A Christmas to Die For

The Three Sisters Inn #2

by Marta Perry

SHE WAS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE......after the hit-and-run that nearly took her life. But history seemed to be repeating itself when Rachel Hampton spied a car speeding down the dark road.

Tyler Dunn came to Rachel's family inn seeking justice for a decades-old crime. Rachel wanted to trust the attractive architect, but he was too secretive...until she uncovered a shocking link to her own past. Suddenly a holiday season amid the Plain People swarmed with hidden danger as Rachel found herself a killer's target.

THE THREE SISTERS INN: Danger awaits the Hampton sisters in quiet Amish Country.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Amish, Suspense, Romance, Christian, Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 22, 2012

About the author

Marta Perry is a Pennsylvania-based author of over 35 novels, many of them inspirational romances. She uses her rural Pennsylvania life and her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage in writing her books, especially in her Pleasant Valley Amish series for Berkley Books and her new Amish-set suspense series for HQN Books.

Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.

Reviews

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent with an extremely satisfying conclusion. Really good read!

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was lucky to be alive......after the hit-and-run that nearly took her life. But history seemed to be repeating itself when Rachel Hampton spied a car speeding down the dark road. Tyler Dunn came to Rachel's family inn seeking justice for a decades-old crime. Rachel wanted to trust the attractive architect, but he was too secretive...until she uncovered a shocking link to her own past. Suddenly a holiday season amid the Plain People swarmed with hidden danger as Rachel found herself a killer's target.

This is book #2 in The Three Sisters Inn series but it reads very well as a stand alone. The cozy town of Churchville, with it's mix of Amish and Englisch, makes a great setting for this mystery. Populated with plenty of unusual characters and old family farms, Tyler comes to sell his grandfather's farm and see if he can discover who killed his grandfather. Tyler was one determined man as he sought to dig into the past and find out more about his mother's family and her estrangement from him. Rachel is just as determined to make her grandmother's house into a successful B & B and keep her grandmother from any hurt. They both approached the mysteries of their past from different points of view; but, in the end, they both learned more about themselves and how their past had affected them.

This book takes place during the Christmas season, and there are some interesting inclusions about the customs of both the Amish and the Moravian traditions; but it is not truly a Christmas book. But it is a poignant story about people who made wrong choices early in life, hid them for years, and how the choices affected others in the small town. Definitely a good cozy read with a light faith thread.

FAVORITE QUOTES:
"I guess the past is always ready to jump out and bite you."

"I know we can't see our way clear at the moment, but God knows the way out."

"When I was little, you told me God was always there to take my hand when I was in trouble."

"I can't find my happiness recreating a past that never existed. It's the love we have for each other as a family that is important, not the mistakes our parents made."

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of the Three Sisters Inn suspense series by Marta Perry centers on Rachel, the middle sister, who was severely injured by a hit & run at the beginning of the first in the series, Hide in Plain Sight. It is Christmas, and Tyler, an architect from Baltimore is staying at the inn while he investigates the 20 year old murder of his grandfather and decides what to do about the family property he recently inherited from his mother, both items ones he knew nothing about until just before her death. Initially glad to see someone might do something about the deteriorated property adjoining the inn, soon tensions mount as Tyler's inquiries suggest that perhaps Rachel's family was somehow involved. All escalates as far too many 'accidents' start happening to Rachel. Of course, Tyler and Rachel are attracted to each other, complicating it all. In the end, all is solved and for both family secrets are revealed and the past put to rest.

I actually enjoyed this, particularly all the wonderful Christmas traditions shared - Amish and Moravian.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas story, A mystery, A search for Home

Marta Perry is one of my favorite writers. Her stories Always make you feel Calm , wondering, and such a love of God shines through her words. This is the second book in the series and while it's nice to have read book one, and I have, It's not crucial that you do so. So go ahead, Read a Christmas to die for, You'll enjoy it. The characters are wonderful. It has a dog in it. And there's a lovely Bit about the Moravian Christmas traditions. Highly recommend.

[James T. Noe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good one

Marta perry did another good job. Mystery and suspense intertwined with family love and Christian values. Wow what a story. Already downloaded the third “Three sisters” book.

[Maryanne L. Chartrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas to Die For

I enjoyed this mystery very much. I love Marta Perry's wiring and have read many of her books. I now want to read the last of the trilogy of The Three Sisters Inn.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Amish mystery with romance. Part of Three Sisters Inn series. All three are great.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good! really enjoyed reading this

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is hard to put down. Great read!!!

[Shelby Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Style!

