The description says this is the first book in the series... I can't wait for the next installment of Bailey's adventures in Hamish county.

Assaulted Caramel is your feel good murder mystery if there ever was one. Lots of chocolate, fudge, strawberries, jams and... cheese make the murder palatable. To think of it, the murder in this story has very positive and life-changing effect on the main character - Bailey King. I won't spoil the story for you, read it yourself. 

What I can tell you is this book can be left on a chair, on a couch or even on a train. There is nothing rude, gross, spooky or disgusting about it. It is quite the opposite.

If you are a chocoholic like myself, there is even a wonderful old country recipe at the end of the book.

I have read this book very quick. It left me still smelling all the wonderful aromas of desserts and fresh country markets and wanting more of the same.

Have a taste. Have a read.

I didn't notice when I requested it on NetGalley that it is an Amish Mystery, and to be honest when I did notice that I wasn't really sure what to expect. In case you're curious, I thought it read exactly like any other cosy mystery, but it was set in an Amish community, so a bunch of the characters were Amish.

Overall I thought it was a sweet read, with some good twisty bits and a few quirky characters. I really enjoyed the characters, and would definitely pick up the next book in the series to spend more time with them.

Assaulted Caramel, the first book in Amanda Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is a sweet treat.

Twenty-seven-year-old Bailey King rushes from New York City to her grandparents’ Amish community of Harvest, Ohio, when her grandmother calls to let her know that her grandfather has been taken to the hospital. Upon arriving at her grandparents’ home and candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, Bailey spies her grandfather in a heated argument with a non-Amish man. Turns out the man is developer Tyson Colton and he has been buying up Amish businesses in the area with the hopes of turning Harvest into an Amish Disneyland.

Bailey later stumbles upon the body of Tyson where he shouldn’t be, in the kitchen of Swissmen Sweet, with a chocolate knife in his chest. Police are quick to assume that either Bailey or her grandfather killed Tyson. Bailey vows to prove herself and her grandfather innocent before it’s too late.

Amanda Flowers has definitely written a good mystery with fantastic characters. Bailey’s best friend, Cass adds humor to the story. Deputy Aiden Brody proves to be a good friend to Bailey and hopefully a romantic love interest as well. While I was busy wishing I could visit Harvest, Ohio and interact with everyone, I forgot about the murder needing to be solved. I can only say that the twists and turns were mind-blowing. I can’t wait to return to Harvest and Swissmen Sweets.

Amanda Flower gives us a fast pasted who-done-it that I thoroughly enjoyed. She kept me going back and forth between suspects while never giving the murderer away. The end was a total surprise to me!

You have to pick up a copy of this entertaining book to find out who killed a man everyone in town despised. Tyson Colton, a greedy Englischer who was buying all the stores from the Amish, was found dead in the kitchen of the Swissmen Sweets candy store. That was the only store he couldn’t buy. What was he doing in the kitchen after everyone had gone to bed anyway? Jebidiah and Clara King owned Swissmen Sweets and lived above the store. Their English granddaughter Bailey, who was a chocolatier in NYC at a very famous store and vying for the head chocolatier job, had come to visit because Jebidiah was in poor health. None of them heard anything going on in the kitchen below.

Who killed Tyson Colton? Surely not Jebidiah, he’s Amish. The sheriff believes Jebidiah put Bailey up to it. Plus, she found the body. Did she kill Tyson? Could it be Eileen Hutton whose daughter was engaged to Tyson’s son? She certainly wanted her daughter married into that wealthy family whether her daughter did or not. Then there was Tyson’s son Jace. He wasn’t the least bit sad that his father was dead. He despised him too, and now everything belonged to him!

I know you’ll enjoy reading this well-written book and trying to figure out which of the many townspeople killed a man everyone was glad was dead!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After Bailey King gets a phone call from her grandmother that her grandfather is ill, she rushes from the hustle and bustle of New York City to quiet and quaint Harvest, Ohio. On her first night staying with her grandparents above their candy shop, Bailey discovers the body of Tyson Colton in the shop's kitchen with her grandfather's chocolate cutting knife sticking out of his chest. After it is discovered that only Bailey's finger prints are on the knife she is ordered not to leave town since she is now the prime suspect in the murder. Bailey takes it upon herself to clear her name by helping the sheriff's department with the investigation. The author uses plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as to who committed the murder, while also using humor to help keep things light and entertaining.

Amanda Flower has become a reliable go-to author for me. I have enjoyed every book penned by her that I have read. ASSAULTED CARAMEL is no exception, and its fast paced, family-oriented tale of murder and finding your destiny is a truly sweet, satisfying read.

