Review

Angie Braddock loves her new life running her late aunt’s Amish quilt shop in Rolling Brook, Ohio. However, money is always an object to being able to keep the Running Stitch open during the tough economy. Her best friend in the Amish community, Rachel Miller, suggests she sell some of her quilts in the town’s Amish Auction. Her aunt’s beautiful quilts bring in even more money than expected and before the auction ends, Angie is already thinking about the next auction and how this could help her business, with both the extra income and the added publicity for her shop. Then, a murderer strikes and evidence points to Rachel being the killer. Angie knows her gentle, devout friend Rachel would never kill anyone, so she takes it upon herself to launch her own investigation for the murderer.

This is the follow-up book to Murder, Plain and Simple and this sequel is much more enjoyable than the series debut. There is still a large share of unlikeable characters, both “English” and Amish, but Angie has surrounded herself with some good friends and the more pleasant characters make a much better read. Angie seems more confident in herself and her ability to run the shop she inherited and to fit in in the town. There is fun in the writing and the story. Rachel’s run-ins with Petunia the goat add humor, although after a while, I would think she would learn to leave her dog Oliver at home when visiting the auction grounds to avoid problems. The book has some great lines such as, “I always wondered why people described food as having an earthy taste. Didn’t that mean it tasted like dirt?” or when Angie’s cell phone lands into a bucket of water, “Forlornly, I watched as it sunk to the bottom. No amount of rice was going to save that sucker.” This bit of humor adds some needed lightness and fun to the series.

On the negative side, I’m surprised by how unfriendly and judgmental some of the characters are, especially among the Amish. Although I could see how the local police would look to the evidence, even if some of it is circumstantial, and be ready to blame Rachel for the murder, but I’m surprised at some lack of support she receives from some of the Amish.

I really like how the Amish members of Angie’s quilting circle support and assist her in her investigation to clear Rachel’s name, while staying true to their own beliefs. The ending drags out a bit too long, but everything dealing with the murder is eventually resolved. Angie proves herself in a subplot in which Rachel’s husband is having issues dealing with local politics and it’s great to see Angie is becoming a respected member of the community. The epilogue sets up what looks to be some unwelcome obstacles that could get in the way of settling into her new life in Rolling Brook.

With this second book, I think the author has found a nice balance between drama and humor and if that continues, this can become a wonderful series. Isabella Alan also writes under the name Amanda Flower, so those who enjoy those books will definitely enjoy Murder, Simply Stitched. The book will also appeal to fans of Laura Bradford or Marta Perry.

Reviewed by Christine