"Outsider" by Linda Castillo

The Outsider by Linda Castillo is about Gina, a dirty cop hiding out at an Amish man's farm putting him and his children in danger.  Her fellow dirty cops are after her because they believe she has a large amount of money taken from a bust and no longer trust her.  She once was a close friend of Kate Burkholder, the chief of police in the Amish community so asks the Amish man to get her to come.  Kate the only one she can trust.  

This book is pretty good.  It kept me wondering if Gina was going to get killed, escape, restore her friendship with Kate, or be sent to jail.  I also liked the predicament Kate was in from an ethical standpoint and how she kept wondering how best to help Gina.  When old memories came back, she analyzed how things could have been done differently.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
In Outsider by Linda Castillo, Gina is a cop who was partners with Kate Burkholder and best friend at the police academy.  Gina is running for her life and hiding on an Amish farm.  Kate is not sure she can trust her because of Gina's dark past.  This was pretty good.  The storyline kept me engaged and it has an action-packed ending that I liked.  This is a light read that does not require much thinking.  (4 stars)  

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"Beyond Hope's Valley" by Tricia Goyer

Image from Goodreads

Beyond Hope's Valley by Tricia Goyer is the last book in the Big Sky series about Mari's two marriage options.  Will she choose the good Amish man she grew up with or leave the Amish way for Ben, the man who captured her heart?  Ben pursues his music career in this book and Mari moves back to Indiana to help her brother and Naomi during Naomi's pregnancy. 

This book dragged a bit for me.  It seemed it could have been wrapped up quicker.  It became kind of repetitive and tiresome for me.  I did not like this one as well as I did the others. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"Along Wooded Paths" by Tricia Goyer

Image from Goodreads

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer is an enjoyable read about an Amish girl who has two men romantically interested in her.  One, is Aaron, the Amish man she grew up with in Indiana, and the other not Amish, Ben, who serves an Amish community in Montana.  During her time in Montana, she discovers God in a new way and realizes that even people who are not Amish can be close to God!  She begins to question some of her traditions she grew up with and does a lot of thinking.  This is book 2 of The Big Sky series.

I enjoyed this book very much.  The characters were well developed and were very believable.  It was also interesting learning some things about the Amish I hadn't known before.  I liked that the reader got to know Ben's and Aaron's thoughts and not just Marianna's.  I felt for the characters as I read.   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 15, Loc. 249-50:  But the closer he got, the more he questioned if that would be the case.  Had the distance ruined any chance of the love he'd once counted on?

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"Beside Still Waters"--A Big Sky novel by Tricia Goyer

(image from Goodreads)

Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer is an interesting Amish romance novel.  Marianna is an Amish girl who has always tried to do right and obey the Amish rules to be sure to not disappoint her parents.  Her two older sisters were killed in a buggy accident the day she was born and feels like she is a constant reminder to her parents of their deaths.  When her parents decide to move away from their Amish community in Indiana to Montana, she is very upset, as she is hoping to start dating Aaron Zook.  When she learns her mother is pregnant again, Marianna has no choice but to move with them to help.  To her surprise, she likes Montana and meets some very nice English people who begin to make her question some things she always believed.

I enjoyed this book but did not like how abruptly it ended.  I assume there must be a sequel which I will look for.  This is different from most other Amish stories I've read in that this one has the Amish interacting with the English in Montana instead of just being in their own little community.  I think anyone who enjoys stories about families would like this one.
(Karen's review, 5 stars) 

Teaser from page 42, Loc. 740-41 on Kindle:  Life in the Englisch world wasn't easy.  Some Amish didn't have birth certificates or Social Security cards.  Even harder was their lack of education, and work was hard to find.

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A Dog For Christmas" by Linda Byler (An Amish Christian Romance)

A Dog for Christmas by Linda Byler is about Amish twins during the depression. Twins Henry and Harvey were sent away from their family to live with another because they were so poor and had so many children. Rachel and Ephraim who had three girls took them in and Henry and Harvey were well cared for and learned farming. A Newfoundland dog found a home with them and became their best friend. The story about Henry includes fun times and sad times, but his faith in God grows along the way. He finds love and does well. This book seems like a Hallmark movie with some adversity to overcome and a happy ending.
Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Gerard’s review 12/6/19:
A Dog for Christmas by Linda Byler is mostly told by Henry. He was born into an Amish family. This book tells the trials of his childhood and continues into his manhood. The story has a good flow to it and I enjoyed all the characters very much. I also enjoyed the dogs that were involved in the story.
(4 stars)

Teaser from page 4: The boys didn’t look back, knowing that what was behind them was something they could never have again.
After the first mile, their feet were cold from snow leaking into the cracks in the soles of their shoes.


