Great story, although I do suggest if you have never read this series before to read the first book or might find yourself a bit lost. I loved the no murder storyline in this story, it was a pure mystery of who took the loot, and instead of the main character of the series trying to figure it out, her Cousin Charlotte gets to figure it out, totally different and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoy the Amish Candy Cane Shop Mysteries and this one was a fun interlude to keep us caught up to what is happening with Bailey and friends while waiting for the next full length story. I liked this mystery did not involve a murder, especially in a short novella. This fun Christmas story is told from the POV of Bailey's cousin, Charlotte, who has volunteered to run the Candy Cane Exchange fundraiser. Participants buy a candy cane and submit the cash and a note to the box in town. Charlotte, collects the notes and money and attaches them to the candy. It is hard for her not to look at the notes and when she finds a note with her name on it, she looks at it and finds out she has a secret admirer. Of course, she now has to find out who it is and starts snooping. This is a fun addition to the series. It was nice to get to know more about Charlotte and to see her as a woman, not just an employee of the store or Bailey's cousin. There is also another mystery involving someone skulking around the town centre and dipping into the box, which also adds a bit more mystery. As the mysteries are solved, it left this reader wondering what is in store for Charlotte in upcoming books

Amanda Flower has done it again with Candy Cane Caper. This book is a wonderful addition to the series. It has great characters and. Satisfying plot. I Can't wait till the next book in the series. Thanks netgalley and Kensington publishing for the gift of the ARC. The opinions are my own..

Cute and sweet! I love the world Amanda Flower has created, and I loved being back with this characters!

I really loved this book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Christmas time, investigation - just some of the ingredients you need for a great story. Amanda Flower has weaved a very interesting storyline in Candy Cane Crime.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Also, books with recipes always bring a smile.

Great job!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Christmas at Swissmen Sweets is a busy time. Online orders are flooding in along with all the people stopping by to pick up goodies for the family celebrations. Chocolatier Bailey King is worried they won’t get all the orders filled especially because she needs to make a quick trip to New York to promote her new cable television show Bailey’s Amish Sweets. Then Margot Rawlings comes into the shop and wants Bailey to handle the Candy Cane Exchange fundraiser she has organized to raise money for new costumes for the Christmas pageant. For one dollar residents can arrange to have a candy cane with a personal note attached for the person of their choice. Swissmen Sweets had already donated a supply of candy canes and Bailey tells Margot she just can’t take on anything more. Margot is a pushy woman and doesn’t understand why Bailey can’t handle getting the notes from the dropbox and attach the notes to the candy canes. Seeing her cousin Bailey stressed out, Charlotte steps up to take on the tasks required.

Charlotte is excited about her new Christmas assignment and visits the dropbox several times a day to collect the notes and the money. She gets flustered when she sees someone, a secret admirer, wants to send her some candy canes. She goes a little crazy wondering who her secret admirer could be. So much so, with a little help, she sets up a stakeout to try to find out who it is. But what she sees is a crime being committed. She talks Sheriff Deputy Luke Little into helping her catch the candy cane criminal in the act. She also learns the identity of her secret admirer.

Another quick trip to Harvest and just in time for the holidays.

I love that Charlotte was featured again in this story. The shy conservative young lady who is still on her extended rumspringa is getting a little more independent each day. She has a huge decision to make and the events that take place in this book are not going to make her decision any easier. I enjoy reading a story from her point of view because she has a unique voice when it comes to the world around her. She has immerged as a very strong character in this series, and I like where the author has taken her. I am excited to see what Charlotte’s future holds for her too.

No murder in Harvest this time though. A crime is uncovered and the mystery of Charlotte’s secret admirer and that was more than enough to keep me totally entertained.

The short novellas that take place between the full-length books are a real treat. There is always something happening in Harvest and this holiday story is a great way to help get people in the Christmas spirit.

Candy Cane Crime is a delightfully lighthearted story fans of this series are sure to love. It also gives new readers of the series a taste of what they have been missing. I recommend the entire Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series highly.

*I received an ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

By total happy coincidence I accidentally left this book (novella? it's quite short) to read and picked it up on christmas eve - it was the perfect christmas eve read!

It's the cutest, sweetest, easiest read and Charlotte, the main character, is absolutely charming. Centred in a small town in Amish country - with both Amish and Englisch characters - its a cute christmasy, non-murdery mystery (which I do love - huge fan of christmas cozy mysteries where the actual mystery isn't a murder at all).

You absolutely don't have to have read the series to pick up this installment (and actually I think the rest of the series maybe follows Charlottes cousin and her Amish Sweet Shop rather than Charlotte herself?). I will be picking up the rest of the series though as its such a unique take on the cozy small town setting and I really enjoyed the representation of the Amish community and would love to read more.

Such a cute story. Not at all what I was expecting. I loved the idea of the story line. A really good short story.

In Harvest, Ohio, at Swissmen Sweets, the Amish candy shop, business is bustling. In addition to her usual duties in the store, Bailey now has her own cable television show, filmed in New York. Margot is the self-appointed visitor’s bureau for the town. It’s her intention to hold some kind of special event every weekend to bring tourists in by the busload. Her latest scheme is the candy cane exchange. She’s already conned Bailey into making batches of the sweet treats but now wants her to handle the funds, monitor the dropbox, and keep track of who gets a candy cane. Someone puts a personal note in the candy cane mailbox, along with a dollar, adding a message, the recipient’s name, and address. The candy will be delivered in time for the holiday. The problem is, the box has to be checked multiple times a day, the notes tied to a candy cane, and the money counted.

To save Bailey from Margot, Charlotte volunteers for the job. She’s still hasn’t decided if she’ll return to her Amish community or if she’ll remain in the English (non-Amish) world.

To Charlotte’s surprise, one of the notes is for her. Over several days, she receives more, all signed ‘your secret admirer.’ Despite blowing snow and bitter cold, Charlotte braves the weather to retrieve the notes every few hours—and finds something is not right where the honor system is concerned.

Will Charlotte be able to keep up with the demand, solve the problem, and discover the identity of her secret admirer before Bailey gets back from New York? Most importantly, will that discovery help her make the biggest decision of her life—Amish or English?

This twelve chapter book is a quick read. The focus on Charlotte, who is usually a side character, will give regular readers an insight into her life away from her home, facing a decision that can’t make everyone happy. Don’t worry—even with all the snow, Jethro the polka dot pig has a scene or two.

At the back of the book is Charlotte’s recipe for peppermint popcorn. With white and dark chocolate, mini pretzels, popcorn and peppermint candy canes, it’s a perfect snack for a cold holiday evening. There’s also an excerpt from Courting Can Be Killer, the Amish matchmaker spinoff series.

Amanda Flower gives us a winter Candy Cane Crime novella. People put secret letters and take Candy Cane from the Candy Cane box. Someone is stealing the letters and money donated. Whodunit. Cute Amish cosy with happy ending.

I really needed to start to get in the Christmas spirit and felt that this might get me there and it definitely did.

This novella was set in Amish country and centered around a young Amish woman, Charlotte, who hasn't decided yet whether to be baptized into the Amish church. She has a job at Swissman's Sweets, the local candy shop owned by Bailey King and her Amish grandmother Clara. The local event coordinator enlisted Swissman Sweets to make Candy Canes for the season's Candy Cane exchange and now that they're done, the coordinator wants the candy shop to take on another task related to the exchange but Bailey says no, the shop is too busy to take on another task. Charlotte steps up and says that she'll handle it. The story from there goes to secret admirers and helping others.

This was so light-hearted and fun! I love the characters and their interactions.
A Great little add for the holiday season!

As always, this is another enjoyable story by Amanda Flowers. I’ve grown to love all of these characters, and it was fun to read this Christmas-themed story, I liked seeing Charlotte become the “detective” in this book. Be aware that this is a novella-length story. It may be a shorter book, but it’s the perfect length for reading during a busy holiday season. Another fun entry in the “Amish Candy Shop” mystery series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Title: Candy Cane Crime
Author: Amanda Flower

Ch: 12 plus epilogue

Pg: 84

Series: Amish Candy Shop Mystery 5.5

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Kensington

Candy Cane Crime is a between the novels novella in the Amish Candy Shop mysteries series from Charlotte’s point of view. I enjoy this little novella’s because Charlotte is Bailey’s Amish cousin who happens to be just as much a sleuth as Bailey. I enjoyed this one as it takes place leading up to Christmas, and Charlotte has a mystery involving her to solve. That will lead her to finally make a choice about her future. It ends with charlotte knowing where’s she’s leaning but the reader is left with a cliff hanger and kind of like that part since it’s such a short book. Anything else would have seemed rushed.





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.

In this fun holiday short Bailey is looking forward to Christmas but with her television show along with the shop she doesn't seem to have time for much. Unable to help with the towns Candy Cane Exchange she is happy when her cousin Charlotte agrees to take on the task. Charlotte is excited over this new endeavor and is soon surprised when she herself ends up with several notes along with treats from a secret admirer. Charlotte soon learns that something is going on with the box where the notes are left. With the help of Sheriff Deputy Luke the two try to figure out who the culprit is who is messing with the box and why. Will the two figure things out before more notes go missing? Will Charlotte learn the identity of her secret admirer, dive in and find out!

