A Plain Disappearance

Once again it seems that Chloe Humphrey seems to attract more than just attention, she once again is the common factor in yet another murder in the heart of Appleseed Creek. This brings the total to three and even though she has an air tight alibi, this murder may in fact be the one that ultimately divides the English from the Amish in town. While exploring a deserted barn one early morning after a sleigh ride with her boyfriend, Timothy Troyer, they locate the body of Katie Lambright just under the snow. Signs may point to an accidental death by way of a frozen icicle that is missing just right above when they have found her body, but until they contact the local sheriff, Greta Rose, they won't know for sure. All they know is that she won't like that it will be Chloe once again who has discovered another dead body.

In the third novel in the Appleseed Creek Mystery series by Amanda Flower, A Plain Disappearance once again takes two very different genre's, Amish and Murder Mystery and combines them flawlessly to create something not only unique but unforgettable as well. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be able to read all of these novels and while there is a common thread running through them, they are each completely different. However with that being said in order to understand the relationships the English have with the Amish people living in Appleseed Creek is necessary to read them in order.

In this one it shows the difficulty that can had whenever a crime takes place within an Amish community. Rather than seek outside intervention, the Amish believe that whatever happens is best dealt within their own community of believers and is God's will. The sheriff utilizes the relationship that Chloe and Timothy have being former Amish residents as a common thread that will allow them to solve the crime and find out just who has murdered Katie Lambright, a young girl who was known for attracted more suitors than she needed. Is it possible that despite all the clues they find, the murderer is someone they don't suspect and resides within the town itself working alongside both English and Amish alike? To find out, you'll simply have to pick up this novel!

I received A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flowers compliments of B and H Publishing Group and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. This is such an exceptional series because of not only the combination of genres but it really addresses the subject of forgiveness and what happens when the seeds of bitterness are allowed to grow in people's hearts. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and look forward to more from Amanda Flower in the future. There are even some great discussion questions included for book groups.

For more information about A Plain Disappearance, Amanda Flower or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower

You can also find Amanda Flower on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Plain Disappearance on the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here. 

The Appleseed Creek Mystery Series Books are listed below:

# 1 A Plain Death
# 2 A Plain Scandal
# 3 A Plain Disappearance

• Series: An Appleseed Creek Mystery
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books (September 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433676990
• ISBN-13: 978-1433676994
• Product Dimensions: 1.1 x 5.4 x 8.2 inches

A Plain Disappearance

Once again it seems that Chloe Humphrey seems to attract more than just attention, she once again is the common factor in yet another murder in the heart of Appleseed Creek. This brings the total to three and even though she has an air tight alibi, this murder may in fact be the one that ultimately divides the English from the Amish in town. While exploring a deserted barn one early morning after a sleigh ride with her boyfriend, Timothy Troyer, they locate the body of Katie Lambright just under the snow. Signs may point to an accidental death by way of a frozen icicle that is missing just right above when they have found her body, but until they contact the local sheriff, Greta Rose, they won't know for sure. All they know is that she won't like that it will be Chloe once again who has discovered another dead body.

In the third novel in the Appleseed Creek Mystery series by Amanda Flower, A Plain Disappearance once again takes two very different genre's, Amish and Murder Mystery and combines them flawlessly to create something not only unique but unforgettable as well. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be able to read all of these novels and while there is a common thread running through them, they are each completely different. However with that being said in order to understand the relationships the English have with the Amish people living in Appleseed Creek is necessary to read them in order.

In this one it shows the difficulty that can had whenever a crime takes place within an Amish community. Rather than seek outside intervention, the Amish believe that whatever happens is best dealt within their own community of believers and is God's will. The sheriff utilizes the relationship that Chloe and Timothy have being former Amish residents as a common thread that will allow them to solve the crime and find out just who has murdered Katie Lambright, a young girl who was known for attracted more suitors than she needed. Is it possible that despite all the clues they find, the murderer is someone they don't suspect and resides within the town itself working alongside both English and Amish alike? To find out, you'll simply have to pick up this novel!

