Blueberry Cupcake Mystery

Amish Sweet Shop Mystery #1

by Naomi Miller

In the small town of Abbott Creek, mystery is as much a part of daily life as The Sweet Shop's Sugar Cookies. Katie Chupp spends her days at The Sweet Shop, taking care of customers and baking delicious treats . . . not exactly a profession where one expects to be thrown into the midst of mysteries and mayhem. But when the bakery is broken into, someone has to find the thief . . . besides finding another place to do the baking and get the orders to the customers. Is this a random theft, or is the thief trying to ruin the town's Independence Day celebration? Book 1 of the Sweet Shop Mysteries series Watch for book 2 - Christmas Cookie Mystery - COMING SOON!

Genres: Amish, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction, Fiction, Cozy

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Naomi Miller mixes up a batch of intrigue, sprinkled with Amish, Mennonite, & English characters, adding a pinch of mystery and a dash of romance!

Naomi’s day is spent focusing on her writing, editing, and blogging about her experiences with writing.

When she's not working diligently to finish the next book in her Sweet Shop Mystery series, Naomi enjoys meeting readers at workshops and author events.

Naomi is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization.

Naomi also enjoys traveling with her family, singing inspirational/gospel music, taking a daily walk, and witnessing to others of the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this so-called Amish mystery for several reasons. First, it’s a short and simple read that is better classified as fiction. There are no mystery elements in the story-- no investigation, no amateur or professional detective, no clues, and no red herrings. Second, this is really a short story, not a book. The page count both here (154 pages) and on my library’s website (131 pages) is misleading. There are 91 pages to the story and it is a large font with plenty of white space. Additional pages provide discussion questions, an author interview, and several pages of advertising for other books by the publisher. It probably is 131 pages with all of that counted in, but I don’t like the page inflation that results from advertising.

Third, the Amish element is sparse. I agree with another reviewer (Juli's review) that some Amish words in the story does not make for Amish fiction. The story needs more character development and background. I did not get a feel for the Amish in any way while reading this. Lastly, for me this feels like juvenile fiction. My library copy has this shelved as adult mystery, but on the copyright page of the book it is classified as young adult mystery. I do not consider it either of those. While the story can be enjoyed by adults, it is too simplistic to really be anything more than a short diversion. I don’t think the vast majority of young adults would find this satisfying either. It’s a simple, clean read with a cute cover. But that is also its downfall. What was a cozy cover at the beginning of the story felt juvenile at the end. It’s a sweet, clean read with a good message, but ultimately for me an unsatisfying read as anything other than juvenile fiction.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery by Naomi Miller is technically a cozy mystery but I would even classify it further as a “sweet mystery” and not just because of all the sugary goodness from the Sweet Shop Bakery. Cozy mysteries still have a measure of violence, murder, etc. and this book doesn’t have any of that. In fact, according to the Q&A at the end of the book, the author set out to write a “light mystery with a happy ending… that shows the good in people”. I think she’s done exactly that!

It’s a shorter novel – I would almost classify it as a novella – so it’s a quick and easy read. In fact, the writing style is light and simple and reminded me of the tone and pace and structure of a middle grade novel. Because of this, Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a book I would easily recommend for tweens and up. No violence, a reminder of the good of community, and the sweet tone also make this a great pick for that age group.

Bottom Line: In my opinion, the simpler writing style of Blueberry Cupcake Mystery would appeal more to a middle grade audience than an adult one, and there’s not much of a mystery to speak of. It’s really more about why than who, and there are none of the typical elements found in a mystery, other than the initial crime. However, the why allows Naomi Miller to envelop the story in a message of love and kindness and forgiveness, and there is a warmth to the storytelling that begs this book to be read aloud with a cluster of snuggly children and a toasty fire. Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is cute and sweet and it will make you smile. And frankly, we could all use a little more of that in our lives, couldn’t we?

