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Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries #16
Home Sweet Sugarcreek
When Sugarcreek decides to put together a display of local lore and Levi Miller and his mother, Naomi, agree to help with the research, Cheryl Cooper is happy to head up the project. But she is shocked when a search at the library turns up incriminating information concerning her dearly departed uncle Ralph. Her questions about the untimely death of a member of the community make many townsfolk uncomfortable--and at least one person angry enough to burn all of the information she's gathered. Just when Cheryl thinks shes closing in on the truth, she is devastated to learn that someone she's come to love and respect may not be the upright citizen she thought. Will her efforts to uncover the truth expose a decades-old murder or will the secrets she brings to light finally spark redemption?
250 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
14 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Ludwig
47 books132 followersElizabeth Ludwig is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Book three in her popular EDGE OF FREEDOM series, Tide and Tempest, was named a finalist for the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Elizabeth was also named a finalist in the 2015 Selah Awards for her novella “One Holy Night”, part of the bestselling anthology collection, Christmas Comes to Bethlehem, Maine. Most recently, she was honored to be awarded a HOLT Medallion for her book, A Tempting Taste of Mystery, part of the SUGARCREEK AMISH MYSTERIES series from Guideposts. Her latest releases include Sheeps Passing in the Night, part of the MYSTERIES OF MARTHA’S VINEYARD series, also from Guideposts, and The Coffee Club Mysteries from Barbour Publishing. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 24, 2019
Cheryl agrees to help with a display of local history for Sugarcreek and starts going through old newspapers. She finds several articles about a local drowning 40 years ago which makes her uncle look bad. Her questions make some of the town people uncomfortable and one is mad enough to burn the pictures and articles she has printed out. There wasn’t a clear cut answer at the end of the book so that was disappointing. I had been curious about the prices in her store and one of the books hinted at how expensive it is, when they said they would sell a woman’s potholders for 25.00 each, with Cheryl keeping 5.00 of it. Her relationship with Levi is still developing as they can’t see an answer to their conflicting faiths.
February 6, 2017
Cheryl Cooper has agreed to help with the diorama that is being planned for next year's big festival. In doing her research, she comes across a 40-year old mystery with connections to her family. Little by little she unravels & solves the mystery.
February 24, 2021
Home Sweet Sugarcreek is a great mystery written by Elizabeth Ludwig in the Sugarcreek Amish Mystery series. This is the 16th story in the series. Each book is a new mystery involving prime characters Cheryl Cooper and Naomi Miller. All the characters are very likeable except for the crimal ones. This story takes the reader to Sugarcreek, Ohio and the mystery of a long ago death with the possibility of Cheryl's late Uncle Ralph. As Cheryl agrees to help her church with a display of local folk lore she has no idea of the demons she will uncover. As Cheryl pieces together information about a mysterious death the townspeople grow increasingly agitated with her. When a fire distroys all her gathered information she wonders who and why someone would sabotage her. Who is hiding what from the past?
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 mystery that I can highly recommend to others. The author has done a great job telling her story thru her characters.
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 mystery that I can highly recommend to others. The author has done a great job telling her story thru her characters.
October 23, 2018
In the 16th book Cheryl is asked to help research the history of Sugarcreek for the Swiss Festival next fall. She asks Naomi and Levi to help her. While researching at the library she finds a 40 yr old news story of an Amish man murdering his brother. Her uncle Ralph is mentioned in the article as being at the scene of the murder and helping the brother accused of murder. Now she wants to get to the bottom of this mystery and really find out her uncles part in this.
July 28, 2024
Another good story from the town of Sugar Creek. This one takes Cheryl on a new adventure as discovers more about the late uncle that she loved dearly. The ties to Levi are deepening and Cheryl feels a wide range of emotions dealing with that. This story points out that she and Levi are not the first to deal with the conflict between the two worlds. The ending left me a little flat. I was expecting more, not sure what, but just more.
August 5, 2023
The story of Cheryl Cooper goes on in the sweet little town of Sugarcreek. These books tend toward being quick, engaging reads, with an emphasis on community, friendship, and Cheryl's personal life, in addition to the mystery at hand.
What I liked about Home Sweet Sugarcreek:
Character arc development - Assuming you start at the beginning, by book sixteen you've become quite aware of Cheryl's romantic predicament. There have been times throughout this series that this has stagnated a bit, but in more recent installments, there has been some forward motion, and this continued in Home Sweet Sugarcreek. I am uncertain how this will play out, but I look forward to finding out.
A more narrow cast of characters - Over sixteen books, Cheryl has amassed a solid base of characters who fill out the background. It was nice to see it mostly limited to pretty much Cheryl, the Millers, and the individuals involved in the mystery Cheryl uncovers.
