Amanda Flower Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Amanda Flower

Amanda Flower is exceptionally prolific, spanning multiple cozy subgenres from Amish-themed whodunits to historical mysteries and magical bookshops. If you are new to her work, there are three primary entry points depending on your tastes:

• For the classic Amish cozy experience: Start with Assaulted Caramel, the first book in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries. This is her most famous series and introduces you to the shared setting of Harvest, Ohio.
• For historical mystery fans: Start with Because I Could Not Stop for Death, the first book in the Emily Dickinson Mysteries, which blends real literary history with clever fictional crimes.
• For a touch of magic: Start with Crime and Poetry, launching the Magical Bookshop Mysteries, which features a mystical bookstore and a delightful New York village setting.

The Harvest, Ohio Shared Universe

Two of Flower's most beloved series take place in the fictional town of Harvest, Ohio. Because the characters know one another and frequently cross paths, reading these series in tandem or starting with the Candy Shop series offers the richest experience.

Amish Candy Shop Mysteries

This series follows Bailey King, a talented chocolatier who returns to Ohio to help her grandparents run Swissmen Sweets. Below is the recommended reading order. Note that the holiday novellas are best read in their chronological spots to avoid minor character development spoilers, though they were also collected in the omnibus volume Amish Candy Shop Holidays.

1. Assaulted Caramel (2017)
2. Lethal Licorice (2018)
3. Premeditated Peppermint (2018)
4. Criminally Cocoa (2019 - Novella #3.5)
5. Toxic Toffee (2019)
6. Marshmallow Malice (2020)
7. Botched Butterscotch (2020 - Novella #4.5)
8. Candy Cane Crime (2020 - Novella #5.5)
9. Lemon Drop Dead (2021)
10. Amish Candy Shop Holidays (2021 - Omnibus collecting the three novellas above)
11. Peanut Butter Panic (2022)
12. Blueberry Blunder (2023)
13. Gingerbread Danger (2024)

Amish Matchmaker Mysteries (Spin-Off)

Millie Fisher, a widow and secondary character from the Amish Candy Shop series, takes center stage in this direct spin-off. She utilizes her matchmaking skills (and investigative curiosity) to solve local crimes. You can read these after finishing the first few Amish Candy Shop books:

1. Matchmaking Can Be Murder (2019)
2. Courting Can Be Killer (2020)
3. Marriage Can Be Mischief (2021)
4. Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous (2022)
5. Dating Can Be Deadly (2023)

Other Amish-Themed Cozy Series

Beyond the Harvest, Ohio universe, Amanda Flower has written two other distinct Amish mystery series:

Appleseed Creek Mysteries

Her first foray into Amish mysteries, this series stars Chloe Humphrey, a tech-savvy outsider who takes a computer job in Ohio's Amish country and finds herself unraveling local mysteries.

1. A Plain Death (2012)
2. A Plain Scandal (2013)
3. A Plain Disappearance (2013)
4. A Plain Malice (2014)

Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries (Written as Isabella Alan)

Writing under the pseudonym Isabella Alan, Flower created this cozy series centering on Angela Braddock, who inherits her aunt's quilt shop in Rolling Brook, Ohio. Plainly Murder is a prequel novella that sets up the events of the first full novel.

1. Plainly Murder (2013 - Novella #0.5)
2. Murder, Plain and Simple (2013)
3. Murder, Simply Stitched (2014)
4. Murder, Served Simply (2014)
5. Murder, Plainly Read (2015)
6. Murder, Handcrafted (2016)

Cozy Shop and Magical Mysteries

If you prefer cozy mysteries with elements of magic, gardening, or small-scale farming, these three standalone series are excellent choices.

Magical Bookshop Mysteries

Violet Waverly and her grandmother Daisy run "Charming Books" in Cascade Springs, New York, a bookshop that has a magical mind of its own and a resident crow named Trafalgar.

1. Crime and Poetry (2016)
2. Prose and Cons (2016)
3. Murders and Metaphors (2019)
4. Verse and Vengeance (2019)
5. Crimes and Covers (2022)

Magic Garden Mysteries

Florist Fiona Knox inherits a cottage and a walled garden in Scotland, only to find the garden holds ancient magic and the local village holds dangerous secrets.

1. Flowers and Foul Play (2018)
2. Death and Daisies (2018)
3. Mums and Mayhem (2020)

Farm to Table Mysteries

Shiloh Bellamy returns to her hometown in Michigan to rescue her family's farm, turning it into a organic farm-to-table operation while solving local murders.

1. Farm to Trouble (2021)
2. Put Out to Pasture (2022)
3. In Farm's Way (2023)
4. Crime and Cherry Pits (2024)

Historical Cozy Mysteries

Amanda Flower's historical mystery series bring real-life historical figures into the sleuthing world, offering meticulous period detail alongside traditional cozy tropes.

Emily Dickinson Mysteries

Featuring the famous American poet Emily Dickinson and her housemaid Willa Noble, this series is set in Amherst, Massachusetts during the 1850s.

1. Because I Could Not Stop for Death (2022)
2. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died (2023)
3. I Died for Beauty (2025)

Katharine Wright Mysteries

This historical mystery series features Katharine Wright, the intelligent and fiercely independent sister of aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright.

1. To Slip the Bonds of Earth (2024)
2. Not They Who Soar (2025)

Other Mysteries, Children's Books, and Anthologies

Rounding out Flower's diverse catalog are several short-run series, young adult mysteries, and collaborative anthologies:

• Living History Museum Mysteries: Follows Kelsey Cambridge, the director of Barton Farm, a living history museum in Ohio. The series includes The Final Reveille (2015), The Final Tap (2016), and The Final Vow (2017).
• Piper and Porter Mysteries: This series stars private investigator Piper and detective Porter, featuring Dead-End Detective (2020) and Frozen Detective (2022).
• India Hayes Mysteries: Flower's debut series follows college librarian India Hayes, featuring Maid of Murder (2010) and Murder in a Basket (2012).
• Andi Boggs Mysteries (YA/Children's): This award-winning series features tween sleuth Andi Boggs. It consists of Andi Unexpected (2013), Andi Under Pressure (2014), and Andi Unstoppable (2015).
• Anthologies: Flower has contributed to seasonal cozy anthologies including Amish Christmas at North Star (2015) and Hotel California (2022).