Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Amish Village Mystery #3

Murder Freshly Baked

Rate this book
When delicious baked goods become lethal, a trail of poetry leads to a sweet-toothed killer.


Don’t taste it / Don’t share it /Just throw it away / If you try my bakery pie / You won’t live to see another day.


The Amish Artisan Village of Middlebury, Indiana, might be the last place you would ever expect to find a murderer. But Amber has been managing the Village for decades and there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. Or so she thought.


When poetic notes begin appearing around the bakery, warning that some of the pies have been poisoned, Amber is as confused as she is concerned. Who poisons pies? And more to the point, who leaves poems of warning after they’ve done it? When Amber decides to help the police track down the sweet-toothed saboteur, she enlists Hannah Troyer for another round of Amish-style detective work.


Can Amber and Hannah help the police before the Poison Poet strikes? Both women will need to draw on their faith to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built in Middlebury . . . and to protect the girls who work in the Amish Artisan Village.

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2015

129 people are currently reading
1676 people want to read

About the author

Vannetta Chapman

128 books1,452 followers
Vannetta Chapman is a New York times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over t0 novels. She has sold over one million copies and writes in a variety of genres that include dystopian, suspense, dystopian, romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery.

Chapman has 25 years educational experience as an English teacher at the high school and collegiate level. She currently resides in the Texas Hill Country where she writes full times.

Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free ebook! For more information, visit her at http://vannettachapman.com
https://twitter.com/VannettaChapman
https://www.facebook.com/VannettaChap...
http://vannettachapman.com/blog/
https://www.instagram.com/vannettacha...
http://vannettachapman.com/book-list/

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
509 (36%)
4 stars
530 (37%)
3 stars
294 (20%)
2 stars
55 (3%)
1 star
17 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
Profile Image for Miranda Reads.
1,791 reviews165k followers
December 9, 2020
description

If you think you've seen it all, put on your sunglasses, because you're about to be surprised.
Actually....yeah...I agree with that statement. I was definitely surprised...by how bad this series became.

Okay. To catch you up to speed.

Amber Bowman - a property manager who runs several idyllic - employs many neighboring Amish.

Despite most of the town being saccharine sweet...there's a surprising amount of murders. Especially considering how religious everyone is...wait...maybe the religion is what is causing this...?

I'm not detective but this is the THIRD round of murders accompanied by bible verses...maybe someone should look into this.

Anyway...
Amber Bowman was looking directly at Ryan Duvall when he died
Each time - without being the LEAST bit suspected - Amber manages to find herself embroiled in the center of these deaths.

AND EACH TIME she single-handedly solves the murder, helps her friend and generally more beloved than when she began.

This round a man is killed, there's pies baked with "poison", rhyming verses that even the characters admit are absolutely terrible and a "player" who is beyond abhorrent.

*cracks knuckles* Let's do this.

Okay, so if you have even remotely followed my foray into this Amish murder series, you have a pretty good idea of how this review is going to go.

And honestly, is this one as bad as the other two?

Well, round 1 we had a boa constrictor wrapping itself around the main character as part of the finale and round 2 we had the now infamous line about not being able to see black people at night.

This round...we have the player.

The player - aka NOT a basketball player as one kind character clarified for the audience - this horrible, horrible preys upon the women of this town.

It's downright disgusting. He should be shunned. He IS getting shunned.

I for one cannot believe he would have the NERVE to go out with ONE woman at lunch for a date and a DIFFERENT woman for a dinner-date.

All the while, being OPEN and HONEST about not being exclusive - LITERALLY JUST HAVING MEALS with women as he gets to know them.

I know, I know. I'm reeling back in shock too.

Sarcasm aside, that really was how the book went for this round in terms of drama.

Because this is an Amish book, I don't think the author was brave enough to include something that would - oh, I don't know - would actually matter?

. I can understand if he was sleeping around while pretending to be exclusive but nope...the guy just went on lunch/dinner dates and then the women all become prime suspects when he ends up dead.

