Amish Secrets by Marta Perry

Happy New Year's Eve!

Book Summary

Amish Secrets by Marta Perry has Rachel Hurst seeking the position of live-in housekeeper with Geraldine Withers after her father unexpectedly remarries.  She is surprised to find her old fiancé Jacob Beiler working on the estate.  Rachel regrets not being able to marry Jacob and how things ended between them.  Jacob still feels the hurt of Rachel’s rejection, but he cannot deny that he still has feelings for Rachel.  As Jacob and Rachel work with Geraldine Withers, they get to know her and become fond of the elderly woman who has a troublesome family.  When small incidents begin to happen that jeopardize Geraldine’s life, the pair become worried.  Rachel and Jacob investigate the episodes to see if they can discover who is behind them.  They will do what they can to keep Geraldine safe.  It soon becomes apparent that someone is unhappy with their snooping when one of their lives ends up in jeopardy.

My Thoughts

Amish Secrets by Marta Perry is the third book in the River Haven series.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series or if you missed a book. I do wish that we could have seen or received updates on the characters from the previous two books.  I thought Amish Secrets was well-written with developed characters.  I liked the storyline that contained mystery, suspense, and romance.  The characters were developed and realistic.  I enjoyed the feisty Geraldine Withers.  She needed to be to put up with her family.  Holly, Geraldine’s great-niece, added lightness and humor to the story.  I believe she will grow up to be like Geraldine. The mystery was interesting.  There were a variety of suspects who could be behind the misdeeds.  I did feel that there some unanswered questions at the end that I would have liked resolve, but I did enjoy reading Amish Secrets.  I stayed up late to finish because I wanted to see if I correctly identified the evildoer.  Amish Secrets has a good ending.  Amish Secrets is an intriguing and suspenseful tale with irregular incidents, a troubled tween, an unfriendly family, missing memories, and romantic reflections.

Amish Secrets is available from Amazon* along with other major retailers (Harlequin, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Chapter's, etc.).  The other two novels in the River Haven series are Amish Outsider and Amish Protector.  You can find Marta Perry's other novels here.  Thank you for joining me today and reading my review.  I hope that you have a happy and safe New Year.  I will be back on January 2 A Wicked Yarn by Emmie Caldwell.  It is the debut of A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series.  I wanted to share a picture of the blow up I put in my very small front yard.  I have a terrible habit of not looking at the size of an item when I order it.  After the blow up arrived, I took it outside and blew it up to discover that Rudolph is 8.5" feet tall.  He is impressive and adorable.  I love the lights around his antlers.  Isn't he cute?  Have a very Happy New Year!  Be kind, stay safe, and Happy REading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Happy New Year!

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Amish Outsider by Marta Perry

Hello!  No Ocean to Wide by Carrie Turansky releases on June 25 along with Guilty as Charred by Devon Delaney, Strangled Eggs and Ham by Maddie Day and Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge.  I keep finding new books that I want to read (my wish list is getting long).  

Amish Outsider by Marta Perry is the first novel in the River Haven series.  Michael Forster and his daughter, Allie are returning to the Amish community where he grew up and left as a teenager.  Michael’s wife, Diana was murdered eight months ago, and the police focused their investigation on him.  He is hoping this will be a fresh start for the two of them.  The only problem is his wife’s family also lives in River Haven.  Michael enrolls Allie in the Creekside Amish School taught by Catherine Brandt.  Teacher Cathy, as she is called, feels drawn to Allie who is quiet and withdrawn.  Cathy wants to help the little girl which means spending time with her attractive father.  As time passes, Michael and Cathy become close.  Michael knows he should stay away from Cathy, so he does not mar her reputation.    A series of incidents threaten the safety of those Michael loves.  The only way to move forward is to put the past to rest which means finding the person responsible for Diana’s death. 

 

Amish Outsider is a compelling novel.  I thought the book was well-written and it proceeded at a steady pace.  Amish Outsider is different from other Amish novels.  There is mystery, suspense, family, friendships and romance.  I liked getting to know the residents of River Haven.  Stubbornness seems to run in the Forster family.  Michael left home as a teenager with Diana and has been living as an Englischer.  He was running a successful construction company until his wife died and the legal bills crippled him financially.  Diana was unhappy with their life which ended up with the pair becoming separated.  Michael did not kill his wife, but he is unable to convince the police of his innocence.  Michael wants a safe place for his daughter, Allie and he hopes it is in River Haven with his Amish family.  Aunt Verna and Sarah provided levity with their schemes to help their family.  Family is important as we see in Amish Outsider and they stick together which I found endearing.  I like how the community came together to help when one of their own was in need and to support a good cause.  I delighted in the unpredictability of an Amish Outsider.  You never knew what would happen next.  The scary incidents were suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat.  The tension builds as the story progressed in this page turner.  There are several suspects in Diana’s murder with good clues.  One of the phrases that stuck with me from Amish Outsider is “Evil can be anywhere.  But peace is inside us.”  Marta Perry has outdone herself with the absorbing and suspenseful Amish Outsider. 

 

Amish Outsider comes out June 18. The next novel in the River Haven series is Amish Protector which releases on March 24, 2020.  It tells the story of Cathy's friend, Joanna Kohler and Noah Troyer.  Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I will share my review of The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White as part of the Celebrate Lit Tour.  I hope you have a pleasant day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader