Trying to fit in with her high school crowd, Abby Anderson
endures a little hazing and teasing by her two friends and
gets upset when her orange backpack gets tossed by one of
them into a field as the three teenage girls trespass on an
Amish farmer's land near Crooked Creek. As Abby goes to
retrieve it, she is shocked to discover that it has fallen
down a well and landed on the body of a dead Amish man.
Leading the investigation into the murder of Perry
Borntrager is Deputy Sheriff Mose Kramer. Having been
raised Amish and spent most of his life in Crittenden
County, Kentucky, he knows how secretive people there could
be. Why Perry wasn't reported missing is a mystery.
Knowing
his good friend, Luke Reynolds, a Cincinnati, Ohio
detective was on medical leave, he appealed to him for help
with the investigation as he believes Luke will find out
things that his familiarity with local folks may cause him
to overlook. As Luke probes, some
secrets get further hidden, yet small clues are revealed.
Seeking background information, Luke interviews Abby's
older brother, Walker, who happened to have been friends
with Perry and had worked with him. Walker has secrets of
his own and clams up on Luke. Walker then seeks out Lydia,
a lovely and quiet Amish girl and Perry's former
girlfriend, to make sure they keep their stories straight.
Can Luke crack an edge in this clannish and secretive
community? Can Lydia find solace by keeping her own
secrets hidden? Why was Perry killed and who wanted Perry
silenced?
Well known for her romantic inspirational books, MISSING is
the first book in Shelley Shepard Gray's latest
series, The Secrets of Crittenden County. Gray
skillfully develops this intriguing story of family and
friendship with a strong plot, thoughtful character
insights, and a great attention to the details of life that
illuminate both the Amish and Englischer way of life and
being.
Her depictions of Lydia's feelings after having
new secrets revealed and the intensity of emotion she
feels are heart rendering and you just want to keep
reading to find out how it will end. The title, MISSING,
is interesting as it references not only Perry's
disappearance as well as the needs many of the characters
feel as they as they search for what they feel is lacking
as life changes around them. This book is optimally read
as a series, so fans will appreciate that the next book, in
the trilogy, THE SEARCH, will be out in June, followed by
the
concluding book in September, 2012.
This is a different
Amish mystery you are sure to enjoy!
Can two young people survive the suspicions of their
friends and neighbors when tragedy strikes a close-knit
Amish community?
Perry Borntrager had been missing for months from the
quiet Amish community of Crittenden, Kentucky, when his
body is discovered at the bottom of an abandoned well. The
first death from mysterious circumstances in more than two
decades brings the scrutiny of the outside world: A police
detective arrives to help the local sheriff with the
investigation. His questioning begins with Lydia Plank,
Perry’s former girlfriend, and Perry’s best friend, the
Englischer Walker Anderson.
Lydia and Walker know they didn’t have anything to do with
Perry’s death, but they both hold secrets about his final
days. Do they dare open up about the kind of man Perry had
become? In the oppressive shadow of these dark times, they
discover strength in a most unlikely companionship: one
that offers solace, understanding, and the promise of
something more.