It was just...so below what I'd expect to be a cause for murder.

The weird pie thing was laughable (pies randomly show up in shops with murdery notes pinned to them). It didn't make any sense in terms of plot - NO ONE actually dies from the pies - they're just kinda there.

And the sins thing was SO cringey - anyone with me?

For clarification - Amber gets a note from the murderer that she has to make people hate her because she has too many friends (and something else equally frivolous that I honestly can't be bothered to remember).

So she writes out this list of Things She Did Wrong - which essentially amounted to her humble-bragging (Oh, I'm just sooo selfish. I care sooo much) and posting it in the town square.

Just picture a grown woman - who manages half the town - march up to the square and tack a list to the bulletin board "Ten Reasons You Should Hate Me." Sigh. It was awkward as two middleschoolers locking braces.

At least it is over.

P.s. Am I the only one wondering what is wrong with the Amish religion if they're running around murdering each other every few months? Maybe they need to back off on their religion a bit...? I'm just saying...there's a lot of murders going around.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Profile Image for Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin.
3,634 reviews11.6k followers
April 4, 2015
**I won this book in a GOODREADS, FIRSTREADS GIVEAWAY. I would like to thank the author for an ARC copy of this book**

This is the first time I have read anything from this author. I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it :) I have read other Amish books, but they were more traditional than this book. It was a little confusing at first.

I have not read the first two books so I'm coming into this one trying to learn the characters. It's a stand alone book, but I like to go back and see what's what :) It seems Amber and Hannah have solved some murders and mysteries in the town before. Now Amber, is getting these cryptic messages in her email and not to tell anyone. Hannah keeps finding pies with skull signs and and poems about poisoning at the bakery. Hmmmm, it seems someone is up to no good!

There is an English man/boy named Ryan going around stirring up trouble dating all of the single women in the village no matter what their ages. Hannah is trying to warn some of the women but they will hear no wrong with this man. Figures!

Then there is sweet Preston who suffers from PTSD from the war. He is in love with Zoey and she with him, but he's reluctant to go any further because he has episodes of flashbacks and he passes out or destroys things. I feel bad for him. Zoey has him sign up for a working dog for those with PTSD, he doesn't want to go through with it but when he finally meets Mocha, the lab, he falls in love and understands that she does help him. A happy ending with all of them.

There are quite a few people in the book that I had a hard time keeping up. I'm trying to hit on some of the main points.

They all have a friend named Sarah who has cancer so they decide to hold a benefit run for cancer. This is where the murder of someone happens and they all figure out who it is, pretty cut and dry.

I liked the book, but like I said I was confused on so many people and keeping up with them, so I stuck to the ones that were the major players :) This would be a good book for all mystery lovers.

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Mayda.
3,859 reviews65 followers
August 30, 2018
Someone is threatening to poison pies at the village bakery, leaving notes in the form of badly written poetry. Amber and Hannah try to find the possible poisoner before someone is sickened or worse by poisoned baked goods. But that’s not the only thing troubling Amber and Hannah. One of their friends is going through a rough patch coping with PTSD, and three other friends seem to be falling for the same unscrupulous man. Two other friends are planning for their upcoming weddings. Meanwhile, the village is organizing a Race for the Cure event. Much happens in the well-written cozy and it will having you racing towards the surprise ending.
Profile Image for Donna.
4,557 reviews170 followers
March 3, 2018
This was just okay for me. I didn't love it....I didn't hate it. I liked the characters for the most part. They were likable. I think the main problem for me was that there were many story lines, which then needed a parade of characters to see them through. I liked the opening story, but it took the whole rest of the book to circle back around to that one. I love subplots, but because of the various story lines, I don't think that they did justice in defining the many different characters. They all started sounding similar. So 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Nana.
652 reviews
May 27, 2015
In "Murder Freshly Baked," Vannetta Chapman takes us back to the Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, a small community where Amish and English work hand in hand to serve numerous tourists throughout the year. The characters we've come to know and love have been targeted by someone who is placing poetic notes throughout the village, threatening that pies are laced with poison. Village manager, Amber Bowman confides in Hannah Troyer, the young Amish woman who runs the coffee shop, and the two seek to do a bit of detective work.

