Publication Dec. 5, 2023w
What stuck with me was the pluck of Petunia and the interesting friendship developing between Amish Petunia and outsiders Asher as they work together to solve a murder. Since my only real knowledge of Amish culture and customs comes from books such as Amanda Flower's Amish related series, it took me awhile to settle into the book but once I did, I enjoyed it. I mean, after all, who can't root for a main character that has dubbed herself the "youngest old maid" in Blueberry, Pennsylvania, at age 22.
The story begins almost immediately. Petunia has promised to make ice cream for the group of tourists her father is taking around. When she realizes she doesn't have the necessary ice on hand, she heads off to the ice house in her buggy. She arrives at the same time as her father's tour group and sees her friend Eden's buggy is there, too. Then a dead man is found. The ice man. Even worse, Eden is found with the body and bloody hands. Not good.
Petunia's outspoken manner leads new-to-the-area Detective Asher Nate to recruit her to help him. He's wise enough to know the Amish community tends to be reluctant to talk to outsiders, which basically translates to anyone non-Amish. It's interesting to see how Petunia and Asher work together, their reluctant pairing turning into a friendship. Petunia is torn as she knows the killer must surely be of the community. Even worse, it may be another friend. She just cannot believe Eden is guilty of murder, even though it turns out Eden has some secrets that might give a lesser friend pause. Eden isn't the only one with secrets. It's easy to believe the simplicity of the Amish life means no crime, especially murder, but people are people. And, people keep secrets. Even family.
Will Petunia be able to tread the fine line of helping bring justice without further alienating herself from the more hard-line believers? Why did seemingly sweet Eden even like the guy anyway, much less plan to marry him? Will Asher's newness and differences allow him to find answers with Petunia's help? What might be the penalty be for Petunia for daring to help an outsider investigate the community and even friends? Could Petunia be putting herself in danger?
Who....oh, enough teasers. This was a fun, easy read (even with my personal running around complicating things) and I wound up liking the characters a great deal. It's my understanding the the author has published several Amish romances, so it'll be interesting to see if/how she deals with the interesting dynamics emerging between Petunia (who he's calling "Pet" by the end) and Asher as the book ends. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for introducing me to this intriguing setting and its people. I'm looking forward to continuing this new series soon.
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