Rebecca Holt stands up to her businessman husband when his
partner disappears under a cloud. Accusations of
embezzlement are hard to shake. For the sake of their son
Matthew, she insists on a divorce - they've grown so far
apart and Tim has become very unpleasant under stress. Then
Rebecca finds the partner's wallet in Tim's safe. It looks
as though the man is not missing but dead. Scared, she
takes off with Matt for a PLAIN REFUGE.
Home was San Francisco for Rebecca, but her grandparents
live in an Amish community in Missouri where she hopes to
disappear. Wisely leaving her phone behind and paying cash,
she tries to leave no trail. But a local sheriff, Daniel
Byler, notices her at the bus stop. He's a respectful man
from an Amish family and tries to take care of everyone.
Rebecca is too afraid of what might happen to her and Matt
if she tells the police her suspicions. She just has to
hope Daniel will forget them.
Of course, Daniel sees it as his duty to enquire further
about a woman he thinks is a battered wife, possibly in
violation of a custody order. While Rebecca does tell him
some of her history, she leaves out more. And she knows in
her heart that either someone will stalk her here, or
she'll have to stay hidden and raise Matt Amish. Is a
limited education and farm life what she wants for him? He
can't even speak Deitsch.
I found Daniel's work interesting; as the Amish rarely take
cards, he deals with large cash robberies from shops in
town. While he understands the community's ways, he has no
intention of going back to them. As the story takes a few
twists and turns, we see the Plain way of life conflicting
with the modern, causing breaches within families and
making young women vulnerable to outside abuse. This is an
adult romance and, as with other crime stories, I find
myself dubious that a policeman would start a relationship
with a witness because this would jeopardise any court
case.
The adventure is out of the ordinary and well told, with a
good balance of suspense and reflection. Author Janice Kay
Johnson makes a point of showing how elderly people are
cared for at home by the Amish, the caring ethos proving a
PLAIN REFUGE indeed. If you enjoy this book you might also
like Amish romances.
He's her only defense…and a frightening temptation Rebecca Holt thinks she's doing the right thing when she takes evidence proving her ex-husband is hiding a murder. But after two attempts on her life, she flees with her six-year-old son to rural Missouri, where the pair hide among Amish relatives, dressing "plain." County sheriff Daniel Byler was raised Amish, but his protective instincts put him in conflict with his family's beliefs at an early age and he left the faith. Yet this background helps him to recognize Rebecca as someone who is out of place, in danger…and lying to him.
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