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

Read my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery ( Sweet Shop Mysteries Series Book 1 )
By: Naomi Miller

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is the first book in Sweet Shop Mysteries series. I really enjoyed this first book . It is a good clean Amish Cozy mystery. The author had me hooked right from the start and did not let me go till the end . The story is about love ,forgiveness, and compassion . I am happy that I got in on Naomi Miller’s first book in this series. I can’t wait to read book two , Christmas Cookie Mystery that is coming soon. Katie works at The Bakery Sweet Shop . She comes in one morning and finds everything a mess. Who would break in and do such a thing and why? What will happen after Katie calls her boss and lets her know?
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author for my honest review.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you enjoy reading about the simple things of life? The days when people were neighbors to each other, caring for others in need? This story will stir those warm fuzzy feelings of simpler times, when people were not in too much of a rush to care for their neighbors. Naomi Miller is a new to me author, but she has a writing style that will make you think of the "old days" with fondness. A cute story. Katie Chupp is a young Amish woman with a heart to help her boss find out who broke into the bakery. What she didn't expect was to stumble onto the answer, quite innocently. A short novella length story, that you can easily read in one sitting. 4.5 stars from this reviewer. This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.

[Lyndon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very thin story - basically a short children's novella without much mystery (and no clues or investigative elements) and nothing to indicate this is Amish except for a few German words sprinkled throughout. I wouldn't classify this as a cozy mystery.

Also, the story takes up 89 of the 150 some pages of the book, the rest being lots of recipes, a few discussion questions and short Q&A, a 2 chapter preview of book 2, and lots of ads for the author's other books!

It's clean, it's quick (less than an hour read) but no setting or depth of characters. 2.5 stars.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naomi Miller's debut novel, Blueberry Cupcake Mystery, had me hooked when I read the first sentence. "Katie Chupp felt a chill run through her as she unlocked the door to The Sweet Shop".

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a cozy Amish mystery that was a delight to read. Naomi created a wonderful cast of characters, both Amish and Englishers, that had a lot to deal with on this special holiday. Who could cause so much damage to all the delicious baked goods in The Sweet Shop during the night? Will Katie's English boss expect her to speak with the police officer about what she discovered? What will Katie do when she stumbles upon a small child with one of her blueberry cupcakes?

Preorder your copy of this heartwarming cozy mystery filled with compassion, romance blossoming between characters, forgiveness, faith and determination to make things right. I rated this book 5 stars and looking forward to the next book in Amish Sweet Shop Mysteries, Christmas Cookie Mystery. Naomi Miller knows how to create a lighthearted cozy mystery with some very unexpected twists and turns.

I received a complimentary copy of Blueberry Cupcake Mystery from the author for my honest review which I have given.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a delightful debut novel. It is a fun mystery with wonderful characters and a beautiful story of compassion and forgiveness. I was pulled into the story from the first pages and read it in one setting because I didn't want to put it down. I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and this is one that I definitely recommend to the reader who enjoys a good clean Amish cozy mystery. I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short novel. I enjoyed making new friends and I am also enjoying to know Naomi as well.
This short novel is a fast, and paced fun loving book.
I'm thinking that the message of this short novel is that our Lord is a wonderful God. He sends ppl to us in our time of need at the right time and the right place.
If someone does something wrong, it's not always best to punish them but to help them on the best way we know how!!!! Then, if they don't want to except help there are other options.
God is good is he not?
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Thank you Naomi for letting me read and review this short novel

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this wonderful Amish mystery book. It is the first book in Sweet Shop Mysteries series. I was hooked from the first sentence. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. This is a cute Amish mystery, I recommend to anyone who like Amish/mysteries. This is my first book by Naomi Miller and it won't be the last. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

[Jessica Baker (A Baker's Perspective) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the first installment of the Amish Sweet Shop Mysteries and am excited to read the next installments! The Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a clean read that tells a story of forgiveness and helping others. It was a good example of how we should act as Christians!

Poor Katie. My heart went out to her when she walked into the bake shop only to find someone had broken in. I admires the way she remained calm throughout the entire day, not letting it get the best of her. She even remained this way when faced with the truth of the culprits and their family situation. I did not a all think of that situation, and assumed it would of had a different outcome altogether. I was pleasantly surprised.

I think Naomi did well in this short novel and expect to see lots of her in the future! If you are looking for a clean and short Amish mystery, then this is the book for you!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review which I have given.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Facebook friend of mine recommended this book to me. I had not read anything by Naomi Miller before. I decided to give this book a try. I was attracted by the delicious looking cover. Who doesn't like blueberry cup cakes? Tucked between the covers is one powerful message about forgiveness and love. A little bit of mystery also included. Made me ask myself this question"What would I do if I had been in this same situation. This story shows us how grace goes hand in hand with forgiveness. I loved the lesson this book had for all of us. I'm ready for Naomis Christmas story now.