Amanda Flower knows how to write a fun and fast read. These cozies and the theming of a master chocolatier living in an Amish community and working with her Amish family is a fun and insightful theme. This offering in the series was a delight. I love how much I learn about making candy and the Amish. It was nice to read about Baileys cousin this time around. I cannot wait for the next book.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Candy Cane Crime is a novella in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series (book 5.5) by Amanda Flower. What surprises me is this is the second novella and book that I have read by Amanda Flower. Now that I have devoured two of Ms. Flower’s short reads, I will make an effort to read her full length novels.

The story begins with Charlotte volunteering to be the Candy Cane Exchange coordinator as Bailey King is stretched too thin this holiday season with increased business at the Swissmen Sweets (the Amish candy shop in Harvest, Ohio) as well as running back and forth to New York for her new cable TV show. In this book, the reader is taken on a journey as Charlotte (who is still on her Rumspringa-a period of adolescence in which boys and girls are given greater personal freedom and allowed to form romantic relationships, usually ending with the choice of baptism into the Amish church or leaving the community) gathers the notes that are to be paired with the candy canes and distributed on Christmas Eve to the recipients by local teens from the church.

What sparks Charlotte’s interest is that she discovers she has a secret admirer. In her quest to find out who the admirer is, the reader is presented with numerous possible individuals, and some very funny situations! Do not fear – I am NOT going to tell you who Charlotte’s secret admirer is…that is for you to discover by reading this delightful novella.

What I am going to tell you is that we once again meet up with some beloved (and not so beloved) characters. We get some fun times with Jethro, Juliet’s pot bellied pig as well as the camel, Melchior.

The cover of this novella brought a smile to my face. Very cute!

A fun, quick read which brought a smile to my face and made this reader want to discover more of what goes on in Harvest, Ohio by reading the remainder of the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I love the way Amanda Flower has created an Amish community that interacts with the “English” as she weaves many stories from their relationships. My favourites seem to be the ones the originate from the sweet shop where Bailey, her grandmother and her cousin run the family business. The various stories have one of the characters as the POV and this time out, it is cousin Charlotte who is front and centre.

Charlotte is a fascinating characters as she was raised Amish but has not been baptized as she is still uncertain whether she wants to commit to that way of restricted life, particularly for women. This is causing consternation within the community as most young people have made their decisions at a much younger age. Bailey, whose father rejected the Amish way when he married her mother, gives Charlotte insight into what life might be like.

When Charlotte volunteers to run the Candy Cane exchange at Christmas, she discovers there is another wrinkle in his dilemma. It appears she has someone who fancies her but only signs as her secret admirer. Who might this be? In her effort to discover the identity, she uncovers a nefarious crime. When she is able to reveal the villain, she also discovers who is sweet on her. But it is going to make her big decision even harder.

It’s a lovely story with delightful characters and a feel good ending. Five purrs and two paws up. .

Chocolatier Bailey King is in New York working on her new cable show. Before she leaves, Harvest's Margot Rawlings, who sets up town events with an iron fist, asks Bailey to run the town Candy Cane Exchange, a fundraiser for new costumers for the Christmas pageant. Bailey refuses, but her cousin, Charlotte, volunteers, despite the busy season.

What Charlotte finds in the box, though, is notes from a secret admirer. She tries to figure out who it is, while she is also wrestling with the decision of whether she should be baptized into the Amish faith, or not. But something else is going on with the Candy Cane Exchange, and it's up to Charlotte to put her sleuthing skills to good use, and figure it out.

I love these little novellas where Charlotte takes center stage. She is an intriguing character and she captures the readers hearts, or at least she does mine. I loved watching her step out on her own and take on the exchange. It was fun watching her try and figure out who her admirer was, and what was happening with the Christmas box.

The Amish Candy Shop series is one of my favorites. Kudos Ms. Flower for a job well done!

If you are seeking a short, cozy mystery with a Christmas theme, then "Candy Cane Crime" might be a good choice. This novella continues the Amish Candy Shop series, and stars the same characters. The series is usually focused on Bailey, the chief candy maker who has her own TV cooking show. However, this story is told from the viewpoint of Charlotte, a young Amish woman who works at the candy shop. When Charlotte agrees to coordinate the Candy Cane Exchange in the small town of Harvest, she finds more than she bargained for! Charlotte seems to have a secret admirer, but who can it be? And what is the "crime" in the title of the novella? That will be up to the reader to decide! (Jethro the potbelly pig and Melchior the camel also have cameo roles in the story.)

This was an enjoyable, quick read, perfect for a pre-holiday treat. It is a clean novel, with no strong language, violence, or intimacy. Readers who are familiar with the characters in the series will appreciate reconnecting with their small town friends in this novella. The plot moves along quickly and the characters definitely display their own quirky character traits.

I received this novella from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.