Comparable to the previous books in this series, the author creates a series of bone-chilling mysterious events as the poison poems continue to appear. Who threatens to poison people with pie for no explainable reason, and warns them in advance? Numerous questions arise as the poems continue, and strange and serious events prove quite possible deadly intent.

Though poison pies are a menace to peruse, it is the season to blossom, and love is in the air. Not all is serious with Ms. Chapman's third book in this series. Wit and humor weave their way throughout this tale of poetic promises of poisoned pies and courting couples. Accuracy and detail regarding the geographical locale and customs of the community make this a very interesting and relatable story.

Faith and forgiveness are strong themes that run throughout "Murder Freshly Baked." The blending of Amish and English is smooth and realistic as can be witnessed in the northern Indiana Amish community. The author's time spent in this part of the country is obvious through her authentic portrayal of the area and its people.

I felt as if I'd only been gone from the Amish Artisan Village for a brief amount of time, and picked up right where I had left off. I wasn't prepared for a "poison poet" and the threat of poisoned pie, however! I'll be visiting this well-known community again next month, and I may hesitate just a tad before relishing my next slice of Amish pie! Five thumbs up! Get yourself a copy and enjoy this fast-paced Amish mystery!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
1,189 reviews
May 24, 2015
Murder Freshly Baked ( An Amish Village Mystery- Book 3 )
By, Vannetta Chapman
Murder Freshly baked is book three in An Amish Village Mystery series, even though it is a series you can read
it as a stand alone. No problems following the story or the characters. If you love a good cozy mystery, then
Murder Freshly Baked is for you. Vannetta Chapman weaves us a story full of mystery, murder, poison poet ,
and poison pies. Who would want to poison pies and why? You will meet Amber and Hannah who are at it again
with their own investigating. It is good to visit The Amish Artisan Village in Middleburg, Indiana again. There is
lots of action and mystery in Murder Freshly Baked and Chapman does not disappoint me. Love all of her books.
This story starts off grabbing you and holding on till the end. I love seeing the Amish and the English working together.
I highly recommend Murder Freshly Baked, be sure and get your copy.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review, which i have given.
467 reviews50 followers
May 19, 2015
Murder Freshly Baked (An Amish Village Mystery Book 3), By: Vannetta Chapman
If you love a good Mystery & Amish fiction then you are going to love Murder Freshly Baked, By: Vannetta Chapman. She has written a book that is not only exciting but also spine-tingling. She grabbed my attention right from the start with this marvelous Amish Mystery. There is such a wonderful array of characters in this captivating story. This is so much mystery, heartache, pain, regret, love, faith and devotion rolled into this true work of art. This book is a marvelous combination of Amish/Mystery all rolled into one spectacular story. I loved getting to read about beloved Middlebury, Indiana and the captivating characters that I have come to know and love. I can practically picture the quaint Amish village and the wonderful people there.
Be sure to get your copy of this book today. 5 stars!
Profile Image for Barbara Thompson.
461 reviews13 followers
May 31, 2015
Author Vannetta Chapman gives us another fantastic book with Murder, Freshly Baked. The author is excellent in blending the Amish and English characters together, but also makes each one unique. I love the setting of the village. The setting may be small, but you still have mystery to the end of the book that kept me fascinated. I enjoyed reading this book with the mystery, romance, drama and a couple of surprises I was not expecting. Murder, Freshly Baked is Book Three in The Amish Village Mystery Series. I highly recommend this book and series. I'm anticipating what Author Vannetta Chapman will write for us next.

I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. This review is one hundred percent my opinion.
Profile Image for Lisa.
369 reviews5 followers
May 8, 2022
I thought the murder mystery was a bit of a stretch in this one, but Preston’s story and the general loveliness of these characters and their setting made up for it!
Profile Image for Andrea Cox.
Author 4 books1,743 followers
July 9, 2021
Amber Bowman has been running The Village for two decades, but in the last year she's helped solve two murders that happened on the property. When pies and notes from a "poison poet" start mysteriously showing up in the various Village shops, will Amber be able to crack the case before someone eats the wrong pie? Will she accept help from her Amish and Englisch friends and employees? Will the case be solved before someone ends up dead?

Murder Freshly Baked is the third book in the Amish Village Mystery series, but it's the first Vannetta Chapman book I've read. I particularly enjoyed the way the Amish and Englisch worked together in this book. It gave me hope that people who have vastly different belief systems can still work together to build a peaceful community. This world is filled with acts of prejudice and hate, but this book shows that it doesn't have to be that way.

I also enjoyed the mystery in Murder Freshly Baked. There were a couple of different story lines to follow, and my favorite was Preston's. Each POV (point of view) gave me a fresh outlook on the mystery, though I still didn't figure it out! I love a good mystery, especially ones that stump me along the way. I'll definitely be reading more Vannetta Chapman books in the future.

Thanks to netgalley for an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Content: gambling
139 reviews
April 16, 2015
Murder Freshly Baked is full of mystery, love, and faith. What I loved about this book is how the love isn’t boy meets girl so much as caring for those around you. Vannetta had me guessing till the end who the perpetrator was, but I wasn’t surprised. And through it all, I appreciate how the characters try to put God first.

I loved the book. Part of me is sad to say goodbye to the characters.

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Julia.
1,187 reviews37 followers
May 12, 2018
This kept my attention despite too many references to God helping out the characters.
The structure of the mystery was interesting: the victim is shot in the first chapter but then the majority of the book is a flashback starting a month prior to the murder and focusing on various characters and on threats of poison. Eventually the story timeline catches up to the shooting in the penultimate chapter.
Profile Image for Melmo2610.
3,635 reviews
August 24, 2020
Loved this book and the whole series. Great mystery, wonderful characters and a lot of fun to read. Wish there were more of this series!
Profile Image for Edie.
40 reviews
June 3, 2015
Vanetta Chapman's Amish Village Mystery series is quickly becoming one of my favorite! The third book, Murder Freshly Baked, is just as good as the first two. The stories center around a shopping and hotel area called Middlebury. The village employs Amish and Englishers and is a peaceful little destination except for the rash of crimes happening on site. First there was Murder Simply Brewed and then there was Murder Tightly Knit. The newest mystery involves threatening emails and letters targeting the freshly baked pies at the village.




Amber, the Village manager, knows this new threat cannot be connected to the two previous issues. Who is writing these terrible poems about poison and why are they focused on her and the pies? Amber is so shaken this time that she doesn't share all the emails with her husband Tate and the local sheriff Gordon. She doesn't even fully confide in her friends and employees Hannah and Pam.

Can they find the poisonous poet before there's a fatality? Will Amber continue to be personally taunted? Find the answers to these questions along with plenty of mystery and suspense when Murder Freshly Baked releases on June 9, 2015. I love these books because they are gentle reads with plenty of intrigue. The characters are well developed and enjoyable. The Village concept is unique and is a great way to combine Amish characters with Englishers.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Profile Image for Brittany .
2,885 reviews210 followers
June 19, 2015
Time to settle in for another entertaining, cozy story in Vannetta Chapman’s latest installment of her Amish Village Mystery series. I really enjoyed Murder Freshly Baked.

There are a couple of different mystery themes going on in the book. One revolves around a murder and the possible reasons that it occurred. And, of course, we all want to know who did the deed! But, there is also another strange set of events taking place around the Amish Artisan Village. Threats and disturbing emails have begun to appear and are wreaking havoc with the emotions of the manager of the community, Amber.

I enjoyed the mysteries that needed to be solved, but my favorite parts of this book revolved around Preston Johnstone’s story. I loved learning more about him and getting to know him through the flashbacks he struggled with. His whole storyline captured me. The portions involving Hannah and Jesse also continued to be a favorite of mine.

