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In this outing of the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, we find Bailey adjusting to life in Harvest, Ohio. She is staying with her grandmother and running the Amish Candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. Her grandfather had been accepted as a competitor in the Amish Confectionary Contest, so with his untimely death, Bailey finds herself taking his place even though she is not Amish. She must make all her candy in the Amish tradition in the contest, but this is not enough for some of the other competitors. The first day of the competition finds her dealing with a host of ill feelings and with finding a dead body in the church. Of course she is a suspect as the victim is one of the people she recently had words with. While competing, she is trying to gather clues as to the murderer and who would have a motive, helping some of the other competitors, worrying about her cousin who is having difficulty with the Deacon in her Amish Section and fighting off her fledgling feelings for Aiden, the local police officer. It seems like a lot for one book, but Amanda Flower does an amazing job with the plot, developing the story nicely.

I really like Bailey. She is not Amish, but has great respect for the Amish people and their traditions. She is kind and caring to everyone. She is a smart cookie, but unfortunately still gets herself into some sticky situations while investigating. Aiden is a real sweetheart. He is also very respectful of the Amish people and their ways, unlike the police chief. He is playing it cool and moving slowly with Bailey, but you can definitely see his feelings for her developing. Bailey's grandmother is a wonderful influence on her, but is very accepting of her personality and decisions. The other recurring characters continue to add much to the story and their character development is well done. The friendly polka dot, pot bellied pig, Jethro, disappears at the beginning of the story, but makes a huge impact when he is finally located near the end. I had no idea about the ending of this book. Lots of twists and surprises that kept me reading late into the night. A fun cozy that I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

This is a fun series. I started reading Amish mysteries about two years ago and can'r get enough of them. I was already a fan of this author and this series is sweet (i know i know i couldn't help it). I highly recommend this series, you won't be disappointed.

The first book of the series was a bit slower than this. I like how Bailey tries to find balance between society and Amish village. Even the little bit of romance it lovely.

Bailey King has given up her dreams of being a top chocolatier in New York and returned to the Amish country in Harvest, OH to help her grandmother in their candy business and in particular in this book make the candies the Amish way for the Amish Confectionery Competition. One of the other Amish entrants is not happy that Bailey is their since technically she is not Amish, but Bailey is allowed to continued since she is representing her grandmother's shop. The other entrant is found dead, however, from an allergic reaction to licorice (the main ingredient for one of the candies being made in the competition). Since Bailey and the victim were seen arguing and she was one of the people who found the body, Bailey feels compelled to investigate to clear her name.

This was a fun mystery with numerous twists and turns but also great characters and yummy sounding candy!

Can't wait for another trip to the Amish country!

This is book 2 in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series and as indicated it is a good cozy murder set in the Ohio Amish community. Bailey returns to her hometown to run the family's candy business. Her grandfather instilled in her a love of candy and she left New York City and a prestigious job to keep his dream alive. When a fellow candy maker is murdered during a spring fair competition there are plenty of suspects including Bailey. A wonderful insight to Amish ways of living and cooking. Recipes are in the back of the book. I did read book 1, but had no problems with this as a stand alone book. I received a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amanda Flower never fails deliver a good read. I loved the plot and her well developed characters. I highly recommend this book.

The first book in this series left me really ambivalent. I had a more enthusiastic response to Licorice. No wow factor, but a nice cozy read. I like how Flower doesn't sugar coat the Amish lifestyle. She shows some of the less attractive elements as well as some of the positive. To make an Amish person your victim and others as your suspects, that only makes sense.

I also like how Bailey is using this time to think about her values and feelings about what's gone on in her life and what's currently happening. She's definitely not perfect as shown in her feelings and thoughts about a new person entering her grandmother's life. However, she reflects on it and comes to the mature decision. Nice to see that in a story, I find it tends to be rare. The heroine usually rushes headlong into something or makes a bone headed decision to cause drama.

