Murder Simply Brewed (Amish Village Mystery #1) by Vannetta Chapman

Spring has arrived in Middlebury, Indiana, and Amber Wright can see profits in sight for her collection of Amish artisan shops—until she receives a call that Ethan Gray is dead. Hurrying over to A Simple Blend, she finds a single hole in the front window and Mr. Gray dead from an apparent heart attack. All the money is still in his register. Hannah Troyer takes over the shop’s duties, and she and Amber become fast friends as well as amateur sleuths. The police believe Gray’s death to be a by-product of vandalism, but Amber and Hannah aren’t so easily convinced.
Old Testament clues that don’t add up, a neighbor who is pulled into the midst of the investigation, a town with secrets to hide, and blossoming romance—all will combine to push Amber and Hannah into unfamiliar roles in order to solve a mystery and bring peace to the Amish community.



About The Author 

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania.

Her novel, Falling to Pieces, was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award winner for best mystery. All of her books have been Christian Book Distributor bestsellers. She currently writes Amish fiction for Abingdon Press, Zondervan, and Harvest House. Chapman lives in the Texas hill country with her husband.

For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com or blog with her at http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/. 

She can also be found at http://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapman

My Review: 

I can just picture the setting for Vanetta Chapman’s new book Murder Simply Brewed, so much peace. We are at a place called the Village, or Amish Village, filled with quaint shops, a hotel, restaurants, and a coffee shop called A Simple Blend. I could just picture myself walking the trail surrounding the pond, and sitting on one of the benches…of course the weather is mild and there is a warm breeze.
This is the setting for a mysterious death, heart attack? Bee bee gun holes in the window, and a body slumped on the counter? The beginning, and with a bit of back tracking, and with one step forward, and two back, we head down the trail of suspicion. Especially when other odd things begin to happen, the police seem to have an answer for everything, but why all the coincidences at once? The funny part is all the people that show up for the mystery that is advertised on the Internet. They do make a mess of this little village.
There are also a few romances going on here. An English one with Amber, the person in charge at the Village, and Tate, who when I meet him I picture an old widower. First impressions are often wrong, and I surely did it here. Then there is sweet Amish girl Heather, who has spent all of her life living next door to Jesse. He just happens to be there when a girl is having a bit of trouble.
Just when you think you really know what has happened and who is responsible, blink and it changes. I was in a way rather surprised at the culprit, and what happens. I really enjoyed this fast pace, and quick read, just not liking that I have it all finished, I wanted more.

I received this book through the Publisher Zondervan and Net Galley, and was not required to give a positive review.