Falling to Pieces

Written by Vannetta Chapman

Narrated by Pam Ward

In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books—faith, community, simplicity, family—with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt. When two women—one Amish, one English—each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer. Set in the well-known Amish community of Shipshewana, Falling to Pieces will attract both devoted fans of the rapidly-growing Amish fiction genre, as well as those who are captivated by the Amish way of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Oct 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9780310415862

Vannetta Chapman

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel Falling to Pieces was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist. A Promise for Miriam earned a spot on the June 2012 Christian Retailing Top Ten Fiction list. Chapman was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full time. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com

Reviews for Falling to Pieces

[jwitt33 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman really surprised me, in a very good way! This was Christian fiction without preaching at the reader, which I found very attractive. I also loved the seamless way the Amish and English interacted with each other and became friends as well as good neighbors. The characters were very well developed and likeable. Callie started out rather abrasive but she really grew on me, and Deborah was as sweet tempered as they come. The mystery was well written and I was kept guessing until the very end. In summary, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading the next book in the series.5/5 stars.*** I would like to thank Zondervan Publishing and Vannetta Chapman for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Callie has inherited her aunt’s quilt shop in a small Amish community. Her plans to sell the shop are halted, at least temporarily, when an Amish woman and her two friends approach Callie to honor a verbal agreement they had with her aunt to sell their quilts. Quite soon, things begin to happen. The quilt shop is again open and flourishing, the women are becoming friends as they get to know each other, and then the obnoxious local newspaper editor is found dead by Callie, who becomes a person of interest to the police. Callie and her new friends team up to catch the real culprit, but, being amateurs, soon need rescuing themselves. Author Vannetta Chapman has penned a story that combines the Amish community and the English world in a interesting way to produce a delightful and gentle mystery. The first in a series, this entertaining novel will leave the reader wanting to read the next one.

[jnut1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Falling to Pieces - Vannetta Chapman This is the first book in a new 3 book series. It connects the English with the Amish. Callie comes to town from Houston to see to her aunt's affairs. Her aunt Daisy owned a quilt shop in town before she died and Callie having suffered some heartache thinks a change of scenery for a little bit might be healing to her. She is not interested in making friends – she is just there to sell the shop and move on – although she is not sure where she is moving on to. Life has hurt her deeply and she is trying to deal with is all – without God. Deborah, an Amish wife and mother, asks Callie, to sell some quilts on EBay (which she pronounces wrong) to help out her friends. This story is really the story of friendship, acceptance, small towns and how they come together. There is even a mystery thrown in. Deborah doesn’t seem to be looking for new friends either – she is looking to help her friends, who have minor rolls. Then there is Max, who doesn't love a story with a dog who takes on a large role? I enjoyed this book - there are some things that I am not so fond of, a few loose ends that I am still shaking my head about but liked it enough to want to read the second book in the series.

[sherylhendrix · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For fans of Amish fiction and/or murder mysteries this is a fast and enjoyable read, although perhaps a little bit "rose-colored glasses" as to the Amish communities and their interaction with the Englisher. Never having lived in the area where this particular novel is set I cannot comment on how accurate a picture this paints; however, in my area where many Amish live there is not nearly as much cordial interaction as I see in this novel.

[wearylibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Vannetta Chapman is a wonderful author who's books I seem to fall into each time I open the cover. He characters are real and I always feel as if I am right there, participating in the lives of the characters.Callie inherits her Aunt Daisy's quilt shop and arrives in town feeling sluggish and lost. It doesn't take long for her to make friends and gradually she begins to think of the shop as hers and it soon becomes successful. When the editor of the local paper prints a very biased and unflattering story about Callie and the shop she confronts him, demanding a retraction. When the editor is found dead several hours later, Callie is the main suspect. While there is really no question as to who murdered Stakehorn, the book is still a great read and one I had trouble putting down.