Just when everything chocolatier Bailey King has been working towards finally seems to be within reach, she receives a call from her grandmother that her grandfather is ill. Bailey knows that his condition must be serious since the Amish do not regularly utilize the telephone. She figures she can make a quick weekend trip from New York City to Harvest, Ohio, to make sure Daadi Jebadiah is ok. Of course, nothing is ever that simple, and Bailey quickly finds herself stuck in Harvest as a murder suspect. Of course, Jebadiah is the prime suspect since developer Tyson Colson was found dead in Swissmen Sweets, killed with Jebadiah’s specialty chocolate knife. As Bailey’s personal and professional life back in New York begin to implode, she must investigate to clear Daadi’s good name and do some soul searching while she’s at it.

Settling in to read a book by Amanda Flower is a lot like sitting down with a beloved friend for a chat over a nice cup of tea. Flower’s style is warm and inviting, her mysteries sufficiently complex, and characters engaging and realistic. Here she does a good job of introducing readers to protagonist Bailey, her grandparents, best friend Cass, Deputy Aiden Brody, and other characters about town, both Amish and Englisch. And, of course, there is an adorable kitten and Jethro the pig. I am in love. The small town of Harvest makes a charming setting. The mystery itself is well laid out. There are enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end. I was surprised by the bad guy’s identity. I love it when I cannot figure out whodunit too early in a tale.

I highly recommend ASSAULTED CARAMEL to any cozy mystery reader.

Loved this book. I didn't realize it was part of a series until after I read it. I went back and read all the rest in a week. Love love the characters. Funny, entertaining book

Assaulted Caramel was a pretty good cozy mystery about Bailey King, who has taken a break from her job as assistant chocolatier at a world famous New York chocolate shop to take care of her ailing Amish grandfather. Her quick trip turns into a long haul when a dead body turns up in her grandparents' own small chocolate shop and Bailey becomes the prime suspect.

So this book was actually very well written for a cozy, in my opinion. It was the first in series and it had just the right amount of balance between main character mystery, grandparent ailment problems, New York promotion drama, best friend fun, potential man romance for later down the road, small town sheriff conflict, etc. All of the cliches you expect in your mystery lite and just the right amount. I didn't find the characters annoying....and the one character had a pet potbelly pig! Cute!! :) I loved it! Overall, it wasn't a groundbreaking read, but I wasn't bored, I wasn't really in LOVE with it, but I did like it!

WOW, what a breakout, sugar-filled start to a new series! I knew after seeing the cover that I had to read this book, I mean, it is beautiful, right?! But after reading the description I was super intrigued with the basis that this series was being built upon. The plot is a brand new twist on the businesses owned in most cozy mysteries. I was sucked into this story immediately, not only are the descriptions beautifully written, but the Amish life is so well explained that I found myself completely immersed in that world and forgot about everything around me.

This story was so emotional to me. I laughed out loud, I cried and I fell in love with this world and everyone in it. The characters have been so well crafted and written. I loved the tight family bond that this story is written on and the relationships and friendships that Bailey values truly shine in the writing. I can't wait to see what adventures Bailey finds herself involved in, in the future. Oh, and Jethro, I fell in instant love with that little pot-bellied pig and his antics! There was only one point in the story that felt a bit off, and that is the romantic twist at the end of the story. But having said that, I was happy that it did! The mystery was well plotted and took me right up until the end to figure out.

I really can't say enough good things about this book, you just need to get your hands on it and dive into the sugar-crafted goodness that this series is offering! Up next, Lethal Licorice, book two, is set to release on February 27, 2018!

Link will be live Thursday, September 7th 7:00am MST

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it well enough.

I truly do enjoy Amanda Flower's writing and did enjoy the mystery. The main characters are all likeable, and I found myself with watering eyes at the end.

But the cynical side of me sees a lot of authors writing "Amish fiction," using that as a selling point, but never actually scratching the surface of the culture. This book barely touched on the Amish life, other than the things that most people already know, like the fact that most Amish don't use electricity.

The other thing that is starting to bug me about cozies in general is the depiction of law enforcement. They're either hot and a potential love interest, bumbling, or have an axe to grind.

That said, I am looking forward to reading book 2 in the series.

Bailey King is ready for the most important change in her life...being named head chocolatier at JP Chocolates in New York. But days before the announcement is set to be made, she receives word that her Amish grandfather is seriously ill and may not make it much longer.

She decides that is more important than staying in New York, so she travels to Harvest, Ohio, to help her grandparents. But on her first night there she goes downstairs to use her cell phone and finds a dead man in the kitchen of her grandparents chocolate shop. The man had argued earlier in the day with her grandfather, and now he has her grandfather's chocolate knife buried in his chest.

The local police believe Bailey is guilty, well all except for one, Aiden, who is close to her grandparents. Bailey is determined to prove her innocence, and when her friend Cass comes to fetch her back to New York, they instead go on the hunt for killer. Hopefully that hunt won't lead to their deaths.

