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Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries #7
Peace Like a River
Cheryl wrestles with her mixed feelings about Valentine's Day she wants to make sure her friends Seth and Naomi have the truest love possible. Seth is keeping a secret that goes back many years.
280 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2015
12 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Newport
58 books627 followersHello!
I’m imagining you. You walk past as I water my front flowerbeds and we wave. You check the time as we both stand in a long line at the grocery store. You sit in front of me in church. I’m at my table in the coffee shop and you’re at yours.
We may smile politely and move on with our separate lives. Or one of us may speak, a simple invitation to conversation, and the words flow between us.
Here the adventure begins. When we meet someone new, we never know where it might lead.
I’ve been married over 40 years and have two adult kids and a son-in-law. We live in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where the day lilies in my back yard grow as tall as I am. (No short jokes, please.)
Not every piece of my life is pretty, though. Some days I want to throw out whole chunks. But I am living each day looking for the grace of God to me, in me, and through me. Having your companionship along the way will help uncover a lot of great stories.
I’m imagining you. You walk past as I water my front flowerbeds and we wave. You check the time as we both stand in a long line at the grocery store. You sit in front of me in church. I’m at my table in the coffee shop and you’re at yours.
We may smile politely and move on with our separate lives. Or one of us may speak, a simple invitation to conversation, and the words flow between us.
Here the adventure begins. When we meet someone new, we never know where it might lead.
I’ve been married over 40 years and have two adult kids and a son-in-law. We live in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where the day lilies in my back yard grow as tall as I am. (No short jokes, please.)
Not every piece of my life is pretty, though. Some days I want to throw out whole chunks. But I am living each day looking for the grace of God to me, in me, and through me. Having your companionship along the way will help uncover a lot of great stories.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 4, 2020
Do not be fooled by this book's title! The story that lurks on the pages of this book isn't very peaceful. Though a murder isn't a part of this cozy mystery there is deception and hiding truth from loved ones. The past comes back with a clear threat of " Or else " issued to an esteemed member of the Amish community.
Cheryl Cooper herself gets involved when her credit card number from her business gets into the hands of the wrong people. Chief Twitchell is reluctant to get involved but since it is his job he has little choice. How did her credit card number get into the wrong hands and how does this hurt her Aunt Mitzi's shop?
Some of this book was edge of seat reading, like when Cheryl Cooper went out after dark walking on the river bank. Strange things are happening to her Amish friends and she may not be safe herself. Someone has been coming to her house in the wee hours of the night leaving messages on her porch. Then there's the sound of those footsteps, besides hers, that she can hear behind her as she walks the river bank after dark.
I have always enjoyed these Guideposts mysteries series. Cheryl always gets involved trying to solve them much to Chief Twitchell's disapproval. She won't be put off by the chief and she won't rest till she gets answers.
Readers of Amish Fiction, Cozy Mystery and Christian Fiction will enjoy this book. Clean read with no sex or cussing. Different authors write the books of this series. Olivia Newport wrote this one.
I purchased and downloaded a Kindle ebook copy of Peace Like a River from Amazon. A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Cheryl Cooper herself gets involved when her credit card number from her business gets into the hands of the wrong people. Chief Twitchell is reluctant to get involved but since it is his job he has little choice. How did her credit card number get into the wrong hands and how does this hurt her Aunt Mitzi's shop?
Some of this book was edge of seat reading, like when Cheryl Cooper went out after dark walking on the river bank. Strange things are happening to her Amish friends and she may not be safe herself. Someone has been coming to her house in the wee hours of the night leaving messages on her porch. Then there's the sound of those footsteps, besides hers, that she can hear behind her as she walks the river bank after dark.
I have always enjoyed these Guideposts mysteries series. Cheryl always gets involved trying to solve them much to Chief Twitchell's disapproval. She won't be put off by the chief and she won't rest till she gets answers.
Readers of Amish Fiction, Cozy Mystery and Christian Fiction will enjoy this book. Clean read with no sex or cussing. Different authors write the books of this series. Olivia Newport wrote this one.
