Murder Simply Played

Amish Inn Mysteries #4

by Rachael O. Phillips

Liz Eckardt still has a lot to learn about life in Pleasant Creek, Indiana. Expecting the dreary months of February and March to be an "off season" for her newly opened bed and breakfast, she is surprised to find that the Olde Mansion Inn will be filled with a lively group of alumni, graduates of the local high school. It is sectional time for the area's high school basketball teams, and the town is swept up in "Hoosier Hysteria". Liz can't help but get into the spirit, and she looks forward to the upcoming game.

Old school rivalries resurface, and Liz has her hands full acting as referee to the inn's spirited guests - until the coach of the hometown team is found dead in his office, seemingly of natural causes. But his bereaved fiancee, Kate Linder, thinks something is amiss. Could it be that the coach was the victim of foul play?

Liz soon learns not everyone in Pleasant Creek was a fan of the amiable Coach John Albertson. Suspicious acts of vandalism prior to his death suggest someone had it out for him, but who could it be? An abandoned daughter, a disappointed dropout, a colleague confined to the sidelines - all had good reason to take Coach Albertson out of the game. But which of his rivals sported a grudge poisonous enough to facilitate murder?

With so many suspects in play, it's up to Liz to find out who would want to harm the coach. Tensions run high with the basketball tourney underway, and when Kate claims she's being followed, Liz worries that someone in Pleasant Creek suffers from an unusually sinister version of March Madness. But her investigation produces more questions than answers, and with one blocked shot after another, Liz feels like she's getting nowhere.... Until the killer targets her.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Amish, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction

204 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2016

About the author

Rachael Phillips, a church music director, began her unplanned writing career when the church secretary demanded newsletter articles, or else. She has written more than 400 articles, newspaper columns, devotions, and stories along with several books. Rachael enjoys speaking at women’s meetings and conducts writing workshops. She and Steve, her high school sweetheart and husband of thirty-eight years, live in Upland, Indiana. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery, and this book is the 4th book in the Amish Inn Mysteries. I have read the 1-3 book in this series. I have to say this one is my favorite so far. I feel this one let us see more of about the characters, the small town and the amish. The mystery was so good, but I love the fact we got more character and town development in this book. Love this one so much. (*)

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good installment in the Amish Inn Mysteries. I'm enjoying the series, and thought this latest book was as good as the previous ones. I enjoyed reading about Liz and her friends and family again.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one took me a little to long to read, but only because I was so busy with other things that I didn’t have time to just plow through. Looking forward to the next one

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 Stars!!! (Wish i could rate it 10 Stars!!)
Review:
This was my first time reading a book by this author so i wasnt sure if i'd like this book or not but Oh my gosh i love this book/series so much!!

The characters are so funny and interesting to read about and The setting was so beautifully described about an Inn Keeper who runs an Amish based Bed and Breakfast in Indiana.

Can't wait to read more in this series soon!!

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being a basketball fan, Liz is trying hard to understand the "Hoosier Hysteria" that has gripped some of her friends. In the midst of the closing of the season, the long-time high school basketball coach is found dead in his office. At first, it seems like a natural death, but the coach's fiancée insists it's murder. Liz wonders who would murder the popular coach, but then, she comes to find out that he wasn't all that popular with a lot of people. This fourth book of the series has an intriguing mystery as well as the characters readers have come to enjoy.

[Joyce Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read, keep you guessing what had happened to the coach and who did it, when he was found dead in his office. Liz the inn owner was first to get on the case after the sheriff, and help the young amish boy get out of trouble.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coach for the high school basketball team dies all of a sudden. His girlfriend thinks he was murdered, but everyone else thinks it is natural. Will the girlfriend be able to convince anyone else to believe it was murder? And what will Liz find out when she starts to investigate?

Meanwhile, a basketball player, who was suspended by the coach, suddenly disappears. Liz and the Material Girls start investigating his disappearance as well. Will they be able to find him and figure out why he disappeared?

If you like to read mysteries, chick books, serial or books written by Christians you should enjoy this book.

This book can be read by anyone.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this series has different authors (this is the first author to repeat in the series), they have great continuity. These ladies could have all written under the same name and the reader wouldn’t have questioned it.

