cover image Assaulted Pretzel

Assaulted Pretzel

Laura Bradford. Berkley Prime Crime, $7.99 mass market (288p) ISBN 978-0-425-25200-0

In Bradford’s delightful second Amish mystery (after 2012’s Hearse and Buggy), toy manufacturer Robert Karble, of Karble Toys, comes to Heavenly, Pa., to look into the local toymakers and launch a new line of their handcrafted work. This could mean an employment boon for the people of Heavenly. When Karble is found dead at the annual Amish Food Festival, a half-eaten pretzel and a blood-soaked rock near the body reveal both Karble’s last bite of food and the murder weapon. Claire Weatherly, the proprietor of an Amish-themed gift shop, Heavenly Treasures, turns sleuth. Lending assistance—and romantic interest for the divorced Claire—are Det. Jakob Fisher, who’s been excommunicated, and Benjamin Miller, who’s a less likely prospect because he’s Amish. That Karble was planning to make the new toys outside the Amish community provides a motive for murder. Well-portrayed characters and authentic Amish lore make this a memorable read. Agent: Jessica Faust, BooksEnds. (Mar.)