When Cheryl pays a visit to Naomi at the Miller farm, she learns that Seth's uncle Silas has just passed away. The whole family is upset, especially Levi, who has been saving up to buy land from his uncle. Levi is relieved to find that he has been given the land in Silas's will, but there is one big problem: the deed has gone missing. Without it, the land and house will be seized by the state and sold--most likely to the shady developer who wants to build a prison there and knows a whole lot more about the land than he should. Can Cheryl help Levi track down the deed and claim his inheritance before it's too late?
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Elizabeth Adams lives in New York City with her husband. When she’s not writing, she spends her time playing with their rambunctious daughter, cleaning up after two devious cats, and trying to find time to read mysteries.
Levi’s uncle has died, before he died he left the land that Levi planning on buying from him to Levi. The problem is they can’t find the deed to the property, so Cheryl starts looking through the farm, going though old records at the courthouse, talking to the bank. Will she find it in time to stop the town from selling it to someone who wants to build a jail or will Levi be out of luck. While this is going on her friend is called out of town so Cheryl volunteers to open and close her cafe along with other volunteers.
It's been quite a while since my last trip to Sugarcreek to visit with Cheryl and company. Fast, comfortable, feel-good reads are the name of the game for this series, and this one was right on track.
What I liked about Where There's a Will: Engaging plotline - This series is "extra cozy" in that the mysteries are never murders. This opens up a wide lane of possibilities for the cases to be solved, but also poses the challenge of still coming up with a compelling mystery to be solved. A will with a hitch in its execution was certainly that and I was hooked within the first three pages. The lessons tucked in - This is two-fold, really. There are those that nudge at the conscience a little bit, convicting my faith and poking at whether I'm being the best bearer of Christ's name that I can be, and then there are those that inform on the Amish culture. For being a fluffy little mystery on its surface, there was still plenty for me to learn. The small-town friendships - They warm my heart. I feel like we lack a sense of community in so many ways, and these books frequently remind me of its value. Good overarching plot development - I appreciate when long term plotlines move forward at a believable pace. One big one got a nudge forward in this book and I approve.
What I didn't care for: A few few editing-fail grimaces - I noticed this in the last Elizabeth Adams contribution to the series as well (based on my review). Mostly a few minor plot inconsistencies, but also a couple of sentences that just read incredibly awkward. Neither issue was enough to spoil the book for me, but they caught my attention well enough to warrant mention. Larger scale series inconsistencies - The problem with having a series with a rotating list of authors is that each will have his or her own style. While that is plenty acceptable for the writing in general, it becomes somewhat problematic when it changes the personality or tone of the actual characters; often what has been commonplace with other authors shifts enough to feel completely out-of-character when one author portrays a beloved recurring character differently. The fact that there are multiple authors (nine in total, I believe, and still at least one I haven't even encountered yet, 11 books in) exacerbates the situation; capping the authors to no more than three likely would have kept these sorts of discrepancies to a minimum.
An enjoyable read from a sweet little series. One that I look forward to like a warm hug. Be warned that the Christian fiction aspect factors in quite heavily if that is a turnoff for you, but as for me, I personally find this series comforting and gentle to read, this book included.
When There's a Will is the 11th amazing story written by Elizabeth Adams in the Sugarcreek Amish Mystery series. The author has done a wonderful job telling this story thru a cast of well developed characters. Levi Miller has been saving money to purchase a plot of land from his uncle when he suddenly passes away. With the will in hand it states the land has been left to Levi but with the actual deed to the land missing it leaves doubt as to who really owns the land. When Seth Miller, Levi's daed, asked Cheryl Cooper to help them discover the whereabouts of the deed, Cheryl is amazed at the lengths people will go to steal it. Thru many twist and turns, many suspects, and what is to become of the land Cheryl is even more determined to get to the bottom of this. All leads point to one suspect but things are never as easy as they seem. When the truth is revealed it shocks more than just Cheryl and the Miller family. There is suspense around every corner in this story.
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 mystery that I can highly recommend to others.
11th book in series. Seth Miller's brother Silas has just passed away. In his will he has left Levi a parcel of land from his farm. But almost immediately there's a developer saying he's buying the land from the county and there's no record of Silas owning it. All the information they find leads them to believe something is crooked in this sale. Cheryl agrees to help Levi find the deed to the property before its too late and the sale goes threw to build a prison on that land.
Another great cozy amish mystery. This series is so cozy and fun, with a series long slow-burn romance (I think it is, anyways). The question of the will can be answered, but will we see where Cheryl and Levi are going? Can they ever be together? I might be a sucker for the slow burn romance now. Definately recommend if you enjoy mysteries set-in Amish country, cozy feelings, and slow-burn romance. But you should start from book one if you want all the slow-burn feels.
After Seths brother dies Levi wants/inherits some of the land. There is no deed therefore a developer say the bank owns it and he bought it. Levi and Cheryl only have a few days before that sale is final to find this deed. No one has any clue where to look. Not even the back has a recorded. If the developer gets it it will be a prison. If Levi gets it he can farm and home for his family.
I am binge reading this series. I don't usually do Amish stories, but this series has me hooked. I love the subtle mysteries that are developed each book. I am not a romance reader at all. I can't stand them. This one has just a hit of romance but not enough to turn me off. Cheryl is on the track of a missing document and how all traces of it are also gone. A great quick read.
Another delightful visit to Sugarcreek and the Swiss Miss gang. The author does a fabulous job of turning what could be a really sad topic into a humorous adventure to find a missing will.
Another delightful story in the SUGARCREEK AMISH MYSTERIES series. Cheryl's friend, Kathy, goes to visit her mom for a week & Cheryl organizes a crew to help run her store in the meantime. Also, she helps her friend, Luke, save his inheritance.