It was fun to return to this community that encompasses both Amish and Englisch. The characters feel very real and there is definitely a cozy vibe to these stories. I think the Amish Artisan Village would be a fun place to go visit…the only thing holding me back is that there seems to be an inordinately high number of murders for such a charming place. ;-) But I definitely recommend reading this fun book, and the entire series, if you enjoy mysteries.

My thanks to the publisher and BookLook Bloggers for the complimentary copy of this book that I received in exchange for an honest review.

You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
282 reviews8 followers
May 19, 2015
Do you like Warm, Cozy Mysteries? Then you will love Vannetta Chapman's new book "Murder Freshly Baked". This is the third book in the series but you can read this as a stand alone. It mentions things that happened in previous books in a way that you know what's happening in this one. If you like puzzles then beware, some of the clues may not be what you thing.

The Amish Artisan Village always has something going on. Murder, poison pen letters, poison pies, someone that is playing with the hearts of more than one person. A lot of interesting things happening.

Amber is the manager for the village shops and when the bakery and other establishments receive pies with notes claiming they are poisoned pies then that brings everyone together. Amber's husband Tate is always there for her. Hannah & Pam do their best to help find out what is going on. Preston's life is improving and his love for Zoey has grown since he first met her.

There is humor, suspense, clues, and I can't tell you anymore without giving away the story. Needless to say I loved the book and how the characters interacted, how they relied on their faith, their friendships and how well they worked together. The characters are well developed, there is romance but the friendships of these special friends make it even more interesting. I loved the book.

I received this book from the author and all I was asked to do was read the book & leave my honest opinion in reviews. This is a book that will make you feel good, smile and wish it was just a little longer.
Profile Image for Hallie (Hallie Reads).
1,656 reviews156 followers
June 9, 2015
This review is also posted on Book by Book.

A deliciously suspenseful addition to her Amish Village Mystery series, Vannetta Chapman’s Murder Freshly Baked kept me intrigued and delighted from start to finish. It revisits the Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, introduced and explored in the two previous novels, Murder Simply Brewed and Murder Tightly Knit, and once again, Amber and Hannah - along with their now familiar group of friends, family and coworkers - wind up in the middle of a dangerous murder plot and investigation. As well-paced and full of wonderful mystery and drama as the other novels, Murder Freshly Baked will please any fan of the series. I know I welcomed the chance to catch up with these characters, as they moved forward in life and embraced the changes that naturally come in the midst of lurking dangers, and really enjoyed every bit of the story. It’s a great read that readers of mystery and Amish fiction will not want to miss.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Murder Freshly Baked and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)
Profile Image for Tammy G..
587 reviews
September 17, 2015
I love Vanetta Chapman's books and I've been reading them ever since she began writing about the Amish. This is one of the Amish Village Mysteries. The first two were, Murder Simply Brewed and Murder Tightly Knit.
Even if you haven't read these two books you won't be lost in this book, Murder freshly Baked, because each book is a stand a lone read even though it's about the same village. So, you might see names that are familiar, but each mystery is different and about a particular someone in the community.
This was a fun read for me. The Amber begins to get poetic notes that inform her not to sell her bakery goods...that pies have been poisoned. Amber is confused about who would poison pies and why leave poems to inform her that they are poisoned?
But this is a serious crime. And Amber doesn't want innocent people hurt of killed so she enlists Hannah Troyer's help so that they can try and find out what is happening and why the bakery is involved.
This was a great mystery! Probably my most favorite of them all. Maybe, because I could smell the baked good and imagine the wonderful pies.

