The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Silent OrderSummerside Press (November 1, 2010)byMelanie Dobson
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good.

Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Jon works in the field of computer animation. Since they've been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Jon and Melanie have adopted their two daughters —Karly (6) and Kinzel (5). When Melanie isn't writing or entertaining their girls, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, traveling, hiking, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural America - 1928. After the murder of his partner, Detective Rollin Wells hides away in an Amish home near Sugarcreek, Ohio, to find out who in the police force is collaborating with Cleveland’s notorious mob. While Rollin searches for answers to his partner’s death, he befriends an elusive young Amish woman named Katie and her young son. As Rollin learns about Katie’s past, he’s shocked at the secret Katie is hiding - a secret that has haunted Rollin for eight years.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Silent Order, go HERE.

My review:
I gotta admit it. I wondered to myself "What on earth was this author thinking?! Amish and mafia?!" It does seem a strange mix, but it worked. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

It is set in Cleveland and Sugarcreek, Ohio. Sugarcreek is in Holmes County, and the whole area is a big Amish area. It is also not far from me - about an hour and fifteen minutes - great place to visit - so that made the book even more interesting to me, being set in a place I am familiar with.

So what does the mafia and Amish have to do with each other? Nothing, but in this book, the Amish end up hiding and protecting a police detective that the mafia is after. There is a lot in the book about Amish, and there is a lot in the book about the mafia. Makes for an interesting mix, and the average Amish book lover might not enjoy this one, unless you are also into suspense.

I really did enjoy the book, even more than the previous book that I read by this author. I have been disappointed in a couple of books I have read from this publisher, but not in this one. It is a great suspense novel, and is definitely Christian. I definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Summerside Press for the review copy.