The main characters all continue to develop and new, interesting townspeople enter the picture. Each new development leaves the reader (or at least, this one) wondering where the author is taking the next plot twist.

Entertaining read.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The coach of the high school basketball team is dead, right before the playoffs. Coincidence or murder?

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Simply Played is an intriguing mystery written by Rachael O. Phillips in the Amish Inn Mystery series. The characters are perfectly developed for this story and help bring it to life. The storyline moves along at a great pace keeping the readers interest. The author has done an amazing job drawing the reader in from the first few pages. This mystery revolves around Hoosier Hysteria and local basketball games. When the head basketball coach of Pleasant Creek is found dead there are suspects galore and it may not be an easy solve for inn keeper Liz Eckardt. With returning alumni, present fans, a disgruntled former basketball player and his fiance the cheif of police has his hands full. With Liz's help there just may be someone to check out who no one has suspected. This mystery will have you changing your mind with your choice of you you think is the criminal.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful mystery that I can highly recommend to others.

[Sciembe · Rating 1 out of 5]

So far as mysteries go this was a pretty flat experience. The book is almost completely devoid of hints for any of the potential culprits, focusing almost entirely on their motives without any regard for how they might have actually done the deed. And once its time to reveal the actual culprit, the array of evidence against them is pretty limited and relies much more on the protagonist having a sudden 'what if' revelation rather than any coherent deductive process.

Ultimately, Murder Simply Played is much more of a weird slice-of-life novel about living in a small Indiana town and the murder mystery element is more of an excuse for the characters to reveal things about their life. I imagine this is fine for some people, but I can't really bring myself to care at all.

For reference, I only read this book because I found it in the donation bin of my apartment's laundry room. I never really sought it out, but picked it up on a whim because I like other mystery novelists. So I'm probably not the right demographic for this book, but that doesn't negate my issues either.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rating shown may vary depending on whether site allows half star ratings.

I found several books from this series while searching for books from a different series by the same publisher. I have enjoyed this series more than some of the other series from this publisher--though they all kind of follow the same formula for the plot.

Growing up, football games seemed to be the "big events" but at college basketball was the sport, so I kind of get the March Madness idea.

I thought Beans was cute in this book when they dressed him up.

I think I figured out who the perpetrator was about the same time as the author revealed it in the plot, but that's my norm so you may have a different experience.

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Murder Simply Played (Amish Inn Mysteries #4)" by Rachael O. Philips is full on March Madness. Basketball March Madness that is, even though it starts in February. Liz's new friends, her guests and most of the town aren't deterred in their hopes for a winning season when the basketball coach is found dead by his fiancé in his office. Which, by the way, is one of the rare murder mysteries of this series (if it is one?).

There are several suspects that could have wanted to get the coach out of the way. The ex-Amish boy he took in but later had to cut from the team. The estranged daughter. There are several more but you'll have to read it to go through them all.

[Lis Sigona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #4 Amish Inn Mysteries Series - Liz the Innkeeper and the Material Girls (quilters) from Sew Welcome(store inside the Inn) have their work cut out for them in this new mystery. Of course, Liz’s inherited dog, Beans, is in the storyline too. It wouldn’t be a story without Beans! A delightful tale of a small town in Indiana with an Amish community and always some mayhem and murder going on suspiciously to add to the intrigue of the genre. Totally enjoyable read.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Amish Inn Mystery focuses on a Hoosier Magic! For those that don't know Indiana has been Basketball crazy since Larry Bird. What happens when the High School Basketball coach dies the week before the big game? Liz thinks it is murder, the Material Girls don't agree but help her try to help her figure it out.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The saga continues with the Material Girls adventures. This time the plot centers on the Hoosier State's favorite sport-basketball. You can almost feel the school spirit as you read. You have the usual list of suspects, but the killer and the motive are a shocker. Nice Read.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original author wrote this one. It was still very sweet but edgier, and I didn't figure out the murderer until the actual reveal!! One more left.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

cozy murder she wrote

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Kathy Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists

[Amber]

A high school basketball coach is found dead and suspicion falls on the Amish teen that he lured from his faith with the promise of being a pro ball player.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not s huge sports fan, so it took me a few pages to fall into the story, but once again, these little mysteries grabbed me!