Gott (God) and religious matters are mentioned a whole lot. I'm not keen on religion in my books, but here is makes sense since it is such a major part of Amish life.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Lethal Licorice is the second book in the Amish Candy series and it's just as good as the first. After her grandfather's death, Bailey King remained in Harvest, Ohio to help her grandmother run Swissman's Sweet Shop and participate in the Amish Confectionery Contest. During the contest one of the competitors is found dead, Bailey encounters Amish traditions and some hostility as she searches for answers. Well-done mystery with engaging characters --- one that you won't want to put down.

Bailey King is settling into her new life working at Swissmen Sweets, the candy shop owned by her recently widowed grandmother. She is honoring her grandfather's memory by participating in the annual Amish Confectionery Competition.

But an Amish candy maker wants Bailey disqualified because she is an Englischer. And then a woman is found dead from an allergy to an ingredient in the licorice Bailey is making. Bailey is only one of the suspects, and it's up to her to find out who really killed Josephine Weaver.

If there is one thing you can always say about an Amanda Flower book is that it has heart. Each book I've read of hers has a story that is perfectly told and draws me in from the first few words. Lethal Licorice is no different. I've loved watching Bailey grow in her new life at Swissmen Sweets. I cheer for her as she solves crimes and makes friends, and grieves for her recently deceased grandfather.

This book has it all, great characters, a perfectly drawn mystery and a pot-bellied pig that will charm your socks off. This book is a keeper, as this series will be one I reread when I'm looking for comfort.

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

Another amazing book in this wonderful new series by Amanda Flower!

Title: Lethal Licorice

Author: Amanda Flower

Series: Amish Candy Shop Mystery

Pages: 344

Genre: cozy mystery

Rating: 4 stars

In Lethal Licorice the second installment in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery Bailey King is slowly settling in to life in Harvest Ohio working at her Amish grandparents Candy shop. It’s completely different that her life in New York. She has her own plans for her life, while her grandmother and Juliet have other plans that involve Juliet's son Deputy Sheriff Aiden Brody. But match making is going to have to wait, both Aiden and Bailey get sucked into a murder investigation of an Amish woman Aiden because he's a sheriff's deputy Bailey because she doesn't really trust the county sheriff to be fair. Add in a missing pet pig and its chaos.

As it is a second book in a series it's hard to give too much background information in order to prevent giving away too much about the first book in the series. In this book Bailey finds herself in a candy making contest with other Amish Candy shops across the United States. Bailey has to figure out how to balance the contest with helping Aiden solve the murder rather or not he wants her help.

I actually enjoyed the second book in this series more than the first. I think part of it is I can relate to related to what personal issue both Bailey and her grandmother are going through in the book. At least from Bailey point of view as I went through something similar two years ago. I've read quite a few of Amanda Flowers in the past in four other series and I have to say that the Amish Candy Shop mystery series is my favorite. I love how her mystery keeps you guessing what up till the end. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This series set in Amish Country is becoming a favorite. I love the candy store setting as well as the fact that an Englisher is helping to run the candy store as she helps her grandmother. This was a nice follow-up to the first one in the series. To me, anytime that you've got chocolate, a pig and interesting characters, it's a recipe for a good read.

The 2nd book in the Amish Candy Shop mystery was just as sweet and engaging as the first! I enjoyed this cozy mystery from the relatable and fun characters (OMG I love that pig!!!) to the interesting and charming setting of an Amish community. The twist and turns will have you quickly turning the pages to find out whodunnit!!!
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
I voluntarily reviewed this book via NetGalley.

In the second book of the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, Bailey King goes to Amish country, in Harvest, Ohio. There she runs her grandfather’s candy store but she is not welcomed by the Amish community. Before his death, her grandfather was registered to be in the Amish Candy Competition. The organization allowed Bailey to take his place despite protests from the Amish community to have her disqualified. Then, another contestant by the name of Josephine was murdered. The prime suspect was her niece, a young, rebellious Amish girl. In order to help her, Bailey is determined to find the real culprit. A well written mystery that keeps you turning pages. I enjoyed this book and reading about Amish life. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to review this book.

Amanda Flower's second book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is Lethal Licorice. Bailey is taking her recently deceased grandfather's place in the Amish Confectionery Competition. One of the competitors, Josephine, is not thrilled to see non-Amish Bailey allowed to take part. When Josephine is found dead, Bailey is an obvious suspect along with Josephine's niece. Bailey must clear their names and find the real murderer. This is one of my favorite new cozy mystery series, and this book did not disappoint. This book stands on its own, but I highly recommend reading both books. I love the setting, the characters, and the writing style. I am already looking forward to the third book!