[Rachel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a sweet, fun and intriguing mystery you can really sink your teeth into!

I was blessed to get an early look at this story (due to the fact that I designed the cover) - so I may be a tiny bit biased . . . but I think this book is fantastic!

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Racconto che si legge velocemente perché scritto in un inglese molto semplice. L'autrice appartiene al genere inspirational e si sente. La copertina è molto bella. Concludendo, una veloce lettura per un momento di relax.

[Elaine Shorb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is the first book that I have read by author Naomi Miller.
From the first sentence to the last sentence, I was hooked on this book. And, you will be, too
I highly recommend this book!

[Linda]

Really liked this book it was very interesting and kept me wanting to keep reading it to find out what was going to happen can not wait for the next one.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very quick and sweet mystery. Because it was fairly short, there wasn't a lot of time to flesh out the characters, but I could quickly tell that Katie was a likable young woman who enjoyed helping others even if they weren't other Amish people. Her boss was a very nice and fair woman who had hired Katie and her friend Frieda to bake in her shop. Due to the nature of the bakery theft, I thought Mrs. Simpkins handled the consequences fairly. This is the perfect clean cozy that anyone, including younger readers, would enjoy.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars- What a sweet cozy mystery with a good message at the end! This is a mystery for all ages- it would be a good read along for a family to share. A Christian novel that isn’t pushy -the message is there for everyone told by a young adult working in a neighborhood bakery. I’m looking forward to reading more of this series.

[Heather Pickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming first entry to an Amish mystery series. This novella features Katie, the Amish employee of the local bakery, who cracks the case. Katie has a sweet nature with a heart of gold. I look forward to the next in the series.

[Connie Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly the sweetest mystery ever written. Cannot wait to read the next Sweet shop mystery! That for this story Naomi Miller

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is simple, short and sweet.

I'm going to talk about the things I enjoy about this story first. Then I will delve into some constructive discussion of things I think are problematic.

First, readers should be aware that this is Christian fiction. If the Christian faith is not your belief or you are bothered by Christian themes, then avoid this book. The Christian theme is not overdone (I have read Christian fiction that just slammed you with scripture and Christian themes so much it over-powered the main plot), but presented as part of the Amish theme. The main character thanks God and talks about blessings in her life, etc. She does not sermonize and the book is not evangelistic or overly moralistic. It presents a theme of forgiveness, kindness and faith. The story is charming, not preachy.

While it did make the author's writing style seem a bit stilted at times, I enjoyed the use of Amish words (not sure if Dutch or German) in the conversation and thoughts of the Amish main character. I grew up with a German grandfather who mixed English and German as he spoke. So as I read the story I felt nostalgic for the times I spent with him as a young girl. I wish I could have my grandpa back for just one day. He used to speak to me in German and I would answer him in English. I've forgotten almost all of the German I knew as a child. This story made me smile and brought back fond memories of my Opa.

The cover of the book is gorgeous and well done. The book has an inviting appearance and the cupcake on the front looks absolutely scrumptious! Plus, there is a recipe included for blueberry cupcakes. :) mmmmmm :)

Now.....I have to also mention some disappointments with this book.

The font size is huge. This book is very short. The only way the story is extended to 91 pages was by using huge type and making the margins wide. I tried this once in school on a book report because I couldn't stretch "I didn't like this book'' to the required four pages. I got detention. So, this was a glaring no-no for me as a reader and reviewer. It is a silly trick in elementary school...and a publisher should know better than to do this. There is very little character development, location description or details about the Amish in this book. With just a bit more detail and description added, the story could have been better and this story would have been book-length without resorting to a huge font. As it is, this is really a short story or very slim novella typed large to make it appear to be a book.

Along those same lines, throwing in some Amish language and having the main character fret about the behavior of Englishers does not make a story Amish fiction. There is just not enough detail or character development. Even if this book is classified as a children's or young adult book, there still needs to be some detail to flesh out characters and even just a little bit of background or subplot about the Amish, the town -- anything really -- to make this a flowing, interesting story. As it is, the characters are weak and undeveloped. And the only thing Amish in the story is a few foreign words and some behavior that isn't explained or detailed. While sweet, the story just lacks depth.

And my last point, the mystery is weak. I understand wanting to avoid a murder mystery in a Christian/Amish themed book. There is nothing wrong with a non-violent mystery theme. But, as with characterization and place, there is no real development or tension building. Their bakery business is broken into and items stolen and damaged. The culprit must be found. But the journey from incident to final solution is lackluster. This could be because of poor story development or the fact that the book is so short. I think maybe it's a combination of both problems.

