Road trip! In Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off, BFFs and amateur detectives Amish Millie and non-Amish Lois hit the road for Florida. On the bus to get there, Millie befriends a young Amish girl. When Millie soon finds the girl dead, the two seventy-year-old women once again team up to investigate the crime.
Amanda Flower is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. Her characters are adorable friends I look forward to visiting each year. The Amish setting sets her apart from the typical cozy mystery. The idea of writing two series simultaneously in the same setting: one from an Amish perspective and the other from a non-Amish one is brilliant. Unfortunately, this particular entry falls a bit short for me.
In this sixth book in the Amish Matchmaker series, I love the new temporary locale of not only Florida but also the annual pastors’ conference they find there. However, it seems a bit too unbelievable for them to run into a) the series’ pet pig in need of their babysitting services, and b) Millie’s frenemy, the strict rule-following Ruth and her quiet husband, who need to bunk with Millie and Lois. I also thought the mystery was unsolvable without one crucial clue revealed only at the conclusion.
So overall, while I still love visiting with the characters, Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off is definitely my least favorite book in either of the series. It doesn’t move the overarching series’ plot either so missing it shouldn’t impact your enjoyment of the books to come. If you are just starting this series, please read any other book first. Otherwise, Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off is best only for longtime fans of the series and completists. A disappointed 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for providing me with an advanced review copy.