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.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Mar 3

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.     

Welcome to the first Monday of March. It is a cold one here. In an effort to bring on spring, I started my seeds indoors. I am also trying to keep the Lil' Diva's aloe vera plants alive since she forgets to water them. I brought the grow light back into my office for additional light. 

Other than that, preparing for a closing, and I spent two whole days and two half days handwriting notes to my clients to mail out their annual seed packets. It's a fun activity, but it does take me a while. Most of them will go out today. 

More photos from my week...

The snow behind our house is almost gone. We are expecting rain this week, so if it warms up for long enough, we might be done with it for a while. Of course, I feel like we will have a bit more snow before spring officially arrives. 

Picked up the Lil' Princess from the airport last night. She is home for the week! Travis was patiently waiting while I washed her comforter and pillowcases so that her bed was ready for her. 

In case you missed them, I reviewed the following books last week. 

Review here

Review here

I am reading this one.

These are next. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

No new physical books, but I was approved for this book last week. You will see I reviewed it yesterday. 

Upcoming events:

• Sunset Bay by Karen Stewart - Mar 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Gitel's Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav - Date TBD (Review) 

At Christmas Year Round I posted about The Hallmark Experience, which will be back in 2025. You can read my post here. 

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection I reviewed one of my new NetGalley downloads. You can read the review here.

At Laura's Little Houses, I compared The Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie to the pilot of the Little House on the Prairie show. You can read that here.  

That's it from me today. Looking forward to visiting your blogs.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Feb 24

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.    

Happy Monday! Hope you had a fabulous week. I'm working on keeping the productivity cycle going and also started with a nutritional counselor to get my diet in line with my needs. I feel good, but want to feel better. Once the diet is all set, I will figure out the next piece of the puzzle--exercise. Here are photos from last week:

Thursday was awards night for the RAPV. I brought home one for my sales and one for my participation in my local association. 

We dog-sat while my brother-in-law and his family were away. 

Made enchiladas on Saturday. I had the stuffing mix on top of corn tortillas because flour tortillas don't fit into the new diet. 

As far as books go, I finished this one. Loved it! My review was posted on Sunday. 

Look for my review of this true crime book today. 

I am also reading this one. 

These are next.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

These books that I had ordered arrived last week. 

Upcoming events:

• Review of Body Parts by Catlin Rother - Feb 24 (Review)
• Sunset Bay by Karen Stewart - Mar 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Gitel's Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav - Date TBD (Review) 

At Christmas Year Round I shared the number of Christmas titles in my TBR pile. How many do you have?

I didn't post at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this week, but I did request a couple of children's books from NetGalley, so that could change soon. At the end of March, I will post my quarterly writing update. 

At Laura's Little Houses, I posted:

• Review of the 2021 Lifetime movie, Highway to Heaven, which was based upon the 1980s show of the same name starring Michael Landon and Victor French. 
• After cataloging my books, I shared how many titles on my shelves have some tie in to Laura Ingalls Wilder, her family, her books, and the shows and movies based upon them. You can find that here. 
• I also talked about the Little House: Fifty for 50 Anniversary Podcast hosted by Pamela Bob that features Little House on the Prairie cast members Dean Butler and Alison Arngrim. You can find that post here.

That's it for me today. Hope you enjoy your week. I look forward to visiting your blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Feb 10

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.    

Happy Monday! Well, technically it's still Sunday, but I have a hectic morning tomorrow. It is a snowy one here. Our latest storm was generous. At this point in the year, I'm planning a garden, so I'm okay with no more white stuff. Of course, the next storm is coming at the end of this week. 

Booked tickets for my sister and me to two local theater productions: On Golden Pond and SpongeBob the Musical. This is part of my self-care routine. 

In my reading world, I've been organizing my spreadsheet, reviewing some books, and starting a pile of books to donate to this year's library book sale. My current TBR spreadsheet sits at 314 books, 689 Kindle freebies, 17 unfinished Audible books, and 1 Chirp book waiting for me. I like Chirp, but I find that if I don't use the app regularly, it won't hold my place and returns to the beginning. 

My review of this Christian historical was posted on Tuesday. You can read it here.

In lieu of our Monday meme posting last week, I shared a review of this paranormal psychological thriller. This is a genre I don't usually read, so it checks off one of my 2025 bookish promises. You can read my review here. The giveaway is over. 

My review of this illustrated Bible storybook appeared at The Children's and Teen's Book Connection over the weekend. You can read it here. 

I finished this historical biography of Lincoln's last full year in office over the weekend. You can read my review here. 

I'm reading this book.

I am also reading this book for Caitlin's February tour. Look for my review on February 24th. She will also be sending me another title to review. 

This book on AI is now available for pre-order. I will be reviewing this one soon. 

Need to review this one soon.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

ThriftBooks had a great sale, so I picked up a few books. This earned me a free book, and I removed them from my Amazon wish list, where I might have paid full price. I also found a cheap hardcover edition of 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History to add to my collection. 

Upcoming events:

• Review of Body Parts by Catlin Rother - Feb 24 (Review)

I had some extra time this past week, so I posted at Christmas Year Round more than usual. 

How Do You Combat Christmas Blues?

Favorite Christmas Ornaments 

Would You Ever Leave Your Christmas Tree Up All Year Long?

At Laura's Little Houses, I profiled Charles Philip Ingalls here. I've also profiled Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mary Ingalls Kendall, Almanzo James Wilder, Caroline Quiner Ingalls, and Nels Oleson. Who do you think should be next?

That's it from my busy little place in the world. I've got two appointments this morning, so I might not visit your blogs until this afternoon. Enjoy your day!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Jan 27

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.    

Welcome to the last Monday in January. That first month sure flew by. Hope you had a nice week. Mine was abundantly productive. I reorganized the pantry, the refrigerator, and a closet, made a donation pile for clothes and bags, and the majority of my Christmas decorations are down. Two of the six trees are still up. I've been going through all my Christmas decorations to see what is still worth holding onto and reorganizing it all so I will have an easier time next year. 

Here are some photos from our week:

It snowed in New England, in Wilmington, and on the Outer Banks.

Wrightsville Beach in NC. The Lil' Princess saw people surfing that day.

Travis thinks Christmas decorations are his toys.

In my reading world, I finished this one and posted a review on Sunday. You can read it here.

Making good progress on this one. 

Reading these two. 

These are next.

Bought five books last week for less than $40. All of these will be added to my Ingalls Wilder collection. I've read Young Pioneers and Free Land but wanted to own them. 

I also downloaded this one to my Kindle for only 99 cents. 

On Chirp, I am listening to this one.

Upcoming events:

• Review of Ghosting Academy by LS Delorme - Feb 3 (Review)

At the Christmas Year Round blog, you can find funny photos of the pets from the holiday season. Click here.

Posted a new fanfiction story at Laura's Little Houses titled, "My Funny Valentine." You can read it here.

That's it from me. Looking forward to visiting your blogs.