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Amanda Flower

Amanda Flower

American · 1 series

Amateur sleuth Niche setting Culinary mystery Small town mystery

Born in 1980 in Akron, Ohio, Amanda Flower discovered her love of storytelling in elementary school when a short story about being stuck on top of a Ferris wheel had her entire class laughing. After graduating from college, she moved to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where she worked as a librarian – a role that placed her in close proximity to the Amish communities of Holmes County and gave her a window into a way of life that would become central to her most beloved series.

Her debut novel, Maid of Murder, earned an Agatha Award nomination for Best First Novel, announcing the arrival of a writer with a gift for crafting mysteries that are simultaneously clever and warmhearted. She has since published over forty mystery novels under her own name and the pseudonym Isabella Alan, spanning adult fiction and children’s literature.

“It’s a little scary to write, because you’re essentially writing about someone’s religion. I was really nervous about misrepresenting, but I also want to be honest.”

It is the USA Today bestselling Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, however, that has become her signature achievement. Set in the fictional village of Harvest, Ohio, the books follow chocolatier Bailey King, who returns from New York City to help her grandmother run Swissmen Sweets, an Amish candy shop, only to find herself repeatedly entangled in murder investigations alongside Sheriff Aiden Brody.

The series masterfully balances the sugar rush of candy-making details with a fascinating and respectful portrayal of Amish life, quirky whodunits, and a slow-burning romance that keeps readers coming back.

Quick Facts

  • Debut: Maid of Murder (Agatha Award nominee)
  • Signature series: Amish Candy Shop Mystery (USA Today bestseller)
  • Total novels: Over 40
  • Pseudonym: Isabella Alan
  • Day job before writing: Librarian in Ohio
  • Awards: Multiple Agatha Award nominations across adult and children’s fiction

Flower writes with a warmth and lightness that makes her books feel like a weekend visit to a small town where everyone knows your name – and where, despite the occasional body turning up, you always feel right at home.

Amish Candy Shop Mystery

  1. 1
    Assaulted Caramel
    Assaulted Caramel (2017)

    Bailey King arrives in Amish country to help her grandmother's candy shop and immediately finds herself investigating a murder in the close-knit community of Harvest, Ohio.

  2. 2
    Lethal Licorice
    Lethal Licorice (2018)

    A candy-making competition at the county fair turns deadly when a rival chocolatier is found murdered among the prize entries.

  3. 3
    Premeditated Peppermint
    Premeditated Peppermint (2018)

    Bailey returns to New York for a holiday candy competition, but a fellow contestant's death means she must solve a murder far from home.

  4. 4
    Toxic Toffee
    Toxic Toffee (2019)

    A church organist collapses during a Sunday service, and the investigation reveals bitter feuds simmering beneath the peaceful Amish community.

  5. 5
    Marshmallow Malice
    Marshmallow Malice (2020)

    An Amish wedding celebration is ruined when the groom's estranged brother is found dead, forcing Bailey to untangle a family's painful secrets.

  6. 6
    Lemon Drop Dead
    Lemon Drop Dead (2021)

    The grand opening of Bailey's new candy factory is overshadowed when a construction worker is killed and all evidence points to her Amish employees.

  7. 7
    Peanut Butter Panic
    Peanut Butter Panic (2022)

    A peanut allergy scare at the candy shop leads to a real death, and Bailey must determine whether it was an accident or carefully planned murder.

  8. 8
    Blueberry Blunder
    Blueberry Blunder (2023)

    A blueberry festival in Harvest takes a dark turn when Bailey discovers a body and must navigate small-town rivalries to find the killer.

  9. 9
    Gingerbread Danger
    Gingerbread Danger (2024)

    Bailey faces her most personal case yet when danger strikes close to home during the gingerbread season at Swissmen Sweets.

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