Book Review: The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton

 

Contestants of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest are disappearing. Can Fannie and her private investigator friend, Foster Bates, discover why before the finals get underway?

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton finds Sugarcreek, Ohio, resident Fannie Miller as a finalist in the county baking contest. People from far and wide come to compete in the annual event, and Fannie is determined to take the blue ribbon and cash prize home this year. But then she notices what no one else is talking about: finalists are disappearing. Who could be responsible? 

Is it the cash-strapped couple on the verge of divorce?

Could it be one or all three of the Beiler sisters, who own the local bakery?

Maybe its the bishop's disgruntled son.

Fannie brings in her good friend and private investigator Foster Bates to help get to the bottom of this whacky mystery before more contestants go missing.

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits is a lighthearted and fun read with a dash of romance. What the authors did best is create a quirky cast of characters in and around an Amish community in Ohio. 

• Fannie owns the local quilt shop. She likes mystery novels and considers herself an amateur sleuth. 
• Foster is widower and a retired policeman who owns a private investigator's office in town. He loves fishing. 
• Hope, Faith, and Charity Beiler are the town gossips who own the local bakery. They have a pet parrot named Peggy, who often says the wrong thing at the wrong time. 
• Bishop John is often busy writing sermons. He has a son, Jeb, who struggles socially. 
• Michael and Melissa Taylor are on the brink of divorce after a married life filled with disappointments and challenges. 

Sprinkling in a hint of romance between a few characters while still keeping it light is another wonderful thing about the story. There were definitely some chuckles along the way.

While mystery is one of my favorite genres, this mystery slogged along with few real developments and convenient conclusions. Typically, in Amish fiction, you get that sense of the community the characters live in. That didn't seem to be a big focus for this story. It also felt like moments of faith were haphazardly tossed in. Now, this is supposed to be a light mystery, so that could be intentional on the part of the authors. 

Michael and Melissa's storyline was the most compelling because it came from the heart. That's what propelled me to continue with The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits. This storyline offered the most satisfying conclusion for me as a reader. 

If you enjoy lighthearted mysteries filled with quirky characters, then The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits could be just what you're looking for. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CYD821C4
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barbour Fiction (January 1, 2025)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8891510111

I received a paperback from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.