When Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered ten years ago, the person believed responsible took his own life. Since then, Leah has left the Amish and joined the police force. Now, after an Amish woman is found murdered with the same MO, it becomes clear that the wrong man may have been blamed for her family's deaths.
As Leah and the new police chief, Dalton Cooper, work long hours struggling to fit the pieces together in order to catch the killer, they can't help but grow closer. When secrets from both of their pasts begin to surface, an unexpected connection between them is revealed. But this is only the beginning.
What will it mean for Leah--and Dalton--when the full truth comes to light?
My review:
I will admit I debated about this one. No offense to those who like Amish books, but they are far from being my cup of tea. I finally decided it sounded worth reading, and I was definitely right. Sister, this is not your mama's Amish fiction. Yes, it is set in an Amish community and involved the Amish, but it is a far cry from those sweet Amish books that have been so popular for years.
I read the prologue one night before going to bed, and it sounded promising. Last night, I picked up the book and did not put it down until after 1 a.m. Man, what an awesome read.
This is the author's first book for Revell Publishing, and I believe is her first full length trade paperback book. She has written several mass market paperbacks for Love Inspired Suspense that I have read, and several Amish ones for them, which I have not read. This first full length novel was a hit way out of the ballpark, and it will be difficult to top.....but I am sure she can.
I loved the two main characters. Formerly Amish, Leah's entire family was murdered in front of her 10 years before when she was sixteen. Now, the same killer seems to be back for her, but not before working his way up to her. She is now a police officer, and a force to be reckoned with.
Dalton is also a great and likable character, with his own agenda that he keeps from everyone for a while, having his own stakes in solving the 10 year old crime, along with the new ones.
And the bad guy...he made a great bad guy. Readers of suspense will understand that. A suspense novel is no good if it does not have a strong and great bad guy, and this guy was that in spades.
This book was so much better than I was expecting and hoping for. From chapter one on, the suspense was non stop as they tried to track the killer down while also trying to stop him from killing others they knew were on his radar. Dalton and Leah both had their share of close calls as the killer seemed to stay one or more steps ahead of them, and I was on pins and needles reading as fast as I could while wondering what was going to happen next.
There is romance in the book, but it is more or less on the back burner while the suspense takes the spot light.
Among the Innocent was a wild ride through the Amish community that came to a great climatic scene with the bad guy that had me worried for a few pages, until the book's awesome ending.
One slight complaint: there was one thing I wish the author had finished up that had to do with Dalton and Harrison....I won't give spoilers......but maybe it is unrealistic to expect everything to be tied up in a neat bow at the end. Regardless, this is one of the best suspense novels I have read this year.... and I have read several. It is definitely worth reading.
I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Mary Alford is a USA Today bestselling author who loves giving her readers the unexpected, combining unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots that result in stories the reader can't put down. Her titles have been finalists for several awards, including the Daphne Du Maurier, the Beverly, the Maggie, and the Selah. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two cats and one dog. Learn more at www.maryalford.net.
Among the Innocent is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.
Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
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