I received A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flowers compliments of B and H Publishing Group and Handlebar Central for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. This is such an exceptional series because of not only the combination of genres but it really addresses the subject of forgiveness and what happens when the seeds of bitterness are allowed to grow in people's hearts. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and look forward to more from Amanda Flower in the future. There are even some great discussion questions included for book groups.

For more information about A Plain Disappearance, Amanda Flower or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower

You can also find Amanda Flower on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

The Appleseed Creek Mystery Series Books are listed below:

# 1 A Plain Death
# 2 A Plain Scandal
# 3 A Plain Disappearance

• Series: An Appleseed Creek Mystery
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books (September 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433676990
• ISBN-13: 978-1433676994
• Product Dimensions: 1.1 x 5.4 x 8.2 inches

Unforeseeable

The best part of the Road to Kingdom Series by best selling author - Nancy Mehl has been the unique blending of two of my favorite genre's to create something unforgettable in each of the novels that keeps me coming back for more. In this series of novels Nancy has taken your typical Christian Amish Fiction and twisted it so seamlessly with a great suspense murder, you think this is how all novels should be written. I think you shouldn't be able to tell the genre's apart and I think Nancy has created a unique nichè that is all her own.

While Unforeseeable is the third and final novel in the series, you can definitely pick this one up and read it as a stand alone and still gain the appreciation that fans from the beginning have experienced along the way. Callie Hoffman is the owner of town's cafè and works alongside her soon to be sister-in-law, Lizzie Housler. She is anticipating her upcoming wedding to the newly elected pastor, Levi Housler, Lizzie's brother, but some in the town of Kingdom believe he is far too young to take on the responsibilities of leading the church.

When the body of a woman is found just outside of town, soon the true nightmare begins. The sheriff comes to the local town gathering in the cafè to inform the residents that he believes that a serial killer has once again emerged and has begun to take his killing spree into the heart of Kingdom. He advises all women to make sure that they are with someone and never to venture outside alone. Pretty soon, like most small towns gossip gets the best of people and fingers are pointed into who may be the killer living among the small town of Kingdom. Just when you think you have it figured out, Nancy spins the tale into a completely different direction and soon you'll be left wondering just who is it and how many more lives of the women living in Kingdom will be claimed to the person responsible for committing the crimes just as a monsterous blizzard makes a direct path into town.

I received Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I have not received any monetary compensation for a favorable review. By far, this is my favorite of all three books in the series. Not only have I gotten the chance to know each of the main characters in the previous novels, I absolutely loved the elements that Nancy has twisted together to make this one work and compel me to finish the final page before setting it down. That to me, is a sign of a great book. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my personal opinion.

For more information about Unforeseeable, Nancy Mehl or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl

You can follow Nancy Mehl on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Unforeseeable from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here. 

• Series: Road to Kingdom (Book 3)
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (September 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764209299
• ISBN-13: 978-0764209291
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches

A Plain Scandal - Giveaway and Review

"I don't know how you've been able to worm your way into the affections of the Troyer family, but rest assured that's the only family you will lead from the Amish way!"

Once again those harsh words rung in the ears of Chloe Humphrey, an Englischer who has gained the affections of Timothy and Becky Troyer who have left the Amish faith in favor of an English lifestyle. But no matter how often Chloe and Timothy try to convince the new Bishop Hooley and Deacon Sutter, they remain convince that unless Chloe stays away from the Troyer family, the rest of the Amish community will be forced to shun them.

Despite all her protests, someone else is after the Amish community. Someone is cutting off the beards of Amish men and the hair from the Amish women against their will. This is considered a hate crime by the local sheriff because the Amish women never cut their hair. It's against their religious beliefs and the Amish married men are the only ones wearing beards and now they seem to also be the target of someone's hatred for the Amish. However when an Amish man is found murdered along with his beard being cut off, the risks for the entire community Amish and English have just risen.

