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The Plain Truth Mysteries #1
The Secret in the Sampler
Old paper has a way of keeping secrets. So do quiet towns.
When widowed graphic designer Nora Bell returns to Briar Creek, Ohio, to reopen her late aunt’s letterpress shop, she expects dust, grief, and possibly a few unpaid invoices. What she does not expect is a cedar trunk, a faded sampler, and a warning in Aunt Lenora’s
Do not sell until the initials are understood.
The stitched initials belong to Anna Keim, a young Amish woman whose name was folded away decades earlier. As Nora follows the trail through private print proofs, missing birth notices, altered auction records, and a land transfer no one wants discussed, she learns that the sampler is more than a keepsake. It is evidence.
Then a polished antique appraiser turns up dead, and the quiet history Nora uncovered becomes dangerously present.
With the help of Eli Yoder, a guarded Amish widower and auction clerk who notices far too much and explains far too little, Nora must untangle a secret that powerful people have spent generations preserving. But in Briar Creek, truth is rarely welcomed simply because it is right.
And some people will do anything to keep a woman’s name from being stitched back into the record.
The Secret in the Sampler is a gentle Amish-adjacent cozy mystery with old letters, hidden family history, a slow-burn chaste romance, and a heroine learning that grief is not the same thing as being finished.
When widowed graphic designer Nora Bell returns to Briar Creek, Ohio, to reopen her late aunt’s letterpress shop, she expects dust, grief, and possibly a few unpaid invoices. What she does not expect is a cedar trunk, a faded sampler, and a warning in Aunt Lenora’s
Do not sell until the initials are understood.
The stitched initials belong to Anna Keim, a young Amish woman whose name was folded away decades earlier. As Nora follows the trail through private print proofs, missing birth notices, altered auction records, and a land transfer no one wants discussed, she learns that the sampler is more than a keepsake. It is evidence.
Then a polished antique appraiser turns up dead, and the quiet history Nora uncovered becomes dangerously present.
With the help of Eli Yoder, a guarded Amish widower and auction clerk who notices far too much and explains far too little, Nora must untangle a secret that powerful people have spent generations preserving. But in Briar Creek, truth is rarely welcomed simply because it is right.
And some people will do anything to keep a woman’s name from being stitched back into the record.
The Secret in the Sampler is a gentle Amish-adjacent cozy mystery with old letters, hidden family history, a slow-burn chaste romance, and a heroine learning that grief is not the same thing as being finished.
309 pages, Paperback
Published July 22, 2026
About the author
Abigail B. Hartwell
7 books1 followerAbigail B. Hartwell writes gentle Amish-adjacent cozy mysteries rooted in the small towns and wooded backroads of east-central Ohio. Though she is not Amish, she lives near Amish communities and draws inspiration from the region’s quiet rhythms, close-knit families, old stories, and rural traditions. She shares a modest home on five wooded acres with her long-haul truck driver husband. They have two grown daughters and three grandchildren. When she is not writing, Abigail enjoys church activities, family time, and the peaceful beauty of the Ohio countryside.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 13, 2026
A unique cozy mystery set in the small town of Briar's Creek, Ohio. Book 1 in the Plain Truth Mysteries series introduces a diverse cast of characters who must figure out why so many people are interested in an old sampler found in a trunk that is about to be auctioned off.
The story takes place over the course of a week with multiple clues showing up and random items disappearing, then it takes a deadly turn.
Nora's aunt seems to have left the mystery for her to solve and she becomes involved in some amateur sleuthing with a quiet, steady Amish widower to aid her. Their relationship develops into a fragile friendship along the way, with some edges and rather quirky dialogue. They are assisted by Maeve, an older friend and B and B owner, who brings baked goods wherever she goes, along with her own opinions.
The writing seemed to flow better later in the story as the plot came together with more clues dropped. It took awhile to figure out what was going on, but I was glad to stick it out to the end as it became more interesting, and the main characters seemed to grow in depth. Both of them dealt with grief from losing spouses, which added more of a personal side to the story. Though there are Amish people in the town, including Eli, there really wasn't anything spiritual. A few hints at possible romantic interest maybe in future installments.
Readers who enjoy a clean cozy mystery with the feel of an old-fashioned detective story, may enjoy this one. It has a lot of potential to get more interesting in the next book. 3.5 stars
(An ebook was provided by the publisher via a LibraryThing Early Reader giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.)
The story takes place over the course of a week with multiple clues showing up and random items disappearing, then it takes a deadly turn.
Nora's aunt seems to have left the mystery for her to solve and she becomes involved in some amateur sleuthing with a quiet, steady Amish widower to aid her. Their relationship develops into a fragile friendship along the way, with some edges and rather quirky dialogue. They are assisted by Maeve, an older friend and B and B owner, who brings baked goods wherever she goes, along with her own opinions.
The writing seemed to flow better later in the story as the plot came together with more clues dropped. It took awhile to figure out what was going on, but I was glad to stick it out to the end as it became more interesting, and the main characters seemed to grow in depth. Both of them dealt with grief from losing spouses, which added more of a personal side to the story. Though there are Amish people in the town, including Eli, there really wasn't anything spiritual. A few hints at possible romantic interest maybe in future installments.
Readers who enjoy a clean cozy mystery with the feel of an old-fashioned detective story, may enjoy this one. It has a lot of potential to get more interesting in the next book. 3.5 stars
(An ebook was provided by the publisher via a LibraryThing Early Reader giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.)
August 9, 2026
What a delightful little mystery to tuck into! The Secret in the Sampler by Abigail B. Hartwell transports readers to Briar Creek, Ohio, a charming town in Amish country that makes an inviting backdrop for the story. I especially enjoyed the details surrounding The Bell & Quill, the letterpress shop Nora Bell inherits from her late aunt, from the antique press to the type that gives the setting such character. Nora is easy to root for, and Eli Yoder’s steadiness and dry humor make him a wonderful partner as they begin unraveling the puzzle together. The mystery builds nicely from the start, with secrets, hidden objects, a hand-stitched sampler, and a mysterious trunk all adding to the intrigue. As the first book in The Plain Truth Mysteries, this is a warm and promising beginning, and I’m already looking forward to untangling the next mystery—needle, thread, and all!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews