This Christmas mystery is all about Charlotte. Bailey is off to New York, and Charlotte volunteers to help with a candy cane fund raiser for the town. People can buy a candy cane for a dollar, and leave a message to be delivered with the candy to the persons of their choice. It’s all very secretive, as the notes and money is deposited in a container in the town square. It’s Charlotte’s job to retrieve the money and attach the notes to the candy canes. When she sees some of the notes are for her, but are only signed with “your secret admirer,” her curiosity just grows and grows. She has to find out who sending those notes, and if it’s for real or not. It’s a very sweet story, perfect for Christmas, or really, anytime. It’s a nice departure, to have a mystery without a dead body first! ( )

A delightful Christmas short story. Cousin Charlotte is the lead in this story as she's in charge of the Candy Cane Exchange fundraising. Surprise! as Charlotte discovered notes to her from a secret admirer. ( )

I really needed to start to get in the Christmas spirit and felt that this might get me there and it definitely did.

This novella was set in Amish country and centered around a young Amish woman, Charlotte, who hasn't decided yet whether to be baptized into the Amish church. She has a job at Swissman's Sweets, the local candy shop owned by Bailey King and her Amish grandmother Clara. The local event coordinator enlisted Swissman Sweets to make Candy Canes for the season's Candy Cane exchange and now that they're done, the coordinator wants the candy shop to take on another task related to the exchange but Bailey says no, the shop is too busy to take on another task. Charlotte steps up and says that she'll handle it. The story from there goes to secret admirers and helping others.

This was so light-hearted and fun! I love the characters and their interactions.
A Great little add for the holiday season! ( )

If you are seeking a short, cozy mystery with a Christmas theme, then "Candy Cane Crime" might be a good choice. This novella continues the Amish Candy Shop series, and stars the same characters. The series is usually focused on Bailey, the chief candy maker who has her own TV cooking show. However, this story is told from the viewpoint of Charlotte, a young Amish woman who works at the candy shop. When Charlotte agrees to coordinate the Candy Cane Exchange in the small town of Harvest, she finds more than she bargained for! Charlotte seems to have a secret admirer, but who can it be? And what is the "crime" in the title of the novella? That will be up to the reader to decide! (Jethro the potbelly pig and Melchior the camel also have cameo roles in the story.)

This was an enjoyable, quick read, perfect for a pre-holiday treat. It is a clean novel, with no strong language, violence, or intimacy. Readers who are familiar with the characters in the series will appreciate reconnecting with their small town friends in this novella. The plot moves along quickly and the characters definitely display their own quirky character traits.

I received this novella from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower is charming cozy mystery novella. It is book 5.5 in An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I highly recommend this charming series. This story is told from Charlotte’s point-of-view (Bailey King’s cousin). I like getting to know Charlotte better and seeing things from her perspective. Charlotte was raised Amish, but she is not sure if she wishes to become baptized or not. I love the characters in this series. They are just delightful. They are developed and continue to evolve along with the series. The mysteries in Candy Cane Crime were simple, but they suited this short novella and went with the theme of the book. I was especially interested in learning the identity of Charlotte’s secret admirer. The story has a sweet ending. Candy Cane Crime is a cute, lighthearted story that was enjoyable to read. It was over far too soon. I am looking forward to Lemon Drop Dead. Candy Cane Crime is a cozy Christmas tale with secret admirer sleuthing, a proliferation of peppermint, a precocious pig, and Christmas cheer. ( )