Murder Simply Brewed by Vannetta Chapman - REVIEWED and DRAWING!!

About the Book:
When the coffee shop manager is murdered in Middlebury’s Amish Artisan Village, two women from different walks of life must join together to solve the mystery. Spring has arrived in Middlebury, Indiana, and Amber Wright is optimistic about the growing profit from her collection of Amish shops---until she receives a call that Ethan Gray is dead. Hurrying over to A Simple Blend, she finds a solitary hole in the front window and the store manager lying next to the espresso machine, dead from an apparent heart attack. All the money is still in his register. When Amber hires a young Amish woman, Hannah Troyer, to take over the shop’s duties, the two women become fast friends---as well as amateur sleuths. The police believe Gray’s death is a by-product of vandalism, but Amber and Hannah aren't convinced. Clues that don't add up, a neighbor who is pulled into the midst of the investigation, a town with secrets to hide, and a blossoming romance---all will combine to push Amber and Hannah into unfamiliar roles in order to reveal answers to the mysteries around them.

My Thoughts:

“Our mind has a way of working out our fears, but God – he has a way of making us a new creature if we let Him.”  (p. 351)

When I first began Vannetta Chapman’s book, Murder Simply Brewed, I was immediately captivated by the characters.  When the murder was discovered and the investigation was less than satisfying, I really became interested to see whether or not this set of characters would sort out the series of mishaps that seemed to accompany the murder. Amber Wright and Hannah Troyer’s lives intersect in interesting ways from the moment the body is discovered, and the relationships that develop throughout the story only add to its richness.

There is something about setting a murder mystery among the Amish community that intrigues me.  That’s why the quote I found on page 351 seems to embody the mixture of Amish and Englisch lives that blend together – not so seamlessly as you would suppose – throughout the story. I think I was the first one to fall in love with Tate Bowman!! Such a salt-of-the-earth character!  And Hannah’s faith and ingenuity is the perfect balance to Amber’s independence.  This story is a great blend of many elements that come together to form an intriguing mystery.  (dare I suggest that there is an relational element that makes is even more intriguing?)

As with any good mystery, the villain is hidden in plain site.  There is one scene toward the end that is going to give some readers a serious case of the creeps – or, in my world, heebie-jeebies!  I was totally not expecting that!!  Thank goodness for animal planet and National Geographic is all I’m saying! So get ready for a great adventure readers!  You will enjoy your visit to the Village, where murder is Simply Brewed!

If you want to win a free copy of this book, please leave your name and email in the comments and I will pick a winner next week!  The publisher will mail you a free copy of the book for you to enjoy!

About the Author:

Vannetta Chapman is author of the best-selling novel A Simple Amish Christmas. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. In 2012 she was awarded a Carol Award for Falling to Pieces. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Visit Vannetta's webiste: www.vannettachapman.com Twitter: @VennettaChapman Facebook: VannettaChapmanBooks