Great Escapes Book Tours Book Reviews: Plain Dead

Plain Dead

by Emma Miller

Plain Dead

(An Amish Mystery)

3rd in Series

Cozy Mysteries

Publisher: Kensington (December 29, 2015)

Paperback: 272 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0758291769

E-Book ASIN: B00VQFKFT4

Synopsis

When a newspaperman is murdered in the Amish community of Stone Mill, Pennsylvania, Rachel Mast digs up the dirt to find out who wanted to bury the lead…

Although she left her Old Order Amish ways in her youth, Rachel discovered corporate life in the English world to be complicated and unfulfilling. Having returned to Stone Mill, she’s happy to be running her own B&B. But she’s also learning—in more ways than one—that the past is not always so easily left behind.

After local newspaperman Bill Billingsly is found gagged and tied to his front porch, left to freeze overnight in a snowstorm, Detective Evan Parks—Rachel’s beau—uncovers a file of scandalous information Billingsly intended to publish, including a record of Rachel pleading no contest to charges of corporate misconduct. Though Evan is certain of her innocence, it’s up to Rachel to find the real killer. A closer examination of the victim’s unpublished report leads Rachel to believe the Amish community is far from sinless. But if she’s not careful her obituary might be the next to appear in print…

Review: I love Amish fiction and mysteries involving the Amish always intrigue me, especially when one of my favorite authors is involved. Emma Miller has written many wonderful novels for Love Inspired and I've read many of them.

Plain Dead is the third book her Amish Mystery series and it can be read as a stand alone. In fact, this is one of the few series books that I didn't feel like I was missing out by not having read the other two books.

I loved the interactions between Rachel and the townspeople as well as her Amish family. She's truly living in two worlds, and you can definitely see the Amish in her even though she has lived the English life for many years.

I found the pacing of this story to be a little slow at times. I like my cozies to move along quickly. I did love the scenes around the Winter Frolic.

Her relationship with Evan is a bit hard for me to deal with, but that has a lot to do with her Amish background. The murder really puts a strain on their engagement that they haven't told anyone about. (Although most seem to know about it already)

There are plenty of people who have reasons to want Billingsly dead, and Rachel sets out to find out who the killer is, because she's also a person of interest, having had an argument with him the day before he was found, and he had information on her past that he was threatening to expose.

As she starts to eliminate suspects, she's the only one left standing. Then a young Amish boy ends up dead, and the circumstances just don't sit well with her.

When the killer is found it really shocked me. It was the last person that I expected.

This was a wonderfully well written mystery. So glad Emma is writing in this genre, because that means more books for me to read.

Rating: 4 flowers

About The Author

Emma Miller is the author of Redeeming Grace and Anna's Gift.  She lives with her family in Kent County, Delaware

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25310469-plain-dead

Purchase Links

Amazon

IndieBound - http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780758291769

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plain-dead-emma-miller/1121697400?ean=9780758291769

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Tour Participants

January 20 – Back Porchervations – Review

January 20 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – Spotlight

January 21 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review

January 22 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – Review

January 23 – Island Confidential – Spotlight

January 24 – Brooke Blogs – Spotlight

January 25 – Melina's Book Blog – Review

January 26 – Queen of All She Reads – Review

January 27 – View from the Birdhouse - Spotlight

January 28 – A Chick Who Reads – Review

January 28 – Christa Reads and Writes – Spotlight

January 29 – Laura's Interests – Review

January 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review

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Book Review: Johanna's Bridegroom

Author: Emma Miller
Title: Johanna's Bridegroom
Publisher: Love Inspired
Publish Date: May 1, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley

Book Blurb: 

Will You Marry Me?

Bold widow Johanna Yoder stuns Roland Byler when she asks him to be her husband. To Johanna, it seems very sensible that they marry. She has two children, and he has a son. Why shouldn't their families become one? But the widower has never forgotten his long-ago love for her; it was his foolish mistake that split them apart. This could be a fresh start for both of them. Until she reveals she wants a marriage of convenience only. It's up to Roland to woo the stubborn Johanna and convince her to accept him as her groom in her home and in her heart.

Review: I've read several of Emma Miller's Amish Series Hannah's Daughters. I have to say that though I love most of them, Johanna was the hardest of the women to like.

You got to know her more in Leah's Choice, and you know that her first marriage is not a good one. Her husband was an alcoholic and very abusive. However, like that book, this one is a slow start, even though an emergency sends Johanna back to her ex-beau.

