by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of A Churn for the Worse and a link to purchase the book where a portion goes to help support KRL & an indie bookstore, and a link to purchase it on Amazon as well.

Claire Weatherly owns a shop that sells Amish wares in Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She lives with her Aunt Diane, who runs the local B&B. Working closely with the Amish gives Claire an insight that many ‘English,’ non-Amish, do not have. When her assistant, Annie, reveals an Amish man was found dead in his barn, she says it was God’s will. Considering there’s a shovel next to the body, it seems it was someone else’s will as well.

Claire convinces the girl that the police must be called. That means Jakob, Claire’s boyfriend, who was Amish but left the community after baptism. He is now shunned by friends and family alike. The Amish tend to answer questions just as they are asked and volunteer no information, so it’s a matter of knowing what to ask. Claire is often able to help.

After the body was found, it was also discovered that money was missing from the house. Amish also don’t use banks. Once word gets out, more families check their money stash and find portions missing. It seems a nice Englishman asked for a drink of water or directions, and then the theft was discovered. It was God’s will. Claire’s appalled that someone would betray the trust of her friends.

Diane’s guests include a travel blogger and his photographer, a man who sets up bus tours, and a consultant for towns that want more tourists (that may or may not be Heavenly). Diane is sure Heavenly does not need upscale bars to attract a younger crowd in off-season.

Even though Claire has known Diane her whole life, she still finds surprises like the fact that Diane loves horses. Diane goes about once a week to visit the Amish auction house to help out and visit them. Annie, her friend Henry, and Claire’s friend Esther all have new horses from that seller. Diane’s also been following the story of a missing horse. The truck/trailer he was in overturned and the horse disappeared. No one knows if he’s still alive or not.

This is the fifth book in the Amish Mystery series. Readers are able to find out more about Diane this time. Claire and Jakob are finding their way through romance, both a bit hesitant but moving forward anyway. The Amish community is as much a character as any of its members, as Bradford gives readers a glimpse into the simple life. You’ll want to read all five books to track Claire’s growth as she moves from neglected wife to divorcee to beloved.

To enter to win a copy of A Churn for the Worse, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “churn,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 19, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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You can use this link to order this book & a portion goes to help support KRL & Mysterious Galaxy:

A Churn for the Worse

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the arch, in the land of blues, booze and shoes—St Louis, Missouri. While writing magazine articles to support her mystery book habit, she secretly polishes two mystery books of her own, hoping, someday, they will see the light of Barnes and Noble. You can also find several of Sandra’s short stories on UnTreed Reads including her newest, “Arthur”, included in the anthology titled, Flash and Bang, available now.