[melanieski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Falling to PiecesVannetta ChapmanA Shipshewana Amish MysteryWhen I first saw the cover of this book, and read its description I just had to contact the author for a copy to review! Amish mystery in Shipshewana sounded like such a great story, and a new Amish Fiction writer to spotlight. Vannetta’s first novel A Simple Amish Christmas was a bestseller and this series is well on its way to joining it!Daisy’s Quilt Shop is a hub for not only the tourists in Shipshewana during market days, but for the Amish ladies who gather to quilt and fellowship with one another. When Daisy is found deceased out in the garden she loved, Niece Callie inherits the shop. Having no desire or knowhow to run a shop, Callie hopes for a quick sale and to get back to her so called life in TX. She soon realizes that nothing is beckoning her back to TX and to sell her aunts shop may be easier if the shop reopens. Along with new found Amish friend Deborah, Callie reopens the store and makes some changes and upgrades by putting some of the Amish quilts on ebay for a higher selling price, much to the chagrin of the Amish Bishop. Local newspaper editor Mr. Stakehorn slanders Callie and her attempts to help sell the Amish quilts making for an uprising in the small community. Callie doesn’t take it standing down, insults Mr. Stakehorn and threatens to get back at him. Later that night Mr. Stakehorn is found dead…. Of course Callie is a prime suspect!!Along with her Amish friends, new newspaper editor Trent, and the officers of the local police force, Callie seeks to find out the mystery behind Mr. Stakehorn’s death and the recent burglaries. I loved the combination of the quilt shop, Amish and a good mystery. I have been to Shipshewana during market days when the town swells to 30,000 people and it was so fun to be brought back there to the small town setting and the friendships that developed between the English and Amish. Despite difference in living style, clothing, religion, Callie and her Amish friends came together with a mission in mind, and that helped to grow their relationship with each other, and within themselves. Deborah’s influence on Callie was a blessing to her working through some past issues that needed resolved.So excited that this was just the first in a 3 part series! Excited to join Callie back in Shipshewana for the next book A Perfect Square.

[skstiles612 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Publisher: Zondervan (September 27, 2011)Pages: 366Source: NetgalleyGenre: Amish Mystery/SuspenseFrom Goodreads:In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books---faith, community, simplicity, family---with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt. When two women---one Amish, one English---each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer. Set in the well-known Amish community of Shipshewana, Falling to Pieces will attract both devoted fans of the rapidly-growing Amish fiction genre, as well as those who are captivated by the Amish way of life.My Thoughts:Combine my love of all things Amish, quilting and fabric, add in a great mystery, and that is what you have in this book. Vannetta Chapman has written a story that makes the reader feel like they are in Shipshewana, Indiana. She has crafted very believable characters and placed them in an unlikely scenario.Deborah Yoder is a local Amish woman who sold her quilts through the local quilt shop. When Daisy, the quilt shop owner dies her niece, Callie Harper inherits the quilt shop and Daisy’s Labrador, Max. She comes to Shipshewana with the intention of selling the shop and moving on. It is as if she is always trying to run away from her pain. The year before, she lost her husband to cancer, and now an aunt she had not seen in several years is dead. When Deborah brings some quilts into the shop in the hope that Callie will re-open she is disappointed to hear Callie say she plans to be there only long enough to sell the place. Deborah leaves the quilts with Callie while she shops hoping Callie will begin to view their beauty and change her mind. It works. This is an unlikely partnership between an Amish woman and an English woman.After a heated argument with the local newspaper editor over an unfavorable review of her shop, the editor is found murdered. Of course Callie becomes the prime suspect. Then there are several break-in around the area. Callie and Deborah decide they can figure out who is behind the crimes. This almost costs them their lives as they walk in on someone in the quilt shop. They are saved by Max. This makes them all the more determined to solve this crime.This is not your typical Amish romance. I think I liked that better. I love mysteries. The story lines demonstrate the importance of friendship and how true friendship can have a healing effect. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Since this was read as an e-book I must buy the physical copy when it comes out. My mother won’t read e-books because she likes to pass them around to those in her Sunday School class and she can’t wait to get her hands on this one. I know anyone who loves quilting, the Amish or just a good mystery will love this book. This is an author we need to watch out for.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an e-book copy from Netgalley for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[bookaholicmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Callie Harper is still getting over the loss of her husband when her Aunt Daisy dies. Daisy owned a quilt store in Shipshewana, an Amish community. Callie comes to wrap up her aunt's affairs only to find herself running her aunt's quilt store until it can be sold. She meets Deborah Yoder, an Amish woman who wants Callie to help sell her quilts in the store to help out two of Deborah's friends who have fallen on hard times. Callie accepts the challenge of selling the quilts while she waits for the store to sell. Some of Callie's decisions concerning the sale of the quilts leads to controversy in the community which attracts the local newspaper editor, who doesn't exactly get the facts straight. When he is murdered, Callie becomes a prime suspect. The journey to solving the murder is quite suspenseful that will keep you guessing.This is a fun, cozy mystery. Deborah and her friends, Melinda and Esther are the kind of friends a new gal in town like Callie needs. There is even Max, Aunt Daisy's dog who is quite entertaining. Of course there are a few hunky characters who also make the story interesting. I have been to Shipshewana and could easily imagine the quilt shop and the community. I enjoyed this cozy. It is a quick read for a lazy summer day. If you enjoy cozy mysteries or Amish fiction, pick this up. You will enjoy the time you spend with Callie and her friends. This is published by Zondervan but I didn't find it to be preachy at all.I received this ARC E-book courtesy of Zondervan and Netgalley. This in no way influenced my review.