Amish Christmas Escape - Dana R. Lynn (LIS #929 - Dec 2021)

Series: Amish Country Justice (Book 12)

Hiding in Amish country may not be enough to save her…
 
In a killer's sights after she witnesses her sister's murder, Christy O'Malley's only option is to flee to Amish country -- and the estranged husband she left behind. But there's something Sam Burkholder doesn't know -- they have a daughter. With enemies closing in, Sam will do anything to protect Christy and their little girl…but can he forgive the past for a chance to be a family for Christmas?
 
Terrific book. The action and suspense started right away and rarely let up throughout the book. We've met Sam and his brothers in previous books, where Sam's reluctance to marry puzzles his family. In this book, we learn that he may already be married. When he was seventeen, and on his rumspringa, Sam met and fell in love with an Englisch girl. They married, but his bride disappeared without a trace in a few days. Now Sam is in limbo regarding his options.
 
Seven years earlier, Christy met and married the love of her life while rebelling from her father's control. Before she and Sam could escape to his parents' home, Christy's father found her. By threatening Sam's life and family, her dad ensured her cooperation. It wasn't until later that Christy discovered she was pregnant. Kept under control by her father's threats and later by her sister's illness, Christy hasn't contacted Sam to tell him he's a father.
 
The story opens with a disturbing conversation between Christy and her sister Joanne. Joanne has been in a coma, so Christy is shocked and elated when Joanne speaks to her. That joy turns to fear and dismay when Joanne tells her to take Ellie and run because their lives are in danger. Later that night, Christy witnesses Joanne's murder and overhears the murderers talking. Fearing for their lives, she immediately grabs Ellie and some supplies and runs, but not before she's spotted and shot at.
 
A few hours later, Sam's shock at receiving a message from "his wife" sends him rushing to the town where they met. His shock doubles when he gets a look at Ellie and realizes he's a father. Unwilling to leave them in danger but knowing that his life is about to become very complicated, Sam plans to take them back to his family. Their plans take a sudden turn when they are attacked and run off the road.
 
Thus began a story of many twists and turns as Sam, Christy, and Ellie attempt to escape the people determined to stop them. It seemed that every time they thought they were safe, the bad guys would find them again. Though I'm surprised they didn't make the connection of how it happened, I'll give them the fact that their minds were more on getting away. There were plenty of surprises, from Sam's willingness to involve the police to the truth behind the attacks. What appeared to be the final confrontation left questions unanswered and opened the door to an unexpected twist at the end.
 
I loved seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Sam and Christy. They met and married when both were young, idealistic, and rebelling against their current lives. Who knows what would have happened if they'd been able to stay together. In the seven years since they parted, both experienced life-changing events that matured them. When Sam and Christy meet again, their old feelings don't take long to resurface. However, both are well aware of the obstacles between them. Sam is Amish and has no intention of leaving his faith behind. Christy is decidedly Englisch, used to a more worldly lifestyle. She also left her faith behind her many years earlier, though the more time she spent with Sam, the more she felt it begin to return. I loved watching them get to know and appreciate the adult versions of each other. I especially liked Sam's appreciation of Christy's strength and resilience.
 
My heart ached for both of them when everything was over, and they parted ways. Sam couldn't see a way forward without Christy leaving everything behind, and he refused to ask that of her. Christy had a lot of soul-searching to do, and I loved following her thought processes as she did so. While I wasn't surprised at her decision, I loved how she carried it out.

I enjoyed catching up with Sam's brothers and their wives. Each of them plays an essential role in this book, too. There were a couple of other familiar faces, and I look forward to seeing if they show up again.

Covert Amish Investigation - Dana R. Lynn (LIS #917 - Oct 2021)

Series: Amish Country Justice (Book 11)

A deadly undercover assignment…
in the Amish community she left behind.
 
After a woman in witness protection disappears from Kate Bontrager's Amish hometown, the now Englisch police officer goes undercover -- and enters a killer's sights. Partnering with Abram Burkholder, the man she'd hoped to marry nearly a decade ago, is the only way to solve the case. But can they face the past and heal their still damaged hearts…before they both end up dead?
 
Excellent book that had me hooked from start to finish. Kate is a formerly Amish woman who left her community after a horrific attack and no support from her parents. She got a job and eventually became a police officer. Her world is turned upside down when her chief asks her to go undercover back in her hometown, investigating the disappearance of a woman in witness protection. She's stunned when one of the first people she encounters is Abram, the man she loved all those years ago.
 
Abram never forgot his "Katie," who disappeared with no word almost ten years earlier. The last thing he expected was to find her carrying a gun and investigating a missing person. When asked to help, he can't refuse, and as danger looms vows to keep her safe.
 
I enjoyed seeing Kate and Abram find their way back to each other. When Kate fled the Amish community, she believed that Abram would feel the same way her parents did. In addition to losing her home, she also lost her faith. Seeing Abram again stirred up her memories and her feelings, but nothing could be done about them. She's Englisch now, with a completely different life. Though happy to see her again, Abram realizes that he can't ask her to give up her new life. But the more time they spend together, the more their old feelings rekindle and grow. As the dangers stirred up by her investigation intensify, Abram's protectiveness increases. I loved Abram's support when he found out why she left. I ached for Kate, who believed she couldn't go home again, and Abram, who knew he couldn't leave his faith for her. When the case ended, and they went their separate ways, both had some serious thinking to do. I loved the ending, which had a nice bit of timing for Abram's big moment. The epilogue was fantastic.
 