Author's voice - With rotating authors for this series, there are some who appeal to me more than others. Elizabeth Ludwig is one that I have especially liked each time; this is her third contribution and each of them have rated high with me. I appreciate the way she uses words, the way she constructs her stories, and her consistency in the way characters speak, particularly our Amish friends.
The storytelling - This mystery was well-assembled, with some poignant lessons on not judging others by appearances; on being honest with your friends, even if it means being awkward and vulnerable; and putting your trust in God to give you the life He has planned for you. The pace was excellent, and by the final half of the book, I really hated to put it down.
What left me conflicted:
I was a little confused by the seasonal setting - It didn't seem as though much time passed between the start and conclusion of this book, and yet, at the beginning Cheryl was talking about a warm autumn day with the trees ablaze in color, even though it was supposedly November. Then suddenly it was as if the author recalled what November weather actually feels like in four-season locales, and we were talking about chilly weather and snowfall. I might have felt differently if there had been some indication that the weather was unseasonably warm to start, but it wasn't addressed and, for some reason, that seemed to throw me off.
The mystery part of the plot - I am pretty sure that I mention during each of the reviews for this series that I am impressed with the number and creativity of the non-murder mysteries this series presents. These aren't just cozy mysteries, but soft, fuzzy blanket cozy. While I found the case to be well thought out, unfortunately, the big twist didn't sneak past me. I saw it as soon as there was enough details to match up. There were some smaller twists that caught me more by surprise than the key twist, and that felt a little like a letdown.
Worth noting:
This is a very clean, non-violent mystery, reflecting traditional Christian values. It isn't over the top, but they don't shy away from it either.
I truly enjoy my visits to Sugarcreek. While I like a mystery, I am sometimes ready for something a little less heavy than murder. These books fit the bill, with creatively devised mysteries, lighter in content but not in intrigue. The characters feel very much like friends by this point, and I am rooting for Cheryl to find the relationship she so deeply desires, whether it's what she would choose or something waiting to be introduced. I am just breaking into the second half of this (now-concluded) series, and I am excited to see what lies in store for the residents of Sugarcreek.
What I liked about Home Sweet Sugarcreek:
Character arc development - Assuming you start at the beginning, by book sixteen you've become quite aware of Cheryl's romantic predicament. There have been times throughout this series that this has stagnated a bit, but in more recent installments, there has been some forward motion, and this continued in Home Sweet Sugarcreek. I am uncertain how this will play out, but I look forward to finding out.
A more narrow cast of characters - Over sixteen books, Cheryl has amassed a solid base of characters who fill out the background. It was nice to see it mostly limited to pretty much Cheryl, the Millers, and the individuals involved in the mystery Cheryl uncovers.
Author's voice - With rotating authors for this series, there are some who appeal to me more than others. Elizabeth Ludwig is one that I have especially liked each time; this is her third contribution and each of them have rated high with me. I appreciate the way she uses words, the way she constructs her stories, and her consistency in the way characters speak, particularly our Amish friends.
The storytelling - This mystery was well-assembled, with some poignant lessons on not judging others by appearances; on being honest with your friends, even if it means being awkward and vulnerable; and putting your trust in God to give you the life He has planned for you. The pace was excellent, and by the final half of the book, I really hated to put it down.
What left me conflicted:
I was a little confused by the seasonal setting - It didn't seem as though much time passed between the start and conclusion of this book, and yet, at the beginning Cheryl was talking about a warm autumn day with the trees ablaze in color, even though it was supposedly November. Then suddenly it was as if the author recalled what November weather actually feels like in four-season locales, and we were talking about chilly weather and snowfall. I might have felt differently if there had been some indication that the weather was unseasonably warm to start, but it wasn't addressed and, for some reason, that seemed to throw me off.
The mystery part of the plot - I am pretty sure that I mention during each of the reviews for this series that I am impressed with the number and creativity of the non-murder mysteries this series presents. These aren't just cozy mysteries, but soft, fuzzy blanket cozy. While I found the case to be well thought out, unfortunately, the big twist didn't sneak past me. I saw it as soon as there was enough details to match up. There were some smaller twists that caught me more by surprise than the key twist, and that felt a little like a letdown.
Worth noting:
This is a very clean, non-violent mystery, reflecting traditional Christian values. It isn't over the top, but they don't shy away from it either.
I truly enjoy my visits to Sugarcreek. While I like a mystery, I am sometimes ready for something a little less heavy than murder. These books fit the bill, with creatively devised mysteries, lighter in content but not in intrigue. The characters feel very much like friends by this point, and I am rooting for Cheryl to find the relationship she so deeply desires, whether it's what she would choose or something waiting to be introduced. I am just breaking into the second half of this (now-concluded) series, and I am excited to see what lies in store for the residents of Sugarcreek.