A fun and delicious mystery! I love the character development in this series. The author makes it so enjoyable and as a reader you slide right into the story seamlessly, like you never left. The mystery was well written and kept you on the edge of your seat until the very end. This series just gets better and better with each installment!

I hope this becomes a long running series. This is the second and is just as good as the first. Bailey King has traded in big city life to move back to Amish country, Harvest, Ohio. Her grandparents run a candy shop, Swissmen Sweets and Bailey is a chocolatier but now her help is needed even more because her grandfather has passed away and her grandmother can't run the business alone. Add to running the business, her grandfather was going to have an entry in the upcoming candy competition, a very big deal. The murder victim, Josephine Weaver, wants Bailey out of the running and raises a huge stink, claiming only Amish should be allowed to compete. The judges side with Bailey and her licorice candy is her contribution. When Jethro the pot bellied pig goes missing (I love the little guy) Bailey enters the hunt but finds a very dead Josephine, instead. Given that the two women had some heated words not long ago, and the victim was allergic to licorice so the police add Bailey to the list of prime suspects. She has an attraction to the deputy on the case which makes things a tad bit complicated.
I am looking forward to the third book in the series, Premeditated Peppermint which is due out on September 25.

Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower is the 2nd book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, and my 2nd book by this author. I really love this series, and am looking forward to the next book in the series. Bailey King left her job as a New York chocolatier to return to Harvest, OH to run Swissman Sweets, a candy shop her Amish grandparents own. Bailey King plans on entering the annual Amish Confectionery Competition, taking over for her grandfather, who has passed away. Some people are unhappy because Bailey is not Amish, but has been approved to compete. When the most outspoken person is found dead, Bailey because a suspect. I love the quirky people and situations in this book. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book/ series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The Amish Confectionery Competition has come to Harvest, Ohio and Bailey King has been allowed to participate even though she is not Amish. There are some contestants not happy that she is competing against them. Especially Josephine Weaver and she loudly voices her opinion. But before the judges even taste Bailey’s licorice, she finds Josephine’s body. She was just trying to find Juliet Brody’s pot-bellied pig, the last thing she needed to see was another dead body. When the police hear about her argument with Josephine she knows she is going to be their prime suspect. Deputy Aiden Brody is sweet on Bailey, but she knows she is going to need to find the real culprit on her own.

Lethal Licorice picks up almost where Assaulted Carmamel leaves off. Bailey’s grandmother is still adjusting to life without her beloved, Jebediah. Bailey is honored to take his place in the Amish Confectionery Competition hoping to bring some sunshine back into her Maami’s life. Bailey also learns she has a new cousin Charlotte. Charlotte is going through the Amish tradition of rumspringa before making her decision to join the church. Her family, which includes the newly deceased, is not happy about her musical decision. This also lands her on the list of suspects.

I so enjoy the characters in the series. Bailey finding her way among the Amish is so interesting. She is strong and smart and committed to helping her grandmother in any way she can. A romance in her life is just on the cusp. Everyone seems to think she and Deputy Aiden Brody would make the perfect couple.

The characters all have a certain charm that made me what to know them all better. A young Amish woman, Emily Esh, really resonated with me. We have just barely touched on her life story and I hope we get to know her better in a future story.

Now this mystery was a fun one to solve. I am not a fan of licorice at all, but to have it be part of a murder was just fantastic. I had never heard of a licorice allergy but I suppose people can be allergic to just about anything. The victim owned a candy store in a nearby town and Bailey quickly learns of several new motives for her death and people not so sorry the woman is dead. There was also another woman entered into the competition who was pretty shifty so she is on Bailey’s list as well. But when the real guilty party is revealed I was completely shocked and surprised. I sure didn’t see it coming.

This story is a fantastic addition to this series. I love the peek that this author gives us into Amish life and the Englischers. Both books in this series are must reads. Book 3, Premeditated Peppermint will be released September 25.