I love these stories! They are so good I can't put them down! They really pull you into the story!

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t the best book. It was slow for me but I did finish it. It was just ok.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.
Warm engaging characters!
Well presented! Engaging!
Steady flow!
East to pick up plot!

[Harlequin Books]

Amish & Mennonite, Inspirational Suspense, Suspense, Holiday, Holiday Romance, Wholesome Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Cozy Mystery & Detective Fiction
Miniseries
The Three Sisters Inn (Book #2)

[Mercedes Cordero · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

As the second book of this series, it doesn't give much input of the previous book (which is a good thing if you don't read them in order), and it can pretty much stand alone. No cliffhangers, no wondering what will happen next, except if you are curious by nature and want to know what the story is behind Caroline, the youngest sister who gets to be the center of the third book. That's what happened to me. Also, I wanted to know if the two main characters in this one will stay together and make their relationship work. But I'm getting ahead of my self.

The story is pretty simple; no side stories, no distractions. The author is pretty much to the point: the story has a mystery intertwined with a romance and that's just about it. You will not see more complications beyond that, but it was enough to keep my interest. I really liked both main characters, and the grandmother and the chief of police. The romance is very sweet, and the attraction is very believable. The mystery unravels slowly, with enough suspense to make it interesting, but not enough that I couldn't read it at night, alone in my house. I scare easily so that was a huge plus for me.

I was a little disappointed because, although the story is told from the point of view of Rachel as well as Tyler, in the end and after a big fight and Tyler getting mad, really mad, with Rachel, we don't get to see much of Tyler's change of heart before the end. No "I'm sorry about before", no "I understand why you did that." Nothing. He goes from "I'm leaving" to "I want to be with you forever" without including us in his thinking process, which I was expecting. But it doesn't take away from the fact that the end has a very touching moment between the main characters that made me wonder about their future, and start reading the third book in the series immediately, just to see if they are still together. I'm a sucker for that kind of sweet romance.

A very nice, sweet and quite entertaining romance/mystery.

[Michelle Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to review these together since it is a series. However, I believe it would be okay to read them separately or out of order. I believe you can understand more of the back story if you read them in order, but I think they could easily be read on their own also and still be enjoyable.

Back in high school, I remember a librarian taking me around the library trying to help me find books I was interested in. I really hated reading when I was younger. I just couldn’t seem to find anything I liked. This librarian introduced me to mystery books and I finally found something I could read without wanting to put it down after a few pages.

I hadn’t read any mystery books in years though and these books reminded me how much I enjoy mysteries. I really enjoyed these books because I also enjoy Christian Romance/Love Stories. I don’t like the hard-core, I’m-in-the-bedroom-with-you type romances, but I really enjoy the more toned down, real life romance stories, which is what the Love Inspired selections of books is all about. This series is a great combination of the love story aspect along with mystery/suspense. I honestly did not want to put these books down, which is to say a lot for a book for me. Even though I really enjoy reading, there are few books that I really just want to keep reading and reading and reading until the end without breaks!

I also enjoyed this series because it didn’t give too much away. I couldn’t figure out the whole twist and/or bad person too soon in the story, which is also great for me. I don’t like figuring out “who did it” in the second chapter of a book because then it’s more likely I’ll put the book down & not even finish it – unless it’s like a Columbo movie! These books were all wonderful because they held my attention & didn’t give too much away & were really page-turners for me!

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 of the Three Sisters Inn trilogy; it picks up 7 months later from the first book, Hide in Plain Site.
Rachel Hampton runs a bed and breakfast in the heart of Amish country with her grandmother. She is recovered physically from the hit and run accident that nearly took her life months ago, but is still wary; was it really an accident?

She befriends a guest at the inn, Tyler Dunn, who has inherited the neglected property next to the inn, after his mother's death. His grandfather was murdered in that house years ago, but no one will talk about it; Tyler is determined to get to the truth and see that justice is done. In the meantime, a series of other accidents start to befall Rachel, or are those really accidents? Tyler's grandfather may have had connections to Rachel's family, so apparently someone does not want Rachel helping Tyler to uncover the truth.

I enjoyed this book; it was a romance, but a "light" one, with plenty of suspense thrown in.
This is a novel that can stand on its own, but it if you want to read the whole series, I would start with book 1 as book 2 contains spoilers for the first book if you haven't read it yet.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Marta Perry through a free Kindle book...in fact, the first book in this series.

A Christmas to Die For, is the 2nd book in the series, and follows Rachel, the middle sister. This book did not disappoint with the mystery surrounding Rachel's accident and the death of a neighbor 20 years ago. It is very quick read, and a touch of romance to go with the mystery.

The only disappointment (which is NOT a reflection of the author or amazon...since I received this book through a paperback swap) is that some of the pages were partially torn out of the book...about 5 to be exact, and right in the middle when the plot thickens and the mystery was starting to unravel. Again, this was no reflection of the author, story, or amazon (where I also post reviews).

Can't wait to read the third book in the Three Sisters Inn series.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Sisters Inn
Book 2

This book covered the story of the second sister. Her story actually started in the first book, I believe, when she's involved in a hit-and-run. The mystery was never solved. Now someone is trying to harm her again along with her new bed and breakfast guest, Tyler Dunn. Tyler has come back to get answers surrounding his grandfather's death, and Rachel's family may very well be involved!

I figured some of the things out - just a bit too obvious, but the author threw in some surprised at the end. The romance was okay - there was a build up through the last half of the book with a "I don't know what we do with this" attitude.

[Avonlea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this was an easy read and had some enjoyable parts, I found the writing and transitions to be sudden and uneven which was distracting. More importantly, I found the main female character to be extremely unlikable.

In my opinion, Rachel was gullible, whiney, and selfish. Despite caring about her family, her primary focus seemed to be on their reputation and what everyone thought of them. It just felt that she was very one dimensional and had very little character growth. Also the romance between the two main characters also felt very forced.

On a positive note though, the mystery aspect within the story was decent. I did enjoy the moments of suspense.

[Linda Van Wert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read and it is the 2nd book in the series "The Three Sisters Inn". She was lucky to be alive after the hit-and-run that nearly took her life. But history seemed to be repeating itself when Rachel Hampton spied a car speeding down the dark road.

Tyler Dunn came to Rachel's family inn seeking justice for a decades-old crime. Rachel wanted to trust the attractive architect, but he was too secretive...until she uncovered a shocking link to her own past. Suddenly a holiday season amid the Plain People swarmed with hidden danger as Rachel found herself a killer's target.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the mystery parts of this novel. There were hints dropped throughout the book, but I think it would be very hard to put the entire puzzle together with the who and the why of 'whodunnit'. I had my suspicions, but they did not play out how I suspected they would.
That said, the romance between Rachel and Tyler felt a little forced. I think I would have liked to see more character growth from both of them along with a slower road to romance . . . for them to become actual FRIENDS first; but, ah well.

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of a trilogy. The first one was very entertaining, and this follows in the same vein. These are Christian/mystery/romance novels and make what I call a "good light read." That means it's not a book that will teach you about a new culture, people, country, or how to manage a relationship....it's just there for you to enjoy a story without a lot of thought. The characters are fairly believable and the so is the story.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently recovered from an auto accident, Rachel now the Three Sister's Inn. When Tyler Dunn comes to stay, life changes. He's inherited the farm next door, but his real purpose is to find out who killed his grandfather decades before. Was it Rachel's father who left town around the same time? Was it her grandfather who tried to buy that farm several times? And why is someone now trying to kill Rachel all of a sudden?

It's light reading with a little mystery and romance.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the The Sisters Inn series. I got the first one free, and I actually liked it a little better. The dialog in this book between Rachel and Tyler seemed forced and not very realistic. The story was interesting and I was a little surprised at the end. I will probably read the third book, just to see how it all plays out. Overall, I thought this book was good but not great.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed a lot like book 1 in the series just had different characters, while this story is set in Amish country, there are very few Amish scenes or Amish people in the series so if you think this is like most Amish fiction it is not. I did however enjoy the story. It is a really good suspence story and I can't wait to read book 3 to meet sister 3.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book and the storyline was better than the first. Poor Rachel having just recovered from a previous "accident" when more things start to happen around and to her. Tyler comes to handle his Grandfather's estate, next to the Three Sisters Inn and bonds with Rachel as they both learn their family histories.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was majorly bummed that I didn't find this book as enjoyable. It was an okay read with moments of romance and suspense interspersed but it was no where as good as the first in this series. It also felt shorter than the first. I will probably read the next in this series but my expectations have definitely been lowered.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disapointed in this book. I thought it was going to be all about the Amish. But it was about them drivng cars and lights in their houses. It was hard trying to find out who was up to no good. So it did have it's good points!

[Vicki Krivak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a charming little book to read and yet it had that mystery element to it and kept me
turning the pages. It's an exciting blend of romance and suspense. Although this book belongs with a
series it could easily be read as a stand alone. It was a very easy, clean read. I'd recommend it.