This is the first book in this series. I haven't read the newest book, The Christmas Cookie Mystery. It could be that the writing style and story development improves with the second book. After reading only this first book, I have to say that this book might be better classified as a children's book rather than Young Adult. I think a younger elementary age child would enjoy reading this story or having it read to them. I could see this book being used to help reading comprehension in a Christian homeschool environment. An adult or teenager might enjoy this book as a quick read. As for myself, I enjoyed its charming points, but the plot is just too simple for me. I'm going to give it a middle of the road rating because it reminded me of my Opa and made me smile. Without that nostalgia, my rating might have been lower.

I hope in the second book that the huge font becomes normal-size and the story lengthened with actual plot and character development. I'm going to read the next book and see if there are improvements. If not, I won't be reading more of this series.

[Just Commonly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the cover of Blueberry Cupcake Mystery by Naomi Miller. Very pretty design, and if you know me, covers are one way to get me to read a book. Upon turning the pages to start reading this book, I am reminded of English class in my school days when book reports were customary. My teacher would always say, "Beware of page inflation." What he meant by that was when we type our reports, we should be wary of increasing our margins or our font sizes to give the perception of a longer report. Yes, Blueberry Cupcake Mystery was full of page inflation. The font size was larger than large print books! I had to close the book and inspect it to see if I received a large print edition instead. With 115 pages of the story itself, this was a short novel for sure.

I ventured on. Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is what this collection is - a sweet and cozy story. For fans of cozy stories, you'll enjoy this one. However, due to the nature of short novels, I finished this within the hour, and did not feel the "mystery" aspect held my attention at all nor understanding what makes it "Amish" besides the periodic Dutch words. What I did enjoy was the message, which would be a great story for many, especially a younger audience to grasp and learn from. In all, not what I expected, but definitely a simple quick read.


This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through Celebrate Lit Publicity Tours for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm doing something a bit out of the ordinary.

I want to let Naomi talk about why Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a different sort of book...

My inspiration originally came from books written to make Amish young people look weak and easily manipulated, or worldly.

I was working on an Amish Suspense novel, when I felt God guiding me to write a series of books that show family, faith, forgiveness, and grace -- instead of murder, mayhem, and danger -- or worse, vampires, zombies, and demons.

I believe that Blueberry Cupcake Mystery accomplishes this task, and I think you'll enjoy this story. It has has been compared to the Nancy Drew series, and it's perfect for young readers, but I've heard from many readers -- young and old -- who enjoyed the story.

It's somewhere between a short story and a novella, but I truly felt that it was complete, so it's a quick, fun read.

I hope readers pick up this book (and any future books in the series) when they need something to distract them from sadness, worry, and doubt. I hope reading a light-hearted, fun cozy mystery, will inspire readers and leave them feeling happy and content.

Happy Reading!
Naomi

God bless you!

[Naomi Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My inspiration originally came from books written to make Amish young people look weak and easily manipulated, or worldly.

I was working on an Amish Suspense novel, when I felt God guiding me to write a series of books that show family, faith, forgiveness, and grace - instead of murder, mayhem, and danger - or worse, vampires, zombies, and demons.

I believe that Blueberry Cupcake Mystery accomplishes this task, and I think you'll enjoy this story. It has been compared to the Nancy Drew series, and it's perfect for young readers, but I've heard from many readers - young and old - who enjoyed the story.

It's somewhere between a short story and a novella, but I truly felt that it was complete, so it's a quick, fun read.

I hope readers pick up this book (and any future books in the series) when they need something to distract them from sadness, worry, and doubt. I hope reading a light-hearted, fun cozy mystery, will inspire readers and leave them feeling happy and content.

Happy Reading!
Naomi

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLUEBERRY CUPCAKE MYSTERY is Ms. Miller's debut novel and it was simply adorable! I loved the lighthearted cozy mystery, no dead bodies included, and it was a fun, sweet, easy read that wasn't scary at all and included a great message about loving others as Christ would.

BLUEBERRY CUPCAKE MYSTERY is only 114 pages long and the print is very large so it is an easy and quick read. I read it in a short time and then my fourteen year old daughter sat down and read it the same evening. I am not sure, but this reads like a tween book or maybe even a beginning chapter book, but even if it isn't, it is still a good clean read for Amish fans. Clean, baking, quilts, loving others as Christ would, etc.

