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
Another murder in the small Amish town in Ohio, and again, Bailey the Chocolatier finds herself in the thick of it. This one involves her chocolate shop employee, Emily, since it’s the woman who adopted Emily’s secret Amish love child (I swear I’m not making this up) who’s turned up very murdered in the next-door pretzel shop.
Yeah, I’m done with this series after this one. The writing is getting bad and I just don’t care enough about the characters to overlook the lack of quality.… (more)
Yeah, I’m done with this series after this one. The writing is getting bad and I just don’t care enough about the characters to overlook the lack of quality.… (more)
Dating Can Be Deadly by Amanda Flower takes us back to Harvest, Ohio for the Holmes County Fair. I just love Millie Fisher and Lois Henry. Those two are quite a pair. Lois and Millie are opposites, but they have been best friends since they were children. Lois’s handbag must weigh a ton. I am just amazed at what Lois has in that bag (and I thought I carried a big bag). Millie’s mischievous goats are entered into the competition at the county fair (thanks to Millie’s nephew Micah) and you know those two are itching to explore the fairgrounds. When a murder occurs at the fair in the quilt barn, Lois and Millie are on the case. There are a handful of suspects. Millie and Lois ask questions plus nose around for clues. Some readers may be surprised when the killer’s identity is revealed (it means you missed a vital clue or two). I like how Lois’s purse played into the reveal. I laughed often while reading Dating Can Be Deadly. You never know what Lois will say or do next (and her outfits are something else especially her ensemble for the square dance). I do wonder how much gel and hairspray Lois uses to get her hair to stay in place (I bet Lois could get picked up by a twister and her hair would remain intact). I love that the story includes characters from An Amish Candy Shop Mysteries including a certain polka dotted pig. Cupid is in town, and he is knocking at Millie’s door. The question is, though, Millie ready to open her heart. Dating Can Be Dating is the fifth An Amish Matchmaker Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I encourage you to read this delightful series in order. Dating Can Be Deadly is an entertaining tale with fighting fair officials, roguish goats, quality quilts, dating dilemmas, helmet hair, a heartless relative, and fair food.… (more)
Dating Can Be Deadly is the fifth book in the An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series.
Millie and Lois have been friends since childhood. Even though their lives are worlds apart, Millie is Amish, and Lois is an Englischer, they accept each other's beliefs without question.
The Holmes County Fair is about to open, and Millie plans to exhibit a quilt she has made. Lois takes her to the fairgrounds to hang the quilt in the judging area. Shortly after arriving, they see Ruth Yoder, wife of a local Amish Bishop, arguing with Tara Barron, the head judge and president of the fair board. Ruth wanted to enter a quilt but was late getting her application in, and Tara refused to make any exceptions.
One night, Millie learns that her goats, Peter and Phillip, whom her grand-nephew was showing, had escaped their pen, and she needed to come and catch them. Lois drives them to the fairgrounds, and their search for the goats leads to the pole barn where the quilts are exhibited. They find more than the goats. Tara's dead body is lying on the shredded quilt that Ruth Yoder wanted to display.
Millie and Lois begin to investigate, as the police will probably suspect that Ruth might have had reason to kill Tara, but they know that Ruth would never kill anyone. Millie and Lois realize that Tara’s quilt shop burned down. Her ex-husband becomes a suspect when it’s learned he was her partner in the shop. There will also be a few more suspects. Before it’s all over, Millie will again be reminded why Lois carries a brick in her HUGE purse. Millie will also help a young Amish lad and his pygmy goat find a caring home. A very touching story. Once again, I enjoyed reading about the antics of Peter and Phillip.
The book is well-written and plotted. It reads at a good pace and provides a few chuckles, too. I love reading how Millie and Lois interact with their different lifestyles.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this delightful series.… (more)
Millie and Lois have been friends since childhood. Even though their lives are worlds apart, Millie is Amish, and Lois is an Englischer, they accept each other's beliefs without question.
The Holmes County Fair is about to open, and Millie plans to exhibit a quilt she has made. Lois takes her to the fairgrounds to hang the quilt in the judging area. Shortly after arriving, they see Ruth Yoder, wife of a local Amish Bishop, arguing with Tara Barron, the head judge and president of the fair board. Ruth wanted to enter a quilt but was late getting her application in, and Tara refused to make any exceptions.
One night, Millie learns that her goats, Peter and Phillip, whom her grand-nephew was showing, had escaped their pen, and she needed to come and catch them. Lois drives them to the fairgrounds, and their search for the goats leads to the pole barn where the quilts are exhibited. They find more than the goats. Tara's dead body is lying on the shredded quilt that Ruth Yoder wanted to display.
Millie and Lois begin to investigate, as the police will probably suspect that Ruth might have had reason to kill Tara, but they know that Ruth would never kill anyone. Millie and Lois realize that Tara’s quilt shop burned down. Her ex-husband becomes a suspect when it’s learned he was her partner in the shop. There will also be a few more suspects. Before it’s all over, Millie will again be reminded why Lois carries a brick in her HUGE purse. Millie will also help a young Amish lad and his pygmy goat find a caring home. A very touching story. Once again, I enjoyed reading about the antics of Peter and Phillip.
The book is well-written and plotted. It reads at a good pace and provides a few chuckles, too. I love reading how Millie and Lois interact with their different lifestyles.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this delightful series.… (more)
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Statistics
- Works
- 48
- Members
- 2,916
- Popularity
- #8,781
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 443
- ISBNs
- 247
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 4
- Touchstones
- 38
Emily Dickinson and Dickinson’s maid, Willa, are back and solving a mystery again.
Emily’s brother, Austin, and his new bride, Susan, have returned from their honeymoon and have set up residency in Evergreen, the home Mr. Dickinson had built for them. They will host Ralph Waldo Emerson, who is in town to deliver a literary symposium at the local college. Also traveling with Emerson is secretary, Luther. One afternoon, Willa overhears an argument between Emerson and Luther. Emerson accused Luther of stealing some of his works, telling him he was fired when their current visit ended. That evening, everyone is gathered for the evening meal when suddenly Luther excuses himself, saying he’s not feeling well and needs some fresh air. Shortly after that, a gardener asks to speak with Willa and informs her that Luther is lying dead in the garden. No one can believe this, as Luther had made it known when he first arrived how allergic he was to pollen. The police will discover that Luther was poisoned. Emily asks Willa to help her find the killer, as the murder could damage the Dickinson family’s reputation. Emily and Willa had worked together a year before to find the killer of Willa’s brother. Emily remembers that maids seem invisible to their employers, so Willa should be able to overhear conversations and gather backstairs gossip from other maids and workers.
They soon learn that Luther was a “lady's man” and have several suspects to pursue. Some suspects could include family, close friends, and an immigrant peddler.
This series is an astounding addition to my favorite historical cozy mysteries. I love how well Emily and Willa work together. I feel sorry for the family cook as Emily is constantly removing her from her kitchen duties. I found the book to be well-written, charming, and historically accurate. The characters are interesting, believable, and well-developed.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this engaging series. Mainly to see if any romantic interest will develop between Willa and Matthew, a local policeman.… (more)