*This book was provided for review by BookLook*
Profile Image for Cathy.
1,239 reviews79 followers
June 12, 2015
Great book! You definitely need to read this series in order. I appreciated the good mix of mystery and romance and I also appreciated the mystery without the creepy, afraid to be alone feeling lol. It was a good cozy!
Profile Image for Leslie.
86 reviews8 followers
March 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! After reading the entire series, it feels like the characters are friends. In addition to the mystery and the Amish wedding, there was also a character who was a veteran and was matched with a service dog. It was very interesting learning about that process and how veterans can be helped by service animals.
Profile Image for Sherri.
1,626 reviews
April 5, 2023
This finale to the trilogy wraps up with me feeling I gained 10 pounds from hearing described delicious pies, baked goods, and potlucks. A "poison poet" who leaves bad poetry notes with pies for our heroine Amber to discover and torment her.

There are also multiple mysteries happening throughout including a veteran with PTSD getting a service dog, a player, and Amish wedding preparations.

Seems convoluted but take this cozy mystery for what it's worth. It's wrapping up characters' stories in this quaint village.

The narrator was meh.
Profile Image for Kristina Anderson.
4,060 reviews82 followers
June 8, 2015
Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman is the third book in the Amish Village Mystery series. Amber Bowman is the manager of The Amish Village in Middlebury, Indiana. Things have been going well for the last few months and Amber is looking forward to the weddings of her friends, Hannah and Mary. Then she starts receiving strange emails. The emails are bad poetry stating that pies and other pastries are poisoned. Then someone starts leaving pies with poetry around town. Then the Poison Poet (as they have dubbed him) starts making it personal and attacking Amber. Hannah, Tate, Amber, Jesse, Pam and friends set out to find who is behind the notes and pies. Who is the Poison Poet?

Preston Johnstone is still having PTSD episodes (he was the homeless man in the first book and now works and lives in the Amish Village). He is dating Zoey Quinn who is a nurse who works at the nursing home where Preston’s father lives. Zoey has found out about a special program that pairs dogs with people with PTSD. Zoey has convinced Preston to fill out an application for a dog. Preston is not sure how a dog will help him, but he is willing to give it a chance (with a lot of encouragement from Amber, Tate, and Zoey). Preston would like to get over his past so he can have a future. Hopefully, Mocha (his new PTSD dog) will help him so Preston can go after the girl of his dreams.

Hannah (manager of coffee shop) and Mary (The Cat’s Meow) are busy planning their weddings. They are having a double wedding. Their finance’s are finishing up their rooms. They will be living at the Miller’s home (the boy’s parents). Hannah, Mary, Pam (assistant manager at The Village), and Amber are worried about their friends. Martha Gingerich, Letha Keim, and Georgia Small are all dating Ryan Duvall. Ryan is something of a playboy. He is Englisch and two of the girls are Amish. No one wants to see them hurt, but it is destined to happen. Ryan would never convert to the Amish faith and Martha and Letha would not want to leave the Amish. Then after Ryan finishes The Race for the Cure he is shot dead. Who killed him? Was he shot because of philandering ways or because of his gambling problem?

Murder Freshly Baked is a charming novel. The book contained great, likeable characters, a little romance, a beautiful setting, and good mysteries. However, I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two in the series. I liked that Preston was getting help for his PTSD, but I did not enjoy all the scenes of his time in Afghanistan. They did not seem to go with the book (maybe if there had been only one or two scenes). I liked hearing about how dogs can help people with PTSD. What a great program. I give Murder Freshly Baked 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of Murder Freshly Baked from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.


http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...
Profile Image for Sally.
344 reviews
April 2, 2015
Murder Freshly Baked
(An Amish Village Mystery Book 3)
By: Vanetta Chapman
Publisher: Zondervan
Release Date: June 9, 2015

Once again we meet in Middlebury, Indiana in the Amish Artisan Village as they are getting ready to host a race for the cure. Village manager, Amber Bowman is only too happy to have something else to distract her thoughts from the “Poison Poet”---someone is leaving bad poetry in baked goods with a warning that it may be poisoned.

Amber and Hanna Troyer struggle to find the person responsible for the poetry and sinister warnings before someone else dies. Meanwhile play-boy type Ryan Duvall is dating three women from the village at the same time and has no regard for their feelings when they find out about his duplicity. He feels he has done nothing wrong, until someone comes after him. Could it be a case of women scorned or is there more to the story? Is there a link between the Poison Poet and Ryan’s death?