There's so much drama involved in her past courtship with Roland, yet he is instantly likable. There were more than a few times when I wanted to shake her and say, "How can you not love this guy? He's sweet. He loves you. He needs you. Wake up and smell the shoo fly pie!"

I have to say, that when she did first propose to Roland I had a giggle. It is hard to imagine an Amish woman being that gutsy around a man.

Even when she does decide to court Roland,  after the proposal debacle, she doesn't seem to want to trust him, because of something he did in the past. (A something that kept her from marrying him the first time around.) Remember, much drama to her past courtship with him.

It is a sweet story of second chances, and Johanna's children are such fun, as is Roland's son. I wish there would have been more between Johanna, J.J. and the bees.

I recommend this to anyone that loves Amish or Christian romance

Rating:  4 flowers

Book Review: Leah's Choice

Author: Emma Miller
Title: Leah's Choice
Publisher: Love Inspired
Publish Date: April 17, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: With dreams of marrying an Old Order Amish man, Leah Yoder plans on raising children in the peaceful Delaware community. But when Mennonite missionary Daniel Brown arrives to share his story with their church, Leah is fascinated by him. She spends time with Daniel in a forbidden courtship to learn how she truly feels about him. Before long, Leah has a choice to make. Should she stay with her community…or leave with the man she believes God has placed in her life's path?

Review: This is one of the books in Miller's series Hannah's Daughters. It is a little slow moving in comparison to the others. I kept wishing Leah would make her choice or at least admit to her feelings about the young Mennonite (Daniel).

I actually enjoyed the side story of Johanna and Wilber over Leah and Daniel. There was more intrigue there, and the outcome at the end of the book between these characters. Their story had more substance, domestic abuse and depression. In the case of Leah and Daniel it was really just making a choice about what religion to follow. It was easy to see from the beginning, before Daniel even enters the picture, that Leah is hardly likely to join the Amish church. She's twenty one and hadn't been baptized. That's pretty unusual for an Amish woman. Miller didn't even give her another choice. Daniel was the only man that showed her any interest. So in that respect, the outcome was pretty obvious. This is a romance novel, after all.

What I did like about the story was how accepting the family were toward her decision. That's not to say they were happy about it, but they also didn't cut Leah from their lives. I also liked the family ties between the sisters. There was definitely a lot of love here. The scenario was also a different one. It was hard to believe a tale of Amish fiction was going to end with the girl not becoming a member of the community.

Even though this was a slower read for a short book, it was veered off the usual path, so it was worth the effort.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Anna's Gift

Author: Emma Miller
Title: Anna's Gift
Publisher: Love Inspired
Publish Date: Sept 2011
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: No one in Seven Poplars, Delaware, expects Anna Yoder ever to marry. Among her six pretty, petite sisters, big and plain Anna feels like a plow horse. But then Samuel Mast, the handsome widowed father she has secretly loved for years, asks if he can court her. Surely Anna has misheard—Samuel has his pick of lovely brides! She's convinced he seeks a wife only as a mother for his five children. Or could a man like Samuel actually have a very romantic reason for wanting Anna by his side forever?

Review: Anna's Gift is part of the Love Inspired mini-series Hannah's Daughters. It is a sweet love story between a widower and a younger Amish girl.

I've read a lot of Amish books this year and this one stands out among them, because it really was a simple love story. There was conflict but it was normal conflict that is experienced in day to day life whether you are Amish or an "Englischer."

Anna wasn't the typical romance novel heroine. She's fat. Yup, I said it, fat. Sturdy is what many of the characters called her. She considers herself to be very plain, but she has a heart of gold. She's forward thinking but not so much so that it would be considered bad in regards to her faith.

There's a lot of interaction between families in this story and a lot of problems between family members with jealousy and just regular life stuff. I'm glad Emma focused a lot of Samuel's children as well as Anna's grandmother who came to live with them from Ohio. Her grandmother, Lovina is a true character. She's a woman with early onset Alzheimer's and it really is a struggle to deal with her. Anna does well with her and grandma is wonderful with Samuel's youngest daughter Mae.

Watching this couple really start to fall in love, even when Anna had misgivings about letting him court her was a delight.  You saw love in its purest form. This is definitely a must read for anyone that adores Amish fiction. I also look forward to reading Emma Miller's next book.

Rating: 5 flowers