Book Review: Plain Deception by Tara Randel

Plain Deception (Amish Inn Mysteries #2). Tara Randel. Annie's (2016). 204 pages. Genre: Cozy Mystery.

First Line: "Liz Eckardt paused in her gleaming modern kitchen, the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee in the air and the happy sound of her bed-and-breakfast guests erupting in shared laughter."

Summary: Liz is settling into her new life as Innkeeper.  Her rooms are booked most weekends, she finds a lot of fulfillment in her duties at the Inn and she has made some new friends. When she has a few spare minutes, she likes to sit on a bench near the lilac bush.  On this particular morning, her time there is not so pleasant.  Her dog, Beans, has dug a giant hole near the bush.  Upon further inspection, Liz discovers he has uncovered what appears to be the remains of a human. Nearby, she discovers a plastic bag containing a old letter and photo.   The Inn is full of guests Liz does not want to alarm.  She does her best to be discreet in notifying the police. 

The letter is written by a woman named Emma, who is professing her undying love to an unknown man.  Liz can't stop thinking about the woman.  She gets permission from the Chief of police to take possession of the letter and photo.  In her quest to discover who Emma is, she enlists the help of a local historian.  Unfortunately, things are never as easy as we hope.  Liz only ends up with more questions and very few answers.  She does not give up easily.  While the police are investigating the identity of the bones, Liz digs deeper into the mystery of the lady in the picture. 

My thoughts: One of the things I like about this series is the way the Amish are incorporated into the story.  After discovering she has Amish heritage, Liz is eager to learn more about their way of life.  The Olde Mansion Inn is located in the heart of Amish country in Indiana.  Liz has made several Amish friends and I enjoy the role these characters play in the story.

Liz previously worked as a lawyer and finds many of the skills she learned in that field helpful in her new life as innkeeper. She is confident, kind and eager to make new friends. I appreciated how her investigations did not interfere with the police investigations. She does work closely with the Chief as she wants to clear up the mystery of the bones found on her property, but she doesn't attempt to take the investigation into her own hands. 

She has a great group of friends in the Material Girls, the quilting group that meets at the Inn.  They are a diverse group that really cares about Liz and each one contributes to the story.  Most of them are older than Liz and have lived in the area for many years.  They often are fonts of information and sometimes gossip. 

On her quest to solve the mystery of the woman in the photo, Liz is introduced to some new people in town.  One is a local expert in the field of genealogy, another specializes in history.  It was interesting to learn how each field contributed to finding the kind of information Liz was looking for. There was a lot to uncover to get to the bottom of the mysteries.  I had an idea who the culprit was in one case, but was completely taken by surprise in the other. 

Liz is developing a friendship (or maybe more) with mayor Jackson Cross.  I look forward to seeing how this develops in the future. It won't be long until I visit Pleasant Creek again to catch up with Liz and her friends.