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Amish Inn Mysteries #9

Deceptive Hearts

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Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and with it comes a new cast of intriguing characters to Pleasant Creek, Indiana. Guests flock to the Olde Mansion Inn owned by Liz Eckardt, who is eager to offer the cozy and welcoming atmosphere of her newfound home to the winter holidaymakers. One in particular, the handsome and enigmatic Shane O'Rourke, charms Liz and her guests with his kind acts and dashing good looks.

Liz's heart flies to her throat when Shane's lifeless body is discovered on the banks of Jaynes Lake. Who was this mystery man, and what was his purpose for coming to Pleasant Creek? The local authorities try to make sense of the ghastly murder, but one piece of the puzzle just won't fit: on the body of the victim, they find a photograph of one of Pleasant Creek's most beloved citizens . . . and one of Liz's dearest friends!

Meanwhile, Naomi Mason, the owner of the local bakery, is distraught. Her elderly mother has grown distant and forgetful in her upscale nursing home, and Naomi's past loves and losses are now coming home to roost. Liz is determined to get to the bottom of the trouble in Pleasant Creek and to absolve her friend. But does Naomi know more about the goings-on than she is willing to admit?

On a wing and a prayer, Liz and the rest of the Material Girls, along with Mayor Jackson Cross, pull together to solve the mystery in time for the Valentine's Day party and auction. But will they manage to learn the truth before anyone else runs afoul of the killer's deceptive heart?

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Marlene Chase

42 books20 followers

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5 stars
26 (28%)
4 stars
38 (41%)
3 stars
21 (23%)
2 stars
6 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Tina Loves To Read.
3,708 reviews1 follower
July 25, 2022
This is a cozy mystery, and this is the 9th book in the Amish Inn Mysteries series. This book has 201 pages, and it is well written. It is an Amish Mystery that kept me guessing. A long with the finding the killer the girls have so much stuff going on. I love the characters in this book. I really love following the girls through out this story.
Profile Image for Mayda.
3,958 reviews69 followers
September 4, 2020
Liz is coping with a broken furnace and unhappy guests at her B&B when a dashing and charming guest arrives who saves the day and gets the furnace running again. But nothing can save him. When his body is found the next day, the victim of foul play, Liz gets involved in searching out clues. It’s an intriguing mystery. The characters are an entertaining mix, and this story, like the others in the series, is a cozy tale.
Profile Image for Pat.
1,369 reviews3 followers
September 16, 2018
Another murder and this time it is a guest at the INN. Liz and her friends are caught in the middle of another mystery!
Profile Image for Christa.
2,218 reviews587 followers
February 15, 2020
In this addition to the series, a guest of the inn is murdered. Liz is worried that someone she cares about will be implicated, so she needs to figure out who the killer is before an arrest is made.

All of the wonderful characters from the previous books are back for another adventure in this one. The setting has the same charm as the earlier books, and the mystery is every bit as compelling.

This is the first book of the series written by this author, and she kept it to the high standards of the previous ones.
Profile Image for Laura.
271 reviews2 followers
November 5, 2024
When I started this series I was a little worried because they are written by a group of authors and not just one author. They do an excellent job at keeping certain details in order. The series is so much fun.
Time to read the next one.
Profile Image for Pamela Pavkov.
1,265 reviews22 followers
May 26, 2021
Deceptive Hearts is truly a sweet mystery written by Marlene Chase in the Amish Inn Mystery series. The author has done a fantastic job telling her story thru some amazing characters. The storyline has many twist which keeps the readers interest until the crime is solved. When a very charming guest staying at Liz's B&B is found dead along the lake behind her inn Liz knows it is her responsibility to help solve this murder. When evidence found on the guest body points the police in Naomi Mason's direction the town is surprised. The path Liz takes to clear her friend takes on a few unexpected twists. This story is set around a local celebration of Valentine's Day and the author has done an amazing job bringing it to life.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response. 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.
2,373 reviews8 followers
November 19, 2022
This is book 9 of the Amish Inn Mysteries. I found this series at Half Price books while looking for other books in a different series by the same publisher.

Valentine's Day brings a quilt auction and event to Pleasant Creek along with guests to Liz's inn. Liz is dealing with a broken furnace when one of her guests arrives and saves the day. This same guest is later found murdered. Things from Naomi's past are stirred up.

I didn't really suspect the character that turned out to be the murderer. That's my norm though so your experience may vary.
Profile Image for Lis Sigona.
628 reviews
July 11, 2024
One of the Amish inn series - continuing on with Liz, Sadie, Mary Ann, Naomi, etc and the quilting girls from the quilting club. Intrigue, mystery, guest of the inn interweaving into the twists and turns of the plots and sometimes affecting the lives of one of the quilting girls. But Liz and the Police Chief along with the others seem to always get their intended mystery person that has caused the havoc. Enjoyable light hearted reading with purpose and heartful goodness and kindness from most all!
Profile Image for Cozy Reader Lady.
1,196 reviews144 followers
January 29, 2025
"Deceptive Hearts (Amish Inn Mysteries #9)" by Marlene Chase has a smidge of a Valentine's Day theme. It's got more of a birding theme. Liz is hosting twin sisters who are returning guests and their cousin, a new guest. The cousin is a very avid bird enthusiast.

Unfortunately, her fourth guest is found dead in a field by the bird enthusiast less than a day into his stay. Liz's business neighbor and good friend is a suspect in the case. Liz wants to help her friend and, as it seems to happen more often than not, has the culprit pretty much fall in her lap.

Back to the Valentine's Day side of things. The Material Girls quilt club members keep trying to get Liz to admit she and the mayor are an item. She keeps saying they're just friends. However, at this point (9 books in), I would say they're at least dating. He always invites her to things. They've kissed and he seems to always come to her rescue. I think they're more than friends. This is the downside of more than one author on a series I guess.
Profile Image for Text Addict.
432 reviews36 followers
April 1, 2019
A pleasant read, but not enough to convince me to subscribe to the "Annie's Fiction" publisher to read more of the series. worth the $4 I paid for it at the used bookstore.

It's a pity Goodreads doesn't have a shot of the cover, it's very nice and one of the reasons I picked up the book.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
338 reviews
September 20, 2020
old Shaker song "Simple Gifts"
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight
Profile Image for Diane Taylor.
58 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2017
A long 200 pages. Had a hard time keeping interest in this book. Should have never of taken 3 nights to read, but it was boring
Profile Image for Courtney.
17 reviews1 follower
January 7, 2022
Book number 9 in the series and I love the characters and the pace of the stories. However this was the most predictable of all. I knew who the murderer was way before and only found a small surprise at the end.
Profile Image for Karen.
304 reviews
February 28, 2025
As always, a page turner series. And you really don’t guess “who done it” until they reveal it!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews