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Maplecreek #3
Dark Angel
Dark Angel by Karen Harper released on May 31, 2005 is available now for purchase.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
9 people are currently reading
724 people want to read
About the author
Karen Harper
106 books1,501 followersA New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
April 24, 2020
In this book from 2005, the setting is an Amish community in Ohio. Former schoolteacher Leah Kurtz promised her dying friend that she would take care of her one month old baby. Not long after she moves in to care for the baby, she notices footprints in the snow and someone is leaving dead flowers.
Dr Mark Morelli has moved to the area to study a rare childhood disease that a few of the Amish children have and Leah goes to work for him part-time. They discover a conspiracy in the community that someone will kill to cover up.
The writing made me feel the cold weather there. I didn't see as much about the Amish way of life in this book as in a previous book in this series. The story revolves around NAA which is natal accelerated aging plus genetically inherited diseases. Not really an interest I have so my attention wavered. The good guys are pretty apparent, as are the bad guys.
Dr Mark Morelli has moved to the area to study a rare childhood disease that a few of the Amish children have and Leah goes to work for him part-time. They discover a conspiracy in the community that someone will kill to cover up.
The writing made me feel the cold weather there. I didn't see as much about the Amish way of life in this book as in a previous book in this series. The story revolves around NAA which is natal accelerated aging plus genetically inherited diseases. Not really an interest I have so my attention wavered. The good guys are pretty apparent, as are the bad guys.
March 9, 2018
3.5 stars This was a good thriller/mystery. Fast paced towards the end.
May 25, 2019
Kept me engaged throughout the whole book, I believe I actually finished it in two days. I read this book first and am not as sure with its predecessor's.
June 10, 2021
Leah is from amish of maplecreek, Ohio. This is the last book of the series. Leah is an independent,
Amish single person, who is strong, resilient, a risk taker, has moral values,very likable character and her curiosity may get the best of her in the unique amish gene diseases and therapy novel. I'm glad I decided to finish the book, not sure if I would be interested in this topic of the novel, but, it draws you into more suspense.
Amish single person, who is strong, resilient, a risk taker, has moral values,very likable character and her curiosity may get the best of her in the unique amish gene diseases and therapy novel. I'm glad I decided to finish the book, not sure if I would be interested in this topic of the novel, but, it draws you into more suspense.
April 27, 2024
This was my first time reading a Karen Harper book. I am hooked !!!
This is set in the Amish community. Leah adopted her friend Barbara's baby when she died.
Leah does not know who to trust when she discovers her baby has been switched. She turns to Mark, a non Amish doctor who arrived to study the genetic illnesses affecting the community.
Leah and Mark almost die trying to find her daughter and uncover the truth.
This is set in the Amish community. Leah adopted her friend Barbara's baby when she died.
Leah does not know who to trust when she discovers her baby has been switched. She turns to Mark, a non Amish doctor who arrived to study the genetic illnesses affecting the community.
Leah and Mark almost die trying to find her daughter and uncover the truth.
June 29, 2018
Maplecreek Series#3 - set in Amish community
Gene doctor comes to town to search out clues for Amish diseases. Meets Leah and they find themselves in a plot to steal the rewards of gene research. People are disappearing and others have no memory of what happened when it appears to doctor that they have been tranquilized and blood samples drawn. Who is friend or foe?
Gene doctor comes to town to search out clues for Amish diseases. Meets Leah and they find themselves in a plot to steal the rewards of gene research. People are disappearing and others have no memory of what happened when it appears to doctor that they have been tranquilized and blood samples drawn. Who is friend or foe?
September 2, 2019
I enjoyed this Maplecreek story as much as I enjoyed the first 2 in the series. It kept me guessing on who was causing problems for the Amish. Harper always puts something in the the story line that makes me stop and think, this one was about the different genes that can cause problems for people. If you like a good clean mystery and good story line you will enjoy the Maplecreek series.
March 8, 2023
This is an Amish mystery. Leah Kurtz adopts the daughter of her best friend and moves into her home. Several incidents where Amish people are run off the road or abducted. A new doctor moves to the community to study pathology associated with inbreeding in the community and develop new testing and treatment. It's a solid story line.
August 23, 2021
The third in the Amish series in the little town of Maple Creek Ohio. I really did like this series where there was always an Amish main character who interacted with someone in the English world. Always a mystery, never expecting who the villain turns out to be.
September 8, 2017
Still not quite as good as the 2nd book in the series, but it did tie up some loose ends. Looking forward to more Maplecreek stories. I love reading about the Amish.
February 12, 2018
GOOD BOOK
February 22, 2018
I love suspense and mystery and Dark Angel delivers on both. Throughout the book you don't know who can be trusted so it keeps you guessing. I definitely recommend this book.
June 15, 2018
Was totally not expecting the way it ended. Really wish there were more books in this series.
February 11, 2020
I enjoyed this thriller. I liked the look into a different community.
May 7, 2020
Didn’t read the first two, so no comparison. I really liked it, plus I love
May 15, 2020
Would read more of the series
October 5, 2020
A bit slower than the last of Harper's Amish books, but still a good read.
October 25, 2020
This book was not as good as the two previous ones in this series, but it was still good. Definitely worth a read if you like Amish mystery and romance!
January 30, 2021
A bit far fetched
March 21, 2021
A little slow with the “mystery” yet still very good.
March 1, 2022
This was my favorite of the series. It was a fast.moving book and the ending was perfect.
May 14, 2023
A little slower than book 2 ( Dark Harvest)but loved it! A good read with mystery and romance.
July 10, 2024
With the help of an english doctor an amish woman find the truth about her child.
March 29, 2025
Some parts of this seemed unrealistic, but it is fiction. I thought the story was good and suspenseful.
May 26, 2025
very good book very good series
April 9, 2008
I really enjoyed it. At first, by halfway through to book, I was finding it a little predictable. But by 3/4's, I was at the edge of the couch! I became completely pissed at Clark and wanted to shoot "Dr. Cutler" myself. (Yes, when reading, I get totally involved - that's just me, lol!) I thought I knew exactly who it was, but when Seth was finding his way out, I knew it couldn't be Brad and Andrea behind it, but totally did not suspect Brad's ex-boss. The book was fast-past with a lot of emotion, enough great action to keep you at the edge of your seat. I cried at the end when Leah's family and the rest of the community arrived to help with the addition to the house. Like the Amish, I guess no one has an easy life, no matter how simple it may look to an 'outsider'. Every time a character used 'your people', it drove me nuts, but I guess that's how it is. I liked the 'closeness' the characters had with each other, and wish move novels had that same feel.
While reading the book, I got the sense that it was part of another story. Some of the characters, like Katie (Kat) for instance... the talk between characters was supposed to feel familiar somehow. After reading the story, I read what Karen wrote to explain some things with her story and found out that it is actually the third in the storyline of the Amish community. Darn it, lol, it looks like I've got two more novels to pick up! I've always liked a really good suspense novel, and the characters and series of events made it a really good read. Halfway through the novel, I got to wondering when Becca was going to be kidnapped, but then it happened and I actually felt the panic that Leah was feeling. Way to go, Karen, on another well written novel!
While reading the book, I got the sense that it was part of another story. Some of the characters, like Katie (Kat) for instance... the talk between characters was supposed to feel familiar somehow. After reading the story, I read what Karen wrote to explain some things with her story and found out that it is actually the third in the storyline of the Amish community. Darn it, lol, it looks like I've got two more novels to pick up! I've always liked a really good suspense novel, and the characters and series of events made it a really good read. Halfway through the novel, I got to wondering when Becca was going to be kidnapped, but then it happened and I actually felt the panic that Leah was feeling. Way to go, Karen, on another well written novel!
July 5, 2013
I found a few confusing, inconsistent areas.
There was a time when Leah was trying to avoid being seen by Jesse, when she crawled under his van. But then when he leaves, she describes laying in the snow. I'm wondering why Jesse didn't see her foot tracks in that snow?
Then there's another where her parents bring boxes to gather up the booze bottles. But it had already been said that she broke them all?
Next, we have Leah knocking the sheriff off the edge of the ravine to his death.
In the next paragraph, Seth decides not to push a man off the top of the silo because it would be committing violence and murder, which wasn't permitted even if it was for a good cause. Why was it ok for Leah to save herself but not Seth?
