Blessings in Disguise

Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries #1

by Nancy Mehl

Blessings in Disguise

As Cheryl takes inventory of the Swiss Miss gift shop stock and acclimates herself to her new surroundings amid petting zoos and corn mazes, she notices something peculiar happening. Some of the items that customers want to purchase from her store are not listed in her inventory. Where are these quality products coming from? Is it, as Cheryl’s new friend Naomi Miller believes, that someone is sending her an anonymous blessing? If so, what is she to make of the menacing notes that keep surfacing, which warn her to “take care”… Meet the Characters Naomi Miller
Cheryl’s newfound friend, 40-year-old Naomi Miller, supplies homemade jams, jellies, baked goods, and fudge for the Swiss Miss gift shop to supplement her family’s income. Married to Seth, Naomi has three stepchildren and three children of her own. Seth Miller
Naomi’s husband, Seth, is a hard worker and good provider for his family. While he appears to be standoffish and serious, he is in fact full of wit and entrepreneurial ideas. He feels responsible for the fact that his daughter, Sarah, eloped with an “Englisher”. Levi Miller
Seth Miller’s eldest son Levi, spends most of his time tending to the horses after being rejected by a young woman he grew up believing he would someday marry. Levi insists he has forsaken marriage…until he meets Cheryl Cooper. Still, a romantic relationship with an “Englisher” could never work. Or…could it? Ben and Reuben Vogel
Years ago, Ben was shunned by the Amish (including his brother, Reuben) when he left the church. That’s why Ben and Reuben never speak to each other. They just meet at the Swiss Miss gift shop every other day to play checkers in silence.

Genres: Mystery, Amish, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Cozy Mystery, Amish Fiction

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Nancy Mehl is the bestselling author of over 50 books. She’s won the Daphne Du Maurier Award, as well as an ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award and a Carol award. She was also a finalist for the prestigious Christy award. Her short story, Chasing Shadows, was in the USA Today bestselling Summer of Suspense anthology. Learn more about her at www.nancymehl.com and on her blog, the Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheryl leaves a banking job to take over her aunt’s gift shop. She overhears a threatening conversation while walking through a corn maze. She gets an ominous note and a warning message in bible. Cheryl finds out a woman is hiding from her abusive husband and sets out to find out if he is in town. She is also concerned about the extra craft items she is finding in her store and wonders if her inventory is off or if someone is leaving them.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

I've always been interested in the Amish and their beliefs and traditions. Reading a cozy mystery that includes Amish characters is always interesting and this book is very well done.
I enjoyed meeting Cheryl, Naomi, Levi, Esther and the rest of the great characters in this book.

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blessing in Disguise is the first book written by Nancy Mehl in the Sugarcreek Amish Mystery series. There are 30 books in this series that have been written by many authors. This first book starts the series out with a bang. The characters are very likeable and realistic. I love the setting in Sugarcreek which I have visited several times. The author has done an amazing job describing the little town to set the mood for the series.

Cheryl Cooper has moved to Sugarcreek to manage a little gift shop for her Aunt Mitzi so she can go do mission work. Naomi an Amish woman who supplies Cheryl's shop with many goods also becomes a dear friend to her. Naomi's youngest daughter Esther works for Cheryl plus Naomi's son Levi helps with repairs and such. In this story Cheryl is finding mysterious items in her store that she doesn't have on consignment as well as ominous notes that unsettled her. Cheryl joins forces with Naomi to figure this all out and they become sluething partners. This story is filled with friendship, threats, and a lot of mystery. It was fun to follow these characters to unravel the mystery. I look forward to the next 29 books.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others.

Congratulations to Nancy Mehl for starting this series out with a thrilling mystery.

[Rebecca Cecil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOK. IT WAS MY FIRST SUGARCREEK AMISH MYSTERY. THIS BOOK HAS LOVE, FRIENDSHIP AND MYSTERY ALL WRAPED TOGETHER. IT HAS YOU GUESSING A LOT. LOVE TO LEARN ABOUT THE AMISH PEOPLE TOO I FIND THEM VER INTERESTING. ALSO THE TOWN SUGARCREEK IS A REAL TOWN IN OHIO SET UP PRETTY MUCH THE WAY THE BOOKS DESCRIBES THE TOWN IN THE BOOK. NOW I AM ON TO READ MY 2ND BOOK IN THE SUGARCREEK AMISH MYSTERUES CALLED " A SEASON OF SECRETS" EACH BOOK IN THIS SET FROM GUIDEPOST ARE BASED ON THE SAME CHARACTERS AND PLACE BUT ARE WRITTEN BY DIFFERENT AUTHORS WHICH I ALSO FIND FASINATING.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

this amish mystery has a unique storyline and fine reading details

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Lovable characters, a fun and gentle mystery (the coziest of cozies!) and just an all around relaxing read! I already ordered more in this series.

