Where to Start with the Amish Mysteries
The best place to begin the series is with the debut novel, Hearse and Buggy. This book establishes the setting of Heavenly, Pennsylvania, and introduces the two central characters: Claire Weatherly, the owner of an Amish specialty shop, and Jakob Fisher, a police detective who was shunned by his family after leaving the Amish faith. Because their personal relationship and the overarching community dynamics evolve significantly from one book to the next, reading the series in its publication and chronological order is highly recommended.
Publication and Chronological Reading Order
The series timeline is straightforward, following its publication order. Below is the complete reading path, integrating the seven full-length novels and the two digital short stories:
- Hearse and Buggy (2012) - The series debut where Claire and Jakob first team up to clear an Amish suspect.
- Assaulted Pretzel (2013) - A toy manufacturer exploiting Amish designs is found murdered, sparking a new investigation.
- Shunned and Dangerous (2014) - A body discovered in a corn maze brings the case uncomfortably close to Jakob's estranged family.
- Suspendered Sentence (2015) - Tensions flare in Heavenly when an Amish woodworker is accused of killing a developer.
- A Christmas Mourning (2015) - A festive e-novella (Book 4.5) focusing on Jakob's childhood and a missing family heirloom.
- A Churn for the Worse (2016) - Claire and Jakob investigate a body discovered at a local cheese shop.
- Plain as Day (2018) - A short story (Book 5.5) in which Claire searches for the owner of a lost necklace found at a local inn.
- Just Plain Murder (2018) - Claire's shop assistant, Esther, becomes a key suspect in a murder at an Amish farm.
- A Killer Carol (2019) - The final full-length novel features a holiday-themed double murder that wraps up the main series.
Understanding the Novellas and Short Stories
While you can follow the main plot by sticking to the novels, Laura Bradford wrote two digital-only short stories that add valuable background to the recurring characters:
- A Christmas Mourning (Book 4.5) is set during the holidays between Suspendered Sentence and A Churn for the Worse. It is highly recommended for readers who want to understand Jakob's past, as it details the childhood mistake that caused his estrangement from his mother and community.
- Plain as Day (Book 5.5) is set between A Churn for the Worse and Just Plain Murder. It follows Claire as she tracks down the owner of a lost necklace, leading to a secondary mystery involving a missing author.
Beyond Heavenly: Spin-offs, Anthologies, and Other Amish Books
If you have finished the Amish Mysteries and want to read more Amish-themed or cozy fiction by Laura Bradford, consider these titles:
- The Amish Sweet Shop (2018): A Valentine's Day romance anthology. Bradford's contribution is a story titled "The Sweetest Truth," which follows Sadie Fischer as she receives mysterious gifts. Note that this is a romance rather than a cozy mystery.
- Standalone Amish Novels: Bradford has written Amish-themed women's fiction, including Portrait of a Sister (2018), which follows a young Amish woman whose twin sister leaves for New York, and Piece by Piece (2020), which explores a grieving mother's healing journey in Amish country.
- Other Cozy Series: Under her own name and her pen name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey, Bradford has written several other cozy series, such as the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries, and the A Friend for Hire Mysteries.