After writing the first two books in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, I knew the third novel would be at Christmastime. The heart of the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries is family and Amish traditions, so the holidays is a perfect time to tell another mystery involving former NYC chocolatier Bailey King and her Amish friends.
Christmas in Holmes County is like a postcard. The lamp posts are wrapped in greenery, a dusting of snow is on the ground, and if you’re lucky you will see an Amish sleigh go by. The local villages host parades and festivals to attract holiday-minded tourists just like many of the festivals and events I have described happening in the series. In many ways, it is Christmas in a storybook fashion, and I go back to see it year after year.
My many visits to Amish Country during the holiday season led to Premeditated Peppermint. I wanted to share with my readers the Amish holiday traditions, to show the readers how the Amish traditions are similar to and different from their own. For example, the Amish celebrate Christmas because they have a Christian belief system, but they don’t put up Christmas trees or have any Santa Clauses in their homes. They believe those aspects of Christmas take away from the true meaning. Other than a little greenery, they don’t decorate for the holiday much at all, and if they decorate their shops, it’s to appeal to the Englischers shoppers.
Another Christmas tradition that is both Amish and English share is peppermint, which led to the candy and recipe in this novel. Just like the Englisch, the Amish love peppermint treats during the holidays. Candy canes, peppermint bark, and even peppermint flavored popcorn are all Amish staples in December. Peppermint was the perfect choice for the third book in the series because the Amish use the herb for much more than just candy. It’s also used in many of their folk remedies for arthritis, stomach ailments, and headache. It is versatile herb that Amish make use of all year but has a special place in Amish culture throughout December.
I hope that readers will not only enjoy reading about Bailey quest to find the killer in this book, but they will learn something new about how the Amish celebrate Christmas too.
Someone’s sweet on revenge . . .
Christmas is Bailey King’s favorite time of year. For her first Yuletide in Harvest, Ohio, the former big-city chocolatier is recreating a cherished holiday treat: peppermint combined with molten white chocolate. But her sugar high plummets when her former boyfriend walks into the candy shop she now runs with her Amish grandmother. New York celebrity chef Eric Sharp and his TV crew have arrived to film an authentic Amish Christmas. Bailey’s not about to let her beloved town—and Swissmen Sweets—be turned into a sound bite. Unfortunately, she gets more publicity than she bargained for when Eric’s executive producer is found strangled to death—and Eric’s the prime suspect.
With Bailey’s sheriff deputy boyfriend out to prove Eric’s guilt, her bad-boy ex tries to sweet-talk her into helping him clear his name . . . and rekindle their romance to boost ratings for his show. Now, between a surplus of suspects and a victim who wasn’t who she seemed, Bailey’s edging dangerously close to a killer who isn’t looking to bring joy to the world—or to Bailey—this deadly Noel . . .
Recipe Included!
Praise for Amanda Flower and her Amish cozies
“As it turns out, Amanda Flower may have just written the first Amish rom com.” —USA Today
“Flower has hit it out of the ballpark . . . and continues to amaze with her knowledge of the Amish way of life.” —RT Book Reviews
“At turns playful and engaging . . . a satisfyingly complex cozy.” —Library Journal
May New Reads