is no longer a part of their world.
The writing style flows smoothly and allowed me to see the setting and activity through the eyes of the characters. The setting was inviting and I could picture it in my mind while reading the book. That helped pull me into the story right from the beginning.
The mystery was carried out well throughout the whole book and it was well paced. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. There were enough twists and turns and red herrings thrown in that it was not an easy mystery to solve.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. If you like Amish based mysteries as much as I do, this book is a must read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Plain Confession is book five and the final book of Emma Miller’s Amish Mystery series. I can’t say that this book has been my favorite one but as far as the mystery part I will say that it had me on the edge of my seat in the final chapter. Rachel Mast , our sleuths of the series always backs herself in the corner in every dangerous situation and this time I thought she was a goner for sure. Emma Miller saved the best till the last chapter and I couldn’t even come up with a good guess on who the real murderer was. That part I loved but I found myself getting very upset with our Rachel because it didn’t seem that she wanted to marry Evan Parks. She would constantly forget her appointment for her final fitting for her wedding dress and the same with the florist. Kind of ticked me off to be honest. What bride would forget these important dates unless she didn’t really want to get married. Evan was beginning to think along those lines too. Also the other thing I didn’t like was the epilogue. It seemed that the author was rushing to tie all lose ends together in the epilogue. I really thought the ending seemed kind of corny. If not for this I would have gladly gave five stars.
The story opens with a Amish funeral in progress. An Amish married man has died in a hunting accident. After the burial while the mourners are still having lunch and comforting the widow and family Evan Parks arrives on official police duty to notify the family that upon further investigation it has been determined that Daniel Fisher didn’t die accidentally but instead he was murdered.
The victims brother in law Moses Studer admits to Police Detective Sharpe that he killed Daniel. The Studer family had asked Rachel to go to the Police on their behalf to tell them that Moses couldn’t have possibly killed his brother in law. He wasn’t that kind of person and he would never kill another human being. Once a person confesses to murder usually the plea cannot be changed and Moses is still claiming he killed Daniel. Why would he do that if he was innocent? Rachel has a wedding to plan but now she is involved with this case so even though her fiance doesn’t want her to investigate on her own she just can’t walk away from it. In her heart she feels Moses is innocent and trying to take the blame to protect someone else.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mystery and Amish Fiction. This book is part of a series and should probably be read in order. Characters are carried over from other books in the series and things mentioned in this book will make more sense if you’ve read the other four books first.
I borrowed a copy from the digital library. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here in this book are my own.
Plain Confession by Emma Miller is the fifth book in A Stone Miller Amish Mystery series (aka An Amish Mystery series). Rachel Mast owns Stone Mill House, a bed and breakfast, in Stone Mill, Pennsylvania. She is attending the funeral of Daniel Fisher who died in a hunting accident. Many people comment on Daniel’s kindness and the improvements he made to the Studer farm since his marriage to Mary Rose. Rachel is surprised when Evan Parks, her fiancé and a state trooper, shows up at the funeral with the news that Daniel’s death was not an accident. Detective Sharp is in charge of the investigation (since Evan stepped down), but he is unfamiliar with the Amish and he is lacking in people skills. Moses Studer, Daniel’s brother-in-law, confesses to killing Daniel when he is questioned which leads to his arrest and the end of the police’s investigation. Alma Studer, Daniel’s mother-in-law, comes to Rachel asks her to prove Moses innocence. Rachel agrees to help Moses and sets out to find the truth. She needs to work in her wedding preparations in between her sleuthing. Rachel and Evan’s wedding is fast approaching, and Rachel has yet to have her final dress fitting. Townspeople are wondering if Rachel will show up at the altar or become a runaway bride. After making some inquiries, Rachel soon discovers that outward appearances are deceiving. Rachel becomes intent on solving the case before she walks down the aisle. Who killed Daniel Fisher? Will Rachel make it to her wedding? Return to Stone Mill and help Rachel solve the case in Plain Confession.
Plain Confession is the fifth book in the series, and it can be read as a standalone. Details on Rachel, her family and Evan are included. I found Plain Confession to contain good writing, and it was easy to read. Emma Miller is a descriptive writer which helps bring a book to life. I did feel that some details were not needed. An example is as a person is driving down the road readers get a detailed description of the scenery, the turns the person makes while driving, etc. Rachel Mast is a unique character. She was raised Amish, but she was not baptized into the faith. She stayed in the community where she was raised and runs a bed and breakfast. This allows her to interact with the Amish and Englisch. I like that Rachel honors Amish traditions (dressing modestly and covering her head for example) and is respectful. I felt that she became too fixated on the case. It made it seem like she was having second thoughts about her marriage to Evan Parks. I did not like how Evan did not want her to look into Daniel’s case and kept reminding her (once was enough). It felt off since Rachel has helped Evan on past cases. I like that the main characters are established and nicely developed. I was not a fan of Detective Sharp. Sharp is a cliché nasty detective that is similar to those in other cozy mysteries. The mystery has some good components, but I felt it was too simple. I wish it had been more complicated and harder to identify the culprit. The investigation consists of Rachel asking questions and then speculating on the case. I was curious as to why Daniel’s body had been released for the funeral when the investigation into his death was not complete and the autopsy results were not in. Of course, the police showing up at the funeral was tacky and inconsiderate (they could not wait until the next day). Plain Confession needed more action. The pace was too slow at times which made my attention wander. Christian elements are woven seamlessly into the story (having faith, God’s mercy), power of prayer). My rating for Plain Confession is 3 out of 5 stars. While Plain Confession is not my favorite book in the series, I will continue to read the books in A Stone Mill Amish Mystery series.
A totally delightful story!
Rachel has left the Amish faith, but since she never joined the church, she still has a relationship with her family. She is engaged to a state trooper, Evan. Rachel has a knack for becoming involved in police matters and putting herself in harms way. She has also called off her and Evan’s engagement once before, but is now ready to marry Evan and spend the rest of her life with him.
Rachel owns and operates an inn.
Daniel Fischer was killed while hunting and it was first assumed to be a hunting accident and then became investigated as a murder. Rachel, curious to know what happened, began asking questions herself. She was sure Moses, who confessed to the crime and was arrested, was not guilty of murder. Evan repeatedly asks her to leave the investigating to the police and concentrate on their wedding. She has missed dress fittings as well as other wedding appointments.
Rachel doesn’t seem able to honor Evan’s requests. I was amazed at his patience with her. The man is in love!
She uncovers information about Daniel that paints a different picture than what most of the Amish community had of him. He had dark side and wasn’t loved by all, after all.
I did think I had the ending figured out, but I was surprised by being wrong. Pleasantly, because who wants to read a very predictable story, after all?
This book is part of a series, but I have not read any of the others and feel this one is good as a stand alone.
I was given a free copy of this to read by the publisher, Kensington and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The author has us back at Rachel Mast’s Inn, and we catch up with her life, and with Mary Aaron, and Evan, and of course her State Trooper fiancé, and without a doubt there will be a mystery.
Balancing her wedding, and running the inn, along with the murder of a local Amish man, keeps our girl busy, and missing appointments. There are even odds that she will bolt from her ceremony.
This one is going to keep you guessing from beginning to end, and we get to meet a lot of interesting characters while we try to guess to find out who the murderer really is.
I enjoy being in this community, and hope for more, need to know what happens with Mary Aaron, and the rest of the folks we have come to know.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.