Cover Image: Courting Can Be Killer

Courting Can Be Killer

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Amanda Flower is a favorite author of mine. The Amish Matchmaker series is a spin off from the Amish Candy Shop series. I love this concept . We see characters popping in that we have grown to love. Courting Can Be Killer is the newest installment. Don't be shy about picking up this book. I loved the characters and the plot. This book is a nice little cozy that will mKe you glad you chose it. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Was this review helpful?

You get to a point, after reading ALL of the books, and say "What more can I possibly say about Amanda Flower and her amazing books?"

This series is a spin off of the Amish Candy Shop series, which I adore. What makes this series great, in my opinion, its the same town, concept, and cameo characters with a new perspective of sleuthing. In this series, Amanda writes from the view two single women in a later part of their life. They have lived their lives and reconnected their friendship and have become sleuthers in Harvest Ohio.

The characters are very different, a modern day odd couple for sure, and it works so well.

This series is light and entertaining but hits on some emotional factors as well. You really get a full experience when reading.

I have both the digital and audio versions of this book. Vanessa Daniels is the narrator and does a great job with this series. I was awarded the digital ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Now to impatiently wait for the next book.....

Was this review helpful?

*received for free netgalley for honest review* loved it, cant wait for the next one in this series (and the candy shop as well!)

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in the Amish Matchmaking series. You do not have to read the first one to read the second one (although I do recommend it!) I absolutely love both this series and it’s sister series The Amish Candy Shop. The characters tend to show up in both series.

Millie is Amish and a matchmaker for the Amish. When she sees her pseudo nephew, Ben, pursuing a young woman , Tess, whose father refuses to give his blessing she thinks that Some Amish men don’t know what’s good for them. She doesn’t think to much of it until Ben is found dead at his job due to a barn fire. Millie knows in her heart that Ben was not responsible and that he died of suspicious circumstances.

Millie and her English friend, Lois, set out to find some answers and clear Bens name. I really enjoy these characters. They are well developed and the story is well written. I enjoy this series so much and I look forward to reading Amanda Flowers Books!!

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in An Amish Matchmaker series and it was another great mystery. I love that this series takes place in the same town, Harvest Ohio, as Amanda Flower's other series, the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, with characters being mentioned and some making an appearance. Millie and Lois are once again together, trying to solve a crime. If you did not read the first book in this series, I recommend you do. You will learn about Millie's background and how she and Lois became unlikely friends. I love seeing them together interacting considering their differing backgrounds. Millie is the local Amish matchmaker and Lois is a loud and proud Englisher, who is able to use technology and even cars that Lois would not be allowed to use. This story finds Ben and Tess trying to get Millie to intervene with Tess' father. They want to get married, but her daed is against it and has forbidden them to court. When Ben ends up dead in a fire, Millie and Lois stick their noses in to figure out who the killer is. I enjoy this series and its characters. Millie is a smart, capable woman of a certain age that knows how to take care of herself. Lois is an absolute hoot! She can pull just about anything out of her huge purse. The secondary characters play a role in solving the mystery and Amanda Flower does a great job creating realistic characters, some that I don't like very much. Animals always play a huge part in these books and this one has Millie's goats, Peter and Phillip, adding humour and warmth to the story. Even Jethro the pig makes an appearance and I always laugh at his antics. The mystery was well-plotted and had enough suspects to keep me guessing. There is a hint of romance for Millie and I am interested to see where that goes in future books.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for this early read of Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower. This is the second book in the Match Maker series which is a spin off from the Amish Candy Shop series. I enjoyed the first book in this series but did not like this one as much. In a cozy mystery I prefer for the victim not to be someone likable or pitiable or both. Also it seemed like there was a lot of repetition in this story and the ending kind of fell flat. I might try the next one, not sure.

Was this review helpful?

