Amanda Flower
Author of Crime and Poetry
Series
Works by Amanda Flower
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1980-01-23
- Gender
- female
- Places of residence
- Ohio, USA
Akron, Ohio, USA - Occupations
- academic librarian
mystery author - Organizations
- Sisters in Crime
Sisters in Crime Columbus Ohio
Sisters in Crime Guppies
America Christian Fiction Writers - Agent
- Nicole Resciniti (Seymour Agency)
- Short biography
- Author Amanda Flower, a native of Akron, Ohio, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Like her main character India Hayes, Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. When she is not at the library or writing her next mystery, she is an avid traveler who has been to seventeen countries, forty-eight U.S. states, and counting. Maid of Murder is her debut novel and the first in a series featuring amateur sleuth India Hayes.
Members
Reviews
This novel revolves around Katharine Wright, the lesser known sister of the famous brothers. Orville and Wilbur had just recently achieved their goal with the historic flight of 57 seconds. Now home for Christmas, Wilbur attends a Christmas party with Katharine, taking with him important drawings and figures of the flying machine. While there, the plans are stolen, and Wilbur is shattered by their loss. He conceals this upsetting fact from his brother and implores Katharine to help him find the missing documents. Secondary in his mind is the murder of a guest at the party, stabbed to death. A suspect is arrested, but Katharine is sure that person is innocent. Now she has two mysteries to solve. This work of historical fiction is gripping and intriguing. Katharine is a complex character, and her intellect and caring nature are evident as the story unfolds. The mysteries are well plotted, and setting will take you back in time. Readers will get an understanding of what society was really like back then. Amanda Flower is an amazing author whose books never fail to please her readers.… (more)
Bailey works as a chocolatier in New York and is a rising star in her field, but she travels to rural Ohio to visit her Amish grandparents because her grandfather is seriously ill. She plans to return to New York soon, but that does not work because the body of a businessman is found in the kitchen of her grandparents' candy shop.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected: The story, the characters, the atmosphere. I only have basic knowledge of the Amish, but I liked how little bits of information were included in an organic way that did not hinder the flow.
The story drags a bit in the second quarter andthe murderer lacks a motive - at least it isn't explained - , but otherwise it was a good cosy read and I am looking forward to the next one.… (more)
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected: The story, the characters, the atmosphere. I only have basic knowledge of the Amish, but I liked how little bits of information were included in an organic way that did not hinder the flow.
The story drags a bit in the second quarter and
Crime and Cherry Pits by Amanda Flower is the fourth book in the Farm to Table Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Crime and Cherry Pits did not feel like it was written by Amanda Flower. The main character, Shiloh was okay along with her friend and farm worker, Chesney. Hazel is a sweet girl who prefers to spend time with Shiloh versus her grandparents (who dislike Shiloh). There seemed to be a few people in the town who disliked Shiloh. Shiloh’s cousin, Stacey, is an unlikeable character. I wish the author had not included Stacey in the series. Stacey feels she is entitled to a portion of the treasure that Shiloh’s grandmother left for Shiloh to find. Since Stacey sold her part of the farm, I do not know why she feels deserves part of it or why Shiloh feels she should share it with her. I was not a fan of this particular storyline. We follow Shiloh while she is working at the festival as well as doing her chores on the farm. The mystery was simple. I did like the method of murder which was unique. Shiloh asked questions in between her other activities. It was an easy to solve whodunit despite the lack of clues. The pacing was off in the story and the same details were repeated (over and over). Crime and Cherry Pits lacked the humor that is normally present in Amanda Flower’s cozy mysteries. The characters have evolved little since the beginning of the series. My favorite character is Shiloh’s pug, Huckleberry. He is a cutie. While I enjoy the author's other cozy mysteries, I will eschew the Farm to Table Mysteries.… (more)
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Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 48
- Members
- 3,140
- Popularity
- #8,128
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 463
- ISBNs
- 249
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 4
First, the writing style and word choice was contrived and cliché-ridden. For instance, Orville Wright (an adult male character) says, “I have half a mind to march down to the newspaper office right now and give them a piece of my mind.” What man says this? This is a cliché that maybe a grandmother from the early 1900s, or someone in a shallow cozy mystery would say. And using the word “mind” twice in one sentence? An author should know better. Then on the next page main character Katharine Wright describes a character: “He swore like a sailor and smoked like a chimney. His crude manner rubbed me the wrong way.” Clichés like this demonstrate lazy writing.
I kept thinking I was reading a Young Adult book, as it seemed to be written for a younger reader. I enjoy YA novels, but somehow this was almost insulting in its dialogue, lack of character development, and slow-moving plot.
And adding a fictional murder mystery to the story was just silly. It’s historical fiction about actual inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright and their younger sister Katharine. The facts of the Wright brothers and their invention of the first airplane are fascinating enough, but to create a murder for Katharine to solve as the basis of the novel is farfetched. Putting the brothers on the back burner (ooh, another cliché) was such a waste, and the novel just didn’t hold my interest. If the writing had been of higher quality….
I also couldn’t feel any connection to Katharine, which contributed to my disappointment.
This could have been so much better. I can’t recommend it.… (more)