Assaulted Caramel is the first book in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, and it is a sweet treat that will keep readers turning the page. I savored every last drop of this book where Ms. Flower returns to Amish Country for a sweet treat.

Ms. Flower packs this book with intriguing characters, a plot that had many twists and turns and a pot-bellied pig. But what really makes this book a great read is Bailey's journey, where she discovers what is truly important in her life, even if it causes problems with her friends and family. I loved watching Bailey discover herself. It made this book something to remember.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Ms. Flower has in store for this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Assaulted Caramel is an awesome start to the new series, An Amish Candy Shop Mystery, by Amanda Flower. She does a good job creating a novel that integrates the Amish and Englisch worlds, especially where a murder is committed.

Bailey King is a assistant chocolatier at JP Chocolates in New York City where she is in line for a major promotion when she receives a call from her Amish grandmother (Maami) that her grandfather (Daadi) is very ill. Bailey learned her love for making chocolate from her grandfather growing up and she is very close to her grandparents. Her father left the faith to marry her mother and Bailey grew up Englisch but visited her grandparents every summer until high school. In spite of the pending promotion, she leaves for Ohio thinking that it will be a quick trip. Things become more complicated when she arrives just in time to see her grandfather collapse outside of his candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, and she realizes the severity of his heart issue. A local businessman is trying to buy up all of the Amish businesses in town and her grandfather is arguing with the man as he collapses. Her grandfather has refused to sell his shop where he has poured his life into and where their home is upstairs. To make matters worse, Bailey discovers the man's body in the kitchen of the shop during the night. Bailey and her grandparents are naturally the number one suspects. But there are many people who are not sad to see the man dead, including his own son. Bailey's best friend, Cass, is sent to fetch her back to New York by their boss, Jean Pierre, but Bailey can not leave town until the murder is solved. As the two try to clear Bailey and her family of the crime, they realize that there are many that could be responsible for the murder. The sheriff and at least one of the deputies believe that Bailey is guilty but one really cute deputy is close to Maami and Daadi and believes that she is innocent in spite of how it looks.

This is a great mystery that is made more special since it involves both Amish and Englisch. The characters are believable and real and the plot is a strong and well developed. I was trying to figure out who committed the crime until the end. It is fast paced with twists and secrecy among the Amish population.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased my own copy to have and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Assaulted Caramel is the debut of the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series featuring Bailey King, an assistant chocolatier for the world famous JP Chocolates of New York City. Bailey has her fingers crossed that her life long dream comes true and she will be named head chocolatier for the company when founder Jean Pierre retires. With just a few days until the announcement Bailey receives a call from her Grandmother Clara "Maami" to say that her Grandfather Jebediah "Daadi" is not doing well.

Extremely close to her grandparents, Bailey rushes to Harvest, Ohio to check in on him. Harvest is an Amish community intermingled with the Englisch. Bailey's father had been raised Amish but he elected to leave the faith and marry her mother, but Bailey always loved spending summers and school vacations with her grandfather at his chocolate shop "Swissmen Sweets".

Bailey arrives in Harvest just in time to see Jebediah engaged in an argument on the sidewalk in front of his shop. She's horrified when he suddenly clutches his chest and falls to the ground while the other man turns his back and walks away. Bailey soon learns that the man was Tyson Colton, the county's richest man, and he'd been pressuring Jebediah into selling his shop. Tyson has bought the other shops on Main Street with the intention of turning the town into an Amish Disneyworld, and only Jebediah is standing in his way with his refusal to sell.

Angry that Tyson has been threatening her grandparents, worried about Jebediah's health and annoyed that her NYC boyfriend isn't returning her calls, Bailey can't sleep and gets up to go down to the candy kitchen. She stumbles upon the dead body of Tyson, stabbed with Jebediah's favorite candy knife. Bailey and her grandparents quickly become prime suspects in the man's murder and Bailey sets out to find the real killer.

A terrific debut with characters that will draw you right into their lives. Full of heartwarming, touching and funny moments this book will have you both laughing aloud and sobbing. Just the right hint of romance a very cute kitty and a precocious pig, this is the perfect cozy. Looking forward to Lethal Licorice coming in February 2018.

I received an advance copy of Assaulted Caramel from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

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.

It's a very good thing that reading mysteries involving chocolate won't pack on the pounds. I'm a chocoholic and I prefer my mysteries cozy and this was a perfect fit for me. To be honest, I would have read it just because it was written by Amanda Flower. Then add the Amish setting and a very well plotted mystery - I hope this becomes a long running series. The main character, Bailey King, lives in New York but her heart is in the Ohio town with her Amish grandparents. Due to her grandfather's health, she drops everything to return to Ohio to help. Little does she know that help will be needed when the corpse of a local developer, a man who is pressuring the locals to sell to him, is found on the kitchen floor of her grandparents chocolate store. As the usual suspects list is headed by herself and even her grandfather, Bailey must find the solution and fast.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Wow! What a fantastic start for this series!

