Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan, the fourth book in the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries, was hard for me to put down not only because I wanted to find out who committed the crime in this super cozy mystery, but because I became attached to the main character Angela “Angie” Braddock and those around her.
Angie owns a fabric and quilting shop in the small town of Millersburg, which has a very large Amish population. She owns two pets – a loveable French Bulldog named Oliver and an aloof cat named Dodger. She’s dating the town’s sheriff, James Mitchell, which creates some interesting situations when she’s trying to investigate things she shouldn’t really be investigating.
Angie’s friends work in the shop or are connected to the shop in some way and are Amish. There are two different types of Amish sects in this community – more strict and more liberal. Angie’s employees – Anna and Mattie – are a mix of both.
Anna cracked me up because she is Amish but also wants to get to the bottom of things and in this case those “things” are surrounding the murder of a very cranky bishop of the Old Order Amish named Bartholomew Belier. He’s found dead in the library bookmobile by Angie and Angie’s “prim and proper” mother. Standing over him is brash librarian Austina Shaker, who is quickly blamed for the murder.
Angie isn’t sure if Austina is guilty or not but when Austina begs her to help clear her name, Angie can’t seem to help trying to find out. Anna also pushes Angie to get involved, certain she can help get to the bottom of what really happened to Bartholomew.
Angie does have a history of trying to solve murders, after all since she’s investigated and solved three murders previously. I should add that I didn’t realize this was the fourth book in this series when I started it and I had no issues understanding what was happening despite not reading the previous three yet.
The loveable cast of characters in the book include Anna and Mattie, Angie’s friends Rachel and Jonah, who are also Amish, Mitchell and his son Zander, a mischievous goat named Petunia, and Angie’s parents.
Her father is extra loveable and fun as he tries to navigate life after retirement. Her mother is more on the irritating side of things as she tries to run the show a lot and seems a bit stuck up but she keeps the storyline even more interesting as the reader braces themselves for what she’s going to say or do next.
There is much more than a mystery going on in this book and I like that. I like the little side stories with the different characters. I also loved the undercurrent of romance between Mitchell and Angie and how Alan didn’t need to add anything explicit or detailed to get across the feelings between the two.
There were even a few swoon-worthy scenes that made me giggle with delight over the gentle affection shown between the couple – affection that didn’t involve anything blush-worthy.
It’s amazing to me how just Mitchell brushing his fingertips against the back of Angie’s arm was enough to hint at sexual tension. No spicey scenes or language were needed.
I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Now it is your turn to link up your favorite posts. They can be fashion, lifestyle, DIY, food, etc. All we ask is that they be family-friendly. You can link up posts from last week or even from years ago.
Also, please take the time to visit the other blogs on the link-up and meet some new bloggers!
There have been some lovely reviews of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing over the last week and a half.
I’m going to share a couple today and also remind you that you can enter to win a copy of the paperback of the book and a $50 Amazon gift card HERE.
This one from Devoted to Hope was so nice:
Step into the nostalgic embrace of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing, a delightful haven for lovers of vintage charm and heartwarming mysteries. With its retro flair and cozy atmosphere, this book invites readers to immerse themselves in a world where classic style, old-fashioned values, and the timeless allure of small-town life reign supreme!
As you journey through the pages, you’ll be swept away by Lisa R. Howeler’s storytelling, which effortlessly transports you to a bygone era filled with quaint cottages, a bustling town, and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. With every twist and turn of the plot, you’ll find yourself captivated by Gladwynn’s spirited determination and unwavering resolve as she unravels the mysteries lurking beneath the surface of her beloved community.
The intriguing storyline and the rich tapestry of characters who populate this enchanting world will steal your heart. From Gladwynn’s endearing quirks to her grandmother Lucinda’s timeless wisdom, each character is infused with a warmth and authenticity that feels like a welcoming hug. As you follow their journey, you’ll find yourself becoming deeply invested in their lives, eagerly anticipating each new revelation and heartfelt moment.