Millie has learned that she is really good at one thing and that is matching couples together, she can always tell when a couple doesn't match. She sees that young Ben Baughman is barking up the wrong tree when it comes to Tess Lieb. The two aren't a good match and Tess's father agrees, he refuses to give his blessing. That isn't going to stop the two from getting married though. When Ben is killed in a house fire Millie wonders if it was an accident or murder. She truly thinks someone wanted Ben out of the picture when it comes to Tess but who and why needs to be answered. Millie looks to her quilting buddies for help not to mention aide from her very outspoken English friend Lois. Will she be able to work all the pieces into one whole picture before she herself ends up a part of the puzzle?

Was this review helpful?

I love Amanda Flower's other cozy series and enjoyed this book, too—especially since I'm not as familiar with Amish culture. So much fun and has a lot of vibrance to it.

Was this review helpful?

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

Was this review helpful?

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This delightful new novel in the series that shares characters with the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is thoroughly fun when one isn’t trying to find who the killer is. I was genuinely saddened by who the murder victim was. The mystery is complex; there was no easy solution to it. The characters are brought to life through excellent descriptions, and the Midwest setting reminds me of being back home.

Millie, an Amish woman widowed for more than twenty years, has the talent of helping men and women find their perfect match. She is the only person who can stop her goats in their tracks when they misbehave, and they understand every word she says. Millie’s best friend, Lois, isn’t Amish and dresses in bright, interesting attire. Millie moved back to Holmes County about a year ago after the death of her sister, for whom she had been caring in Michigan for a decade. She reconnected with Lois, who had also returned to Holmes County. They have been best friends since childhood, and both are thankful to be back together again, despite what some of the more proper Amish women in her district feel.

Ben is a young Amish man who lived next door to Millie and her late sister in Michigan. When he left there, he came to Holmes County because Mille, who is like a beloved aunt to him, had moved back was here. She had told him what a great place it was, with a large Amish district that provides a variety of work and friendships. Ben is currently working four jobs as he is love with a young Amish woman, Tess, and wants to prove to her father that he could care for a wife and children. Tess’s father, however, would not let him court Tess. Ben had hoped Millie could talk with her father to convince him that Ben is a good guy. There are things that Ben hasn’t shared with Millie, however, that have a bearing on why Josiah denied his request for Ben to court his daughter. Likewise, there are things that Tess didn’t tell Ben. Sooner or later, those secrets will come out. No matter how Millie feels about Ben, even as the matchmaker, she can’t make Tess’s father allow them to court.

One of Ben’s jobs is as night guard for the flea market. Thefts have occurred, as vendors can leave their wares overnight, including those of the quilting group that Millie belongs to. Early one morning, the flea market and its contents was destroyed by a mysterious fire. One life was lost, that of the night guard, Ben. Horrified and grief-stricken, Millie learns that Ben was suspected of setting the fire and going to sleep with drugs in his system. They claim the motive was that he wasn’t allowed to court the girl he wanted to marry and it was his way of committing suicide. She knows Ben wouldn’t do so, but since he was a newcomer to the community, nobody except Millie and Lois will stand up for him. They believe it was murder and are determined to find who did the deed. Millie believes if she had tried harder to find out what was bothering the Ben the day before his death, he would still be alive.

Most of the characters are endearing. I enjoyed seeing Bailey, Deputy Aiden, his mother Juliet, and her pet pig, Jethro from the Amish Candy Shop series. I adored Peter and Phillip, who behave like mischievous boys. I particularly enjoyed Millie and Lois, two mature sleuths who couldn’t be more opposite of each other yet work well as a team. The author is remarkably versatile to step into the shoes of the older women to portray them so well.

This cozy mystery invited me in from the beginning and held my attention throughout. There is laugh out loud humor amidst the gravity of the plot thanks to Lois, Jethro, and Millie’s goats. I was surprised at Deputy Aiden’s grudging acceptance of the two ladies trying to find the killer despite his warnings. Plot twists reveal possible suspects and motives, as well as the secrets of both Ben and Tess. I was very surprised at the full resolution of the mystery; there was much more to it that I had imagined. There were no loose ends remaining, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more of this series as well as catching up on the Amish Candy Shop series. I highly recommend this!