[Ashton Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would and I made an ultra specific review for a Cozy mystery book club I'm in so I will share it here just for fun. Please excuse my grammatical errors, my kids are sick and I'm so very very tired. Also, spoilers ahead!

I loved the following quote even though I'm sure it's a proverb I've never heard and not an original quote to the book but it really stuck out to me: the only time to look down on your neighbor is when you're bending down to help.

I laughed out loud at the whole fiasco with Mr Knisley (kuh-knees-lee) and I'm going to explain the entire situation in very specific detail in truly Ashtonesque fashion bc it was my most favorite part 🤣. Mr Knisley is sitting on the bus and Cheryl wants to see if he's the bad guy they are looking for with a tattoo on his right forearm. So she runs out to him on the bus, in the rain, and tells him she appreciates him so and wants to give him some fudge. The man likes his fudge, ok? So the poor schmuck gets off the bus and offers her his umbrella (reluctantly) to walk to the store in the pouring rain. Then she " whoopsie daisy" trips in a puddle and falls in the mud and he has to help her up. They both get in the store completely soaked and she's like "oh no, let's me take your coat and dry it by the fire." At first hes like nah, I'm good, wheres the fudge? He eventually agrees but is very annoyed at this point. She takes the coat but drats! He is wearing a long sleeved shirt. Lightbulb! So she decides to bring him some coffee to enjoy with his fudge while his coat dries but oh no! Whoopsie daisy! She trips and spills the coffee (that she added cool water too) on (specifically) his right forearm. Oh no, Mr Knisley! Im so klutzy today! Looks like you must remove your long sleeve shirt too! He eventually and very reluctantly agrees only to reveal a bandage where the tattoo should be! Could he be the bad guy? Find out next week on the horribly lengthy, overly specific and drawn out book scene "summaries" by Ashton. (Spoiler alert, it wasn't him but what a fun scene 🤣)

Another spoiler alert: I knew Mike Taylor was the bad guy the second we met him. He seemed super icky.

That scene with the bad guy was so Anticlimactic 🤣🤣 she figures out it's Mike, she rushes back to her store to find the others but they aren't there but she decides to call the sherrif anyways instead of driving like 3 blocks to the police station. Then she hears the bell to the store chime. Oh good, Naomi and Levi are back! But alas, it's Mike Taylor, and what's this? He has a gun! "You best be tellin me where my wife is Cheryl or I'll shoot, I don't want to but I will." (He didnt speak like an 1880s era cowboy burstin into a saloon, doors a swingin, but in my head he did). Literally no drama or more dialogue than that and Chief Twitchell bursts through the door "put it down, I won't ask you a second time." To which Mike/Jerry immediately cowers "don't shoot please don't shoot" and lowers his weapon to the floor. Basically end scene. I guess I'm used to a little more bang bang in my mysteries, or even some more dialogue and "i would've gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddlin kids" bc i fully expected a gun to get fired. It just left me desiring a little more, dare I say, violence? 🤷‍♀️

Will I continue the series? Probably not but I am glad I read this. Amish fiction isn't for everyone but I felt this book made it fun and made the characters very likable. Some parts fell a little flat but overall I really loved the town and the people and how fun to learn in the authors note that it's a real town. I enjoyed that.

[Joann Sledz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this story.
Can't wait to read the other books in Sugar Creek Amish Mysteries
And since I live in Ohio and visit Sugar Creek reading was more fun
I have to say it kept me in suspense
I couldn't put the book down
A English shop keeper and a Amish mother and son decide to help a young woman that has ran away from her abusive husband
With only a description, no picture to go on, the three sleuths start investigating.
Knowing this man can be very dangerous they have to be very careful.
A threatening note is found in the shop, could it be from the man their looking for.
A second mystery to content with, when extra merchandise is being found through out the store.
Who is putting beautifully made Amish dolls and other items in the store and why.
A story with lots of humour as these three sleuths try to solve the mysteries
A five star plus story
I enjoyed every minute reading it.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the Amish say, "Today, read a sound book, think a good thought, live a blessed life."