Read the rest of the review and find other amazing reviews of Christian or clean fiction books HERE.
There have been so many nice mentions or reviews of the book since last week and I truly do appreciate those who took the time out of their days to read the book and then share about it or leave reviews on their blogs, Amazon and Goodreads. It really does mean so much! The tour ends March 25.
Today is the first day of the Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing book tour with Celebrate Lit.
You can read a bit more about the tour HERE but the bottom line is that some bloggers will be sharing about the book for the next couple of weeks on their blogs and will also be sharing about the giveaway.
You can win a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing by entering.
For more details on the giveaway see HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Here is a description of the book:
A little bit of mystery, a dash of romance, and a whole lot of heart
After being laid off from her job as a librarian at a small college, Gladwynn Grant isn’t sure what her next step in life is. When a job as a small-town newspaper reporter opens up in the town her grandmother Lucinda Grant lives in, she decides to take it to get away from a lot of things – Bennett Steele for one.
Lucinda has been living alone since Gladwynn’s grandfather passed away six years ago and she isn’t a take-it-easy, rock-on-your-front-porch kind of grandma. She’s always on the go and lately, she’s been on the go with a man who Gladwynn doesn’t know.
Gladwynn thought Brookstone was a small, quiet town, but within a few days of being there, she has to rethink that notion. Someone has cut the bank loan officer’s brakes, threatening letters are being sent, and memories of a jewelry theft from the 1990s have everyone looking at the cold case again.
What, if anything, will Gladwynn uncover about her new hometown and her grandmother’s new male friend? And what will she do about her grandmother’s attempt to set her up with the handsome Pastor Luke Callahan?
Find out in this modern mystery with a vintage feel.
Reviewers give their own opinions so they can be good or bad. Please give their blogs some love no matter what. I know I will because not every book is for every reader! I just appreciate them taking the time to read the book.
I don’t want to sound too cheesy here but I really like working with the Celebrate Lit team so if you ever need to publicize a book, look to them. I won this particular tour but I am planning future tours with them and just appreciate how gracious they have been through the whole process.
A cup of peppermint tea with honey, a piece of chocolate with coconut flakes, a warm blanket, and a book are the tools I have been using today as I try to relax.
Of course, I had a few household chores to do (dishes, yuck!), but otherwise, I am hoping this weekend to focus on reading and finishing the last couple of chapters of the book I am writing. Of course, after I finish it, I will have to go back and edit and do rewrites, but, hey, I’ll at least be done with the main draft.
Look at this, everyone!
The neighbor’s crocuses popped up this past week! So exciting!
Today the temperatures are falling, but on Monday the weather was nice and warm with the thermometer reaching 63. The Boy went for a five-mile walk in and around our small town earlier in the day.
I needed to get my youngest out of the house this week, so that day she and I went to my parents and had some lunch with my mom while my dad took Zooma the Wonder Dog for an impromptu walk.
Dad was planning the walk and decided Zooma could come along with him since she loves following him wherever he goes when she visits. I wish I had grabbed a photo of them walking together because Zooma really looks like she has a huge smile on her face when someone takes her on a walk.
Little Miss and The Boy took her on another walk yesterday since the weather was almost as warm as Monday and we knew today would be cold and rainy.
They took her on a walk after Little Miss and I drove 20 minutes to get our pickup order from Aldi and stopped at my parents to drop off the grocery items I had added to my order for them.
I walked a little bit down the road and the cats followed me, apparently very confused about why we had walked off the property for the first time in probably four months.
Both of their tails were puffed out so I guess they really were alarmed. Or they were having a fight between each other. Usually, those tails only puff up when they encounter an animal outside the family, though.
Today there is a book sale in a town close to where we get our groceries but I am being a good girl and not going to it. I have enough books to read – both physical and digital.
Still, I do find myself sitting here and wondering what treasures I am missing out on by not going. What if someone gave away a whole set of Nancy Drew books? Eek! The stress of it all.
