Book review and Kindle sale: Murder Simply Brewed, by Vannetta Chapman
March 25, 2014
I recently had the chance to read Murder Simply Brewed, by Vannetta Chapman. This fiction book was released today, March 25, 2014 by Zondervan.
About this book (from the back cover):
When the coffee shop manager is murdered in Middlebury’s Amish Artisan Village, two women from different walks of life must join together to solve the mystery. Spring has arrived in Middlebury, Indiana, and Amber Wright is optimistic about the growing profit from her collection of Amish shops—until she receives a call that Ethan Gray is dead. Hurrying over to A Simple Blend, she finds a solitary hole in the front window and the store manager lying next to the espresso machine, dead from an apparent heart attack. All the money is still in his register. When Amber hires a young Amish woman, Hannah Troyer, to take over the shop’s duties, the two women become fast friends—as well as amateur sleuths. The police believe Gray’s death is a by-product of vandalism, but Amber and Hannah aren’t convinced. Clues that don’t add up, a neighbor who is pulled into the midst of the investigation, a town with secrets to hide, and a blossoming romance—all will combine to push Amber and Hannah into unfamiliar roles in order to reveal answers to the mysteries around them.
My Verdict:
I have always enjoyed murder mystery novels, from classics like those of Agatha Christie to more modern versions like the Southern Sisters novels from Anne George. I know there’s a whole genre of Amish fiction out there, and I have to admit it’s never really interested me before, but this book seemed like an interesting introduction to Amish fiction, since it’s a murder mystery, rather than a romance novel. I found the fictional setting – an Amish artisan village in Middlebury, IN – to be really charming. It’s the kind of place I’d like to visit, and is apparently based on the real-life Das Dutchman Essenhaus. The murder mystery is interesting, and while I wasn’t completely surprised by the ending, the “whodunit” wasn’t obvious, which I always appreciate. I was also intrigued by the descriptions of the Amish community, something I knew next to nothing about. The only parts of the book that lost my attention were the main character’s “romantic” scenes; I found them to be uninteresting and tended to skim them to get back to the main story. All in all, this is a nice, relaxing book that would be good for the beach.
If you’d like to check out Murder Simply Brewed it is currently on sale for $7.99 for the Kindle version right now. (Regularly $15.99.) If you prefer a physical copy the paperback version is currently on sale for $11.82. Remember, Amazon’s prices can change at any time.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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