This one was enjoyable, as they all are, but I felt something was lacking. There was more personal drama, and less about the Amish. There was a lot of investigation, and a lot of discussion about the investigation, but I felt some clues were missing for the readers. ( )

Now as you see the title of this book it is the sixth in a series, but the first that I have read, and it didn’t take much to be caught up and involved in the lives of these English and Amish in Heavenly.
The author offers us a story with a bit of romance, family love and comradery, with a glimpse into Amish life, and unfortunately a murder.
Right to the end of the book you really don’t know how things are going to turn out, and I never saw the ending coming.
Now I want more, I want to move on with Claire and Jakob, and more of Diane and Bill, and now I am looking forward to another read in this series!

I received this book through First Reads, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

Just Plain Murder is the sixth book in the An Amish Mystery series.

This is a wonderful series centering around the lives of Claire Weatherly, a shop owner, and her police detective, Jakob Fisher and the Amish community of Heavenly, PA. Jakob had been baptized in the Amish but had decided to leave the Amish church and become a policeman. Growing up he had been in awe of the police chief of Heavenly, Russ Granger, who ended up being Jakob’s mentor. A few years ago Granger retired and moved to Florida, but had always kept in touch with Jakob often reviewing cases with each other. Granger liked to review “cold cases” thinking he might see something that would be the clue needed to solve the case.

Jakob is excited when he gets a phone call from Russ saying he is in town to visit with his daughter and grandchildren and would like to meet with Jakob that evening. Jakob puts off the meeting as he would probably have a late night and he and Claire have planned a picnic for the next morning. Unfortunately, while on their picnic Jakob gets a phone informing him the Russ Granger’s lifeless body has been found in the backyard of his daughter’s home.

Granger’s murder hits Jakob particularly hard, not only was he Jakob’s good friend and mentor, but Jakob feels that if he had met with him he wouldn’t have been killed. Jakob sets out to solve Granger’s murder and will do so with Claire’s valuable assistance.

Also happening in and around Heavenly. Claire’s Aunt Diane might have a romantic interest. Billy, who we met in book five has come back for another visit and just might become a regular character. Ben, an Amish friend of Claire’s, and who had wanted to leave the church for Claire, might see romance heading his way.

This is another well-plotted and told story from Ms. Bradford. The residents of Heavenly are wonderful and well developed and the interaction with the Amish community is well done.

I am looking forward to the next book in this delightful series. ( )