I keep telling myself that I must be strong and simply grab the Nancy Drew books I haven’t read yet one at a time on Thriftbooks instead. I can do this, right?
Besides, there is an even larger book sale going on in a town 45 minutes from us in April so I will try to hold out until then.
Our area is also getting a bookstore soon. I don’t know what kind of books they will sell but it will be nice that there is a bookstore near us – even if it will be a 45-minute drive. Actually, it might be best it is that far away from me.
We don’t have a lot on tap this upcoming week but I’m sure plenty of things will come up for us to do. We are looking forward to some nicer weather so I am sure we will be at a playground at least once during the week.
How was your week last week? Do anything interesting?
My husband and I watch a variety of mystery shows together, some of which we would consider “cozy mystery” shows. Cozy mysteries are a little lighter in topics with some humor thrown in. Yes, they may feature murder mysteries but they don’t normally show too much of the death scene and don’t focus on the more macabre aspects of the crime.
Instead, they focus on the clues and red herrings (which are clues that the viewer thinks are clues, but really are just thrown out there to throw the viewer off the scent). They also focus on the relationships and private lives of the sleuths, who are many times amateur sleuths who work on their own and sort of against the professional law enforcement or who work with them.
There are sometimes silly and unbelievable or more unrealistic aspects to cozy mystery shows. Think Murder She Wrote, one of the original cozy mystery shows.
Today I am recommending to you three of the cozy mysteries we watch. Next week I’ll be sharing some more “serious” mystery shows we watch.
1. Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators is a cozy mystery show on the BBC. I actually mentioned this show in my previous post on this topic as well.
The show follows the story of PI Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton), a former detective inspector, and Luella Shakespeare (Jo Joyner) who hires Frank to investigate her fiance.
Hathway and his assistant Sebastian Brudenell (Patrick Walsh McBride) discover that Luella’s fiance is not a great guy and after the case is solved, Luella tells Frank she wants to work with him. He resists but she has money and he is in debt so has no real choice but to agree. Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators is born.
The episodes are often quirky, feature humor, and also have some serious moments. Sebastian, an out-of-work actor, brings a lot of the humor with his undercover work and various character creations when he goes undercover.
Throughout the first couple of seasons, viewers are given hints as to why Frank is no longer a DI. Critics, while faulting some of the aspects of the show, can’t deny that the characters are loveable and cozy fans love to follow them and find out what they are going to do next.
There are four seasons of the show and searches online show that while there has been no announcement of a fifth season, there also hasn’t been an official cancellation of the show.
2. Psych
Pysch first appeared on the USA network but I don’t think we saw it until it was streaming and I am not sure where it was streaming first. Right now it is streaming on Amazon and Peacock with a subscription and Apple TV if you want to purchase each episode.
The show follows Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his best friend Burton “Gus” Guster (Dule Hill) as they start a psychic detective agency. Shawn has a photographic memory but pretends he is psychic to get jobs with the Santa Barbara Police Department. He drags Gus along to help, even though Gus’s normal job is in pharmaceuticals.
One reason Shawn’s photographic memory skills are so good is because his father Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen), now a former police officer, taught him those skills when Shawn was a child. Many of the early shows start with flashbacks of Henry teaching Shawn how to observe and gather information in a situation.
Pretending to be a psychic obviously creates a lot of humorous and ridiculous situations and viewers often have to suspend belief as mysteries are solved but it’s such a fun ride that the implausibility of it all isn’t a blip on the radar of most viewers. Shawn, Gus, and the supporting cast are the drivers and we’re just along for the ride, in other words.
Speaking of supporting cast members – they include police detective Juliet (Maggie Lawson), who Shawn, of course, falls in love with, the uptight and by-the-book police detective Carl Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), and police chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson).
There were also some amazing guest stars on the show over the years including Tim Curry, John Cena, William Shatner, Cary Elwes, Kristy Swanson, Mira Sorvino, Anthony Michael Hall, and Jeffrey Tambor.