Was this review helpful?

Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is another winner.

She knows quite well how to weave a story so that you are intrigued from the very beginning. The characters are well crafted and the plot is easy to follow.

I truly enjoy reading her books. A mastermind.

Was this review helpful?

This story is about Lois the flamboyant Englischer and Millie the sedate Amish woman. A few months after Millie’s sister’s death-she moved back to Holmes County, Ohio where she grew up. She receives a letter from Ben that he wants to move to Holmes Countyso he could find work in a largerAmish district. It wasMollies job as a matchmaker to recognize whether Ben and Tess were a perfect match or it’s Ben’s wishful thinking. Millie feels she can see the connection Ben and Tess share but there’s a difference between having a connection with someone and spending the rest of your life with the person raising children and growing old together. Tess’s father has reasons for them not to get together. There’s a fire at the flea market and a young man died in the fire it was Ben. He died from smoke inhalation. The Amish district of law enforcement would keep the from helping the sheriff’s department find out how a stranger might have died. So Millie and her friend decide to investigate the case. People are saying that the fire was Ben’s fault and some are even saying he was the one who started it. So Mollie and Lois plan to find the real person responsible and make them pay to keep Ben’s reputation safe. The best way to escape from your problem is to solve it. A fun story with the ladies trying to find who did set the fire. Tess’s dad is their number one suspect as he had reasons for them not to be together.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute little cozy. Millie is an Amish matchmaker. She befriended young Ben when she was caring for her sister. Ben moved to Millie's hometown and she took him under her wing. Ben has a crush on young Tess whose father is against the match. When Ben is killed, Millie can't believe he set the fire nor that he was drinking or on drugs. She, along with her Englischer friend, Lois, set out to find out what happened.

This is the second in the series. I have not read the first book, but I had no problem figuring out who the characters were and how they fit into the story. In fact, many of these characters are also in Amish Candy Shop series, which I have read. This is an easy read and a nice escape. I enjoyed the characters. Millie and her goats are cute!

Was this review helpful?

Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is book two in the An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone. It also has a bit of a cross over with the An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.
What I love about this book is the protagonist and her side kick are senior citiizens, one being Amish, the other English, one outspoken, one quiet. Flower gives plenty of plot twists and possible susects, I will say, I was surprised who the victim was. The start of the book, I thought knew who it was going to be, was I wrong. There are also laugh out loud moments. She has me wanting to get goats!
This well written Cozy will have you guessing to the end and you will not want to put it down.
I was given an ARC by Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I found this book such a cute one! And Lois? Well, let's just say she's what made this story! She made me giggle more times than one I must say.
In my opinion this is Flower's best book yet lol.
Add the mystery in it and you've got yourself a nice read. One I enjoyed to the hilt. This story made my day actually.
Oh and we can't forget the goats either. They especially are what made this book.
Since I'm a fan of flea markets especially Amish ones I could picture it quite well. Noisy and lots of people around so.... anything can happen!
A book that kept me turning the pages until it was finished and I didn't want it to end. I don't like saying goodbye. It was over too fast in my opinion. Such a good book.
I recommend.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower is an entertaining cozy mystery. Millie Fisher is a great main character. I like how she talks to the goats and lives on her own. Millie is the matchmaker for her community as well as Amish Marple (Lois nicknamed her this). She is a sixty-seven-year-old Amish woman who is the opposite of her best friend and Englischer, Lois Henry. Lois is a hoot. I like that she is so different from Millie (pink hair, colorful clothes, loud voice). I laughed often while reading about Millie’s and Lois’ antics as well as those of Millie’s goats, Peter and Philip (they seem to get into more mischief than my cats). The goats are hilarious. I thought Courting Can Be Killer was well-written with steady pacing. The story moved along quickly and was over way too soon. I like the characters and the town of Harvest, Ohio. An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series is a spin-off from An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. While Bailey King is out of town, we do visit Swissmen Sweets and catch up with Charlotte. We get a quick visit with Bailey later in the story, and get to see what Jethro, the polka dotted pig, is up to (it is funny). Courting Can Be Killer can be read as a standalone if you have not had the time to read Matchmaking Can Be Murder. The mystery was fun to follow. There are a couple of suspects along with good clues to help readers solve the crime. Deputy Aiden Brody and Deputy Little are on the case. Deputy Brody would prefer Millie and Lois stay out of the investigation, but he does find their information helpful. Courting Can Be Killer is an amusing cozy mystery with hooligan goats, a rash of robberies, a bothersome bishop’s wife, a dubious blaze, a curious chair, a domineering dad, and two senior sleuths.

Was this review helpful?

Millie Fisher takes her role as an Amish matchmaker seriously, even more so when the young man she’s worried about is one she considers a nephew. Ben Baughman only recently moved to Holmes County, but Millie knew him from her time in Michigan, where he’d been a thoughtful and helpful neighbor while she cared for her sister. Ben is working hard at multiple jobs, as he wants to marry Tess Lieb and is determined to show her father that he’s a hard worker and reliable. Unfortunately, a fire rips through the Harvest Village Flea Market where Ben is employed, leaving Ben dead with a lot of unanswered questions. Was it an accident or murder? Millie is furious at the rumors and negative talk against Ben. Together with her long-time Englischer friend, Lois Henry, Millie is determined to uncover who killed Ben.

COURTING CAN BE KILLER is the second book in An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series and can easily be read on its own merits. It’s loosely connected to An Amish Candy Shop series as both series are set in the same town and a couple characters make guest appearances in COURTING CAN BE KILLER, including Jethro the pig. If you don’t know who Jethro the pig is, you’re in for a treat!

However, Phillip and Peter, Millie’s goats, may give Jethro a run for his money in the cute but troublesome department! Amanda Flower has a knack for taking animals that don’t seem exactly cuddly to me and making them absolutely lovable! Millie’s interactions with Phillip and Peter are just pure fun and help emphasize her caring nature.

And Lois is a sheer hoot! I love the friendship between Millie and Lois as they find ways to bridge the gap between their two very different cultures. Their collaboration also helps with solving mysteries as they approach things from different viewpoints, as well as having different connections. Lois’ flamboyant personality shines through every page and I just want to spend more time with both Lois and Millie.
COURTING CAN BE KILLER is yet another phenomenal tale from Amanda Flower! Visits to Holmes County are always a joy and I love spending time with the various residents, both human and animal. Amanda Flower is easily one of my favorite authors and COURTING CAN BE KILLER is a perfect example of why. Read her books now. You won’t regret it.

*review is in the Fresh Fiction queue*

Was this review helpful?

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This was a fun second outing for Millie and Lois. I love the pair of them - what a great "odd couple" to star in this series. I was surprised that the death hit so close to home for Millie - usually there's some distance for the protagonist. I appreciated how the author negotiated Millie's emotional response to her loss while still allowing her to set her feelings aside at times to investigate. The mystery here was great - plenty to keep me guessing. But it's the characters - including the delightful goats (who I like more than the pig) - that keep me coming back. There's a nice cross-over here with characters from the Amish Candy Shop series. It's enough for readers of both series to enjoy the connections, but not so much that it will alienate readers who haven't read both series. Right now this is my favorite of Flower's series. Be sure to check this one out!

Was this review helpful?

Is it proper to say that a murder mystery was a joy to read? I can't help but be happy when I finish an Amanda Flower cozy mystery. Especially when it weaves two of her series together. Characters from her Amish Candy Shop series make plenty of appearances and yes, for those that have read that series, Jethro makes himself known!

The combination of Amish Millie and Englisch Lois is a hoot. I would love to follow them for one day just to see their thinking in action. Wherever they are you can guarantee that trouble will not be far behind.

I cannot wait to read more of their antics.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve never read an Amanda flower book that I thought was bad. The writing is great. I love the characters. It’s another great entry and I love this series.

Was this review helpful?