The Amish Confectionary Competition is a big deal ("It's like the NBA playoffs, but with way more sugar"), as is the fact that little Harvest, Ohio, is playing host.  Not only would winning the competition be the perfect way to honor Bailey King's late grandfather, but it would also mean great publicity for her Amish family's candy shop, Swissmen's Sweets.  Although Bailey herself is not Amish (a fact that at least one other competitor thinks should disqualify her) and the rules stipulate all sweets must be made in the Amish way (which is not at all how things were done at the exclusive Manhattan shop where she trained as a chocolatier), Bailey is determined to win the competition.  

When a town-wide search for a missing pot-bellied pig leads to the corpse of Bailey's biggest competition rival, Bailey is shocked.  She becomes even more distressed when she learns she's the primary suspect in the woman's death.  As if she's not stressed enough trying to bake her best sweets for the confectionary contest, now she has to convince the authorities she's not a killer.  But who is?  Once again Bailey must channel her inner Nancy Drew to solve a perplexing mystery.

Lots of cozy mystery series feature eateries of some sort—bakeries, cafes, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, etc.—but none are set in quaint Amish country.  The unique setting is what first drew my attention to the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower.  After reading the first installment, Assaulted Caramel, I definitely wanted more of Harvest with its fun characters, Amish/Englischer interactions, and upbeat vibe.  Lethal Licorice delivered all this as well as a new mystery to entertain me.  Once again, I enjoyed my visit to the small town.  This second book in the series is just as fun as the first, offering a light, diverting read that made me smile.  It even kept me guessing, which doesn't always happen in cozies.  Although the books have their flaws for sure, I still like this series a lot and will absolutely keep reading it.  A little light reading is pretty much exactly what I need right now, thank you very much!

(Readalikes:  Other books in the series, including Assaulted Caramel, Criminally Cocoa [novella], Botched Butterscotch [novella], Premeditated Peppermint, Toxic Toffee, Marshmallow Malice, Candy Cane Crime, and Lemon Drop Dead, as well as cozy mysteries by Vivien Chien, Ellie Alexander, and Kylie Logan)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find