This first installment of the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries is a wonderfully comforting, faith-filled cozy that left me smiling. I'm looking forward to the next in this charming series!

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elementary, my dear Watson.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love book series and this set has a lot.
Very cute mystery about a small Amish Town. Lots of fun characters to get to know.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet read set in Ohio Amish country! Lots of great reminders about God's faithfulness and the importance of friendship.

[Kassandra Lindly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute, quick read. Looking forward to the others in this series.

[Ana Abreu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice hometown mystery story, I love how the author was able to be informative about the Amish way of life without making it boring.

Can't wait to read the next book!

[Jody Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book from a friend. I like reading the Guideposts mysteries because I identify with the characters in them. How many times a day I send a "Thank You" up to God or utter words of praise where I see God in my everyday life. The characters are a lot like me and so it is easy to follow the simple stories on their adventures and feel like I am on it with them. It is not John Grisham … It is not Ernest Hemingway or John Steinbeck … but it is an easy read and very enjoyable.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Amish story. Englishcer girl comes to Sugarcreek to run her aunt’s store. Several cozy mysteries in the story. Great characters. Friendship, family, and faith.

[Linda Klinedinst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Amish Mystery. It is a really good Mystery - A Good Clean Amish Mystery Story.

I give this Book 5/5 Stars

I highly Recommend this Series to anybody that loves Mysteries especially Amish Mystery Stories. This is based on the real town of Sugarcreek Ohio. There is a eating place in this book and the eating place is for real in Sugarcreek Ohio.

Happy Reading :)

[♡Avery Kort♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read this this is an amazing book it's the type of book that has not like a cliffhanger but something that makes you on your feet at the end of every chapter and it kind of gives you some information about Amish which I really enjoyed I think that this is worth your time and I'm usually quite a slow reader but this took me like less than a day and I totally recommend this series

[Sonia With an I · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually would go more 3.5. I liked the book, the town, and the story. It was enjoyable. I have discovered these Guidepost books and really like them. The added scriptures are a nice touch.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun cozy. I enjoyed this quick easy read with a town setting I liked a lot, fun characters and an interesting mystery. I will be continuing with this series.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good beginning to what I hope will be a great series. So far only a few of them appear to be on audio, but I hope that more will be available soon.

[Debbie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. No, it's not a fun book, in a sense... but interesting. I love Amish books. This is my first Amish mystery. Good... but just different. A English shop keeper, Cheryl (actually watching the store for her aunt), an Amish mother and neighbor, Naomi, and her son Levi. There is a mystery of a man making threats and a young girl running from her abusive husband and trying to find him without getting the young women in trouble. Mysterious notes left in the store and a second "problem" of mysterious items showing up in the store that have not been commissioned, but are being sold and doing good for the shop? Who is just leaving these wonderful Amish homemade items on the shelves. With humor and a little love story starting??? this was an excellent story and I can't wait to read more. I have 3 books scheduled this year... but found out there are 30 in the series. I will be reading this series for a while.

Using this book for the The 52 Book Club 2025 Challenge prompt #48 - Related to the word "puzzle" [This prompt is for a book related to the word "Puzzle". This could be a puzzle piece on the cover, in the title, series name, author, or as part of the plot like a puzzling mystery or a character who builds a puzzle or does a crossword puzzle.]

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book in this series. Cheryl Cooper is around 30 yrs old. She has been living in Columbus and engaged to Lance. After 5 yrs he decides hes not the marriage type and leaves her. At about this time her aunt Mitzi has decided to go on a mission for god and asks Cheryl to move to Sugarcreek and run her Swiss Miss Gift Shop. She comes to Sugarcreek and falls in love with the town and the Amish people. She becomes very good friends with the Millers, Naomi and Seth and their children. Seth has 3 kids from his first wife Ruth who died giving birth to their daughter Sarah.Levi and Eli are Ruth's sons and are in there late 20's .(Levi is 30). I already get a feeling that there is going to be future relationship connection with Levi and Cheryl. This story is about Abby a friend of Janie who were classmates when younger. Abby is running from an abusive husband and he has come looking for her. Cheryl and the Millers are helping Abby hide and trying to find her husband Jerry in town. The story has a couple little mysteries in the gift shop that they also solve.

