Fans pick 24 books like Dead Wrong

By Vannetta Chapman,

Here are 24 books that Dead Wrong fans have personally recommended if you like Dead Wrong. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Matchmaking Can Be Murder

Amy Lillard Author Of Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

From my list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country.

Why am I passionate about this?

I never dreamed I would write books about the Amish, and now I have over thirty to my credit. In researching my books, I have fallen in love with the varied culture the Amish represent. I’m a romance writer at heart, and sort of fell backward into writing mysteries. And I’m so thankful I did! What I love the most is how the cultures (ours and theirs) must work together (or not, depending on the people in the story) to solve the crime. Trouble sets many more obstacles than a regular mystery. More denial that someone could be guilty. 

Amy's book list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country

Amy Lillard Why did Amy love this book?

One thing I know: I can always trust Amanda Flower to give me a great mystery with tons of laughs. This book does not stray from this pattern.

I love how the main character, Millie, interacts with the people around her, from the young people she’s trying to set up to her good friends and even a handsome love interest from the past. Her goats make for excellent laughs, and the story moves quickly.

All in all, it was a quick, fun read.

By Amanda Flower,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Matchmaking Can Be Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Matchmaking can be murder . . . 
 
When widowed Millie Fisher moves back to her childhood home of Harvest, Ohio, she notices one thing right away—the young Amish are bungling their courtships and marrying the wrong people! A quiltmaker by trade, Millie has nevertheless stitched together a few lives in her time, with truly romantic results. Her first mission? Her own niece, widowed gardener Edith Hochstetler, recently engaged to rude, greedy Zeke Miller. Anyone can see he’s not right for such a gentle young woman—except Edith herself.
 
Pleased when she convinces the bride-to-be to leave her betrothed before the wedding,…


Book cover of Murder of an Amish Bridegroom

Amy Lillard Author Of Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

From my list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country.

Why am I passionate about this?

I never dreamed I would write books about the Amish, and now I have over thirty to my credit. In researching my books, I have fallen in love with the varied culture the Amish represent. I’m a romance writer at heart, and sort of fell backward into writing mysteries. And I’m so thankful I did! What I love the most is how the cultures (ours and theirs) must work together (or not, depending on the people in the story) to solve the crime. Trouble sets many more obstacles than a regular mystery. More denial that someone could be guilty. 

Amy's book list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country

Amy Lillard Why did Amy love this book?

I love Patricia Johns’ romances, so I knew when I started this book I would love it too. The Amish community of Blueberry is very conservative (much more than other communities I have written and read about), but it makes for an exciting escape.

It’s also quaint and filled with fabulous characters, like Petunia, our amateur detective, and the victim, Ike Smoker. Ike is particularly fascinating, as a secret life is revealed as the book continues. Most of us feel that the Amish live pure and wholesome lives, and for the most part, I believe they do. But there’s always a black sheep to shake things up.

The mystery was captivating, with a number of plausible suspects that kept me guessing until the very end.

By Patricia Johns,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Murder of an Amish Bridegroom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The quiet Amish lifestyle isn't all that it seems in this debut cozy mystery series, for fans of Amanda Flower and Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Petunia Yoder is Blueberry, Pennsylvania’s youngest old maid, at twenty-two years of age, and completely unmarriageable. But she’s determined to celebrate her friends’ weddings with joy and a full heart. Unfortunately, Petunia’s best friend, Eden Beiler, is playing a dangerous game with a man who is ruining her reputation.

Ike Smoker is the community’s iceman—the one who cuts, stores, and sells the ice—and when Petunia discovers him dead with an ice pick in his chest, Eden…


Book cover of Secrets Come Home

Amy Lillard Author Of Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

From my list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country.

Why am I passionate about this?

I never dreamed I would write books about the Amish, and now I have over thirty to my credit. In researching my books, I have fallen in love with the varied culture the Amish represent. I’m a romance writer at heart, and sort of fell backward into writing mysteries. And I’m so thankful I did! What I love the most is how the cultures (ours and theirs) must work together (or not, depending on the people in the story) to solve the crime. Trouble sets many more obstacles than a regular mystery. More denial that someone could be guilty. 

Amy's book list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country

Amy Lillard Why did Amy love this book?

This was my first Samantha Price book, but it won’t be my last. I loved it!

