The Buggy Before the Horse

About The Buggy Before the Horse - Book 3 - Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries

As Thanksgiving approaches, Cheryl stumbles across a startling discovery: someone is sleeping in Naomi and Seth Millers’ winter buggy and helping himself to food from their farmhouse cellar. Could it be the same person who is stealing from businesses up and down Sugarcreek’s Main Street? Despite Naomi’s insistence on extending the hand of hospitality to their unknown guest, when items are stolen from the Swiss Miss gift shop, Cheryl intends to get to the bottom of these mysteries.

While odd notes and other clues begin to surface, the list of suspects grows to include a troubled foster child, an Amish handyman, a homeless shelter volunteer, a young backpacker, and just about every other tourist passing through town. Can Cheryl catch the thief before the Millers fall victim to a more serious crime?

to buy: http://www.shopguideposts.org/the-buggy-before-the-horse.html

My thoughts: I could find no information on this book or any of the other books in the series on Amazon or other retail sites, so I guess that buying it from Guideposts books is the only option you have. 

I enjoyed getting to know Cheryl and Levi and his family in the book. There are plenty of red herrings in the book to keep the reader guessing who the thief really is. I usually figure these types of things out early, but this time I was kept guessing. I even suspected a couple characters who didn't even get investigated.  

There is  a hint of a romance, but it is barely there. This is more of a cozy mystery without the love interest added in. Truly a story in Cheryl's point of view only, and readers are left wondering about why Levi responds as he does, or why Esther is hanging out by the phone shanty when Cheryl calls, or other things. 

I do recommend this book.  I haven't read the first two in the series, and I probably won't, but this one stands alone. Ms. Goyer is truly a talented author and seems to be able to pick a genre and write it with ease. 

If you like Amish cozy mysteries by Vannetta Chapman or Marta Perry you'll definitely be interested in reading THE BUGGY BEFORE THE HORSE and the other books in this series. Highly recommended.  It ended with a sweet sigh of contentment on my part. 

Recipes are included at the end, along with a glance at the next book in the collection.