Lemon Drop Dead
Although baby showers aren’t an Amish tradition, Bailey King wants to celebrate Emily Keim’s forthcoming bundle of joy. It’s the least she can do for her hardworking assistant at Swissmen Sweets, especially with Emily being estranged from her siblings. Everyone in Harvest, Ohio has gathered at the town gazebo, decked out in lemon-themed décor to add some of Emily’s favorite flavor to the festivities, including Juliet Brook, Jethro the Pig, and in a last-minute invite, Emily’s sister Esther Esh.
But Esther isn’t the only surprise guest. A mysterious Amish woman confronts Emily claiming to know about her secret shame, the child she had as a teenager who was given up for adoption. The stranger vanishes before Bailey could find out who she was and if she knew what happened to Emily’s first baby. Later that evening, the woman reappears, dead in Esh Family Pretzels, with a threatening letter written by Esther found on her body.
Emily knows her sister is not a murderer and convinces Bailey to help clear Esther’s name and put the squeeze on the real killer.
Series: An Amish Candy Shop Mystery – Book #6
Author: Amanda Flower
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 320
Rating: 
There isn’t a book in the “An Amish Candy Shop Mystery” series that readers won’t find enjoyable. Lemon Drop Dead continues the streak of winning stories. The sweets candy shop where Bailey works with her grandmother, cousin, and other Amish folk is truly a one-of-a-kind place. Plus, Millie and Lois from another cozy series. Readers can quickly lose themselves between the pages and find themselves delving not only into a marvelous concoction of candy but into the lives of a family and community of loving, caring people.
Bailey is home from filming her series in New York and working at the candy shop, creating tantalizing treats. Emily is working when she can, but she is about to give birth, and Charlotte has convinced Bailey that they need to give Emily a very English baby shower. Of course, there is a lemon theme, Emily’s favorite sweet flavor. But there is also a stranger who shatters the quiet fun mood of the gathering. When she is found murdered, and all signs point to Emily’s sister Esther being the culprit, Bailey jumps in to find the killer.
Suspects are few, but readers will get a good feel for those that there are and what motive they might have. Evidence is spread throughout the book and will have readers on the edge of their seats. There is plenty of action and humor with the ever-present Jethro the Pig and Millie’s wonderful goats. It isn’t apparent who the killer is until the end of the book. Once revealed, however, new and old fans alike will know it couldn’t have been anyone else. For those who have read this series from the beginning, there is something very sweet about the ending. Not necessarily where readers thought it would go, but it just might add new interest to the series and keep readers wanting more for a long time to come.
I am happy to recommend Lemon Drop Dead to readers who love a good mystery, sweet treats, and endings that make a person feel or want to be closer to family and friends. This series, as well as Ms. Flowers’s other Amish series, such as the “Amish Matchmaker Mysteries” or the “Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries” (writing as Isabella Alan), will fill the reader’s mind with smiles and hope.
Other sweet-based cozy readers may enjoy is Nancy Coco’s delicious “A Candy-Coated Mystery” series or Cynthia Baxter’s delectable ice cream series “A Lickety Splits Mystery”.
About the Author:
Amanda Flower, is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over twenty-five cozy mystery novels. She 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. In addition to being an author, Amanda is a former librarian with fifteen years of experience in Northeast Ohio.
Represented by: The Seymour Agency.
Contact Amanda: 
Find Amanda on Social Media:
Contact The Cozy Review
Leave a Reply