However Chloe believes there is a single connection to all the crimes if she can only interview the victims. But with the new Bishop and Deacon controlling the Amish community and advising all to avoid dealing with Chloe, she isn't about to gain much cooperation. Will she be able to solve this latest string of crimes that have found there way into the heart of Appleseed Creek or will she be cast aside by the friends and family she has come to hold dear to her heart?

In the latest novel, A Plain Scandal by Amanda Flower, we are once more gifted with a blend of Amish fiction coupled with a murder mystery in the second book in the Appleseed Creek mystery series. I received this book compliments of B & H Publishing Group and Shelton Interactive for my honest review and once again feel in love with the two different types of people living together in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country and admire the friendship that Chloe shares for the Amish people's beliefs. She tries to respect their personal beliefs even if she doesn't understand the harsh reality of being shunned personally. She wants to do whatever she can to help but faces barriers when the Amish refuse to help much in talking with her. I think Amanda Flower did an exceptional job at keeping the pace of the novel engaging but moving forward always keeping you guessing until the final pages of the book for the reveal. For those of you that love Amish fiction and a great murder mystery, trust me and pick up this series! You don't need to read the first book in the series to gain an appreciation for the residents of Apple Creek, but I know you'll be as hooked as I was and will want to pick up A Plain Death too, the first book in the series. This one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my book!

For more information about A Plain Scandal, Amanda Flower, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Plain Scandal by Amanda Flower

You can also join Facebook to follow Amanda Flower and stay up to date with all her latest novels.

Thanks to the generous folks at Shelton Interactive and B & H Publishing Group, they are providing a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your details to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.

2. "Like" my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart. If you've already LIKED the page, leave me a comment there telling me you stopped by to enter the giveaway.

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US Shipping Address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this book along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

5. "Like" Amanda Flower's Facebook page!

The giveaway will end on March 15th and I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email.

Material Witness

I just love it when really talented authors take some of my favorite genre's and mix them together to create such a seamless blend for a great story you truly fall in love all over again with being an avid book reader. In the case of Material Witness by Vannetta Chapman, we are taken back to the small Amish town of Shipshewana, Indiana that is comprised of about 600 residents, not all of them Amish. Here in this small town there's been a bit of competition between two owners of Amish quilt stores. Mrs. Knepp is the eighty-year-old owner of Quilts and Needles and feels that Callie Harper and her friends that run Daisy's Quilt Shop have deviated from the traditional Amish ways by offering quilting, knitting and other craft classes that draw much of the business to their shop. Even the English tourists have been frequenting Daisy's Quilt Shop over Mrs. Knepps.

Yet in the middle of the Fall Festival, things are about to get interesting. Now the population of the small town is well over thirty thousand and business is booming. The streets are crowded and no one seems to notice an Amish women standing in the shrubs just outside the parking lot of Daisy's Quilt Shop. No one that is except for Aaron, a small boy who is confined to a wheelchair and a Labrador named Max. Without any sound, the woman falls sprawled out on the ground. There is no sound, no blood. In the darkness only the evil eyes of a man who stands over the women and then stares at Aaron is the only lasting memory of what has just happened.

When Callie Harper learns what has happened and to whom, she is immediately ridden with guilt for all the months that her and Mrs. Knepp argued over their businesses. What's worse is this is the third murder to happen in the small town of Shipshewana in the last fifteen months and in every single one of those cases, Callie Harper has been involved. Not it seems that this murder case is about to get personal on many levels. Callie Harper is the target and not only does someone want what she has or they'll risk murder, but Aaron is the only eye witness. Will Callie be able to help solve this crime or will she finally run out of options?

I received Material Witness by Vannetta Chapman compliments of Zondervan Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. I absolutely LOVED this book and it immediately captivated my interest from the first page and I could not put it down until I knew who did it! This is the third book in the Shipshewana Mystery series and once again brings back the characters we have fallen in love with including the romantic tension between investigator Shane Black and Callie Harper. Will they finally realize their interest lies more than just in solving cases and goes much, much deeper? You'll have to pick this one up to find out. I personally give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!!!

To find out more information about Material Witness, Vannetta Chapman or to pick up a copy of this wonderful book, please click on the links below:

Material Witness by Vannetta Chapman 

You can also find Vannetta Chapman on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (September 4, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310330459
• ISBN-13: 978-0310330455
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches

A Plain Death

I absolutely LOVE it when you find a great author that can immediately get you involved as part of her book from the very first page. To me it's a great sign of a talented writer if they can engage you from the beginning and keep you hooked turning pages as fast as you can read them. Success achieved with the latest novel from Amanda Flower, A Plain Death. This is just one of the many that will soon follow in the Appleseed Creek Mystery series and I can't wait for the adventure to continue.

The book introduces us immediately as twenty-four-year old Chloe Humphrey is attempting to find her way to her new home and job in Appleseed Creek, Ohio. As she is getting her bearings thanks to a GPS device that is as lost as she is, she happens upon a young Amish girl, Becky Troyer being harrassed by two English men. Chloe rescues the poor girl and in return Becky kindly guides Chloe to her new location. She learns that Chloe is heading up the new technology department at the local college and soon introduces Chloe to her handy Amish brother, Timothy, who offers to help around Chloe's new home fixing things. But it seems Becky is hiding more than she is willing to let on to Chloe who has become her new hero. When Chloe offers Becky a place to stay with her, she immediately accepts.

Seeing Becky has some issues since leaving her Amish faith, Chloe wants to help her find a new start. She locates a job at a local greenhouse that would be perfect for her. But rather than wait for a ride, Becky "borrows" Chloe's car, even though she doesn't have a license. On her way to the interview, Becky gets into an accident killing the local bishop. It's here that the novel really takes off. It seems that someone has tampered with Chloe's car and that the brake lines had been cut. Who is responsible? Are they after Chloe or Becky? Well to find out, you'll just have to pick up the latest copy of A Plain Death from Amanda Flower!

I received A Plain Death, compliments from B & H Publishing Group and Net Galley for my honest review and I am so glad I picked this one up to review. I love it when a great writer will combine elements from different genre's and create a masterpiece that will grab new readers and make them want even more. Amanda Flowers does that and so much more. I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series, A Plain Scandal, and for those of you that love Christian Amish with a blend of mystery added, then you will LOVE this one. I personally rate it a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information on A Plain Death, Amanda Flower and where you can pick up a copy of this latest book today, please click on the links below:

A Plain Death by Amanda Flower

You can stay up with the latest books from Amanda Flower by clicking here for her Facebook page.

The Search

The murderer still is at large in the Amish community of Crittenden County and Detective Luke Reynolds is still questioning the residents fearing that he is getting no where closer to the truth. After discovering the body of Perry Borntrager at the bottom of the well on the Miller's Farm, it seems like quite a few of the townspeople have secrets that they hope will never be discovered.

Frannie Eicher was the last person to see Perry alive, and not being the type to want to share more details than necessary about the dead, she avoids providing some information to Luke. She believes that these details are necessary for helping him solve the case, but it seems the more times Luke discovers new information, it points back to Frannie and causes him to not trust what she has been telling him. He knows she is holding something back but can't figure out why.

In the second book in the series, The Secrets of Crittenden County, The Search by Shelley Shepard Gray picks up right where the first book, The Missing left off. It seems like there is a connection between Perry's murder, his unusual and unpredictable behavior, and the secrets certain people are keeping about what they know about Perry. Someone within this small Amish community is hiding a very deep secret and it's up to Detective Luke Reynolds to find out where this search will lead him.