Later Mark finds the buggy tracks in the snow and he could tell from that the the big van had bumped into the back of the buggy? I just don't think that's something that can be plainly seen in the snow. He'd see buggy tracks and van tracks on top of them, showing the van came along after the buggy but not that it bumped it.
There was a time when Leah was trying to avoid being seen by Jesse, when she crawled under his van. But then when he leaves, she describes laying in the snow. I'm wondering why Jesse didn't see her foot tracks in that snow?
Then there's another where her parents bring boxes to gather up the booze bottles. But it had already been said that she broke them all?
Next, we have Leah knocking the sheriff off the edge of the ravine to his death.
In the next paragraph, Seth decides not to push a man off the top of the silo because it would be committing violence and murder, which wasn't permitted even if it was for a good cause. Why was it ok for Leah to save herself but not Seth?
Later Mark finds the buggy tracks in the snow and he could tell from that the the big van had bumped into the back of the buggy? I just don't think that's something that can be plainly seen in the snow. He'd see buggy tracks and van tracks on top of them, showing the van came along after the buggy but not that it bumped it.
November 7, 2013
Amish with a twist! Leah Kurtz is an unmarried amish woman who adopts her deceased friend's baby. Dr. Mark Morelli studies genetic illnesses affecting the amish children in the community (such as premature aging).
She agrees to work for Dr. Morelli as his community liason between him and the amish people. They, of course, start to fall in love.
Dark dealings complicate the picture when mysterious letters and voices come to Leah at night when she's home. Someone is painting red slashes across the necks of her snow angels and the stone angel in her garden. Her amish friends are either dying or having buggy accidents with no recollections of the accidents (drugged).
Her fiance, Joseph, disappeared years ago and was believed to have "jumped the fence" to the English world. Her friend, Seth, has also disappeared but Leah knows that he didn't leave of his own free will.
She agrees to work for Dr. Morelli as his community liason between him and the amish people. They, of course, start to fall in love.
Dark dealings complicate the picture when mysterious letters and voices come to Leah at night when she's home. Someone is painting red slashes across the necks of her snow angels and the stone angel in her garden. Her amish friends are either dying or having buggy accidents with no recollections of the accidents (drugged).
Her fiance, Joseph, disappeared years ago and was believed to have "jumped the fence" to the English world. Her friend, Seth, has also disappeared but Leah knows that he didn't leave of his own free will.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2009
Like the first novel "Dark Harvest", this second was an amazing read! Gripping, page turning, edge of your seat reading.
From back cover:
"One morning Leah Kurtz goes to wake her adopted infant daughter and instantly knows something is terribly wrong. She is convinced that her baby has been switched with another child. Afraid that no one will believe her, Leah turns to an unlikely ally, despite the fact that her Amish community frowns on its members seeking help in the outside world.
Dr. Mark Morelli studies the genetic illnesses that plague the Amish, but he has other, private reasons for coming to Maplecreek...reasons that may be tied to the mysterious disappearance of Leah's daughter. Together, Leah and Mark must uncover a conspiracy-before there are deadly consequences."
From back cover:
"One morning Leah Kurtz goes to wake her adopted infant daughter and instantly knows something is terribly wrong. She is convinced that her baby has been switched with another child. Afraid that no one will believe her, Leah turns to an unlikely ally, despite the fact that her Amish community frowns on its members seeking help in the outside world.
Dr. Mark Morelli studies the genetic illnesses that plague the Amish, but he has other, private reasons for coming to Maplecreek...reasons that may be tied to the mysterious disappearance of Leah's daughter. Together, Leah and Mark must uncover a conspiracy-before there are deadly consequences."
February 26, 2009
A bit of romance, a bit of suspense set in a small Amish community. Leah Kurtz is childless and had been left at the altar by her fiancee. Just before dying a close friend and her husband ask Leah to adopt their infant. Enter Doctor Mark Morelli who studies genetic illnesses and what better place to study them than in an Amish community which is plagued by genetic illnesses. But Dr. Mark needs a laisson to the community and offers Leah a job. When Leah's infant daughter is switched with another baby, few people believe her. The story is slow to unfold but is rich in the background of the Amish community.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews