Shoo Fly Shoo

Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries #12

by Amy Lillard

When Albert Yoder is arrested for illegally transporting and selling raw milk across county lines, Cheryl and her mystery-solving sidekick Naomi step up to help. And just in time! Albert’s very pregnant wife has to be rushed to the hospitalfor an emergency C-section, leaving their six young daughters to milk the cows and care for the dairy farm.

Things get more complicated as an environmentalist begins to picket at the Yoders’. Is he responsible for all the missing milk? Or is it the owner of the farm-to-table restaurant who wants it for his organic dishes? What about the crotchety neighbor across the road who has been in competition with them for years? Add in a strange English girl who has long-ago ties with Albert, along with a mysterious barn fire, and Cheryl and Naomi may have stumbled across amystery too big for even them to solve.

Genres: Amish, Mystery, Amish Fiction, Cozy Mystery

261 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

I'm a wife, mother, and bona fide Southern belle. Published author, expert corn bread maker, and Squirrel Princess.

I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I've retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I'm from Texas. (?) Rob and I have been married for over twenty years and have a son--a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!

I love homemade tacos, nail polish, and romance novels--not necessarily in that order. I'm a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I'm shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.

I believe that God is love. I guess that's why I adore romances.

I have always been intrigued with the Amish culture, their gentle ways and slower-paced lifestyle. (And I love, love, love the fact that they stay married for their lifetime.) But until recently I never thought to blend this interest with my penchant for romance. Okay, okay, I'm a bit old-fashioned and even enjoy the gender roles that are present in this culture. I love to cook and take care of my family. Yes, that's me June Cleaver with a laptop.

I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twlight series (I'll get to it or I won't, either way I'm good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I'm alone on this last one, and again, I'm good with it.)

Favorite movies--(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940's movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven't seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn's and Audrey's.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd things keep happening at the Yoder farm, clothes are going missing, cows stop giving milk, but the worst is that their tanks of milk are being emptied before the milk man can get there so they have nothing to sell. Albert Yoder is arrested for selling raw milk and put in jail. His wife is days away from having a baby so Cheryl wants to get Albert out. She gets the bishop to agree to cameras so they can find out who is stealing the milk. All signs point to a neighbor Albert has been feuding with. A new man is town is trying to get it passes so that raw milk can be sold. Another man is against cows and wants people to stop raising them so picketers are in front of Albert’s farm. A new cafe has opened that will only use local food and Cheryl thinks he is behind the picketers.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

By and large, I enjoy this series. The characters are lovely, the setting is charming, and the mysteries are on the lighter side but still engaging. That being said, I was heartily looking forward to my next visit to Sugarcreek, but this one ended up falling a bit short for me, hence the almost two weeks it took me to read a book that I would typically tear through in just a few days.

What I liked about Shoo, Fly, Shoo!:
The concept of the mystery - I did find the mystery content to have much promise, which is largely responsible for that third star in the rating.
Some new Amish friends - I enjoyed meeting the Yoder family. We've met other characters in earlier installments, but it seems as though the only ones who resurface regularly are those who are Englischers, while the only recurring Amish interaction we get is with Naomi and her family. It would be nice to have more intimate interaction with another Amish family as well.

What I didn't care for:
The writing style - This was a big hang-up for me. With so many authors contributing to the series, I have connected with some styles more than with others, however this deep into the series, there are certain aspects where I have come to expect continuity. Chief among them is the way the Amish speak (at least in this series, they speak very formally, without the use of contractions -- I won't pretend to know the accuracy of that in reality), so the more casual language of the Amish in this book seemed incredibly out of place. There were also particular personality traits I picked up on in both Naomi and Cheryl that didn't fit with the characters I've come to know. What I found even more odd was that this was the second book in the series that was written by Ms Lillard and I don't recall this being an issue in the first book, however, it is possible I was less sensitive to it earlier on, compared to now when my relationship with the series is well-established.
The "thing" with Levi - While there has been something simmering between Cheryl and Levi almost since the beginning, it felt like a complete preoccupation in Shoo, Fly, Shoo!.

I suppose when one gets involved in a series, one should expect that some installments will be better than others, especially when multiple authors are factored into the equation. It certainly doesn't turn me off to the series, but this particular adventure was not my favorite.

[Carrie Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

They never did really say why some of the cows quit giving milk...