[Keiffer Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheryl Cooper worked at a bank in Columbus Ohio then became a shop keeper to her Aunt Mitzi's shop in SugarCreek Ohio. Cheryl had been engaged to her fiance Lance Wilson, but after an engagement of 5 years, Lance leaves because he is not the marrying type. That's when she realizes that she needed to leave her old life behind and start fresh. Aunt Mitzi went to Papua New Guinea for missionary work, leaving the Swiss Miss Gifts& Sundries in the hands of Cheryl.
After running the shop for a few weeks, random items keep appearing in the store including a Bible with a hand engravement with a note that leaves Cheryl baffled. After receiving a free ticket from Bob & Tillie Gleason the owners of Amazin' Corn, she overhears a phone conversation where a man's voice states he is "going to kill her." She then realizes someone is pretending to be someone they are not. Cheryl then teams up with a local Amish family, Naomi Miller and her son Levi, who supplies the Swiss Miss with homemade treats, to figure out the mystery in SugarCreek.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheryl moves to Sugarcreek to run her aunt Mitzi’s gift shop when Mitzi goes overseas to be a missionary. Cheryl’s fiancé has just broken off their engagement saying he is not the marrying type. Cheryl is getting acclimated to the shop and the Amish community and forging new friendships. She soon notices that items are appearing in her shop that she has no record of. While navigating a corn maze, she overhears a man making a threatening phone call. She will have to enlist the help of her new Amish friends to sort out the shop’s problems and perhaps even catch a bad man. This first book in this series is quite well written. It introduces the characters, describes the setting, and presents a couple of mysteries. The Amish community is well represented. Its culture and beliefs are described as Cheryl learns about them. The story also deals with the social issue of spousal abuse, showing what help is available k p from institutions, and how sometimes, it is not enough to keep victims safe. The book is an easy read and entertaining from beginning to end.

[Jessica Jennings · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This is a cute first book of a series that I will definitely continue reading. It does a good job of setting the world and the scene for the series. The characters are cute and the town sounds like it would be very pleasant to visit.
It’s also refreshing to read a cozy mystery that *doesnt* lead to someone’s death.

Main character Cheryl, has just moved to Sugarcreek to take over her aunt’s shop while her aunt is on a religious mission. During her first two weeks in Sugarcreek, she meets Naomi and her Amish family, whom she quickly becomes close friends with as they try to solve the mystery of “who is Jerry?”

I’m looking forward to getting to know these characters better and finding out what decisions Cheryl makes, as a character who is not Amish, surrounded by an Amish community.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheryl Cooper leaves her job in the big city after her fiance jilts her, and moves to the small Amish community of Sugarcreek to manage her aunt's gift shop while her aunt is out of the country on a mission. Cheryl makes friends among the Amish in town and becomes involved in a mystery of trying to find an abusive husband searching for his wife who has left him and is in hiding. The story line is mildly interesting, and this is typical Amish cozy mystery fare. Ultimately, everything turns out all right, the mystery is solved, and Cheryl makes friends and learns a lot about herself and God. The book is an uplifting and relaxing read. I most enjoyed the Amish proverbs sprinkled throughout the book, and the delicious cookie recipe at the end.

[Danelle Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I went to Sugarcreek, Ohio this fall for the second time. I love that area. The countryside is peaceful and pretty. Between shopping, our cabin on the bike trail, outdoor/farm experiences, and comfort food, it was the perfect autumn getaway.

This cozy mystery is set in Sugarcreek and offers a glimpse into the Amish community there. I identified with Cheryl, an outsider from Columbus, because I lived in Columbus as a young woman too. It was fun to escape into her new world, as she meets locals in Sugarcreek while managing her aunt’s shop.

Naomi and Levi are likable characters. I’m curious to see if they will be in the second book (especially Levi).

[Beckiezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I listened too fast to really enjoy this book as much as I might have. It was nice to be introduced to things I first read in the 25th book of the series, but I didn’t really get to enjoy them at 3x speed in only a 5 hour book. I do like that it’s set in a real place I could go visit. My mom loved going to places with handmade crafts and Christian book stores, I think she’d like Sugar Creek. I don’t think I’ll read more of the series just because it takes cozy mysteries to an entirely swaddled level of no real threat at all let alone a murder, but I’m glad such things exist for people who don’t like any violence.

[Krystyl Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a little difficult to get through at first because the language threw me off. However, once I got used to it, I loved the book. The culture and spirituality of the Amish people and the way Mehl portrays the Amish people is absolutely fabulous. The story line was great. It was sad to not be able to see what happens with Levi and Cheryl but it was a great story and the way they banded together to solve the mystery in order to save someone else was awesome. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.