Peanut Butter Panic
An Amish Candy Shop Mystery #7

My Thoughts on Peanut Butter Panic

Margot Rawlings’, a force of nature when it comes to organizing events in Harvest, Ohio, domineering mother is coming to town for Thanksgiving. Zara Bevan is a retired Holmes County judge living in Florida. When Ruth Yoder, the bishop’s wife, hears that Zara is returning to Harvest, Ruth is determined to have the Amish boycott the Thanksgiving community dinner Margot has worked so hard to put together. In her position as judge, Zara came down hard on Amish that appeared in her courtroom.
Zara’s arrival does nothing to ease tensions. Her first words to Bailey King are scornful of Bailey’s decision to give up her career and life in New York City to live in Harvest. It never occurs to Zara that Bailey’s decision isn’t Zara’s business. Zara may have hung up her gavel years earlier, but she still renders judgment on everyone and everything around her. To increase tension around her visit, Zara introduces her much younger boyfriend, Blaze Smith, a tennis pro.
The next day’s Thanksgiving dinner starts off without much of a hitch-until Zara decides it is the perfect time to announce her engagement to Blaze. Not long after Zara’s announcement, Blaze falls face first into his mashed potatoes. It’s clear to Zara that Blaze is having an allergic reaction to something he ate, and his epi pen is nowhere to be found. Bailey’s drawn into the investigation when her desserts are suspected of causing Blaze’s death.
Peanut Butter Panic also ups the tension regarding Bailey and Aiden’s relationship. Aiden resigned as a deputy from the Holmes’ County Sheriff’s Department to take a position with Ohio’s BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation). This new job keeps him away from Harvest and Bailey feels their relationship may be in trouble.

Recommendation

Peanut Butter Panic is a wonderful return to Harvest and the people living there. Zara Bevan is the perfect character to throw a wrench into the established relationships of community members. She has ties to the community, but not in a good way. She is a mother too obsessed with herself to ever establish good relationships anyone else, especially her daughter. Flower explores these complicated relationships, as well as writing a mystery that keeps the reader guessing to the end. Highly recommended.

Read the first chapter