The show ran for eight seasons until 2014 and three made-for-tv movies followed in 2017, 2020, and 2021. This one is a favorite for my family.
3. Rosemary and Thyme
This is another British who, which I’ve mentioned before on the blog. The show features Felicity Kendal as Rosemary Boxer and Pam Ferris as Laura Thyme. They are landscapers who sort of fall into amateur sleuth roles when crimes continue to happen at the sites where they are landscaping.
I like this show because it features older women as the main characters. I liked the show even before I was “an older woman” by the way.
According to information online the show’s creator, Brian Eastman made it to entertain his wife, who is a gardener.
The show ran for three seasons before being unceremoniously canceled by ITV as part of ITVs plan to refresh its lineup. Two final episodes were aired more than a year later after the show ended and two more had been written but by the time production was ready, most of the actors were already committed to other projects.
I am rewatching this series through Britbox because there are a few I don’t remember from the first time I watched it.
Bonus: The Mallorca Files
This one showed up on our radar in 2019 and I’m adding it as a bonus because it isn’t strictly a “cozy mystery.”
The main characters are actually police and they topics can be a little heavier than strict cozy mystery shows and it is actually defined online as a “police procedural.”
The show starts with Elen Rhys as Detective Miranda Blake being sent to Mallorca to investigate a case that carries over from England and then getting transferred work with the Mallorca Police Force.
She is assigned Detective Max Winter, portrayed by Julian Looman, who is a German transplant to the island.
In case you are wondering, or don’t know (like I didn’t before I watched the show), Mallorca is a real island off the coast of Spain.
What I love about this show is the international flavor (for me at least) and the different cultures represented – British, German, and Spanish.
The police chief – Ines Villegas — is very Spanish.
The plot of the episodes are very engaging with a constant underlying sexual tension between Miranda and Max.
From what I read online yesterday, this show had filmed more episodes this past summer but a date for season three, which could include the remaining episodes filmed in 2020 but not aired.
Cosmopolitan Pictures founder Ben Donald said the series came from “[a] desire to create a feel-good action-driven cop show like the ones I grew up with and, secondly, a desire to rebrand and refresh the Anglo-German relationship on television.”
Have you seen any of these shows and what were your impressions if you have?
I’ve been reading a book called Do the New You by Steven Furtick for my ladies’ Bible study and the section I read yesterday was about how we can start acting like the person we want to be one day.
This concept struck me as I read about it because so often we read or hear about setting goals and working toward them but not how to get there. We might hear “one step at a time” or “slow and steady wins the race” but the idea of acting now like you want the future you to act is compelling to me. It flipped my thoughts around.
In the book, Pastor Steven gives examples like if you want to be kinder then stop and think to yourself, “What would future me do in this situation?”
Pastor Steven also suggests not trying to do all you can do to be the future you because that can be overwhelming. Do the one thing in that moment that the future you that you want to be would do.
Whatever that one thing is for you is what the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind or point you toward.
The first thing that came to my mind as I filled out the study guide questions this morning was eating better and losing weight. The future me wants/needs to get the weight off. I do not eat horribly. I don’t eat a ton of sweets or fast food or sodas. I do eat a couple of things that are not good for me – wheat or gluten and dairy.
I seem to feel much better off both of them but both are a temptation to me.
There is so much I could do to lose weight but when I read about the idea of doing what the future you would do I thought, “the future me wouldn’t eat a sandwich or sneak something with gluten because it’s easier or tastes good. The future me would find an alternative that doesn’t include bread.”
So today when I reached for bread to make a sandwich, I found one of my rice cakes instead and put peanut butter on it.
When I thought about pouring a mug of milk to make some hot cocoa, I made tea instead.
This doesn’t mean I’ll never eat gluten or dairy again, but it means that the future me will do so sparingly until the future me finds substitutes that will fill me up and are quick to make.
I can’t do these things, one at a time, on my own. I need God to support me, to remind me I can do all things through his son Jesus.
I need him to help me do that one thing I need to do to become the person not only I want to become but he wants me to become.
