Book Talk: Amanda Flower switches settings from bookshop to Amish country

“Crime and Covers” is fifth and last in Tallmadge author Amanda Flower’s Magical Bookshop mystery series set in Cascade Springs, a touristy village near Niagara Falls.

In the first book, “Crime and Poetry,” Violet was a Chicago graduate student whose grandmother called her to rush to Cascade Springs, claiming a serious illness. It turned out that Grandma was faking and really wanted Violet to take over running the family bookstore, as it is part of Violet’s heritage to be the “Caretaker,” to nurture the supernatural birch tree that grows inside the store.

The works of Emily Dickinson were relevant to solving the first crime, and each subsequent book has had a similar literary theme, with Edgar Allan Poe, Louisa May Alcott and Walt Whitman providing background.

In “Crime and Poetry,” the author is Thoreau. The story is set at Christmas, but it is not a Christmas book. Violet is days away from marrying David Rainwater, the handsome Seneca police chief she met in Book One, when a woman enters the shop and offers what appears to be a signed first edition of “Walden” in mint condition. The woman demands that Violet buy the book. Violet is interested — as an expert in transcendental literature, she’s very interested — but wants to have it authenticated first. The woman is furious and leaves in a huff.

That would seem to be the end of it, and the newlyweds are on the way to their reception when David glances from the window of their fancy carriage and sees a body on the riverbank: It’s the woman from the bookshop, and on her palm is written in ink “They stole my book.”

The honeymoon is off as the death is investigated; meanwhile, no one knows what happened to the book. Violet meets a woman obsessed with her belief that she is a direct descendant of Thoreau and has made it her life’s mission to prove it.

Flower’s Amish Matchmaker mystery series take place in Harvest, the same fictional Holmes County village in which her Amish Candy Shop mysteries are set. In “Marriage Can Be Mischief,” widowed Millie Fisher continues to busy herself with quilting and shopping at flea markets with Lois, her “Englisch” friend.

Though Lois has purple fingernails and red and purple hair, and Millie’s impish pet goats cause shenanigans all over Harvest, “Marriage” is darker and more complicated than the fanciful Bookshop series. Millie and Lois are driving home from a long children’s concert in the town square when they come across a group of emergency vehicles.

The deputy won’t tell them what’s going on, but when Millie bicycles back that way the next day, she finds him there with another man who claims to be making a documentary about an unsolved murder from 40 years before. He’s been using a drone to get aerial footage and Millie hears the deputy ask him about finding a skull.

A skeleton is uncovered, an old beau of Millie’s thinks it belongs to his sister, who was in an abusive marriage with a man who was found dead. Millie’s investigation involves quilting bee gossip and many trips to the local Amish café for pie.

“Crimes and Covers” (304 pages, hardcover) costs $26.99 from Crooked Lane Books. “Marriage Can Be Mischief” (285 pages, softcover) costs $8.99 from Kensington.

Amanda Flower, who won the Agatha Award for “Andi Unstoppable,” her 2016 novel for young readers about a 12-year-old detective, will discuss and sign her work from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Green branch of Akron-Summit County Public Library, 4046 Massillon Road. Register at akronlibrary.org.

‘Death by Democracy’

The Ohio Community Rights Network and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund have collaborated to produce “Death by Democracy: Protecting Water and Life: Frontline stories from Ohioans fighting corporate and state power,” seven accounts of activists working to oppose oil and gas fracking and toxic waste.

The stories are both individual and sadly similar. Activists in Medina and Portage counties, Youngstown and Toledo, and elsewhere gather signatures to get ordinances or charter amendments on ballots. They say they were intimidated by industry representatives and forced to jump through the hoops set up by courts and city councils.

The activists were outspent aggressively by the deep-pocketed oil and gas corporations. They are demoralized, but in the words of one contributor, “we don’t lose until we quit.”

“Death by Democracy” (149 pages, softcover) costs $15 from celdf.org.

Accolades

The Ohio Arts Council has released the names of 75 recipients of $5,000 Individual Excellence Awards in fields including choreography, playwriting and music composition. Among the fiction recipients are Alex DiFrancesco of Cleveland (“All City: A Novel”), Barberton native Jyotsna Sreenivasan (the story collection “These Americans”) and South Euclid novelist (cozy mysteries include “A Deadly Inside Scoop”). Named in poetry are Jessica Jewell of Stow and Diana Lueptow of Akron.

Events

Loganberry Books (13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights): Dallas Mavericks executive Greg Nared signs “The Ultimate Assist: Helping Children to Succeed in Sports and Life,” noon Sunday; at 1 p.m. Sunday, Goutham Rao, chair of Family Medicine and Community Health at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, signs “Rainy Day Comrades,” a novel about the use of inside health information for criminal purposes. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Cleveland teachers Gabrielle Vaughn and Chelbi Graham sign “A is for Africa: A Guide through African American History.”

Dover Public Library (525 N. Walnut St.): Author Liz Strauss discusses the use of Kindle Direct Publishing, followed by a book signing, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday; from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Adrian Schaar talks about his memoir “David of Muskrat Bottom,” followed by a book signing. Register at doverlibrary.org or 330-343-6123.

Hudson Library & Historical Society: As part of the library’s “Tour of Greece” month, Cornell University history professor Barry Strauss talks about “The Trojan War: A New History” in a Zoom event at 7 p.m. Wednesday; at 7 p.m. Thursday, neurologist Sara Manning Peskin discusses “A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain.” Register at hudsonlibrary.org.

Kent State University Stark Campus (Timken Great Hall, 6000 Frank Ave. NW, Jackson Township): Elizabeth Smart joins the Featured Speakers Series, talking about her work as an activist since she was rescued in 2003 after being held by kidnappers for nine months, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, followed by signing her books “My Story” and “Where There’s Hope: Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up.” Tickets are free but required. Go to kent.edu/stark/featured-speakers-series.

Canton Palace Theatre (605 Market Ave. N.): Poet and novelist Jason Reynolds, whose young adult and middle-grade works have won Coretta Scott King and Kirkus awards and a Newbery Honor, joins the Dr. Audrey Lavin Speaking of Books Author Series from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by a book signing. Register at starklibrary.org.

Wadsworth Public Library (132 Broad St.): Tony Agnesi, whose books include “A Storyteller’s Guide to a Grace-Filled Life,” presents “Successful Self Publishing,” 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Register at wadsworthlibrary.com.

Music Box Supper Club (2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland): The Cleveland Stories Dinner Parties series continues with Mike Olszewski, author of “From Captain Penny to Superhost: Tales from the Golden Age of Cleveland Children’s Television,” and TV producer (“Modern Family,” “Cheers”) Dan O’Shannon, 7 p.m. Thursday. Dinner is $20; the lecture is free. Go to musicboxcle.com.

Morley Library: Father-and-daughter authors David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker give a presentation based on “Historic Black Settlements of Ohio” in a Zoom event from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Register at morleylibrary.org.

Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Amanda Flower writes two new mystery books