Hearse and Buggy (Amish Mystery, #1)

by Laura Bradford

The simple life gets complicated when death comes calling in the first novel in the national bestselling Amish Mystery series.

Claire Weatherly has fled a high-stress lifestyle for a slower pace—in Amish country: Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She only planned a short visit but instead found herself opening an Amish specialty shop, Heavenly Treasures, and settling in.Claire loves her new home, and she’s slowly making friends among the locals, including Esther, a young Amish woman who works in the shop. So when the store’s former owner,the unlikable Walter Snow, is murdered, and the man Esther is sweet on becomes a suspect, Claire can’t help but get involved.

Newly returned Detective Jakob Fisher, who left Heavenly—and his Amish upbringing—as a teenager, is on the case. But his investigation is stalled by the fact that none of his former community will speak with him. Claire’s connections make her the perfect go-between.

As Claire investigates, she uncovers more than she wanted to know about her neighbors. And suddenly, everything she had hoped to find in this peaceful refuge is at risk...

• ISBN10: 0425251314
• ISBN13: 9780425251317
• Publish Date: 5 June 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425251317

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

A nice debut. The beginning of the book started a bit too over-the-top, with the main character, Claire, going on about how lovely everything is, how at peace she was, etc. etc. and it had me thinking the rest of the book was going to be a chore. 

Luckily, that only lasted a few chapters and the characterisations became much more three-dimensional after that. The plot was a good one, if typical for a cozy. I really enjoyed the ending and I really appreciated that it didn't end with the clichéd protagonist-in-imminent-danger situation that seems bog standard in just about every cozy mystery. 

The author did a very good job mixing up the suspects - I knew who they were but not what they were guilty of. Having everything take place amongst the Amish was interesting and I enjoyed reading about their cultures and beliefs. Having the Detective in charge of the case a former Amish that's been shunned by this community made for an even more interesting dynamic that could add a unique complexity to future books.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I'll be looking for the second in the series. I'll be hoping for a bit more humour and a bit less solemnity and definitely more about the Amish.