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"Shamed" by Linda Castillo

Shamed by Linda Castillo is a murder mystery centered around a kidnapping of a young, special needs child in an Amish community. The entire novel is about the murder/kidnapping investigation with no real character development at all.  It is all told from the Chief of Police's point of view.  I enjoyed other books by this author more than I did this one.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 32:  Again, I feel the minutes ticking by and I struggle for patience, with the need to be gentle, to not frighten this child who has already been so traumatized.  All of those things are in direct conflict with my need for facts.

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"Among the Wicked" by Linda Castillo

Among the Wicked by Linda Castillo is a story about Chief Kate Burkholder going undercover as an Amish women moving to Roaring Springs, New York.  She agrees to temporarily join the community to try to get evidence about some nasty rumors about the Bishop and look into the suspicious death of a 15-yr.-old girl that was found dead of hypothermia in the woods near where she was living.   Kate is determined to see through the assignment in spite of being in very serious danger and Tomasetti's objections. 

I enjoyed this book but once again, typical of Linda Castillo's Amish mysteries, Kate Burkholder bravely solves the mystery with near death experience.  She is brave but not too bright.  Kate's escape from death is hard to believe. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 49:  I'm loath to admit it, but I don't want leave.  Already, I miss him.  Already, I'm apprehensive about what lies ahead.

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"A Gathering of Secrets" by Linda Castillo

A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo is a murder mystery that is extremely sad.  Right from the Prologue, this book blew me away!  It is downright gruesome at times with some suspense.  The Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder gets herself into a couple dicey situations in this book.  When she discovers what a slime bag the 18-yr-old Amish boy really was, it becomes a struggle for her to hunt down his killer.

This book had some surprises but I came close to figuring out who the murderer was.  I thought the plot was interesting and kept my attention throughout the book.  I finished this one in just two days.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review (3.5 stars):
In A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo, a teen-age boy is found burned to death in his own barn.  Foul play is suspected.  It is up to Kate to find out who did this and why.  This book is pretty much the same as her other books with it set in the Amish community, her in danger while trying to solve the case, and some of her personal life.  The names and incidents change, but pretty much follows the same pattern.  I thought it was okay.

Teaser from page 6:  Meet me in the barn at midnight.  I'll make it worth your while.

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"Her Last Breath" by Linda Castillo (Updated)

Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo is gripping from the start, beginning with an Amish buggy hit-and- run accident that is fatal for the father and two of his three small children. Kate Burkholder, Chief of police, discovers that the hit-and-run “accident” was not an accident after all, but intentional! The widow was her best childhood friend. This is such a sad story with a surprise ending.

This book had my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. Kate Burkholder really needs to work on her hand-to-hand combat though! Anyhow, this is a good mystery and also had a bit of romance as well as some suspense. It had three storylines: the main murder mystery, Kate’s past catching up to her and the romance between Kate and Tomasetti with action near the end with a surprise twist.
(Karen's review 1/13/18, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 4:  Around him, the buggy exploded into a hundred pieces.  Paul thought he heard a child's cry and then the ground rushed up and slammed into him.

Gerard's review 1/23/18:
Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo starts off with a hit and run buggy accident in Amish country.  However, when the police investigate, there is more to it than it looks.  There is good stuff here.  I never knew how this was going to turn out!  The pace of the book is quick and the characters true to life.  (5 stars)


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"A Joyful Break" by Diane Craver Reveals Lots About the Amish Lifestyle

A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters) Book 1 by Diane Craver is about an Amish woman, Rachel, who visits her Aunt in D.C. who was formerly Amish to try to think through whether or not she is ready to be baptized and commit to being Amish and marry her boyfriend who wants to get married in the fall. She was looking forward to going to the beach and seeing the ocean to relax and think. When Rachel’s mom died in her 40s due to a heart attack, Rachel blamed her dad for not having a phone to get her to the hospital in time. The big “excitement” in this book is whether Rachel will choose to be Amish and marry Samuel as planned, or fall in love with an Englishman during her visit with her aunt

For me, the best part of this book was the cover. If you like details about what they are eating, about the reason behind some of the Amish rules they follow and some words the Amish use with their meanings, then this book is for you. It is very heavy on Amish customs and comparing their way of life to non-Amish folk. It also has quite a bit of scripture thrown in. For me, it was just okay. I felt it was slow moving, nothing captivating about it and no action at all. This is the first book of a series that I do not intend to continue. I’d recommend this as a good beach read.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)