The book begins with Ryan Duvall being shot just has he crosses the finish line in the race for the cure. The story then backtracks to the beginning to fill in the events leading up to this culmination. The plot is filled with twists and turns that keeps the story interesting and keeps you turning the pages. Telling Ryan’s story would give away too much of the plot, but it is filled with love and forgiveness along with a good dose of God’s marvelous redeeming grace. If you have read the other two books in the series, you won’t want to miss this one and if you haven’t read them you do not need to do so to read this book, however you may want to go back and read the others. Once again MS Chapman brings us another book from Middlebury filled with mystery, intrigue, love and reminders of how fragile life can be along with God’s unconditional love for us.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this eBook by the publisher, Zondervan, through NetGalley blogger program for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
Profile Image for Kathryn Svendsen.
468 reviews12 followers
July 18, 2015
I haven’t read an Amish novel in a while and this one was different which was why I was so looking forward to reading it. I had never read an Amish murder mystery, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised.

What I found were characters with depth to them as evidenced by their interactions as they helped one another with their sometimes intensely difficult personal situations. The novel was more than just about the murder; it was about the community of people.

This was the third book in the series of Amish-style detective work that main characters Amber and Hannah were involved in trying to track down a killer. But this killer hasn’t killed anyone yet. This killer keeps leaving poetic notes and a pie warning that the pie is poisoned.

This novel is not fast-paced, but flows along at a pleasant speed for the type of read that it is. There is some romance between a few of the characters and as the author herself says, it is fiction full of grace.

While this is a novel that fits in the genre of Christian fiction, it certainly does not preach at you. Whatever you believe I think you will find this book an enjoyable read.

I liked that the author used some of the words the Amish use and provided a glossary. The words were linked to the glossary so it made looking up the word very easy if you were not able to figure it out from context. The use of these words in the conversations between the characters helped to give a more authentic feel to their Amish heritage.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Murder Freshly Baked. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Amish novels, or to anyone who wants to try something a little different along the lines of a murder mystery. I gave this one 5 stars out of 5.

I received this book from the publishers via Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
Profile Image for Gail Hollingsworth.
1,005 reviews52 followers
May 23, 2015
Visit Middlebury, Indiana where English and Amish work side by side in the Amish Artisan Village, in the novel Murder Freshly Baked. This is the third in the series but it can be read alone. Vannetta Chapman gives enough background information that you don't feel lost.
Amber (English) and manager of the village, and Hannah (Amish) who is employed in one of the shops, have become very close friends. They have worked together trying to solve two murders that have happened in the village over the past year. Now they are faced with a "poison poet" who has been sending threatening poems to Amber's email address as well as leaving pies with poems at different places in the village. Each poem indicates that the pie is filled with a different type poison from arsenic to antifreeze. Amber is on edge and stressed out because the poet has threatened her if she brings anyone else in on her emails. Word gets out because of the pies showing up in various places which brings in Gordon, the chief of police.
The story is a great page turner, leaving the reader guessing at every incident on who the poet might be. I had no clue, although I did venture a few guesses in my mind, all wrong though. That to me makes a great mystery. And there is a murder. By pie, or some other means, you'll just have to read to find out.
I love the fact that the author ties up all the loose ends and finishes the story to the point that all the questions I had in my mind while reading are answered. If you love a great mystery, with some romance and detective work thrown in you'll love this story. The verse that is brought to mind through everything that happens is from Gensis 50:20: "you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good."
I received this book from the author for my honest review, which if have given.
Profile Image for Carrie Schmidt.
Author 1 book511 followers
March 12, 2016
If we must say goodbye, Murder Freshly Baked is a delightfully charming way to end this wonderful series. Sweetly passionate romance, two puzzling mysteries, a dash of tangible tension, a handful of selfless friendships, and just the right amount of witty humor all mix together to produce a delicious story that you won’t want to put down.

