Natural Barn Killer

Farm to Table Mysteries #5

by Amanda Flower

Murder on the farm? It's gravy for the gossip mill!

Thanksgiving in Cherry Glen was supposed to be perfect for Shiloh Bellamy. With lingering questions about her grandmother's inheritance finally resolved, Shiloh has reclaimed Bellamy Farm's lost acreage and is feeling at peace for the first time in years. She's thankful for her thriving farm, her budding romance with Sheriff Milan Penbrook, and even her drama-free relationship with her family—well, for now.

But the holiday feast takes a sinister turn when Shiloh's mischief-loving pug, Huckleberry, spooks the chickens and uncovers something far darker than buried human remains. The skeleton's decades-old secrets rattle Cherry Glen, threatening to tarnish the reputation of Shiloh's beloved late grandmother. But Shiloh won't let anyone drag her grandmother's name through the mud. Determined to protect her family's legacy, she dives headfirst into the mystery, uncovering long-hidden truths that some in Cherry Glen would rather keep buried. With tensions rising, secrets surfacing, and danger closing in, can Shiloh unearth the truth before the past claims one more victim?

Natural Barn Killer is a heartwarming yet suspenseful cozy mystery filled with quirky small-town charm, delightful farm antics, and a dash of holiday chaos.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

312 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 30, 2025

About the author

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she had been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks. In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats.

Reviews

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look for my full review in Library Journal.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read from Amanda Flower. I think I read somewhere that this is the last in the series, and if that is true, it is a shame as I really enjoy this Farm to Table series! Shiloh has been making some wonderful progress on getting the farm back to a profitable enterprise with the help of her farm manager, Chesney. To celebrate Thanksgiving, they are gathering family and friends on the farm, and it feels like a celebration until a bone gets dug up in a corner of the barnyard, and it turns out to be human. Unfortunately, this is not in Shiloh"s boyfriend, Sheriff Milan Penbrook's jurisdiction, and Shiloh nemesis Chief Randy must be called in. When the cold case reveals a missing person gone almost 40 years, Chief Randy concludes that Shiloh's grandmother, who had reason to despise the victim, was the murderer. No way is Shiloh going to let her beloved grandmother take the fall, especially when she is no longer around to defend herself. Even with the holidays coming and much to do on the farm, Shiloh is determined to clear her grandmother's name and even a young bear terrorizing the town is going to hold her back! This was a wonderful addition to the series! #NaturalBarnKiller #FarmtoTableMysteries #AmandaFlower #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

[Cassandra Argo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the story; however, the editors didn't do the author or reader any favors with the number of missing words and inconsistencies (like the character who remembered it was close to Christmas because he was going to a haunted house with friends).

[Sandy Larivee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light read and fun story but you could tell this is the last book in the series and the author wanted it to end. Love all Amanda Flower’s book but this one was not proofread as well. A lot of little minor errors ie, words missing or incorrect.

[Helen Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story involved a cold case murder that the local cop wants to blame on Shiloh’s deceased grandmother. It’s up to Shiloh to solve the crime and save her grandmother’s reputation. The story kept me guessing until the end.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Natural Barn Killer' is book 5 in the Farm to Tably Mystery series by Amanda Flower. Shiloh Bellamy is hosting Thanksgiving at the farm this year! She has successfully solved the questions of her grandmother's inheritance, bought back the farm's lost acreage, and has a solid plan for the future of the farm. Her romance with Sheriff Milan Penbrook is moving along nicely, but her relationships with her family members is still a bit strained. Shiloh has hope though that hosting Thanksgiving will bring them all closer together.
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The day of Thanksgiving starts off rocky and gets even rockier with the arrival of Milan's mother and then the arrival of Quinn, Shiloh's friend who wants to be more than friends. When Shiloh's father shows up with a new lady friend in tow, her shock grows! When Quinn asks to talk to Shiloh alone, she is hesitant, even more so when Huckleberry, her pug, runs off to bother the chickens. They chase after him and discover Huckleberry with human remains. This discovery shakes out some massive decades-old secrets in Cherry Glen which end relationships and change people's futures forever.
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This had the potential to be a truly great read, but there were a lot of typos and word misses that kicked me out of the story. There were also a couple mistakes in terms of continuity that also derailed the plot. I'm dedicated to this author though, so I plan on still reading books by her!

[Sue Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amanda Flower is one of my favorite mystery writers, and this is one of my favorite series, but this book is a hot mess! It reads like a rough draft, not a polished final draft. If I were reading this in a paper edition, I would have been tempted to dig out one of my purple gel pens to start circling all the times words were left out or extra words were added or a descriptive word ended up being in two different places in the same sentence. Most of the time it was small words like prepositions and articles, but there were times that the missing word left me not knowing what the author was trying to convey. It was so distracting that it kept taking me out of the story. Normally I don't take away a star for bad editing, but when it's so bad that you find yourself counting the errors instead of paying attention to the plot, the reading experience is ruined! I read the Kindle version. I don't know if the print edition was as badly edited or not.

The mystery itself was interesting, but why does nearly everybody in town dislike Shiloh, including her own father. Their disdain of her grew tiresome after awhile. The ending seemed a bit rushed and left some threads hanging.I still don't understand why her father seemed to be willing and ready to marry the woman who turned out to be the killer. He seemed relieved that she was going to jail and he wouldn't have to go through with it. Shiloh kept saying how her dad had refused to get involved in a relationship because he feared the sudden loss and worried it would increase his depression. I hope the author and publisher do a better job of editing the next book in the series.