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"Down a Dark Road" by Linda Castillo--An Amish Murder Mystery We Both Liked

In Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo, Joseph King is spending life in prison for a horrible crime he committed, but escaped and is on the run. Chief Kate Burkholder is on it! She was a close childhood friend of Joseph. Could he really have done this? Will Kate let her feelings get in the way of doing her job? I thought this book was very good! The characters were well developed and the situations were true to life. Don’t miss this one! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is about a cop, Katie Burkholder, who finds herself in a hostage situation with a childhood Amish friend who was convicted of murdering his wife and escaped from jail. She has a hard time believing he is guilty and agrees to look into his case even though it is outside her jurisdiction. She finds some disturbing things that make her more determined to investigate to discover the truth for herself which puts her in great danger.

This is a very good book that got my interest right from the start and kept it all the way to the end. It has action, some tender scenes, and suspense. The theme throughout is to seek the truth and fight for justice no matter what. If you like a good mystery that is not boring with ties to the Amish community, you should read this one! (5 stars)


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"Twice Blessed--Two Amish Christmas Stories by Barbara Cameron

Twice Blessed—Two Amish Christmas Stories by Barbara Cameron is actually two novellas about two pair of 23-yr-old Amish twins: (1) Rosie and Katie and (2) Ben and Mark. Rosie and Katie are used to doing everything together but have very different personalities. Both want to find a good man to marry. This story line was a happy little romance that was predictable.

The men are both in love with the same woman, Ruth. Mark and Ruth are engaged, but Ben is jealous. Ruth secretly loves Ben more. When Mark and Ben get in an accident, Mark is in a coma for over a week while Ben just lets Ruth, the nurses and the doctor think he’s actually Mark. This story had a bit of a unique spin to it so I enjoyed it more.  It even has some recipes in the back of the book of foods mentioned in the stories.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"The SEARCH" by Suzanne Woods Fisher is abouth Family Secrets

There's a dog and cat in this one!

The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the third book in her Lancaster County Secrets series that is another good read!  It is about young love, forgiveness, grief, God’s sovereignty and new beginnings.  This is a story about an Amish man, Jonah and his daughter, Bess who believes her grandmother when she says “good things take time.”  Her grandmother, Bertha, has a rose farm and has a knack for knowing everyone’s business and getting her way.  She was my favorite character in this book.  Lainey is an Englisher, raised in the foster care system but who has returned to the community and decides she wants to join the Amish church.  Her and Bertha both have a big secret.  When Bess goes to live with her grandmother for the summer, she learns many things.  

I enjoyed this book with the humor, the big dog, the window into Amish living, the romance, the heartwarming plot and the fantastic ending!   The first two books in this series are The CHOICE and The WAITING.

(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The WAITING" by Suzanne Woods Fisher--A Beautiful Amish Romance

The WAITING by Suzanne Woods Fisher topped The CHOICE!  In The Waiting, Jorie King, the main character who helps her grandparents on their Amish horse farm and agrees to teach school finally finds love.  This is a great story that focuses on one particular Amish family, the Zooks.  The oldest, Cal is left with his young daughter, Maggie and his three brothers--Ben, Matthew, and Ephraim when his beloved wife dies of Cancer.  Cal stepped up to run the family farm when their parents died.  Issues in this book include life struggles, family issues, faith, education, judging others, relationships and coming of age.

I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more by this wonderful author.  The romance is clean, the Christian theme runs throughout without being preachy and it's thought provoking.  I cheered out loud at a couple parts--once when Cal through Ben's medications into the garbage and when the test results came back for Jorie's 8th graders.  Ephraim was my favorite character. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Choice" by Suzanne Woods Fisher is Very Good Christian Romance

The Choice, the first in the “Secrets in Lancaster” series by Suzanne Woods Fisher is about romance in an Amish community along with Englishers.  This is an enjoyable read with a love triangle and some hard times that work out for good.  It is a story of faith,  mercy and forgiveness with several interesting characters and a bit of humor.  As an Amish girl, Carry must choose to run off with Sol as he pursues a professional baseball career as a pitcher, an Amish boy who has not yet been baptized that she is in love with or stay and take care of her brother when her father dies, remaining faithful to the Amish ways.  She wants him to stay but he does not want to miss his opportunity for more.

I particularly liked the way the author followed the lives of several different people and didn’t just focus all on the main character and her relationships.  This book touches on many different aspects of Amish life and I look forward to reading others by this author.  This would be a good Book Club read and has discussion questions in the back.    I recommend this to anyone who enjoys  clean romances or  Amish stories.  (I read this on my Kindle so no cat pictured, sorry!)