I do want to clarify that I don’t mean that God wants us all to look a certain way or be skinny.
I do, however, believe he wants us to not give up on being a better version of ourselves inside.
I’ll leave with this quote from the book: “Do the thing you would do. Don’t wait. Do whatever you can, no matter how small, that moves you in the direction of the thing you would do if you could.”
The cover of Miracles on Maple Hill caught my attention at a used book sale so I grabbed it up to read with my 9-old daughter at some point. There are actually two covers to the book – the original and the updated one I have.
When a friend mentioned she was reading the book and then I saw someone else online mention they were reading it, I decided I would read it for fun as well. I read it in February but it is timely that I am writing about it during Middle Grade March, which is when some readers pick up middle grade books to read or read again.
I don’t usually read middle-grade books at any time but last year I read When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr and enjoyed it so decided I’d try another one. I now, incidentally, have a stack of them I want to read.
The story follows Marly and her family as they visit her mother’s grandmother’s house in rural Pennsylvania. The family lives in the Pittsburgh area but decides to visit Maple Hill to help Marly’s dad who is dealing with PTSD from being a prisoner of war and presumed dead. The book doesn’t specify which war but the book was published in 1956 so it could either be World War II or the Korean War.
Marly’s family includes her mom, dad, and brother Joe. When they arrive in Maple Hill, Marly’s mom hopes that the time at the farm, even if it is only weekends, will help her husband feel better and less hopeless.
When they arrive they meet neighbors of Marly’s Mom’s grandmother, Mr. and Mrs. Chris. It’s a little confusing is Chris is the man’s first or last name since the wife calls him both during the book, but it doesn’t really matter. They are a sweet older couple and when Marly first meets him he is tapping maple trees for sap.
According to information online, Sorensen based the book on her real-life experiences while visiting Edinboro, Pennsylvania.
Someone I follow (though I can’t remember who) had mentioned that this book took place in Pennsylvania but I completely forgot that until I started it. The fact that the book begins and ends during maple syrup collecting and cooking season was interesting to me since that is the season we were in when I started the book.
My husband, in fact, had just come back from a demonstration at a local farm where they collect the sap and make maple syrup. He had attended it for work as a reporter/editor at the local paper and I suggested he use a quote from the book for his story. He ultimately rejected that idea even though he liked the quote.
“The sap running gives me a feeling I can’t describe,” Mr. Chris said. “Like it is the blood of the earth moving.”
Mr. Chris has a lot of great quotes in the book including: “Everything has its own sap, I guess,” he said. “It’s got to rise, that’s all. Nobody knows why. It’s like the sun in the morning.”
There was one disturbing scene in the beginning of the book that made me almost abandon it. In the scene Marly finds a nest of baby mice. Her mother is disgusted and tells her husband to do something about it. He tells Joe to throw the nest into the stove downstairs where they have just started a fire.
Marly is horrified but the rest of the family doesn’t understand what her problem is. The mice can carry disease, they argue. They needed to go. To Marly the mice were alive – they were potential pets and she decides she can never just accept that a life can be snuffed out because it is inconvenient. She is comforted when Mr. Chris agrees when he discusses the mice living in his sugar shack and how they have become his friends.
I’m glad I didn’t give up on the book based on that scene, however, because it is a pivotal motion that launches off changes in the family as the book progresses. We go from a dead and dark feeling inside the father where baby mice don’t matter to him to a place in his life where life becomes bright and enjoyable again. I won’t spoil how we get there or the incidents that show that but it is very heartwarming when it begins and continues.
I sobbed through much of the last three chapters of the book. Things became tense, the family had to rally together, and I wasn’t sure who would be left when it was over. I knew this was an older book and they didn’t always end on a happy note (hello Old Yeller) so I read it with trepidation. I will not ruin the ending for those who never read the book but I will say I was not disappointed with the ending and felt a sense of hope based on it.
According to Wikipedia, the Hurry Hill Maple Farm Museum in Edinboro features an exhibit dedicated to the book and the author.
