“You’re not going to believe this, but I found another dead body.”—from Marshmallow Malice, the fifth entry in excellent Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.

Bailey is a busy woman. She is the co-owner, with her Amish grandmother, of Swissmen Sweets in rural Harvest, Ohio. Bailey is also the host of Bailey’s Amish Sweets, a cable food show set to premiere in two weeks. But today she has two jobs: maid-of-honor at her boyfriend’s mother’s wedding and cake creator for the wedding. When those two jobs hilariously combine, Bailey thinks things can’t get much worse. She realizes she is wrong when she finds the dead body. Now, Bailey’s new job is to find the murderer—with the reluctant help of her Deputy Sheriff boyfriend, Aiden—before his new stepfather, Reverend Simon, is accused of the crime.

I get happy just hearing that a new book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery is being released. Bailey, her grandmother, Aiden, his mother Juliet, and even Jethro, the comfort pig, seem like old friends. Their stories are always beautifully absurd and absurdly humorous. Even though their lives are chaotic, you can tell they really love each other.

If you are looking for a great zany cozy mystery with a unique Amish setting, look no further. Marshmallow Malice is a fun 5 star read! It will definitely make your problems feel insignificant—for a few hours at least.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love this series. Although I wish someone would actually tell juliet her son isnt getting married yet. I did enjoy the mystery and am never disappointed with any of the books!

Wedding bells are ringing for Juliet Brody and Reverend Brook. Bailey King, chocolatier, works in her family's candy shop, Swissman Sweets. As she is part of the wedding party and is dating the bride's son, Bailey is in the middle of the event. She has even created the wedding cake per the bride's wishes, complete with a special marshmallow frosting. Fingers crossed that all goes well, that the cake doesn't fall apart and there are no surprises. Well, there is a big surprise just around the corner and Bailey, with her best friend. Cass, end up in the thick of it. If a cake disaster isn't enough plus a bridal mishap, a drunk woman crashes the party and focuses her ire on Reverend Brook. When she later turns up murdered, guess who becomes the prime suspect? Yep, Reverend Brook tops the list.
Bailey and Cass, much against the advice of Aiden Brody, boyfriend and deputy sheriff and son of the bride. Life sure is complicated but, wait, there's more. One of the guests in town for the wedding just happens to be Aiden's former high school sweetheart and she wants to rekindle the relationship.
I enjoy spending time with Bailey, her family and friends in Harvest, Ohio. Bailey is a wonderful character, full of heart and is the kind of person anyone would want for a BFF. When it comes to tracking down a killer every once in awhile, she gets the job done. The puzzle is complex enough to keep me guessing to the end with various twists, turns and red herrings leading me astray. Just the way I like it. As a series, each book can be read as a stand alone.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 5th book in the delightful "Amish Candy Shop" mystery series by popular cozy author Amanda Flower. I have read the previous in series and am always delighted to return to this wonderful world the author has created. This book can be read as a stand alone however I highly recommend the entire series for your reading enjoyment. It is a cozy series that you do not want to miss.

We return to beautiful picturesque Amish Country and Harvest Ohio a small quaint Amish community. Bailey King and her shop "Swissmen Sweets" are as busy as ever as a popular local candy shop that Bailey owns with her Grandmother . They are known for creating amazing treats. The event of the moment is a wedding between Juliet and the Reverend. They have been dating in previous books and ready to tie the knot. Bailey is making the wedding cake and is in the wedding as Juliet is her boyfriend Aiden's Mother. Aiden is also in the wedding as best man. .
During the ceremony a unknown women burst into the church and claims the Reverend is actually nefarious. The strange women is escorted out and the wedding continues. When the wedding cake takes a tumble Bailey steps out to change her messy clothes and sees some suspicious activity by the women who appears to be stumbling and arguing with someone. She sees the women get into the car with the man who is unknown to Bailey. When she returns to the church the next day to clean up she finds the women's body at the church and feels she should have intervened. Bailey wants to investigate and find out what happened to the victim and who she was. She also wants to find out her connection to the Reverend. She is a savvy investigator and as a local she is good at talking to people to find out information. Bailey always solves her case with the help of her group of friends.

This was a delight to read. The sleuth was very well crafted , the charcters are done to perfection and each adds to the story. I love the setting of a small Amish town that is described by the author as so peaceful and friendly I look forward to the next in series. .

Another fun entry in Amanda Flower's Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, this time focused on the wedding of Juliet and the Rev. Brook.

Bailey King, candy maker, has been busy, busy, busy while serving as bridesmaid and wedding cake designer. Bailey's boyfriend, Aiden, deputy sheriff for Holmes County, Ohio, will be walking his mother down the aisle.
However, the wedding and reception do not go off smoothly, and before long, Bailey is discovering yet another dead body.

As usual, Aiden relies on Bailey's connections in the Amish community to help him figure out this puzzle.

We learn more about Aiden and Juliet's backstory and some history of Rev Brook. Juliet's pet pig, Jethro, also plays a big part.

This story seems a bit more complex than some of the earlier entries in the series...and that just makes it more interesting and entertaining.

My only negative about this series is that Jethro the "mini-pig", over the months and months that have passed since the first story in the series, hasn't grown a bit, and is still described as the "size of a toaster". The idea of a "mini pig" is a fallacy. Unless starved or mistreated, "mini pigs" are going to grow up...to 50-100 pounds, if not larger. Making a cutesy character out of the "mini pig" without sharing the truth about "mini pigs" may simply lead to more of these animals ending up in shelters/rescues when their uninformed owners find they have acquired pets that have outgrown their space and ability to care for them. I really wish the author would have her Juliet character start to deal with the reality of having a pig as pet.

An excellent installment in this great series.
It was an engrossing and entertaining read.
It was great to meet again the cast of characters and I loved the description of Juliet's wedding.
The plot is well crafted and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What could be better than seeing Reverend Simon Brook and Juliet Brody finally tie the knot? Try watching Jethro, her emotional support pig, prancing down the aisle as a ring bearer. Unfortunately, Juliet’s wedding day isn’t going as planned. She’s already had a hairdo fiasco and now a young woman crashes the wedding to rant at Reverend Brook, calling him a traitor. Things couldn’t possibly get worse… until a dead body threatens Juliet’s happiness. Detective Aiden Brody is determined to solve the murder and make his mom happy, while his girlfriend and amateur sleuth/full time chocolatier Bailey King assists.

I’m still laughing at MARSHMALLOW MALICE. We have Puff, the rabbit from TOXIC TOFFEE, around to amuse us, but this time Jethro takes center stage. Bailey spends a lot of time with Jethro and oh, are the moments priceless! Bailey does a pretty good job at mishaps without Jethro’s help, but the marshmallow scene is a classic one and guaranteed to have the reader in stitches!

MARSHMALLOW MALICE delves into addiction and gives us a bit more insight into the Amish culture and the differences between bishops, even as we laugh hysterically at the antics of Jethro. I love that we get to see both the triumphs as well as the fallibilities of the Amish culture, particularly on social issues. Some of the revelations in MARSHMALLOW MALICE will resonate in future books, and I love that Amanda Flower doesn’t keep her characters stagnate but instead continues to show us their backgrounds and how they continue developing.

MARSHMALLOW MALICE is the fifth book in the Amish Candy Shop series, and wow, this series just gets better and better with each installment! Amanda Flower injects just the right amount of humor amongst more weighty issues. If you love cozy mysteries and want a good laugh, don’t hesitate to pick up MARSHMALLOW MALICE or any of the Amish Candy Shop mysteries. You won’t be disappointed!

Juliet Brody and Reverend Brook are finally tying the knot. Everyone is in attendance for the much anticipated wedding including one uninvited guest. Said guest drops dead but sunstroke nor bad wedding cake is the reason. With the guest knowing too much about the Reverend's past, he tops the list of suspects. Will Bailey and her police officer boyfriend be able to find out who killed the guest? Or will Juliet reconsider her marriage? I love how these books are sweet and bring together small town life. I look forward to the next mystery. A received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Bailey King is back making candy for us again in a new instalment of the Amish Candy Shop mysteries. Plus her friend Cass is there, partly to vacation and partly to help out at Swissmen Sweets for Harvest’s Fourth of July celebrations. Another exciting event this time around is the wedding between Juliet and Reverend Brook. Only, a woman comes in and causes a disturbance, calling the reverend a liar. The next day after the wedding Bailey finds the same woman dead on the church steps. Aiden clears the reverend of wrongdoing so he and Juliet can go on their honeymoon. Jethro is left in Bailey’s care. Then Aiden, Bailey, and Cass work the case to find out whom the woman was and who killed her. Bailey is also getting nervous for the premiere of her television show.

