In Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower, Juliet and the Reverend Brook’s wedding day has finally come. In her maid of honor dress, Bailey King, the granddaughter and chocolatier of the owner of the Amish Swissman Sweets, gets to look like a giant cupcake. Or maybe a lily pad. Or is it an upside down flower? But the organza polka dotted dress is the least of her concerns, as anything that can go wrong does go wrong. Bailey’s biggest nightmare comes when Jethro, Juliet’s mischievous polka dotted comfort pig, knocks over the wedding cake that Bailey has spent so much time and care in preparing. And of course it lands on Bailey and covers her completely with marshmallow frosting. The next morning, Bailey goes to the church to make sure it is ready for the service, only to find on the church steps the body of the woman who tried to disrupt the wedding ceremony. She has been murdered.
Bailey is concerned that Rev. Brook will be accused of the murder, which gives her incentive to investigate. In contrast, Bailey’s best friend, Cassie, is gleeful at the prospect of getting to solve another crime with Bailey. When an Amish man comes looking for the dead woman, Bailey has her excuse to get involved. After all, as the Englisher granddaughter of an Amish woman, Bailey has connections with the Amish community not available to law enforcement, especially with a sheriff who vocally hates the Amish. This, however, does not please Bailey’s boyfriend, deputy Aiden Brody, son of the bride, Juliet. Worried about Bailey’s safety, he wants her to stay far from the case. But of course Bailey can’t do that.
I have loved all the Amish Sweet Shop Mystery series, and Marshmallow Malice was no exception. The book contains plenty of humor and a creative mystery plot. One of the geniuses of the series is its unique depiction of the various characters in the book. My favorite has to be Jethro the pig, who is full of mischief but loveable nonetheless. Though he is an animal, to Juliet, Jethro is her baby, and she treats him as a spoiled son, sometimes giving him more favor than she gives her real son, Aiden. Each character in this book is portrayed vividly and with roundness.
I highly enjoy the performance of Rebecca Mitchell as she narrates this audiobook. With panache, she brings the series to life, using great voices to interpret each character and in particular the Pennsylvania Dutch accent of the Amish. Though I have no personal experience of hearing a real Amish person speak, Mitchell’s accents and mannerisms of speech made me picture Amish people and their lifestyles.
Marshmallow Malice was a delightful book that I fully enjoyed getting to listen to. This series is as sweet as its title, and it always leaves me craving sugar because of its vivid depictions of the candy from Swissman Sweets. I give this book five stars.
