Stamp of Approval

Mysteries Of Lancaster County #5

by Anne Marie Rodgers

Genres: Amish

Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sisters are getting ready for a baking contest and a family reunion when a valuable stamp goes missing.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery for the sisters to work on at Secondhand Blessings. They don't know who to suspect or trust, but it all works out in the end. John shows he has a forgiving heart and really does what is necessary. Monarch butterflies may be better off for awhile because of the sisters interest in what it takes to keep them safe and involving the community. New and old beaus are around to keep the shop stirred up and interesting.

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three sisters, Mary, Elizabeth, and Martha run a thrift shop. Mary accepts a piece of furniture from Clea to sell in the shop but later as she is moving it the drawer falls out and dumps a pile of papers on the floor. Mary and three customers pick up the papers to return to Clea. But Clea says something is missing -- that among the papers in the drawer was an extremely valuable postage stamp. Mary fears that one of the three customers who helped her has stolen the stamp and decides to investigate to find the thief and clear herself and the other customers.

Meanwhile, Martha wants desperately to win a baking contest and she has Ruth Zook's a prize-winning coffee cake recipe to do it with but she knows that would really make Ruth Zook the winner, not her. Elizabeth is in a frenzy preparing for the aunts and uncles who are coming for a family reunion.

The summary on the back cover is intentionally misleading. The choice of postage stamp used in the story is totally ridiculous for a number of reasons. For the purposes of the story, it would have been better to use a stamp (or perhaps a plate block) that was more believable or even to make up a fictional stamp. Mary describes the outcome as "humane" but I would describe it as very problematic , not just because Clea lied to the police, but because insurance fraud, intentionally filing an insurance claim knowing that it is false, is also a crime that can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the type and amount of the claim made to the insurance company. . The petty bickering among the three sisters makes me grateful once again that I was blessed with brothers.

Pro - the front cover is nice

Note: page 31 -- Structures that have been moved are not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places but Herr's Mill covered bridge was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1980 and wasn't moved until 2018. If structures are relocated after being listed, they can be removed from the Register but apparently it hardly ever happens.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sisters take in a piece of furniture and managed to spill all the papers in the drawer on the floor. Everyone picks them up and the former owner says there was a valuable stamp in the drawer. She planed on selling it to finance moving her husband to a home. No one can find the stamp anywhere and it becomes a police matter after insurance is notified. While this is going on the sisters are planning a family reunion with their elderly aunts. Elizabeth goes overboard trying to make the house look like it did 80 years ago while Martha tries to win a baking contest.

[Tambra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story .Mom and I are reading this Mystery Series as well. Great story about stamps that i did not know some info about. Great story.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in August. It is about butterflies, a stamp, dementia, redecorating, and a family reunion. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I had hoped the mystery would end differently.

[Faina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly a detective story, not an Amish book. An OK book about a life of 3 sisters.