Of course, I have always loved cold cases, and this one was fantastic. I love following clues, but it’s even more challenging following clues that are decades old. I thought the mystery was well-thought-out and very clever.

But I love it when there are lessons to be learned, both spiritual and practical. This book has both. Huzzah!

By Samantha Price,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Secrets Come Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Welcome to the world of Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries, where USA Today Bestselling author Samantha Price blends intrigue, humor, and charm in this much-loved series.
When Ettie Smith inherits her late friend Agatha's home, she stumbles upon a chilling secret: a body concealed beneath the floorboards. While the police are quick to attribute this grim discovery to Agatha, Ettie firmly believes in her friend's innocence and sets off to discover the truth.
With her wisdom and dogged determination, Ettie unearths hidden secrets and unexpected links to the past. Just as she's closing in on the truth, an old, mysterious key…


Book cover of Hearse and Buggy

Amy Lillard Author Of Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

From my list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country.

Why am I passionate about this?

I never dreamed I would write books about the Amish, and now I have over thirty to my credit. In researching my books, I have fallen in love with the varied culture the Amish represent. I’m a romance writer at heart, and sort of fell backward into writing mysteries. And I’m so thankful I did! What I love the most is how the cultures (ours and theirs) must work together (or not, depending on the people in the story) to solve the crime. Trouble sets many more obstacles than a regular mystery. More denial that someone could be guilty. 

Amy's book list on cozy mysteries set in Amish Country

Amy Lillard Why did Amy love this book?

First of all, I love a good pun! What a title! And it’s perfect for the book. (In fact, the whole series has the best pun titles I think I’ve ever seen.) But they say I can’t judge a book by its title or cover. However, it is the first thing that gets me going.

Next for this book is the great mix of Amish, English (non-Amish), and shunned ex-Amish souls all milling around together. Such varied characters make for a rich story with lots of interesting (and sometimes humorous) interactions.

Cultures collide despite the fact there’s a murder to be solved—a shop to run, a romance to be saved, and perhaps another one blossoming. 

By Laura Bradford,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hearse and Buggy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The simple life gets complicated when death comes calling in the first novel in the national bestselling Amish Mystery series.

Claire Weatherly has fled a high-stress lifestyle for a slower pace-in Amish country: Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She only planned a short visit but instead found herself opening an Amish specialty shop, Heavenly Treasures, and settling in.Claire loves her new home, and she's slowly making friends among the locals, including Esther, a young Amish woman who works in the shop. So when the store's former owner,the unlikable Walter Snow, is murdered, and the man Esther is sweet on becomes a suspect, Claire…


Book cover of Plain Truth

Rachel J. Good Author Of Buried Secrets

From my list on realistic and heart-wrenching Amish stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been drawn to realistic stories of moral dilemmas, hidden secrets, and unexpected twists. To do that in my novels, I draw from real-life experiences. I enjoy researching all my book locations and situations—everything from Amish special needs schools to Amish camel farms. Striving to be as authentic as possible, I spend time with my Amish friends, so the problems my characters face often are based on real-life events they’ve faced, and I have an Amish reader who checks the novels accuracy as I strive to write life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness.

Rachel's book list on realistic and heart-wrenching Amish stories

Rachel J. Good Why did Rachel love this book?

Told by an outsider, lawyer Ellie Hathaway, who left the Amish community years ago, Picoult immerses us in a stunning and heartbreaking story of a young Amish girl accused of murdering her newborn.

I admire the amount of research Picoult did to stay true to many of the Amish traditions, but she also spins a mesmerizing tale that captivated me emotionally and provided many twists and turns, including an unexpected and shocking reveal at the end. The story left many haunting moral questions that lingered long after I finished the book.

By Jodi Picoult,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Plain Truth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of My Sister's Keeper comes the riveting story of a murder that shatters the picturesque calm of Amish country -- and tests the heart and soul of the lawyer defending the woman at the center of the storm.

The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania,…


Book cover of The Shadow of Memory

Nina Wachsman Author Of The Gallery of Beauties

From my list on a peak into the world of art and artists.

Why am I passionate about this?

Having taken up the brush myself, I can attest to some sort of mystical, out-of-body experience that sometimes surfaces as an artist creates. Emotions and senses become directly connected to one’s hands, releasing the unconscious, allowing the artist to bring something to life that was buried deep inside. My favorite class in art school was Aesthetics, which explored the philosophy of art – what possessed the artist to paint – and what passions and beliefs were behind some of the art movements, including Surrealism, Dadaism, and Futurism. Books that delve into the craft and passion behind great works of art are my favorite reads.

Nina's book list on a peak into the world of art and artists

Nina Wachsman Why did Nina love this book?

In the Edgar-nominated The Shadow of Memory, the fourth book in a series set in England, antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is tasked to determine if a painting discovered in a former posh Victorian asylum is an authentic Dutch masterpiece.

The painting may be fictional, but the depiction of art forgery is not, and it is fascinating to discover the new technologies for discovering a fake as described in this book. The mystery and murder comes in when the painting’s provenance is tied to the murder of an old flame of Kate’s friend Vivian, and Kate fears Vivian may have become the murderer’s next target.

The painting raises the stakes for the futures of Kate, Vivian, and the murderer.

By Connie Berry,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Shadow of Memory as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Connie Berry’s fourth Kate Hamilton mystery, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton uncovers a dark secret buried in Victorian England.
 

As Kate Hamilton plans her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, she is also assisting her colleague Ivor Tweedy with a project at the Netherfield Sanatorium, which is being converted into luxury townhouses. Kate and Ivor must appraise a fifteenth-century paintingand verify that its provenance is the Dutch master Jan Van Eyck. But when retired criminal inspector Will Parker is found dead, Kate learns that the halls of the sanatorium housed much more than priceless art.
 
Kate is surprised…


Book cover of Say You're Sorry

Mary Martinez Author Of Disappear

From my list on thriller books with edge of your seat suspense.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about any suspense or thriller book. Even better, if I can’t figure out the ending, I love it when I believe I have the killer or bad guy figured out, and I’m wrong. I have read all of the books I recommended. They were page-turners and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved reading every single one.

Mary's book list on thriller books with edge of your seat suspense

Mary Martinez Why did Mary love this book?

I read this book as a contest judge. I’d never heard of the author before. Little did I know that I’d fall in love with Morgan and Lance. Hooked from the first book. Morgan is caught between a rock and a hard place. Tessa, who couldn’t be more ‘girl next door’–also Morgan’s kids’ babysitter–was murdered. Her neighbor needs Morgan to defend her son, who is accused of the murder. Morgan has known him for years and is determined to prove his innocence.  

Morgan asks her friend Lance, an ex-cop turned private investigator, to help solve the murder. I loved how they formed a relationship that developed with each new book of the series. I love series, especially when I love the author. I highly recommend this book. 

By Melinda Leigh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Say You're Sorry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A #1 Amazon Charts bestseller and Prime Reading's most read book of 2018.

In this thrilling series from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh, former prosecutor Morgan Dane faces the most personal-and deadly-case of her lifetime.

After the devastating loss of her husband in Iraq, Morgan Dane returns to Scarlet Falls, seeking the comfort of her hometown. Now, surrounded by family, she's finally found peace and a promising career opportunity-until her babysitter is killed and her neighbor asks her to defend his son, Nick, who stands accused of the murder.

Tessa was the ultimate girl next door, and the…


Book cover of This Side of Murder

Joyce Tremel Author Of Death On A Deadline

From my list on historical mysteries with women in non-traditional jobs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated with historical fiction, especially the World War II era, ever since I listened to my mother playing her Big Band Records. I’ve also loved mysteries since I picked up my first Nancy Drew book. Once I discovered historical mysteries, I haven’t been able to separate the two. I’ve recently expanded my interest to include the first world war. There are so many great stories that I’m afraid I’ll never get to read them all. It was really hard to narrow down my list to five books and I hope you’ll love the ones I’ve chosen for you.

Joyce's book list on historical mysteries with women in non-traditional jobs

Joyce Tremel Why did Joyce love this book?

This book is the first in the Verity Kent series set just after World War I in England.

Verity is a war widow and had worked for the Secret Service during the war. After declining an invitation to attend a party on a secluded island, she changes her mind when she receives a letter intimating that her husband had been a traitor. The partygoers are mostly former soldiers who had served under her husband.