Bailey King is up for a huge promotion at JP Chocolates in New York City, but she receives a call that her grandfather is very ill in Harvest, Ohio. Her grandparents are the ones that introduced her to everything chocolate at their Amish candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. Hoping it will be a quick trip she rushes to be with them. Her grandfather pushes away any concern but she can see he is failing.

Adjusting to their Amish ways she has to charge her cell phone in the shop kitchen as their are no outlets in their living quarters above the shop. When she sneaks downstairs in the middle of the night to retrieve it she almost trips over the dead body of an Englisch developer, a man with a grand scheme to buy all the shops in Harvest. There should be plenty of suspects but the police have decided that Bailey’s grandfather is their prime suspect. His shop – his knife – case closed – almost. A very handsome deputy has a special relationship with the King’s. Bailey doesn’t know what it is but she knows she isn’t going to take her sweet time jumping into his case. Her grandfather is innocent and she is going to prove it or fudge things up royally 🙂

I loved this story. The characters are very believable and very engaging. Maami, Clara King and Daadi, Jebediah King are such wonderful people with huge hearts. Even with his heart condition, Jebediah puts the needs of others first and never loses his strong work ethic. Clara, a strong woman in her own right is the perfect helpmate. While Bailey is not Amish, she clearly has the same values as her grandparents. Their close bond remains even though she has been away in New York.

The story moves right along not only trying to catch a killer but following the King’s as they deal with not being able to use their kitchen. Commitments have been made and must be fulfilled. Bailey takes on providing the desserts for a wedding she is surprised is still taking place. With this event we meet more characters, Amish and Englisch, from the bridal couple and the bride’s mother to the ladies of the church plus a cute little kitten and a potbellied pig too.

The mystery was a twisty one. I thought I had it figured out but at the big reveal I was completely surprised. They may not have chocolate covered red herrings in the candy shop but this story is full of those buggers.

Amanda Flower and her unique writing style has given her readers a terrific story to savor. She has blended captivating characters, a marvelous mystery, a charming town, and scrumptious chocolate in a way that is sure to please every cozy reader!

Pure bliss – this book plus anything chocolate!

Terrific! This combines two of my favorite themes- Amish/English relations and candy- in a well written cozy. Bailey goes "home" to Ohio to help out her grandparents only to find herself embroiled in a murder mystery. She's got a great sense of family, as well of how to wiggle in to help Jebediah. I love her friend Cass, who's got some great lines. The dialogue in general is good and the story flows quite nicely, Best of all, this never gets too twee or out there = and it's not gory or gruesome or dark. Flower has a nice writing style and she's a good story teller. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC (and the recipe). I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series as I'm most curious what Bailey is going to do next. Put this one on your list!

Assaulted Caramel takes place in a little Amish village in Ohio. Bailey King is visiting her grandparents who, unlike her, are Amish. They run a small candy shop in the town that Bailey spent her summers as a child and learned all about chocolate making. I know little to nothing about the way of Amish life so I was a little worried I would be confused, but the author was very good at explaining things, without going into over details.
Bailey and her ailing grandfather become suspects in a murder of a man, so Bailey is on the case to find the true killer. The plot was well executed, characters were like able and accessible, with the right amount of mystery, family, and a touch of what I'm hoping will be a romance for Bailey in upcoming books.

I have been looking forward to this series for what seems like forever and I was not disappointed at all! Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower is the first book in the new cozy mystery series An Amish Candy Shop Mystery. As with most cozies that I find myself enjoying this series has its own unique setting bringing the main character to the small town charm with her Amish grandparents. Just infusing the Amish ways within the story added its own bit of flavor that was hard to not like getting to know a bit about. Living close to Amish country in Pennsylvania it is fun to see the blend of the “English” and Amish lifestyles.

The characters have a wide range of colorful and quirky personalities. Bailey King 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 and the family business, Swissmen Sweets, as much as she can while she is visiting Harvest, Ohio. Ms. Flower's descriptive writing clearly paints the emotional rollercoaster Bailey is experiencing both personally and professionally. All of the characters are well developed but have plenty of room for growth as the series progresses. Her best friend and fellow chocolatier, Cass, adds a touch of contrast and humor with her fashion sense and hysterical one liners. You can’t help but laugh. Plus I can’t forget Jethro, the polka dotted pot bellied pig, who is definitely a scene stealer. This book has the perfect balance of mystery, romance and humor to keep you totally engaged. The plot was steady paced with enough twists to keep me guessing until the final reveal and that was a shocker for me. The added bonus of the chocolate caramel fudge recipe will have your sweet tooth craving more. Counting down the days until book two, Lethal Licorice, is released!