The suspense of the story kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. The disappearance of Bailey/Beth raised questions of whether it was foul play or by choice. Someone is determined that Kate's investigation goes nowhere, as she endures attacks at every turn. Unexpected twists reveal previously unknown players in the exposed trafficking ring. As Kate and Abram put the clues together, finding Beth becomes a race against time. A nail-biting final confrontation provided an exciting and satisfying resolution.

Amish Country Threats - Dana R. Lynn (LIS #899 - July 2021)

Series: Amish Country Justice (Book 10)

Her brother was murdered.
 
Will she be next?
 
While searching for proof that her brother's death was no accident, Lilah Schwartz is almost killed by a sniper in her Amish community. Hiding in Levi Burkholder's barn is all that keeps her alive. The former soldier will do everything in his power to protect Lilah, but can he and Lilah uncover the evidence her brother hid before she's the next to die?
 
Terrific book that started with a rush and rarely let up until the very end. The book opened with Lilah awakening to her brother shouting her name and their house on fire. Jacob got her out but died shortly after that. His last words were that it wasn't an accident, and there was something buried in his office he wanted her to retrieve. Devastated by the loss of her only family member, Lilah is left reeling when Jacob's wife blames her for Jacob's death and tells her to find somewhere else to live. Before she can think of that, Lilah is determined to find whatever it was that Jacob hid. She never expected to discover Jacob's office nearly destroyed and to have someone start shooting at her. She escaped through the woods until she found a barn to hide in.
 
Levi Burkholder was one of Jacob's clients and a friend. After attending Jacob's funeral, he gave Lilah his condolences. Levi felt guilty about not going with her but realized she didn't want him to. Instead, he went home, thinking about his past. Levi left the Amish community for a while after an argument with his father. He joined the military, fought in Afghanistan, and lost his arm there. After his return, Levi became something of a recluse, fighting his PTSD and the guilt he felt over the deaths of some of his men. Eventually, he returned to his Amish community. On this day, Levi found Lilah hiding in his barn, terrified.
 
Levi made his first appearance in Plain Refuge when he was still Englisch, helping his friend Aiden protect a young woman and her sister. He won't stand by and see another woman suffer. Lilah lost her ability to trust men when her boyfriend cheated on her, but something about Levi says she can trust him. As Lilah fills him in on what she knows, Levi thinks of the changes he saw in his friend and suspects that Jacob was mixed up in something bad. Levi is determined to help Lilah find the truth.
 
Lilah and Levi grew closer as they worked together to unearth the truth. Levi is a kind and honorable man, haunted by the events of his past. His protectiveness toward Lilah grows into stronger feelings, but he believes he is too broken for any woman to take on. Some of the events they experience create flashbacks which Lilah handles surprisingly well. At the same time, Lilah is wracked with guilt over her brother's death and the danger she believes she brought to Levi. Each of them tries to resist their growing feelings as the threat intensifies, but it's no use. I ached for both Lilah and Levi. Lilah realized she loved a man who would not open himself up to love. Levi feared risking his heart and the pain of loss if something terrible happened. I loved the advice he got from his friend Aiden and its effect on him as he faced the possibility of that loss. The hospital scene was terrific, and the epilogue was a great look at their future.
 
The suspense of the story had me glued to the pages from start to finish. It seemed that every time Lilah and Levi made a discovery, the bad guys were right on their heels. I loved seeing how Levi's unusual past played such a big part in keeping them safe and the bad guys just enough off-balance to help Levi and Lilah. The final confrontation kept me on the edge of my seat and revealed a bad guy I never expected. Jacob's trouble surprised me, both what it was and what he ultimately did about it. 

Tracking the Witness - Dana R. Lynn (Dana R. Lynn - Aug 2020)

Series:: LaMar Pond

Sometimes the truth is deadly.

Sgt. Claire Zerosky was driven to become a police officer after her cousin Lissa was murdered when they were teens. Years later, Claire learns everything she's been told about that night was a lie. Lissa's alive and in danger. When Claire begins digging for answers, she draws the attention of killers who will do anything to silence her.

Sgt. Ryder Howard has been secretly in love with Claire for years. His past has convinced him he's not worthy of her. In order to protect the woman he loves, he must risk his heart, and his life, to help her uncover the truth.

Short, sweet, fast-paced read. Sgt. Zerosky (Sgt. Zee) was one of my favorite secondary characters from the earlier LaMar Pond books. I was delighted to see her find her own happily ever after.

Claire became a police officer after her cousin's murder, driven to make a difference and maybe find the killer. Ten years later, Claire reels with shock when she receives a call from a woman claiming to be Lissa and that she's afraid for her life. A phone call to her uncle provides Claire with the stunning information that Lissa is alive. Determined to get answers, Claire stirs up trouble for herself and is nearly run off the road on the way to her uncle's home.

The intensity of that scene marks the beginning of a fast-paced series of events. Claire saves herself with some excellent driving, ending at the Waylon Grove police department. There she appeals to her friend Ryder for help. Claire and Ryder have been friends for several years and have developed deeper, though unspoken, feelings for each other. I loved watching Ryder jump in and be there to help Claire. I loved his protectiveness and his support, as well as his faith in Claire's abilities. The danger they experienced helped them each face risking their hearts. The ending was sweet, with a big surprise from Ryder to Claire.

The suspense kept me hooked from beginning to end. It quickly became evident that someone did not want Claire looking for answers to Lissa's non-death. The two attacks on Claire did not discourage her, and I enjoyed her tenacious determination. The clue that set Claire and Ryder on the right path to finding Lissa was unique and distinctive. The final confrontation had a twist I didn't see coming and made it even more startling. I loved the teamwork between Ryder and Claire that brought it to an end.