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Face of Heaven" by Murray Pura

The Face of Heaven by Murray Pura is historical Christian fiction about an Amish man and woman who feel strongly enough against slavery that the man joins the union army and the woman volunteers as a nurse on the battlefields of the Civil War. There is the romance story line too but the majority of the book is about the Civil War through their eyes. Nathaniel and Lyndel must endure shunning from their families and community when they join the war effort, but believe it is what God would have them do. I learned from reading this book that it is not the custom of the Amish to wear wedding bands and that a married woman wears a white knapp, but a single woman wears a black knapp.

Parts of this book were very intense and so gripping that I missed my bus stop while reading it coming home from work on the bus one day. Other, parts dragged a bit, but overall it was good. I also read The Wings of Morning by this author and liked that one even better.
(Karen's review)

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"The Secret" by Beverly Lewis

The Secret by Beverly Lewis is an interesting read about a secret an Amish wife keeps from her whole family and after some 22 years of marriage, finally chooses to deal with it.  Her oldest daughter, Grace, has to step up and takes on the responsibility of cooking and holding the family together.  Heather, another non-Amish girl who is working on her thesis is also keeping a secret from everyone and hides out in Amish country.  This is the first in the Seasons of Grace series which of course leaves loose ends for the second book.  It’s okay, but not anything exciting—mostly a lot of inner turmoil and relationships that I think would appeal to women more than men.   
(Karen's review)

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"Gone Missing" by Linda Castillo is an Amish Thriller

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo is about a police investigation involving several missing Amish teens.  The cops don’t know if they just left on their own or if foul play was involved.  Some disappearances are cold cases but some are recently and they wonder if they are all related.  Talking to the victims’ families is tough because of the Amish’s general reluctance to trust anyone outside their own community.  Kate Burkholder, having grown up Amish, the chief of police for a small Amish community is called in on the case as a consultant and is excited about working again with a State Agent, John Tomasetti, who she really hit it off with. 

This book focuses on parent-teen relationships and is an interesting read because it not only gives some insight into the Amish, but is told from Kate’s perspective and includes both her job as a cop and her personal life as a woman.  The last 67 pages are full of suspense and action that made me keep turning the pages.  The ending is very unsettling and quite shocking!  This book has some foul language but it is much less than some of her other books I’ve read and was easy to overlook.  This is a good mystery!
(Karen's review)

 

Other books I liked by Linda Castillo:  Sworn to Silence (gruesome), Pray for Silence (very good) and Breaking Silence (thrilling)

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"The Wings of Morning" by Murray Pura

Here's the book trailer for this one:






I enjoyed The Wings of Morning by Murray Pura very much.  This is part 1 of "Snapshots in History" series.  It is about Jude, an Amish pilot during World War I who agrees to fly for America in order to save his friends even though it means he will be shunned.  Lyyndaya and Jude develop a friendship which leads to a romance but their letters must remain at the post office because of the shunning.


This is the best Amish romance I've read because it didn't poke along and the main character was male instead of female.  I liked the description of the flying, the dog fights and the romance.  Parts were heart-breaking and very sad but it was really great to see how Jude maintained his faith while at war and managed not to kill anyone!  The ending was fantastic!

This book is so much more than just a Christian romance.  I loved this one because it had adventure, faith, forgiveness, group dynamics, clean language and romance without the sex scenes.  Murray Pura is a new author to me; I look forward to reading more of his books.
(Karen's review)



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"Breaking Silence" by Linda Castillo

Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo is her third book that has Kate as the lead cop trying to solve a crime against the Amish.  This book is a page-turner.  I thought I finally nailed who the killer was only to find out I was wrong, as usual.  The ending is really good; didn't see it coming at all!  This book is well worth reading.  I give this 1 1/2 wow rating!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo left me stunned! If you like a good murder mystery and stories about the Amish, this one combines the two very well. The former Amish Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, has her work cut out for her as she tries to track down the perpetrators of a string of hate crimes in the Amish community where no one wants to answer her questions. The biggest puzzle is when what appears to be an accident causing three deaths that result in four orphaned kids turns out to be murder. I could feel her emotions as she worked to get the boys out of the manure pit and chased down the criminal through his place of employment. I also enjoyed the subplot of her personal relationship with Agent Tomasetti as they worked together on the case.

I liked that the story is told from Kate’s point of view as she goes about trying to solve the crimes while trying to keep her personal feelings in check. I was shocked by the ending which kept me reviewing in my mind what happened to try to make sense of it all. This is a very interesting read that I highly recommend.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Other books we read and liked by Linda Castillo: Sworn To Silence & Pray For Silence

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