I quite enjoyed this story. In fact, it might be my favourite Candy Shop mystery yet. I did not figure out the solution to the case this time around. (Though I suspect I may have been more on-the-ball about it if I hadn’t taken a break in the middle of the book to rush-read a couple other books. I wouldn’t necessarily have definitely come up with the correct solution even then, though.)

Even though I did not solve the mystery this time around, I did know the ending of the book but yet it still brought a tear to my eye, and it is this final scene that makes this my favourite story.

It's finally here, Juliet and Reverend Brooks' wedding day, complete with an incredible cake decorated in marshmallow frosting (oh how I would have liked to have seen at the back of the book). But with the sweet comes the sour, like the attitude of o e strange lady who busts in on the wedding ceremony and screams that the good Reverend is a traitor. Normally one would expect a wedding to be I terupted with an unexpected declaration of love. Turns out that there is more to this story than just marshmallows and murder. Who would have guessed that the Amish were customers of the local, and very not legal, moonshine operation taking part in Harvest Woods. Bailey has so much on her plate already, with the candy shop, the 4th of July festival, her TV show's debut, watching Jethro the comfort pig while Juliet is on her honeymoon, and her growing relationship with Deputy Aiden. Bailey doesn't need distractions such as a troubled Juliet insisting that Bailey help with the investigation or Aiden's ex-girlfriend Kayla and her mother poppping up at the wedding insistng that Aiden make good on a promise made 15 years prior. Thank goodness Bailey has gal pal Cass to help her with these sticky situations. Another insightful story with some great plot twists and multiple story ingredients that make up a wonder recipe for mystery with a side of romance and a dash of sugary goodness. After all isn't every better with chocolate!

The Amish Candy Shop Mysteries are such a great series, and I loved this new installment!

In this one, the wedding of Juliet and Reverend Brooks is interrupted by a distraught woman who calls the Reverend a traitor. After the woman is expelled and the wedding continues, she is later found dead. It seems that there is a connection to someone who is operating an illegal alcohol still.

When it looks like Reverend Brooks will be a suspect in the murder, Bailey knows she has to help her boyfriend, Deputy Aiden Brody, to find out the identity of the killer. As the investigation progresses, Bailey also has to contend with an old relationship of Aiden's.

The mystery storyline in this one is very good. I loved being back in the Amish community with all the beloved characters. As usual, Jethro the pig was front and center with his antics. Bailey and all of her friends were as delightful as ever, and I truly loved the ending!

It’s safe to say that the Amish Candy Shop Mystery is one of my very favorite cozy series. I love the quaint setting, scrumptious candy descriptions, characters, the mischievous yet adorable pets and intriguing storylines. Book 5 is full of all of these things. It kicks off with one heck of a wedding. Juliet and Reverend Brook are finally getting hitched. Of course chaos must occur to try and spoil their happy union. From a horrible hair catastrophe to an unexpected guest intrusion, the entire ceremony and reception will keep you entertained. Just wait until you see what trouble Jethro, the pig, causes this time!!!

The mystery was fantastic in this book. I was honestly stumped until the big reveal, which totally shocked me. The setting played an advantage in keeping me from figuring out the exact culprit. I love that this town provides both outside and Amish characters. Two cultures with opposite view points and beliefs provide the reader with a ton of suspects and info to sort through. Add in an interesting story of an Amish moonshiners and I was completely thrown.

I was thrilled to see Cass, Bailey’s bestie from the city, visiting for the entire book. Her sharp wit and observations make me smile. She is such a fun character and side kick to have around. I was a bit disappointed in the interactions between Bailey and Aiden- aka“hot cop”. They were distant and didn’t have too many sweet scenes together. I was also nervous about the old fling who pranced back into town.

