Review of HER BROTHER'S KEEPER by Beth Wiseman

Review by Audrey Lawrence

Will deceit and lies help Charlotte Dolinsky find out the truth about her brother's death? Even as she winces at the thought, that is not going to stop her now and she is bound and determined to go ahead with her plan.

Charlotte was told her brother Ethan had committed suicide and had died shortly before his wedding to an Amish woman that he had met in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. She had gotten very little information from the family and she is definitely not buying their story. There must be something sinister going on and she believes the Amish are a cult and are hiding things. She can't find anything out from her home in Texas and knows the Amish won't be open to an outsider, so she decides to pretend to be Mary Troyer, a distant cousin from Texas. Will her plan work? Will she find the truth behind their sinister wall of silence?

HER BROTHER'S KEEPER is the first book in a new Amish Secrets series where each story will centre around a secret that will impact the lives of others. With remarkable skill, best-selling author Beth Wiseman quickly pulls us into Charlotte's grief and the impact of her arrival on the family of the woman who was to have married Ethan. Will Charlotte be able to pass as a real Amish woman? If they find out, how will they react?

Wiseman does a marvelous job of moving the plot along as "Mary" tries to ferret out the truth from family and friends while pretending to be a different kind of Amish woman as her ways are strange. Despite the sorrowful circumstances around the impact of Ethan's death, Wiseman provides many humourous moments as Charlotte struggles to learn Amish 101 and to remember her lies as she lies to cover her mistakes. Be warned: She is definitely not your average Amish maedel, thus making HER BROTHER'S KEEPER a very hard book to put down once you start reading!

With a strong understanding of Amish ways, Wiseman has developed an intriguing and suspenseful story with very realistic characters. She is particularly adept at showing their emotional responses to their beliefs and circumstances, especially as Charlotte steps on some toes in her new role. Personality-wise, I didn't really identify well with Charlotte as she seemed to be ungracious as a guest, let alone one in an Amish community, but I really enjoyed the reactions of the Amish to her and I appreciate the thoughtful way that Wiseman handles issues around suicide and how close family and friends feel when someone dies that way. Their reactions and concerns are very authentically covered in HER BROTHER'S KEEPER as the people close to Ethan grapple with what they could or could not have done and the guilt some of them feel.

HER BROTHER'S KEEPER is a wonderful start to a new series that is sure to gain many more fans for Wiseman; yet, it also read very well as a stand-alone story with many of the threads nicely woven together. So, grab a copy and find out more!