Happy Book Release Day! Some of the new books out today include Murder in Thistlecross by Amy Reade, Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira, Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke, Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower, It Takes a Coven by Carol J. Perry, Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian, Color Me Murder by Krista Davis, Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan, Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor, The Pajama Frame by Diane Vallere, I Know What You Bid Last Summer by Sherry Harris, Pawprints and Predicaments by Bethany Blake and A Home for Hannah by Amy Lillard. I hope you find some new books to devour!
Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower
is the second story in The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. Bailey King is now living in Harvest, Ohio
and working at her grandparent’s candy shop Swissmen Sweets. They are preparing for the Amish
Confectionery Competition (ACC) where Bailey will take her deceased grandfather’s
spot. All items made for the competition
can only be done the Amish way—no electrical appliances. Josephine Weaver of Berlin Candies, though,
is not happy with Bailey taking Jebediah’s spot since she is an Englischer, and
she is not the only person who feels that way.
Just before the first round begins, Jethro, who is Juliet Brody’s polka
dotted pig, disappears and she needs assistance in locating him. Bailey goes into the church to search where
Charlotte Weaver, a cousin, is playing the organ which sounds a little
off. Charlotte opens door to pipe area
to see what could be the problem and screams.
Bailey peers inside to see a dead Josephine Weaver. It is discovered that Josephine died from an
allergic reaction to anise, and she had a piece of Swissmen Sweets licorice on her. This puts Bailey on the suspect list which
along with her natural curiosity makes it impossible for her not to investigate
Josephine’s death. Bailey must work in
her sleuthing in between the rounds of the competition, looking for Jethro (he
is still missing), manning the candy shop and offering Charlotte guidance on
her future. Will Swissmen Sweets win the
competition? Who killed Josephine
Weaver? Follow Bailey on her latest
adventure in Lethal Licorice.
Lethal Licorice is written in a conversational
writing style with a good pace which makes the story easy to read. I was drawn
into Lethal Licorice immediately. Lethal Licorice can be enjoyed without having read Assaulted Caramel. Readers are given an abbreviated version of Bailey’s
history and how she ended up in Harvest, Ohio.
The setting of Harvest, Ohio is brought
to life thanks to Amanda Flower’s visual imagery. There are a variety of characters in this
series which I appreciate. The characters
are well-developed and relatable. Jethro,
the polka dotted pig, is a fun addition along with his owner, Juliet Brody (she
is the quirky character in the story). I
like the chemistry (and interactions) between Bailey and Aiden Brody. There is just the right touch of humor in the
story. It is balanced with the seriousness of the murder and the intensity of
the competition. The mystery is well crafted, and readers will be pondering the
killer’s identity. There are some good
clues to aid in identifying the evildoer. Bailey, though, needs to work on her questioning
technique (shape her questions differently and be subtler). She is too blunt which is off-putting. It turns off people because they feel like
they are being accused of wrong doing. There
are tantalizing candy descriptions that will have you running out to purchase
your favorite sweet treat (it had me craving my homemade peanut brittle). There
was one scene that left me cringing.
There was a cat in the candy kitchen at Swissmen Sweets. I hope the health inspector does not find out
about it. It was interesting to discover how various
candies are made without the aid of modern technology. Lethal Licorice is a feel-good cozy mystery. It was pleasurable to read and when I finished
reading it, I had a smile on my face. Lethal Licorice is a cute and entertaining cozy mystery that will have you eager to
read for Premeditated Peppermint (which will be out in September 2018).
Thank you for visiting. I will be reviewing Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke tomorrow. It is the twenty-second book in A Hannah Swensen Mystery series. May you day be filled with sunshine. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
No comments:
Post a Comment