The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter & Martha Bolton
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Publication Date: January 1, 2025
Genres: Mystery | Amish Romance
Pages: 256
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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Why Are Baking Contestants Disappearing?

Mysteries have a way of following Fannie Miller, so when she makes it into the finals of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest and contestants start disappearing, she calls on her old friend Foster Bates, a retired cop and part-time private investigator. Could it be that other finalists—like the couple on verge of divorce who need the prize money. . .or the three Beiler sisters, always in a huddle whispering—are somehow responsible for these disappearances, thinning out the competition? One thing is certain—Foster and Fannie will stay on the case until the end, and everyone involved will learn something important about baking contests, mystery solving, and life.

My Review and Reflections

It took a while for me to really get into the book. The writing is too formal and not conversational in tone. At times the fact that there were two writers seemed very apparent because not everything was as cohesive as it should be. About halfway into the book things started to flow a little better and there were parts that got a genuine laugh out of me.

The characters were fun and pithy. Fanny and Foster’s relationship was realistic and endearing. The three sisters who were key secondary characters seemed a little over the top. Especially given that they owned a bakery and their behavior didn’t seem to impact sales.

Overall, I thought this was an okay read. It was not a typical Brunstetter book in my opinion so it fell a little flat for me. At the end of the book, I did read Bolton’s credentials which were very impressive with many plays and musicals under her belt. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘦’𝘴 𝘉𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 has been made into a musical and it made the writing style and even ending of the book make much more sense. I think it will be a delightful musical and one I’d enjoy seeing. Had I known that upfront, I would have approached this read from a different perspective and potentially would have enjoyed it more.