This book has it all—a secluded island, many secrets, a storm, and a huge surprise. And I mean huge. Verity doesn’t know who she can trust but somehow manages to figure it all out. I’m way behind on reading this series but I mean to catch up soon!

By Anna Lee Huber,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked This Side of Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A WWI widow investigates murder—and her late husband’s secrets—in “this engrossing series launch” by the Daphne Award-winning author (Publishers Weekly).
 
England, 1919. Verity Kent’s grief over the loss of her husband pierces anew when she receives a cryptic letter suggesting her beloved Sidney may have committed treason before his untimely death. Determined to dull her pain with revelry, Verity’s first impulse is to dismiss the claim. But the mystery sender knows too much—including the fact that during the war, Verity worked for the Secret Service, something not even Sidney knew. 
 
Lured to Umbersea Island to attend the engagement party of…


Book cover of Titus Returns

Rachel J. Good Author Of Buried Secrets

From my list on realistic and heart-wrenching Amish stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been drawn to realistic stories of moral dilemmas, hidden secrets, and unexpected twists. To do that in my novels, I draw from real-life experiences. I enjoy researching all my book locations and situations—everything from Amish special needs schools to Amish camel farms. Striving to be as authentic as possible, I spend time with my Amish friends, so the problems my characters face often are based on real-life events they’ve faced, and I have an Amish reader who checks the novels accuracy as I strive to write life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness.

Rachel's book list on realistic and heart-wrenching Amish stories

Rachel J. Good Why did Rachel love this book?

Titus Returns isn’t a typical Amish story, and I like that it delves into serious topics that many Amish romances avoid—prison, PTSD, depression, and alcoholism.

When Titus returns after five years in prison, he’s a different person and no longer at home in his Amish community. He’s been through experiences no one could possibly understand, leaving him struggling with his faith, his identity, and PTSD.

He desires to make amends, but faces temptation from his now-married, former girlfriend along with the anger of the twin who blames him for her brother’s death. Despite all Titus’s problems, I appreciated the way this story of tragedy and loss turned around through the healing power of forgiveness.

By Amy Lillard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Titus Returns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Wells Landing (Book 5) Five tumultuous years ago, Titus Lambert had a tragic car wreck that left him serving time for vehicular manslaughter. He may not belong in peaceful Wells Landing anymore, but he must make amends. Visiting the Kings, whose son Alvin died that terrible night, he finds their farm in disrepair. They need his help. Honest toil and his friendship with Abbie King slowly help Titus’s soul to heal.


Book cover of Promise Lodge

Rachel J. Good Author Of Buried Secrets

From my list on realistic and heart-wrenching Amish stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been drawn to realistic stories of moral dilemmas, hidden secrets, and unexpected twists. To do that in my novels, I draw from real-life experiences. I enjoy researching all my book locations and situations—everything from Amish special needs schools to Amish camel farms. Striving to be as authentic as possible, I spend time with my Amish friends, so the problems my characters face often are based on real-life events they’ve faced, and I have an Amish reader who checks the novels accuracy as I strive to write life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness.

Rachel's book list on realistic and heart-wrenching Amish stories

Rachel J. Good Why did Rachel love this book?

Although I’m not convinced Old Order Amish women actually would venture out this way, I liked that the female characters made the tough decision to leave their community because of abuse and violence to start the new community of Promise Lodge.

The story delves into some of the hidden problems some Amish women have to deal with and exposes the dark secrets characters are hiding. Second chances, forgiveness, and fresh starts are all themes close to my heart, and I found the interesting, strong characters combined with their trust, faith, and community relationships made for a compelling story.

By Charlotte Hubbard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Promise Lodge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Hubbard writes Amish stories with style and grace." --RT Book Reviews

It's a better life, a fresh start--and a heaven-sent second chance. Founded by three Amish sisters determined to put misfortune behind them, Promise Lodge is a colony where faith's abiding promise can be fulfilled--and love can make all things new…

Energetic widow Mattie Bender Schwartz is working day and night to get Promise Lodge going. She's also hoping the change will help her son Noah's heart to heal after his broken engagement. But his former fiancée, Deborah, is looking for a fresh start too. Filled with regret, and cast…


Book cover of Matchmaking Can Be Murder
Book cover of Murder of an Amish Bridegroom
Book cover of Secrets Come Home

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