Perfect story to read during the summer since it centers around a wedding and huge Fourth of July celebration. The book includes a recipe for making your own Marshmallow sticks and an excerpt from the next Amish Matchmaker Mystery, Courting Can Be Killer.

Favorite quote, “It’s the kind of outfit that makes you believe there just might be unicorns out there.”

Bailey King is making the wedding cake for Juliet and Reverend Brook. Juliet has planned for this day for years and wants everything perfect, including a cake with marshmallow icing. While it is a bit of a headache, Bailey along with her friends and family at the Swissmen Sweets candy shop, have it finished and ready and waiting.

The big day arrives but an uninvited guest makes a disturbance at both the wedding and the reception. The next day, the individual is found dead at the top of the church steps and the Reverend comes under suspicion of murder.

Bailey gets drawn into helping solve the case because she witnessed something that makes her feel somewhat responsible for the death.

The story is a bit darker than some of the earlier books in this series, probably due to the subject matter involved. There is still enough light-heartedness to make it a fun read. However, I found myself thinking about it after finishing it.

While the book can be read stand-alone, I suggest reading the earlier books in the series to be able to put the storyline in proper context.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower is a welcome trip back to Ohio and to Swissman Sweets and the wedding of Juliet Brody and Reverend Simon Brook. The much-anticipated events was the talk of the town and everyone was ready: Bailey, the maid-of-honor and wedding cake baker; Aiden Brody, who would walk his mother down the aisle and double as best man; and Jethro the pig, who was to be the ring bearer. Juliet was getting her hair done when Jethro popped out from under her robe and startled the hairdresser, who yanked the curling iron in her hand and along with it came part of Juliet's bangs. It was a momentary panic until Bailey's friend, Cass suggested a hat would cover up the damage nicely. That arranged the wedding went of nicely, despite the fact that the dress Juliet had chosen for Bailey made her look like a giant cupcake. Even Jethro behaved. There was that little moment when a drunken woman interrupted the ceremony screaming that Rev. Brook was a traitor, but that moment passed and all was well.

Plenty of things happening in this sweet book by Amanda Flower. Too many to divulge. Sad to say, the net morning Bailey arrived at the church to discover the dead boy of the woman from the day before on the church steps. Bailey and Aiden are such a cute couple. He is always there for her and accepts her as she is. They both love and accept Juliet, and her pig, Jethro. Life is looking good for all of them except the outside world is intruding into their little paradise with the spate of murders lately, and no one is happy about that. The book gives us a gentle look into the lives of the Amish and how they co-exist with their non-Amish neighbors as well as into the personalities of Bailey and her nearest and dearest. These are truly lovely people and plenty of fun to read about. I recommend this and the other books in the series.

I received a free ARC of Marshmallow Malice from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #marshmallowmalice

Bailey's boyfriend Aiden's mom and the local Reverend are ready to tie the knot. As maid of honor Bailey is doing everything she can to make sure Juliet's day goes off without a hitch. Everything seems to be going well until a woman steps in during the wedding to make slanderous accusations against Reverend Brook. The woman is removed and Juliet ignores what the woman said, marrying the reverend without further interruption. Things get worse at the reception when Juliet's pig Jethro trips Bailey making her crash into the wedding cake destroying it. When the day is finally over Bailey sighs with relief, the happy couple will be off on their honeymoon after church the next day. When Bailey goes to the church early the next morning to make sure everything is as it should be she finds the woman from the previous day dead on the steps. Who is this woman and why was she killed and left on the church steps? The reverend only knows her first name and gives Bailey all the information he can about the woman. The reverend is soon eliminated as a suspect so off he goes on his honeymoon with Juliet. Bailey knows she must figure out who the woman was before she can look at people who might have wanted her dead. There is an Amish connection Bailey just has to find out where it leads. Follow along as she investigates, will she be able to figure out who the killer is before she herself becomes a victim?

Description
Caught in a sticky situation . . .

With Juliet Brody and Reverend Brook tying the knot in Ohio’s Amish Country’s most anticipated nuptials of the year, Bailey King is determined to do everything in her power to make the event a sweet success. Except midsummer heat waves and outdoor ceremonies don’t mix, and an exasperated Bailey soon finds herself struggling to fulfill bridesmaid duties and keep her stunning marshmallow-frosted wedding cake from becoming a gooey disaster. Then much to everyone’s shock, the entire ceremony crumbles when a guest drops dead, and the cause isn’t sunstroke . . .Turns out, the uninvited victim came equipped with lots of dirt on the devout reverend’s hidden past. As Reverend Brook tops the murder suspect list on what should have been the happiest day of his life, Bailey and her sheriff’s deputy boyfriend vow to clear his name. Can the duo boil down a series of baffling clues before Juliet considers her marriage a bad mistake—or the killer whips up another deadly surprise?

My Review
Amanda Flower has done it again! Marshmallow Malice, the fifth full length installment in the cozy Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is a hit.

Although this novel can be read as a standalone, I recommend you start from the beginning as there is a character build-up in each book that brings everything together.

After spending time in New York., the protagonist, Bailey King, returns to her Amish roots and her family's candy shop. As the series opens her boyfriend's mother is getting married. The day of the wedding already starts with a disaster as we see the bride has "...a huge chunk of hair missing where her bangs should have been." That's not all, before you know it an uninvited guest is found murdered.

Bailey and Cass who has come for a visit decide to investigate on their own. However, no matter how hard they try, they just can't seem to stay out of trouble.

But in the end.... wait you really did not think I was going to tell you the ending LOL? You will just have to pick up your own copy, but I can tell you it's a hit.

I give this a 5 star!

Nothing beats a good sweet shop mystery on a humid and stormy day. As usual the book and writing did not disappoint.

Holy Jethro the pig! Juliet, the mother of Bailey's love interest Aidan, asked her to be the maid of honor at her wedding to Reverend Brook. What a wonderful thing! Then there's the cake she's made- it's got marshmallow icing (not good on a hot summer day). And then - at the wedding- a young woman calls out Reverend Brook! And then that woman is found dead! Obviously the good Reverend (or is he really good?) is a prime suspect. Much to Aidan's dismay (he's a deputy), Bailey and her friend Cass are determined to find out who she was and who murdered her. The charm of this series (and don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones) is the juxtaposition of Bailey and the Amish community. It's less of a theme here but the relationships between the characters is makes up for that. This is a classic cozy read, with some twists and some turns. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. AND there's a recipe I know I want to make.

Bailey King learned candy making in New York, but she has gone back to her Amish roots and her family's candy shop in the rural Midwest. Her best friend Cass from New York has come to visit, and her boyfriend's mother is getting married as the latest story in the series opens.

The wedding is unusual to begin with, centered as it is on three motifs: marshmallow, pink polka dots, and a pet pig. But things just get kookier from there. A mishap with the wedding cake and a very dramatic outburst in response to the "Speak now or forever hold your peace" statement put the whole event over the top.

And that's before the bodies start piling up.

Bailey and Cass can't resist mounting their own investigation, even as they get their special marshmallow candy ready for the upcoming community events -- they share their easy recipe, too.

But they can't stay out of trouble, and their adventures with the seamy side of Amish country endanger them... and Baileys relationship with a handsome detective. The story manages to be both cozy and fast-paced, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing till the very end.

I love the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries and this is no exception. Bailey is preparing for her TV show to premiere and also for the fourth of July festivities, but first is Juliet's wedding to Reverend Brooks.
When the wedding is interrupted by a drunk woman, Bailey and Aiden realize that Reverend Brooks has secrets he isn't telling. The next day the woman who interrupted the wedding is dead on the steps of the church.
Bailey goes looking for the truth and finds more secrets among the Amish. There is a moonshine still in the Harvest Woods.
An old flame of Aiden's is in town, and she and her mother are causing trouble for Bailey.
Cass is visiting and gets in on the investigative action.
The culprit behind a blown up still and the dead woman has revenge in mind and Bailey is getting in the way.
This is the fifth Amish Candy Shop mystery and it comes in summer with lovely sounding marshmallow treats and chocolate covered strawberries. Enjoy some calorie free dessert....reading!