Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense
Featuring: Thomas King; Elizabeth Lapp; Mary Lapp
224 pages ISBN: 0373678479 EAN: 9780373678471 Kindle: B01N34J5MV Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
Lancaster County is bitterly cold when snow blankets the
ground and lighting is provided by oil lamps. Elizabeth
Lapp has come home after seven years of city life, to her
widowed mother's farm. THE AMISH WITNESS, Elizabeth, has
been followed. A man confronts her and demands something a
friend gave her, a friend who was recently murdered.
Thomas King arrives in time to scare off the man. He calls
to help Mrs. Lapp each morning as a good neighbour should.
Seeing Elizabeth again reminds him that she left him behind
to explore the world. He's now a widowed father, as Mrs.
Lapp later explains to her daughter. Other people didn't
put their lives on hold, and farms need families. Together
the brave farmers decide how to handle the threat,
including telling the bishop and getting his advice, and
trying to establish what the late Hannah gave Elizabeth
that could be of value.
I like the way that Elizabeth's second life has made her
aware of modern tech and policing methods, which the Amish
don't usually require. She is not shy of photographs or
giving a child a toy. At the same time, she now wants to
return to her community and accept adult baptism, meaning
she will have to live by strict rules. We also see an
increase in serious incidents and scares for the
neighbours. I enjoyed the depth of detail about people
living this life. On the less credible side, someone gets
shot and, pouring blood, basically tells others it's no
problem. I have to think the shock alone would be severe.
Some dilemmas and past secrets are well addressed during
the tale of guilt and truth, lies and scandals. By looking
at a microcosm we can see how the greater world is
potentially affected when those we trust, or think we
should trust, turn out to be hollow at the core. I hadn't
read anything by Diane Burke previously, but her
Thanksgiving Amish romance would not be out of place on a
shelf with thrillers, while the romance is suitable for
teens as well as adults. I'll certainly be looking out for
more of her works. THE AMISH WITNESS will keep you on the
edge of your seat with one revelation or suspenseful scene
after another.
After witnessing the murder of her best friend, Elizabeth Lapp flees to the Amish community she left years ago, hoping the killer won’t find her. But the murderer follows Elizabeth, trapping her in her family’s barn, and she’s sure she won’t survive—until an Amish man rushes to save her. As the attacker runs off, Elizabeth sees her rescuer is none other than Thomas King, the handsome farmer she left behind with her dreams and her heart. Now widowed with two small children, Thomas vows to keep her safe…despite not being ready to forgive her. And suddenly, the man whose love she longs for—but can’t allow herself to accept—is all that’s standing between her and a cold-blooded killer.