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoo Fly Shoo is a thrilling mystery written by Amy Lillard in the Sugarcreek Amish Mystery series. This is book 12 in the series. The author has done an amazing job of pulling the reader into the story from the first few pages. Milk keeps going missing from an Amish dairy farm and the owner Albert is arrested for selling raw milk. Other crazy occurrences on the farm keep happening while Albert is in jail but Cheryl Cooper can't convince the local sheriff he is innocent. Cheryl is suspicious of a neighbor who is carrying on a feud with Albert but then Cheryl witnesses things she doesn't understand which has her digging deeper. Cheryl becomes a good friend to Albert's wife and six daughters during his absence especially when she has to take Albert's wife to the hospital for an emergency C-section. Now life becomes even harder for the family and makes Cheryl more determined to get to the bottom of all the mysterious events at the farm. Although Cheryl keeps running into road blocks at every turn she knows she is on the right track.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that involves family, friendship, and forgiveness.

There is a hidden mystery within this story that adds to the story.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

12th book in series. This story is about one of the Miller's Amish neighbors, Albert Yoder's family. They own a dairy farm and someone is accusing Albert of selling raw milk over county lines, and people are getting sick. He tells everyone even the police that someone has been stealing his milk and other strange things have been happening. The chief arrests Albert anyway saying he has witness's. Naomi asks Cheryl if she will help to find out who is doing this to the Yoder's. There are a few suspects including Albert's neighbor Marvin Chupp, they have had a feud going for years, A new restuarant in town that's a farm to table type meals. and an EPA guy who has started picketing the Yoder's about cows ruining the ozone layer. It will surprise you when you find out about the whole story.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery was ok. It didn't really peak my interest as much as the previous Sugar Creek Mystery I read before, but it's still cute and fun. I love how Cheryl Cooper plays Nancy Drew in town and brings along her crushes mom or should I say Amish best friend, Naomi Miller, to help her out. It is always sweet to read about the Amish and their ways of life. It intrigues me to learn more about them in hope of one day meeting one for myself and becoming friends with them. If you get a chance to read it, it is good full of mystery, suspense, a list of suspects to be crossed off the list, trying to help out friends in need and uncovering the true crime(s). Recommended for young adult to adult ages.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books! This is probably one of the best thus far. The story was unusual. You kind of have a sense of where the author is going but you are not sure. Once again Cheryl and Naomi work together to figure out what is happening. The stories of neighbors helping neighbors is heartwarming in these troubled times.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing milk, missing clothes, new baby, barn falling down. Not a nursery rhyme but a new mystery for Cheryl to figure out?

[Abby (Hersh.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really didn't keep my interest. I can't even remember the ending!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit

[Tiffani Scheel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I loved this book. Though fiction, indicative of how we must act everyday to one another as believers. The non believers are watching.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entered as today as unknown when read.

[Kaye Wingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! Great story!!

[Lyn Soulia-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery book

[Jo Erb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series

[Deana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these characters.

[Maryann Skaritka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Albert Yoder of Sugarcreek, Ohio has more trouble than he can handle. He is arrested for illegally selling raw milk. Mystery and mayhem ensue when water pipes get broken, clothes go missing, protesters and picketers arrive, the barn is damaged, milk goes missing from the storage containers and finally some of the best cows stop giving milk. Whew!

Cheryl Cooper has come to help her aunt, who is away on a missions trip, by managing her store, the Swiss Miss. Amish goods and souvenirs are sold her and Cheryl befriends local Amish resident Naomi Miller. Together Cheryl and Naomi set out to see who is behind this series of mysteries and to help Albert gain his freedom.

Marvin Chupp, an Amish neighbor across the street seems to be a likely suspect as he has been feuding with Albert as long as anyone can remember.

I enjoyed reading how the community came together to hold an auction to help Albert and the Yoder family. His wife Rebekah also gives birth to their 7th child. Their six sweet daughters are always willing to help out with chores and all that is asked of them.

This was a fun cozy Amish mystery and it took me a while to figure out who was behind all the trouble. A fun book worth reading!

[Dakota Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clean and wholesome ( read a book that is part of a series that you already started)

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

OWN ON KINDLE

[Cassandra Argo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mystery of the missing milk and the journey to unravel each twist and turn. As always, the characters of these Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries are funny, compassion, quirky, and focused on God.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Cheryl's friend, Naomi, has a friend who is being plagued with a series of mishaps which just keep getting worse & worse! Cheryl sets out to find out who & why.