I purchased and downloaded a Kindle ebook copy of Peace Like a River from Amazon. A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own.
June 4, 2019
It’s Valentine’s Day and Cheryl’s store is busy but she keeps worrying about her friends. While walking by the river she sees Seth pick up an old oar and walk off with it. Looking closer at the pile of trash she finds papers with her credit card number on them. Even though the police aren’t very helpful since no one has used her credit card, Cheryl is concerned. She has to transfer all her store accounts to be paid by another credit card and try to figure out why Seth picked up the oar and is in a strange mood at the same time every year. There is also the mystery of why someone is leaving candy hearts for her to find in her store.
June 15, 2019
Not much of a mystery and felt a little to contrived. Bunch of fuss over not much.
April 6, 2016
Another wonderful story in the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries series. Cheryl unravels a decades old mystery that threatens the happiness of her dear friend, Naomi.
July 8, 2018
This was a good book but I didn't like it as much as the others.
January 18, 2020
Love the sugar creek mysteries. They are well written and have made me interested in learning more about the Amish. Now, on to book 8
June 14, 2019
Book 6 of this series left me a bit concerned by the tone it took and I wondered whether the revolving authors would prove problematic. I am relieved to fine that this author's storytelling was back on track with what I've come to expect from Cheryl, the Millers, and the events of Sugarcreek. I am curious to see if I can pick out preferred contributing authors once the series sees some of the authors return for future installments.
What I liked about Peace Like a River:
Three of the four mysteries reached satisfying conclusions - I especially appreciate that while there were some moments of tension, the mystery remained light on any violent behaviors, yet the mysteries remaining intriguing with their twists and unique in their explanations. And even with so many mysteries afoot, it never felt overwhelming, muddied, or unnecessary.
The addition of a new character to the cast - I absolutely adore the arrival of Dr Brandon Richardson. His introduction was seamless and organic and I like the new dynamic he brings for Cheryl (although I harbor minor concerns of anything like a love triangle happening here). I hope our new veterinarian is around for a while.
The lessons to be found were of value - Not wasting time and energy worrying about tomorrow, and the source of inner peace are both good messages to contemplate. As different characters sought peace for various turmoils and as worries found opportunity to surfaced, it was likely that there was at least one instance with which a reader could find to identify, and possibly more than one.
What I didn't care for:
The fourth mystery - While this wasn't a major event, it still seemed odd to simply leave it unaddressed.
Lance - Really? Are we backtracking that far with Cheryl dwelling on him once again? I thought we had managed to leave him in Cheryl's past as she began to seriously consider her feelings for Levi.
Overuse of one word - The usage of the word 'paced' was off balance. Walked, strolled, strode, sauntered, wandered, meandered. So many descriptors available and yet paced was used with so much frequency that I felt the need to make a point of it in my "review notes."
Overall, my complaints were minimal and were easily outweighed but what I thought went well. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Newport's foray into the Sugarcreek community. Her storytelling was smooth and mostly thoughtful. I look forward to any future contributions she makes to this series.
One thing did cause me to go back and verify for series consistency though: Book one happened around Halloween. Book three centered around Thanksgiving. Book four took place in early December and five around Christmas. Book six was in January. This one focused on the days around Valentine's Day. Book two, however, placed the timeline after Halloween and Thanksgiving had passed and the Christmas shopping season was approaching. With the story arcs that thread from book to book, I think the passel of authors that work on this series will need to pay close attention to the calendar as they bring the series forward, reading the books that came before in order for character consistency and appropriate timing; I suppose the editors need to be on top of these details as well. I am a stickler for continuity in my series.
I wonder where book eight will take me when I get there. I look forward to meeting up with my Sugarcreek friends again soon to find out.
What I liked about Peace Like a River:
Three of the four mysteries reached satisfying conclusions - I especially appreciate that while there were some moments of tension, the mystery remained light on any violent behaviors, yet the mysteries remaining intriguing with their twists and unique in their explanations. And even with so many mysteries afoot, it never felt overwhelming, muddied, or unnecessary.