I just really love these characters! The interactions between Amish and Englisch (non-Amish) are natural and refreshing, especially in today’s world where differences so publicly divide. The sincerity and genuineness of their friendships warms the reader despite the suspense and adds elements of humor in the midst of tension (Pam’s reactions while being held hostage by a paintball attack comes to mind here).

One thing that kept coming to mind across all three books in this Amish Village series is the “Agatha Christie” feel to the writing, the atmosphere, the cases, even the characters. It delighted me in Murder Freshly Baked to see several references to Agatha Christie, my favorite being when Hannah mentioned Amber loaning her some of the mystery author’s books. I just knew they had to be mystery readers, too! All the best amateur sleuths are, of course.

The entire Amish Village series is a must read for both Agatha Christie/Sherlock Holmes fans and Amish genre fans!

(I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for only my honest review.)

Read my full review here: https://readingismysuperpower.wordpre...
Profile Image for Vera Godley.
1,999 reviews55 followers
July 2, 2015
In this third book in the Amish Artisan Village series, Vannetta Chapman brings us back into the presence of the employees of the Village and their interactions as another unthinkable event occurs in this peaceful setting - murder.

The Amish are a peace loving and peaceful group who set themselves apart from the modern world by shunning many modern conveniences. They live by a strict code based on Biblical principles. In the Village, there is close mingling of regular folks and Amish as they work, visit, and shop the various stores and restaurants in the Village.

Two Amish couples are looking forward to their soon to occur wedding. A returned veteran struggles with PTSD. The Village manager becomes embroiled in threats seemingly directed at her. A complicated mixture of situations that need resolution.

To me the highlight of this book is how Preston, the veteran, deals with his traumatic experiences of flashbacks that are violent. The entrance of Mocha, a service dog that is provided to Preston is interesting and lovable.

This is a stand alone story, but it would be more interesting for the reader to have previously read books one and two since references to those stories occur. I always enjoy a Vannetta Chapman book and can heartily recommend it.
GIVEAWAY - CLICK HERE http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2015...
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy by the author to facilitate this review. Opinions are just mine. I was not compensated for this review.
Profile Image for Joleen Devens.
178 reviews14 followers
August 1, 2016
The 3rd and final in the Amish Village Mystery. I was not disappointed. I love the characters, and the surprises that this book has. The only disappointment I had with this book was that it was the end of the series.

From Amazon: "Don’t taste it / Don’t share it /Just throw it away / If you try my bakery pie / You won’t live to see another day.
The Amish Artisan Village of Middlebury, Indiana, might be the last place you would ever expect to find a murderer. But Amber has been managing the Village for decades and there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. Or so she thought.
When poetic notes begin appearing around the bakery, warning that some of the pies have been poisoned, Amber is as confused as she is concerned. Who poisons pies? And more to the point, who leaves poems of warning after they’ve done it? When Amber decides to help the police track down the sweet-toothed saboteur, she enlists Hannah Troyer for another round of Amish-style detective work.
Can Amber and Hannah help the police before the Poison Poet strikes? Both women will need to draw on their faith to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built in Middlebury . . . and to protect the girls who work in the Amish Artisan Village."
Profile Image for Sunnie.
1,004 reviews48 followers
June 9, 2015
An Amish Village Mystery. Book 3

This was another great book from Vannetta Chapman. As in every book that I have read which was written by her, I have been so impressed with her wonderful writing talents.

This book is a continuation from book 2. Hannah and Amber again find themselves in a very strange situation as poetic "Poison Pen letters" are found with freshly baked pies. The poem indicates the pie has been laced with something that will poison the person that eats it. Who would warn people of such a strange thing?

Amber finds mysterious emails and her cat is poisoned. But who is behind this? There is a little romance, mystery and lots of great reading to be found in this book. I enjoyed revisiting Vannetta's Amish village. I hope the series will continue!


Author Vannetta Chapman has penned a great book here and I am sure you will enjoy it as well!

I received the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was received.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.