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Book Review of Blueberry Blunder (Amish Candy Shop, Bk 8)

Blueberry Blunder (Amish Candy Shop, Bk 8)
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Dollycas's Thoughts

We arrive in Harvest, Ohio just in time for the First Annual Blueberry Bash complete with a Blueberry Princess, blueberry pies, and blueberry fudge. While Bailey King has been busy making tons of fudge she also has to deal with a contractor who has stopped working on the Swissman Sweets Candy Factory until she pays him more money. She is not falling for his games. If he can't abide by the contract they signed including the payment schedule he was fired. To add more stress her network has green-lighted a reality show about building the factory so she has a cameraman and a pushy producer following her everywhere she goes. Margot Rawlings, the organizer of all the special events in Harvest is practically dancing with glee about the project because it includes the Blueberry Bash and it will bring tons of tourists to the little town that thrives on visitor dollars.

But tragedy strikes soon after the first day of the bash when Bailey finds her former contractor dead in her shell of a factory. It isn't long before she finds out he angered quite a few of his customers, even some of the Amish. So she has another murder mystery to solve and the police's main suspect hits pretty close to home. She is excited that her boyfriend Aiden is coming back to Harvest to take his career in a new direction but he isn't going to like her getting involved in another murder.

Can she track down the real killer, get the factory back on track, and really plan a future with Aiden? Or will she be the killer's next victim?

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Ms. Flower has created a very strong core cast of characters in her Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, both human and animal. The humans are so genuine and true to life in a small town where the English and Amish reside close together. Many are unsure about Bailey's factory including her Amish grandmother but Bailey hopes they will see the many good things the factory will bring, like jobs. Bailey and others like community organizer Margot Rawlings are very mindful and consider the Amish community in everything they do. Bailey also opens her heart to people like her cousin who has left the Amish way of life to pursue a life among the English. As for the animals, Jethro, the miniature pot-bellied pig spends a lot of time with Bailey in this story but her rabbit and the candy shop's kitten are always around too. I love how they all get along so well together, better than most people.

Bailey's contractor was not a nice man and he was clearly hiding something. After his death so much was revealed that the suspect list really grew. Bailey worked hard trying to get answers and I love tagging along with her and she tries to get all the clues and evidence to fall into place. In Blueberry Blunder she is hindered by a television producer with her own agenda especially when Bailey is trying to get information from members of the Amish community who don't allow their pictures to be taken or their happenings filmed.  Bailey was their champion and I loved how she stood up for them.

The ending served up quite a surprise, someone I thought maybe was behind everything but I discounted them early when I clearly should have kept them on my list. I will say the ending though was a bit abrupt as a conversation turned into a huge reveal. I was like WHOA! That was not how I thought that would happen. I loved being surprised but still thought there would be more tippy-toeing around before the guilty party would be apprehended but it was a great conclusion for the mystery.

After the mystery was all wrapped up a wonderful event took place followed quickly by another. I had a tear or two in my eye. Thank you, Amanda Flower for such a fantastic ending.

Blueberry Blunder has everything cozy lovers love. Fabulous characters, a marvelous mystery, perfect amounts of humor and romance all set in a town everyone would love to visit.  I am so excited for this series to continue.