The book won the 1957 Newberry Medal and was illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush.
Sorensen, who was born in Utah, was called a Mormon writer but once said she did not have a great deal of interest in Mormons or the faith. Despite that, she wrote several adult books tying her faith into life and is considered by most to be a Mormon author – even though most of her books had nothing to do with the Mormon life. She wrote seven children’s books and nine adult books.
I enjoyed Maple Hill and will be looking for other books by her to read in the future.
Have you read this or any of Sorensen’s other books?
Today it is pouring outside. It is yucky, stinky, miserable weather. Inside it is warm and cozy, even though we have not lit a fire today.
I am sipping hot cocoa and getting ready to read a book when I am done writing this blog post.
Then we are planning to visit my parents later today and have a dinner of homemade pizza with them.
The weather was, once again, the big event of the week this past week as we were given warm temperatures only to have them snatched away violently with a rain storm and then temperatures that plummeted about 17 degrees in a day.
It looks like we are going to get our early spring, however, as next week we are set to have more warm temperatures.
The day the temperatures dropped my dad and I had headed 20 minutes away for appointments. I had an eye check up so I could have my glasses replaced (the anti-glare coating is coming off the lenses) and Dad got his taxes done. Yes, very exciting appointments.
While I was in the eye doctor’s office, the wind and rain started whipping around. I had to sit and wait for Dad (who luckily didn’t chat as long as he usually does) so I was able to watch sheets of rain fly by. When we headed home there were broken tree branches across the road in some areas and right before we reached Dad’s house there was a car off the road, half into a ditch and up an embankment.
I was glad I was able to get home and make some tea and just stay in the warm house the rest of the night.
Warmer weather coming will mean I will be leaving the house more, which is something introverts don’t necessarily enjoy. Mainly I will be visiting playgrounds with my youngest and even though I don’t like leaving my cocoon of blankets on my couch I will because Little Miss absolutely needs to get outside more.
She’s been spending far too much time inside playing games on her phone while video chatting with her friends.
I’m glad she can hang out with her friends through the phone but she really needs to get out and interact more with people.
I don’t need to interact with people anymore because I did enough of that when I was younger. I’ve reached my people interacting quota so I sit in the car while she plays on the playground.
I have been trying to encourage her to do art more during the week so she is doing something a little more creative than online games – though her friends do makeup stories together as they play and are using their imagination.
I keep an eye on the games they are playing and she only has permission to talk to two friends on a private message app, in case you were wondering. You probably were not, but regular readers know how I over explain.
One way Little Miss has been entertaining herself this winter is to place her little stuffed animals in various boxes and cover them with “blankets” which are actually my dishtowels, dishcloths, and washcloths.
I thought I was missing dishcloths one day and it finally hit me that is what she was covering her animals up with.
When The Husband saw my old Teddy bear in an old Aldi box on top of our daughter’s dresser he asked if we were now doing stuffed animals funerals.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
That’s when he told me that Little Miss’s set up looked like an open casket. He had a good point so I mentioned it to Little Miss and she set Teddy up on his side instead. He looked much more comfortable then.
It is sort of creepy how all the animals are bedded down for the winter all over her room.
I took some photos so you could also feel the creepiness – er – coziness.
Speaking of photos, I hope to take more photos with my big Nikon camera soon.
I walked by it the other day and realized how much I miss it.
I miss photographing natural moments of my children’s life. I miss just having fun editing photographs and looking at other photographers’ work and just being a part of that world.
Photography was such an escape for me during some very lonely years and as I enter a stressful season of getting old and watching my parents get old, I think it will help me get through again. Writing also helps during these seasons so I will also continue to write.
I really hope to finish writing the book for the multi-author project this week. I’d like to get the first draft out of the way so I can start tightening it up and then begin to work on book three of the Gladwynn Grant Mysteries.
Writing and visiting playgrounds will probably be mainly what I do for the upcoming week.
How was your week last week? Do anything exciting or interesting?
