BOOK REVIEW: A PLAIN SCANDAL by AMANDA FLOWER ~ The Self-Taught Cook™

TITLE: A PLAIN SCANDAL

SUBTITLE: AN APPLESEED CREEK MYSTERY

PUBLISHER: B&H PUBLISHING GROUP

PUBLICATION DATE: 02/15/13

ISBN: 9781433676987

AUTHOR: AMANDA FLOWER

LIST PRICE: $14.99 USD

About the Book . . .

The people of Appleseed Creek in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country are under attack. Soon after the dust has settled on a buggy accident that turned out to be murder, an unknown assailant begins cutting off the long hair of Amish women and the beards of Amish men.

New to the area, computer specialist Chloe Humphrey may not share their customs, but she is certainly alarmed over these crimes against the Amish and worries how such events will impact her growing number of friends who are more connected to that way of life.

In this small community, when Chloe discovers the body of an Amish businessman who was stabbed in the back and whose beard was cut off, she knows that finding the murderer and restoring peace to Appleseed Creek is as much her responsibility as anyone else's.

About the Author . . .

Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, 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. As a child in Ohio, she grew up visiting the state's Amish Country with her family. An avid traveler, she has taken trips to Slovakia, Ireland, Israel, and Great Britain. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan.

Reader Review . . .

Someone has targeted the Amish community of Appleseed Creek and is committing hate crimes against them. Four young girls have had their long hair cut, and an elderly man has had his beard forcibly cut off. When the crimes escalate to murder, Chloe Humphrey knows that she has to find the guilty party before any more of her Amish friends suffer.

The Amish have been hot in the literary world for the past few years, so it was only a matter of time before authors realized that readers would be willing to move past the unbelievably nice novels that first populated the genre. Mysteries are a nice addition to this category. A mystery, by its very design demands a more intricate plot. This captures the reader's attention and holds them until the end of the story. At least, a good mystery does. And, I'm happy to say, this was a good mystery. A plot with enough twists to keep you guessing, but yet clean enough to still be eligible for the Christian Fiction shelf.

This is the second in a series, so I will be looking for the first novel and then, I look forward to the future entries in this series.

4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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