The addition of a new character to the cast - I absolutely adore the arrival of Dr Brandon Richardson. His introduction was seamless and organic and I like the new dynamic he brings for Cheryl (although I harbor minor concerns of anything like a love triangle happening here). I hope our new veterinarian is around for a while.
The lessons to be found were of value - Not wasting time and energy worrying about tomorrow, and the source of inner peace are both good messages to contemplate. As different characters sought peace for various turmoils and as worries found opportunity to surfaced, it was likely that there was at least one instance with which a reader could find to identify, and possibly more than one.
What I didn't care for:
The fourth mystery - While this wasn't a major event, it still seemed odd to simply leave it unaddressed.
Lance - Really? Are we backtracking that far with Cheryl dwelling on him once again? I thought we had managed to leave him in Cheryl's past as she began to seriously consider her feelings for Levi.
Overuse of one word - The usage of the word 'paced' was off balance. Walked, strolled, strode, sauntered, wandered, meandered. So many descriptors available and yet paced was used with so much frequency that I felt the need to make a point of it in my "review notes."
Overall, my complaints were minimal and were easily outweighed but what I thought went well. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Newport's foray into the Sugarcreek community. Her storytelling was smooth and mostly thoughtful. I look forward to any future contributions she makes to this series.
One thing did cause me to go back and verify for series consistency though: Book one happened around Halloween. Book three centered around Thanksgiving. Book four took place in early December and five around Christmas. Book six was in January. This one focused on the days around Valentine's Day. Book two, however, placed the timeline after Halloween and Thanksgiving had passed and the Christmas shopping season was approaching. With the story arcs that thread from book to book, I think the passel of authors that work on this series will need to pay close attention to the calendar as they bring the series forward, reading the books that came before in order for character consistency and appropriate timing; I suppose the editors need to be on top of these details as well. I am a stickler for continuity in my series.
I wonder where book eight will take me when I get there. I look forward to meeting up with my Sugarcreek friends again soon to find out.
February 17, 2021
Peace Like A River is an intriguing mystery written by Olivia Newport in the Sugarcreek Amish Mystery series. This is book seven in the series and they just keep getting better. The same amazing characters are in this story with a few new additions. This mystery is centered around Amish man Seth Miller. Seth is Naomi's husband. Naomi is always helping Cheryl Cooper solve mysteries in Sugarcreek. However this time Naomi chooses to excuse herself because she doesn't want to upset her husband. She feels whatever secrets he is keeping he will reveal in time. When Seth refuses to answer Cheryl's questions it makes her more determined to chase down the answers because she fears he is hurting Naomi. This story is set at Valentine's day and Cheryl starts receiving mini candy hearts that form messages. But who is leaving them for her? When all is revealed many secrets materialize and from very surprising members of the community.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others.
May 2, 2018
7th book in series. In this story Naomi and Seth are having a wedding anniversary and 4 days later is the anniversary of his 1st wife Ruth's death. Seth always becomes withdrawn and moody this time of year and the family notices it. This year a few mysterious things happen. 1. Cheryl is out on her nightly walk by the river and sees Seth pulling a boat oar out of a pile of junk laying on the side of the river. When she calls to him he doesn't answer leaves with the oar. 2. Naomi is getting Seth's pants ready for the laundry, and find a note in his pocket. Cheryl is with her telling her about last night so they decide to read the tote. It is a threatening sounding note and Cheryl becomes very worried about . 3. One of Rueben's sons is back in town after 30 years and nobody seems to know him. Cheryl feels like someone is following her since she saw Seth by the river and someone is leaving valentine heart candy for her spelling out a message. But who??
October 29, 2025
3.6 ⭐
Sí, me gustó. Cheryl me sacaba un poco de quicio con su entrometimiento pero el plot estaba mejor que el libro anterior.
