Murder Freshly Baked (Book 3 in An Amish Village Mystery Series) by Vannetta Chapman [Review & Giveaway]

ISBN: 9780310322177  

About the book: When delicious baked goods become lethal, it's time to find a killer. Kindness is a virtue Meanness is a sin Better watch your bakery pies For poison I've slipped in

The Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, has been decorated with every color of balloon and flower for the Race for a Cure. As manager of the Village, Amber Bowman is thrilled to see the turnout--and relieved to have something to distract her from the "Poison Poet"--an individual who has been sending notes containing bad poetry to warn of poisoned baked goods.

Then Ryan Duvall crosses the finish line of the race--and falls down dead, murdered in broad daylight. But who did it? And why? The police suspect Preston Johnston, but Amber refuses to believe her employee could do such a thing.

Amber once again looks to her young Amish friend Hannah Troyer to help her find the killer--and to determine if it's the same person leaving the cryptic poems and pies. Can they help the police before the Poison Poet strikes again? Both Amber and Hannah will need to draw on their faith as they fight to preserve the peaceful community they've built at the Amish Artisan Village.

My thoughts: In this third book in the Amish Artisan Village series, Vannetta Chapman brings us back into the presence of the employees of the Village and their interactions as another unthinkable event occurs in this peaceful setting - murder.

The Amish are a peace loving and peaceful group who set themselves apart from the modern world by shunning many modern conveniences. They live by a strict code based on Biblical principles. In the Village, there is close mingling of regular folks and Amish as they work, visit, and shop the various stores and restaurants in the Village.

Two Amish couples are looking forward to their soon to occur wedding. A returned veteran struggles with PTSD. The Village manager becomes embroiled in threats seemingly directed at her. A complicated mixture of situations that need resolution.

To me the highlight of this book is how Preston, the veteran, deals with his traumatic experiences of flashbacks that are violent. The entrance of Mocha, a service dog that is provided to Preston is interesting and lovable.

This is a stand alone story, but it would be more interesting for the reader to have previously read books one and two since references to those stories occur. I always enjoy a Vannetta Chapman book and can heartily recommend it.

GIVEAWAY 

1 Copy of Murder Freshly Baked
Begins July 2 & ENDS July 22 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. 
Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy by the author to facilitate this review. Opinions are just mine. I was not compensated for this review.