[Brie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle edition continues to have terrible editing. So many missing words make sentences incomplete. Mystery ends abruptly and doesn’t tie up all loose ends. Not as good as others.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It sems that this book is the 5th and last of the series, which is too bad.
Before I say what I have to say...let me say this. I have read and enjoyed many of Amanda 's books, especially her Amish Candy Shop and Matchmaker series. I am glad they are still on going.
BUT! This book is NOT in good shape whatsoever. I can and have overlooked many editing mistakes, missing words, misspelled words, name changing, etc in a lot of books I read. In this book, that was impossible to do. It seemed like there were errors on every other page. Were I the author of this book, I would be ashamed for it to be published in this condition. I liked the story, but gave the book a 2 star review.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shiloh Bellamy is having Thanksgiving dinner at her farm, and what could go wrong? She's thankful for a lot of things, her grandmother's lost inheritance, and reclaiming the lost acreage of the Bellamy Farm. She feels a lot of peace.

But Huckleberry, her mischief-loving pug, spooks the chickens and unearths buried human remains. Of course, Shiloh is determined to find out what exactly happened.

This was a great read, I've read all the previous four books in this series, and while I don't think you could just read Natural Barn Killer, I felt that it enhanced my enjoyment. I felt like all the characters were old friends, and I was just glad to be back around them. Recommended!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return to Bellamy farm in time for Thanksgiving. Shiloh is gathering friends and family for a Thanksgiving meal made by Jessa at the local diner. Her father brings a surprise guest to the dinner, Connie who works at the town hall as support staff.
After dinner, Huckleberry the pug finds a bone...a human bone in the orchard.
Over the course of the book, Shiloh learns quite a bit more about her family history and the town's history.
I kind of suspected where the story was headed, but it was a great read to get to the conclusion. I hope this isn't the last Farm to Table mystery.
Each one of these gets better and better.

[Regina Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this mystery! it's Thanksgiving at the Bellamy Farm and Shiloh Bellamy is hosting family and friends what she didn't expect was her beloved pig Huckleberry to dig up human remains!

Turns out they are the remains of Cherry Glen's most notorious citizensJames Ripley who went missing 40 years ago. What's even more shocking is Chief Randy has declared the murderer of James Ripley is none other than Shiloh's beloved grandmother Emma Kay Bellamy and he claims he has a written confession from her dear grandmother. Shiloh discovers that her grandmother believed James killed her only daughter Edna Lee and that Chief Randy was covering it up. Shiloh knows her grandmother could be a lot of things but a killer was not one of them and she is determined to clear her grandmother's name.

How do you solve a 40 year old murder when most of the suspects are dead? This was such a great mystery with a really surprising discovery at the end.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

In deference to the fact that this is a solid 4 star series, I will round up my rating, even though I’m not sure this particular installment deserves it. 3.5 stars is generous in this case.
POST REVIEW NOTE: Just found out this is the last book in the series. I did notice a few sentences in the epilogue that subtly suggested a wrap but I’d hoped not. Overall, I enjoyed the series, its unique characters / setting (I love cherries) and was hoping for another installment, especially since this was my least favorite.

[Elizabeth E. Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read. lots of action

Life does have its twists and turns and the captured them all in a small town. Small town living where everyone thinks they everything but in this case no one knew anything. Excellent story telling that makes you feel you are a part of this little hamlet

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery with some quirky people, which I enjoy. It starts with Thanksgiving and a bone is found, not the turkey's. From there a solid mystery goes on with family history involved. I must say I was happy with "the bad guy" and liked how it all was resolved.

Thank you to Goodreads, Source Books, and Amanda Flower as i won this in a Goodreads giveaway.

[BethAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natural Born Killer is another fun cozy from Amanda Flower! I loved the small-town charm, clever mystery, and familiar characters. A warm, feel-good whodunit that’s perfect for curling up with on a quiet evening.

[Debbie Earls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun series full of quirky characters. Shiloh Bellamy continues to try different ideas to keep her family farm afloat. She has a penchant for finding dead bodies and solving the mystery surrounding them. This is a fun cozy mystery. More editing needed to be done.

[Florita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Looks like there is a series.
I would read more. Light mystery.
This was about a body that they found on the main character's farm property. Lots of relatives to keep in order and a bear running around the county.
Fast read and small sized book.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Amanda Flower's work. The stories are engaging and fun, no bad language, graphic violence or sex.. But, she really needs a better editor. This novel had lots of missing words throughout causing me to have to reread several sentences in order for them to make sense.

[Beverly Duell-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good book! Sorry to hear it's the last one in the series. I’ve really enjoyed reading them.

[Alisha Carderella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Stephanie Pascale · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I will say is Amanda Flower has done it again!!!!!!!

[Wendy Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I really love the series. Can’t wait for the next one!!

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always interesting to see what is happening on the farm, and this story's cold case does not disappoint. Fun Thanksgiving mystery, if you want something seasonal.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good entry by one of my favorite cozy mystery writers but the book has a few typos which was a little frustrating.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great addition to the series.. highly recommend to anyone looking for a cozy mystery ❤️

[Becca G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Didn’t blow my socks off, but not awful. 3.5 stars

[SusanReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️
This was not my favorite by this author. I enjoy a cozy mystery, but the story line wasn’t well developed. Also, there were words left out and a major part of the story wasn’t addressed.

[Haley Reardon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the fun addition of the animals and their personalities. It was an easy read with a cozy setting and a cute little mystery. Not my normal read, but a good fall read for sure!

[Amelia Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun and cozy mystery! I love the combination of farm life and murder investigations, and can't wait to see what is next for Bellamy Farms.