Book Review: Deceptive Hearts by Marlene Chase

 

Deceptive Hearts (Amish Inn Mysteries #9). Marlene Chase. Annie's (2017). 201 pages. Genre: Cozy Mystery.

First Line of the Prologue: "He paused at the entrance of the dimly lit cafe and watched the girl seated near the back."

Summary:  Liz Eckardt and The Material Girls sewing group are planning a Valentine's Day party to take place at Olde Mansion Inn.  In the midst of the planning Liz has several guests staying at the Inn.  One frosty morning as Liz heads out for a walk, she discovers the body of one of her guests.  She and the other guests hadn't seen him since he checked in and assumed he was enjoying the privacy of his room.  Very little is known about him as he was traveling alone.  The police discover an old photograph of one of  Pleasant Creek's citizens in the victim's pocket.  Who was this man and why was he in Pleasant Creek.  The authorities have their work cut out for them, but can always count on a little help from Liz and The Material Girls.

My thoughts:  I picked this book up thinking it was the third in the series.  It wasn't until I finished it that I discovered it was actually the ninth.  I have read the first two books in the series so I was familiar with the characters, but I had no problem jumping in here.  I will go back and read the books I missed, however.

This is a series that includes several authors.  I had not read Marlene Chase before, but I really like her writing style.  The book starts with a prologue from the point of view of a man with a woman who seems to be Amish.  We know from his thoughts that he is using her to find someone in a photo.  It was a little creepy, but set a good tone for the book.

Liz has an interesting mix of guests at the inn this time.  There are two sisters and their cousin.  The cousin is an avid birdwatcher who they have not seen for years.  They decided to meet up at the inn and get reacquainted.  The cousin's character was entertaining.  He is always spouting off bird facts and I learned some interesting things.  

One thing I always enjoy about this series is the interaction of the Amish and the English.  Liz's mother was Amish, but left the order before Liz was born.  After her mother's death, Liz returned to Indiana to find out more about her mother's family.  There are always Amish characters in the stories and it is interesting to have their lifestyle included without it being the focus of the story.  

The pacing was just right.  The secondary story lines didn't slow down the flow, but added to the story.  The mystery was complicated especially as the victim was a mystery himself.  Liz is the perfect cozy sleuth - she only gets involved when she can truly help the police.  And if she happens to discover something on her own, she is quick to let the police know.  There were a couple of times when something happened that should have been a red flag, but Liz just explained it away.  Maybe it was a red flag to me because I read so many mysteries.  I did appreciate that the author always gave a good reason for the characters not to be alarmed by something I was pretty sure was a clue.  

I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to going back and reading books two through eight.  If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I think you might like this one.  

Quotes:

"The sky seemed like a designer quilt in a hundred shades of white - lavender-white, blue-white, gray-white.  Like busy crafters, snowflakes sewed a border on a hemlock-covered hill, embroidered a valley and stitched a ruffle on a porch rail."

"Sweet Sarah, for whom faith was a living, everyday reality."

"She was a woman who had learned the secret of aging gracefully.  She enjoyed life and looked for the best in everyone."

Other books in the series:

1. Secrets of the Amish Diary by Rachael Phillips

2.  Plain Deception by Tara Randel