The book would've benefited from better editing (or maybe a good critique partner) but even as it is a fun read. I enjoyed BLUEBERRY CUPCAKE MYSTERY and recommend it for beginning chapter readers and tweens as a good Amish cozy mystery. 5 stars.

[Ashley Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, quick read. I really enjoyed meeting these characters. Katie is a sweet, caring Amish girl. When she walks in to the store where she works, she is startled to find it has been robbed. Luckily she kept her head and didn't panic.
I really liked Katie and all of the characters here. There were a mix of Amish and English characters. The mystery worked itself out and I enjoyed the journey. I hope there are books, maybe about Katie's friends, and more mysteries to work through. This story was very short but is great at showing forgiveness and how one person can change the outcome of events. A few errors in the book, but nothing huge.
It was a 4/5 for me. I really would like to visit these characters again.

Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book (via Celebrate Lit). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific debut short story from Naomi Miller. She has crafted a well written story with wonderful characters that captures the feelings of the Amish community and the longing perhaps for simpler times. I was completely delighted by this story and will be looking for the second book in the series.

[Lynne Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and sweet short read. The Amish characters were lovable and and fun. Loved the storyline that included a burglary and murder.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first opened this book, I couldn't believe how huge the print was in it. I've been reading a lot of books lately to preview for my third grade classroom and the print size was of similar size. I thought that maybe I had made a mistake and won a children's book from the Goodreads giveaway instead of an adult book. As I continued to read, I realized that it was indeed an adult cozy mystery. I would say it felt more like I was reading a novella and I finished it in less than an hour. I like how the book started off with a glossary of Amish words. I referred to this glossary a lot as I learned some of the new Amish words (although many of them are cognates or can be figured out easily through context clues). The book starts off with Katie discovering that The Sweet Shop has been robbed. She is able to solve the mystery in less than a day and the end of the book offers a sweet lesson in forgiveness. If the author added a kid main character that could help solve the mystery, I think this book would be a perfect book for 3rd-5th graders. (As I read this book, it felt like I was reading a plot line straight out of a Boxcar Children book.) However, as an adult, I just wasn't able to get much satisfaction from this book. It was just too simple for me and I was very distracted by the poor editing of this book. On some pages there are huge spaces between words. (They are so large I can fit the width of my pointer finger in between each word.) On another page an entire paragraph is repeated two times. Obviously one of the paragraphs needed to be deleted. I feel like this book would have worked better in an anthology of short stories instead of trying to stretch it out into a stand alone book. On the plus side, the cover of the book has a yummy cupcake to look at and there is a delicious sounding recipe at the end of the book for Blueberry Cupcakes that I will probably try. Since the book was set on Independence Day, it was fun to read this book a few days after having celebrated this holiday myself.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery by Naomi Miller is a delightful Amish novella and just perfect for an evening's read.
Inspite of being short it is packed full of godly themes and lives out taking care of widows and orphans.
Linked in to that theme is the theme of helping your neighbour. Jesus said that whenever we feed/clothe someone, it is as if we are feeding and clothing Him. This novella certainly encapsulates that.
No matter what happens in life, God is in control. He can use bad situations and turn them round for good.
Being a Christian means having a relationship with God. It is important to take all our concerns to Him. "Dear Gott I'm scared! Give me wisdom to know what to do and courage to do it." God desires to be a part of the whole of our lives. Prayer is just a conversation with God.
There is the theme of trusting God. No matter what happens, we can trust God in the good and the bad times.
Within the novella, Naomi Miller shows how important it is not to stand in judgement of another. "It is not my place to judge anyone." We do not know what another has gone through that has sparked their behaviour.
Linked to the theme of judgement is that of forgiveness. It is our job to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us.
Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a wonderful little novella and I can highly recommend it. It will leave you with a calm feel good feeling.

I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. No monetary compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.

[Becky Dempsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story. The characters aren't very developed, but with it being as short as it is, you don't expect them to be as developed as in a longer book. There was a little talk about the Plain folk, but overall, if it weren't for the inclusion of the Amish words, it didn't really feel like an Amish story. It did include a nice amount of references to God and prayer. There really wasn't much in the way of a mystery and it was solved very quickly. To me, the story felt like it was meant for middle graders.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review during the Celebrate Lit blog tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.