I love this series of books because Shelley is taking her time with her readers in this murder case involving an Amish resident, a young man, who seems to have gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd, but is that the men who are selling drugs, the Englischers, or someone in town that wanted Perry gone in whatever manner it took? I can't wait to find out who it is, and I've got my own suspicions using details from both books who it might be. For those of you looking for a bit more than is usually found in your Amish novels, you might want to pick up this series. You'll get a great cast of characters that are carefully created and you will always meet someone new along the way. I loved, Frannie's father and Beth, her friend in this novel. Their inspiration to helping Frannie find the answers she needs, are worth reading about.

I received this novel compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I would have to say this one rates right up there with the first one, a 5 out of 5 stars. Now if I can only wait until September this year, for The Found to be released, I might have my answers in who I believe killed Perry. Maybe I have what it takes to make a great detective, but I know I have found a true love in reading Shelley Shepard Gray's novels. They have a forever home on my bookshelf.

For more information about The Search, Shelley Shepard Gray and where to pick up this series today, please click on the links below:

The Search by Shelley Shepard Gray

To stay up to date on the latest from Shelley, consider following her on Facebook by clicking here.

Missing: The Secrets of Crittenden County

Whenever I see the name Shelley Shepard Gray on a book, I know before I ever open the first page, it's going to be good if not great. Missing: The Secrets of Crittenden County is the first book in the series that Shelley has written after visiting an Amish community nestled in rural western Kentucky and this is the beginning of that series.

The book opens with Abby Anderson who is sneaking off on to the land surrounding the Miller's farm near Crooked Creek to have a smoke with some girlfriends from school. Abby knew she shouldn't be doing this but since she wanted to fit in at school, she went along with them. Sensing her better judgment was beginning to speak to her heart, she decided she should leave, but when the girls had other plans and tossed her backpack into the woods, she wasn't at all prepared for what she would find. The body of a missing Amish teen, Perry Borntrager in the bottom of a dry well.

Now with the investigation beginning into the mysterious death of Perry, some of the residents of this small Amish town in Crittenden County are that interested in sharing what they know. Lydia Plank is the former girlfriend of Perry's and she isn't about to share what she believes could ruin her more than helping to solve Perry's death. She fears that it will forever ruin not only what her family thinks about her but what God does as well.

Walker Anderson is the older brother of Abby, the girl who found Perry's body. When the police detective comes around asking questions of Walker, he doesn't believe the information he knows about Perry will help with the investigation and only get him in trouble with Mr. Aaron Schrock, the owner of the store at which he works. Perry use to work there with him as well until Walker quit. He didn't want to be anywhere near Perry anymore.

In Missing: The Secrets of Crittenden County by Shelley Shepard Gray, the reader it taken on the journey of a murder investigation of Perry Borntrager and realizes just how difficult it can be to search for answers in a tight knit community of Amish residents. They feel that nothing that they can tell the detective will help and it's only until they begin to share their secrets that not only will it lead them closer to the murderer but absolve them of the personal guilt that they are carrying in their own lives.

I received Missing: The Secrets of Crittenden County, the first book in the series compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and can't wait for the next one. I will tell you this since it is a series, the murder will not be solved in this book, but it will get you on board with your own crime solving skills to the test as you begin to join in the search. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend this one to those of you that love a good crime solving mystery with an Amish flair to it.

For more information on this book, the amazing author and where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Missing: The Secrets of Crittenden County by Shelley Shepard Gray

You can also find Shelley on Facebook by clicking here.

Blood Of The Prodigal

It began in a small town of Millsburg in the Amish Community of Holmes County. Here the Old Order Amish still reign amid the local English people in keeping their separate lives as they can. Until today.

Jonah Miller was part of the Old Order, but what some would call a dreamer of a young student who puts too tight of a roll on his trouser cuffs and ended up living a life of smoking, drinking, fast-living scoundrel who deserted his pregnant girl friend, drove her to suicide, kidnapped his own son ten years later, and is being hunted by his father who shunned him, and by the girl's brother, who has vowed to kill him.