Me gustó la historia de Seth, Abel, Ruth y Noemi. Realmente me conmovió la situación. Me dolió el corazón que Noemi viviese por 20 años en la sombra de la difunta esposa de Seth, pensando que era querida pero no amada. 😢 Saber que no ha podido celebrar un aniversario de bodas porque se ve opacado por el aniversario de muerte de Ruth.
"Naomi, You are not second best. You are first best in Gottes perfect timing" ok ahí me tienes lloraaaaaaaaando por las palabras de Seth a su esposa 😭
" If I have made you even for a moment, feel that I have not loved You as I loved Ruth, I beg your forgiveness" 😭 mi corazooon!
Por otro lado, las escenas de Levi 😍 necesito más de este chico 😁 y que bueno que llegó la competencia con Brandon 🤭
Sí, me gustó. Cheryl me sacaba un poco de quicio con su entrometimiento pero el plot estaba mejor que el libro anterior.
Me gustó la historia de Seth, Abel, Ruth y Noemi. Realmente me conmovió la situación. Me dolió el corazón que Noemi viviese por 20 años en la sombra de la difunta esposa de Seth, pensando que era querida pero no amada. 😢 Saber que no ha podido celebrar un aniversario de bodas porque se ve opacado por el aniversario de muerte de Ruth.
"Naomi, You are not second best. You are first best in Gottes perfect timing" ok ahí me tienes lloraaaaaaaaando por las palabras de Seth a su esposa 😭
" If I have made you even for a moment, feel that I have not loved You as I loved Ruth, I beg your forgiveness" 😭 mi corazooon!
Por otro lado, las escenas de Levi 😍 necesito más de este chico 😁 y que bueno que llegó la competencia con Brandon 🤭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2021
This series is so wonderful. The fact that multiple authors are able to write these same characters and continue their lovely, heartwarming stories is awesome.
Olivia Newport is my favorite out of the whole group, but I am impressed with all of their work and am looking forward to reading more of the series. I am very invested in the lives/story lines of these characters now.
Olivia Newport is my favorite out of the whole group, but I am impressed with all of their work and am looking forward to reading more of the series. I am very invested in the lives/story lines of these characters now.
May 5, 2023
This book is too contrived and not much of a mystery for me. The ending is unsatisfactory and there will obviously be another book in the series with these characters. It would have been better to resolve the conflict with the two male suitors in this book as a parallel to the mystery of the past male conflict that is presented,
July 24, 2023
A Valentine's Day themed mystery. This plot had a different twist in the mystery department. It is more of tracking down the pangs of heartache and coming to terms with the past. Cheryl had a pity party for most of the book and has some issues with paranoia. Not what you expect from a heroine. A good read all in all.
March 21, 2021
A cozy Amish mystery set in Sugarcreek, Ohio near the Valentine Day celebration. When love is thought of and wagered for as an object the divine aspect is removed and love loses its splendor.
Lucinda at the Library
Lucinda at the Library
June 15, 2024
Not a great book but it was interesting to me because I have been to Sugarcreek. Cheryl Cooper works at her aunt 's store. when she is there she spends Valentines Day solving an age old mystery that involves her friends Seth and Naomi.
November 19, 2018
Another hit
October 24, 2020
Entered as today as unknown when read.
December 31, 2020
I'm excited to see what happens next.... will this be an ongoing part of the plot as Cheryl tries to choose between Levi and the vet? Hmmmm....
May 19, 2021
Good book when you’re looking for a quick easy read. More character development in this one.
July 13, 2021
Wow, definitely boring and hard to follow sometimes.
January 23, 2024
Nice and cozy mystery set in an Amish town.
June 25, 2023
I love Seth so much now
August 11, 2016
Cheryl is trying to figure out a mystery concerning Naomi's husband Seth. She figures it out with help from her uncle Ralph's old photos in the basement!
One of the best written in the series. I love Olivia Newport's writing!!
One of the best written in the series. I love Olivia Newport's writing!!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews