Publication Date: January 1, 2025
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 are somehow responsible for these disappearances, thinning out the competition? Like the couple on verge of divorce who need the prize money, or the three Beiler sisters, always in a huddle whispering. One thing is for certain—Foster and Fannie will stay on the case until the end, and everyone involved will have learned something important about baking contests, solving mysteries, and life.
New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter and Emmy-Nominated Author Martha Bolton have teamed up to deliver a delightful whodunit from Ohio’s Amish country.
The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits is a cozy Amish mystery by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton. The story is filled with both Amish and English characters.
The story is approached as if we know the characters and their small Amish town in Ohio, although I couldn’t find anywhere that this was a connected story, let alone a series. Most of the mystery takes place off-page, and we’re thrown into the midst of the missing cooking contestants without any background. It was often confusing and off-putting as a result. There aren’t a lot of clues, and was a crime even committed?
Miss Fannie is Amish and owns a quilt shop. Foster is a retired cop from Chicago and now is a part-time private investigator who owns his own business. However, the P.I. job seems more about getting Foster out of his house and giving him something to do. The two collaborate to solve the crimes since they are friends and Fannie’s an amateur sleuth. They are likable but definitely an unlikely duo.
Fannie entered the local baking competition and was surprised when she was one of the finalists. There are a few different stories wrapped into the main arc. However, none have much depth. The mystery does get solved, but the ending and the epilogue make the story for me.
The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits is a cozy Amish mystery set in Ohio with a baking competition where the competitors not in the finals are disappearing.
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written more than 100 books translated in four languages. With over 12 million copies sold, Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nation’s most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.
Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.
When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at www.wandabrunstetter.com.
Martha Bolton is a prolific author of 89 books, an Emmy nominee (Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics, 1988), a Dove Award nominee (Children’s Musical, 1999), and a “with” author on three New York Times bestselling books. She was nominated for a Writers’ Guild Award for her work on the Emmy-winning Bob Hope—The First Ninety Years. She was Bob’s first full-time female staff writer and wrote for his television specials (over 30 hours of primetime programming and fifteen years of his personal appearances and special events). As a staff writer for Bob Hope, Bolton had the opportunity to write scripted lines for a virtual Who’s Who in entertainment, sports, and politics.
Bolton also wrote for Phyllis Diller for many years, and her series of books for those over fifty include, Didn’t My Skin Used to Fit?, Cooking with Hot Flashes, and The Whole World is Changing and I’m Too Hot to Care. She has also written for many Christian comedians such as Mark Lowry (including parodies and co-writing his Piper the Hyper Mouse series), Chonda Pierce, Jeff Allen, and numerous others.
Martha’s stage work includes writing the script for “The Confession,” based on Beverly Lewis’ bestselling Confession trilogy; co-writing both “Half-Stitched,” based on Wanda E. Brunstetter’s bestselling book The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club and “Our Christmas Dinner” with director/composer Wally Nason; “Josiah for President;” and “The Home Game” for Blue Gate Musicals. Both Josiah for President and The Home Game have accompanying novels penned by Bolton.