The only person who seems to have a clue to what is going on is Bishop Eli Miller who has hired an English professor to find his grandson. His only beginning to his search is a letter that the Bishop has handed him with the promise not to involve the local police and respect the Amish custom for privacy.

The note reads:

Dear Father.

I want my boy to see some of the world. You'll have him back in time for harvest. Do not try to find us.

Jonah.

Will the Professor be able to locate the Jonah and return his grandson back to the Bishop? Has the boy truly been kidnapped? Who has something to gain by taking Jeremiah from the Bishop?

To find out, read the latest novel, Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus, an Amish Country Mystery. I received this book, compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and must say, I did not see how this one would turn out. I was pleasantly surprises when a great Christian Amish mystery can hold you captive until the very last suspense-filled moment. You'll love this book if you're a fan of Christian, Amish or Mystery Books. This one rates 5 out of 5 stars.

This book is the first in a new series of Amish-Country Mystery's and is available in paperback format. Here's even more information about the book, the author and even a first chapter sneak peek.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Blood of the Prodigal Plume; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010) by P.L. Gaus
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paul took an interest in writing fiction in 1993, and with the advice and encouragement of author Tony Hillerman, he began writing mystery novels set among the Amish in Holmes County, Ohio. The first of Gaus's mysteries, Blood of the Prodigal, An Ohio Amish Mystery, was published by Ohio University Press in June of 1999, and a total of six novels have appeared in this series: Broken English, 2000, Clouds Without Rain, 2001, Cast a Blue Shadow, 2003, A Prayer for the Night, 2006, and Separate from the World, 2008. A seventh novel in the series is in preparation.

All of Paul's stories have now been republished by Plume (a division of Penguin Group USA) as The Amish-Country Mysteries, and these editions have been embraced by Christian retailers such as CBD.com, Family Christian Stores, and LifeWay. Future mysteries in the series will still first be published in hard cover editions, as The Amish-Country Mysteries by Ohio University Press, with Plume bringing out the soft cover editions some time later.

Paul and his wife Madonna still travel frequently in Holmes County. He lectures widely about Amish culture at libraries, bookstores, literary societies, and the like, and his books have been featured at Book Expo America and similar professional shows around the country. Paul's novels have been reviewed in prominent journals and newspapers, for instance, Kirkus Reviews, ForeWord Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Ohioana Quarterly, and the New York Times Book Review.

ABOUT THE BOOK

For Jonah Miller, shunned by his Old Order sect and cast into the wider world, the summer begins with his decision to kidnap his ten-year-old son from the home of the bishop who had exiled Miller a decade earlier. In his desperation to retrieve the boy, the bishop appeals for help to the only "English" men the sect would ever approve.

Professor Michael Branden and Pastor Caleb Troyer had been looking forward to the kind of sleepy rural summer they had enjoyed as boyhood friends growing up in the small college town of Millersburg. Instead, they plunge into the normally closed Amish culture to find the boy. When the kidnapping leads to murder, they can no longer keep the case from the law. Working sometimes at cross purposes with his friend Sheriff Bruce Robertson, Professor Branden digs through the past to uncover truths that many would prefer to leave undisturbed. Little does he suspect that even the anguished bishop, torn by an insoluble moral dilemma, tragically does not tell everything he knows about the case. Suddenly the vast tangle of Amish and Mennonite settlements that sprawl among several thousand small farms and homesteads seems less bucolic than unknowable and impenetrable.

As they inquire delicately among the peaceful ones, Branden and Troyer learn that the troubles of Jonah Miller began far earlier than the kidnapping, with his Rumschpringe - the customary wild year before taking Amish vows. But his grand Rumschpringe had exploded into a decade of drugs, whiskey, and women, in the company of people no Amish person should meet.

In the tradition of Tony Hillerman, P. L. Gaus depicts a culture that successfully stands outside the mainstream yet interacts with it in complex and fascinating ways, a culture that is every bit as susceptible to the undertow of the human spirit as any we might know.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Blood of the Prodigal, go HERE