February 6, 2023
A sweet story. Of course this group of books is called Sugarcreek Amish mysteries as these books are all sweet and religious. These are mysteries. In this particular story is about looking back in history. Is some family history better forgotten or made known? There really is a Sugarcreek Amish town in Ohio.
Cheryl Cooper, owner of the Swiss Miss, a store containing Amish goods and other Sugarcreek products, caters to tourists who are interested in home made Amish products. A popular store. As a child, Cheryl spent summers with her Uncle Ralph, now deceased, and Aunt Mitzi who is a missionary in Borneo.
Cheryl has joined Friendship Mennonite Church. A nice couple ask her to help with the celebration of Sugarcreek, to look back in history to when the town was founded. Cheryl agrees, it sounds interesting, but with bit of work.
Cheryl and Levi Miller are attracted to each other, but refuse to marry, stay good friends. Each will have to change, both agree to be their own person, not be so much like one another. Amish are stricter than Mennonites. One of Cheryl's best friends is Naomi, Levi's stepmother who helps Cheryl quite a bit with her tracking down the history of the town. The mystery goes into one of the families, an Amish family. One brother was accused of killing the other. Cheryl's much loved Uncle Ralph's name was among what was happening back in those days. Uncle Ralph would never have. As long ago as it happened, Cheryl didn't want his name mixed up. He was a good man.
Naomi, a good friend to Cheryl, understood so well how Cheryl felt in her feelings to Levi as he felt for her. Trust in God as Naomi always believed.
Who is this strange drifter who everybody calls Muddy?
This is the first book I have read of this group of stories.
The time of the book is set in autumn, close to Thanksgiving, a beautiful time of year.
Cheryl Cooper, owner of the Swiss Miss, a store containing Amish goods and other Sugarcreek products, caters to tourists who are interested in home made Amish products. A popular store. As a child, Cheryl spent summers with her Uncle Ralph, now deceased, and Aunt Mitzi who is a missionary in Borneo.
Cheryl has joined Friendship Mennonite Church. A nice couple ask her to help with the celebration of Sugarcreek, to look back in history to when the town was founded. Cheryl agrees, it sounds interesting, but with bit of work.
Cheryl and Levi Miller are attracted to each other, but refuse to marry, stay good friends. Each will have to change, both agree to be their own person, not be so much like one another. Amish are stricter than Mennonites. One of Cheryl's best friends is Naomi, Levi's stepmother who helps Cheryl quite a bit with her tracking down the history of the town. The mystery goes into one of the families, an Amish family. One brother was accused of killing the other. Cheryl's much loved Uncle Ralph's name was among what was happening back in those days. Uncle Ralph would never have. As long ago as it happened, Cheryl didn't want his name mixed up. He was a good man.
Naomi, a good friend to Cheryl, understood so well how Cheryl felt in her feelings to Levi as he felt for her. Trust in God as Naomi always believed.
Who is this strange drifter who everybody calls Muddy?
This is the first book I have read of this group of stories.
The time of the book is set in autumn, close to Thanksgiving, a beautiful time of year.
December 26, 2023
Enjoying this series even more since I have been able to read 3 in a row. I'm # 18 today, hope nothing to monumental happen in #17 since I don't have it. This book lets us in on Cheryl Cooper's uncle Ralph's early days in Sugarcreek. Uncle Ralph grew up in Sugarcreek and is tied to many of Cheryl's memorizes of visiting Sugarcreek when she was a child.
August 15, 2019
Another hit
October 24, 2020
Entered as today as unknown when read.
February 13, 2021
Easy read. The writing style was a bit juvenile for me.
September 5, 2021
I have enjoyed all the books in the series! I'm so attached to all the characters! This book is by far my favorite! Very unique And unexpected Storyline for an Amish Mystery!
October 19, 2021
Hard to follow at times
March 13, 2022
I like the Muddy part of the story. I am beginning to feel like the Levi and Cheryl situation is becoming a little circular, so that's kind of disappointing.
September 2, 2022
Another great read. Some characters you feel sorry for, and others you just want to give them a good swift kick in the pants. But a really good read. Hard to put down. Gotta love the 🐈 cat 🐈.
January 23, 2023
I love reading this series. It's easy to read and have interesting stories.
July 13, 2024
A simple quick enjoyable read.
March 2, 2017
Cheryl is helping in a historical review of the town of Sugarcreek, when she discovers information that leads her to believe her uncle was involved in a cover-up.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews