Danger in Amish Country: An Anthology

by Marta Perry, Diane Burke, Kit Wilkinson

Fall from Grace by Marta Perry -- When one of her students witnesses a crime, Sara Esch gets too close to the truth and widower Caleb King must risk it all for the woman who's taught him to love again. -- Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke -- Katie Lapp needs her childhood friend Joshua Miller more than ever when someone threatens her late husband's farm. Can Joshua protect her...even if it endangers his heart? -- Return to Willow Creek by Kit Wilkinson -- A series of accidents has startled their Plain community...and leads Lydia Stoltz to Joseph Yoder, the man who once broke her heart. At every turn, it seems their shared past holds the key to their future.

Genres: Amish, Mystery, Love Inspired Suspense, Love Inspired, Suspense, Christian Fiction, Romance

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Marta Perry is a Pennsylvania-based author of over 35 novels, many of them inspirational romances. She uses her rural Pennsylvania life and her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage in writing her books, especially in her Pleasant Valley Amish series for Berkley Books and her new Amish-set suspense series for HQN Books.

Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.

Reviews

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Return to Willow Trace is a short story written by Kit Wilkinson that returns the reader to Willow Trace the location from her previous book. In this story we meet new characters but under deadly circumstances. Lydia Stoltz thought she had buried her feeling for Joseph Yoder five years ago when he suddenly left and went to Indiana. The first time they reunite a former friend shows up at Miller furniture badly beaten and stabbed in several places. Billy tries to earn them of lurking danger but dies before more can be revealed. Finding themselves under attack by an unknown assailant they start spending time together trying to piece it all together. Lydia let's Joseph know that there can never be a future for them and keeps her distance from him. With several girls missing from this small community Lydia is slated to be the next. This story is full of suspense, mystery, and forgiveness.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others.

Congratulations to Kit Wilkinson for continuing her series with this fantastic story

[J.E. Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as Amish suspense anthologies go, this was a book with well-written stories, characters, and settings. I enjoyed reading each one and waiting for the twists to unfold. They all had an ending that wrapped everything up nicely.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Amish mystery/love stories by three different authors. All three authors write very different but very enjoyable stories.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danger in Amish Country by Marta Perry, Diane Burke and Kit Wilkson

3 short stories of Suspense that are entertaining and clean reads.
Fall From Grace by Marta Perry
Fall from Grace deals with a little amish girl Rachel King who is seven seeing something that leaves her scared and having nightmares. Rachel and her father Caleb king have only
been in the area a month. Sara Esch notices the girl is afraid and tries to get her to talk. Sara and Caleb try to figure out why she is scared and they find
a dead body that was visible from the playground.
It is enteresting the problem of keeping the children safe with not fighting back. They end up having to call the police with the different incidents when
they would rather not involve them.
My only complaint is it was too short I would rather have longer story but it is a short story. I did like the characters especially Rachel and Sara.


Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke

Major complaint too short I wanted more. It had all the parts of a story even though its short. I could understand the different choices the characters had made except for the bad guy. Even his motive is clear.
Katie is scared. Someone is leaving her threats. She has been a widow for over a year and does not plan to ever remarry. She had a tough marriage. She has two different men offer her to buy her farm.
Joshua has come back to his home town. He used to be great friends with Katie and her husband in their youth. In fact he loved Katie. He sees the threat to her and wants to act on it right away. He feels guilty for leaving the town when Katie got married he might have been able to stop her husband from drinking and being abusive.


Return to Willow Trae by Kit Wilkinson

Joseph has not been home for five years. After a party he left without saying goodbye to his special friend Lydia. The day he is back he sees Lydia plus a old friend that he has not seen since that same night. That friend died of knife wounds.

Now threats are made too both Lydia and Joseph. They have no idea why and how they could be related to their English friends murder.

Lydia feels that Joseph abounded her just like her father had. She has tried to move on.
Return to Willow is another very short novel but it works and keeps you guessing who the murder is.

If you like to read short stories this book is good with suspense and danger among the Amish. It is a clean read.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when through by Netgalley and Harlequin.
10/01/2013 Pub. Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Love Inspired ISBN 9780373445561

Description below taken off of Netgalley.

LOVE AND DANGER COLLIDE IN THREE NEW AMISH NOVELLAS
Fall from Grace by Marta Perry

When one of her students witnesses a crime, Sara Esch gets too close to the truth, and widower Caleb King must risk it all for the woman who's taught him to love again.

Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke

Katie Lapp needs her childhood friend Joshua Miller more than ever when someone threatens her late husband's farm. Can Joshua protect her…even if it endangers his heart?

Return to Willow Trace by Kit Wilkinson

A series of accidents has startled their Plain community…and leads Lydia Stoltz to Joseph Yoder, the man who once broke her heart. At every turn, it seems their shared past holds the key to their future.

[Ashley Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This three novellas in one was great. First was Fall from Grace where Sara is a teacher in the local Amish school and is taken with a new little girl in her classroom. When the little girl starts acting strange, Sara and the girl's father Caleb investigate and Sara is in more danger than ever! Dangerous Homecoming is about a man coming home and stepping into more than he'd bargained for. Katie married Joshua's best friend so he left home and hadn't come back for years. Now he is back and he cannot believe the changes in his friend Katie. Her farm and her life are in danger and Joshua is determined to keep her safe this time. In Return to Willow Trace, Lydia didn't want to see Joseph again, and yet she did. Neither of them expected their first meeting to be over a dead body. Now both are in danger because of a past neither wants to get into.

I really enjoyed all the story lines. Each were short but written well enough that you became invested in the characters. I so wanted Sara and Caleb to find the bad guy so his daughter would be safe! I felt terrible for Katie and everything she had to go through in life. Joshua felt guilty but at the same time, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place but I couldn't wait for the two of them to work it out. I completely understood Lydia's anger but was surprised at the lack of follow through on her part. At the same time, it was understandable considering the past. I had issues with Jeremiah staying gone for so long but I still wanted them together.

I rate these a 5/5. I enjoyed all three of the stories!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

[John Hanscom · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with short stories is that are, well, short. Romance novels have a certain predictability to them, and even longer ones have some credibility issues, and to think that one or two incidents will resolve all relationship problems is naive. In addition, with two of the three in this book, it was obvious who the"bad guy" was, as this person was one of the few floating around not a "good guy."

[Judine Brey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed these companion novels set in three different Amish communities. While I think any one of these stories could have been a full novel on its own, the middle story (Dangerous Homecoming by Burke) had the tightest plot construction and the most believable romance plot. There were no moments that felt forced, which I can't say for the other two.

[Shelley Marushak Langelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all 3 stories and I liked that they were quick and easy to read as that it what I needed at the time. That said, as like most short stories, they were pretty predictable and I wanted more.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short mysteries set in Amish country. I liked the first two better than the last one.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed these stories

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stories: Fall from Grace 4 stars; Dangerous Homecoming 4 stars; and Return to Willow Trace 5 stars. Suspenseful.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three novellas in one book - the first two stories were pretty good, but the third one didn't quite live up to the others.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

on the edge of your seat !

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall from Grace
I really enjoyed this first story, it really made your heart ache for little Rachael. Sara Esch is a school teacher and Rachael is one of her new students that recently moved into the community with her father after her mother passes away after along illness. It didn't take me long to read it as I didn't put my Kindle down until I finished it. it definitely kept me wanting to read more. I do however hope that there is more to this story. I want to know more of what happened next, don't leave me hanging forever, no knowing.

Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke
Loved It!! It actually makes you wonder how much hate and jealousy there is in the Amish communities. This was a well written book about a widow who is just trying to keep her farm after her husband dies after falling during a barn raising. Someone is trying to run her out of the community and get her to sell her farm. Amish women are more independent than we think they are, never underestimate the power of a woman. This is also a story that I want to know more about and I hope there is a follow up.

Return to Willow Trace by Kit Wilkinson
Lydia hasn't seen Joesph in years and she didn't really want to see him either but was thankful that he was there when he was. What would she have done if he would have not been there for every time she turned around and what does Billy have to do with it all? So much mystery for the Amish, whom I always thought lived the plain life. I guess that during the rumpshring time those kids can get into some mischief which can cause some of them to go the wrong way just like the "English" do. I enjoyed this story just as much as the other two but once again I felt cheated and wanting more.

I thought all of these stories were just a bit short for me. I know, I know! They were supposed to be fast reads but I am sorry, I wanted more at the end of each story. They are definitely worth reading and I am hoping that they all have more to their stories to come in the future because I know that I will be reading them if they do.

I give each and every story 5 stars!!

You can see my complete review at: http://lovemy2dogs.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Novellas ... There are reviews of the subjects of each novella in prior reviews. I will not repeat that information again. These novellas are quite enjoyable reads -- what I might call an Amish Mini Mystery Set.

I do not read novellas often because there is so much in the story (if it is a good one--and these were) that never gets finished. Some leave you hanging -- even the key characters in the story have no true ending. The best of novellas should make you want more from the key characters or find a subsequent books that build on one or more of the characters. In other words, the novella becomes an automatic spinoff.

Fall From Grace by Marta Perry
After reading I was curious to learn more about Mitch. This story was complete. If a full novel, this characters might have been fleshed out.

Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke
I have to admit that I didn't see the end coming on this one until close TO the end. Would love to see a spinoff of the key characters, Joshua & Katie.

Return to Willow Trace by Kit Wilkinson
I would love to know more about Joshua and his time in Indiana. There's more to the story of Lydia during those years as well. But the author does well providing enough information for this novella.
Even though I would have liked to *know* more in each story, I found all three of them a great read. Well chosen set to put together.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three great, but quick read novella, all Amish, and all page turning for answers. The first, by Marta Perry, is about a child with so many traumas in her life, having watched and lost her mother, she is only seven. Then she unfortunately witnesses a man fall off a rock cliff, oh no, now she is in more danger. How can one little one endure so much, come and find out with a bit of romance and a great schoolteacher.
Next we have a novella by Diane Burke, and we never see what is coming, sure surprised me. Can an old friend, one who in a way betrayed her by not offering up what he knew, come to her aid? Or will she end up having to sell, and leave her community? All answers are here, and you will have to keep looking for all the answers.
The final story is by Kit Wilkinson and seems so innocent when it begins, but changes fast. What do the deceased and old friend have to do with someone trying to kill them? That is Lydia and Joseph are experiencing, but why, they are non-violent and God fearing people, just trying to live their faith. Again, I never saw the answers here.
Three wonderful stories that you can read in a very quick time don’t miss this delightful treat!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Love Inspired Suspense, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are three short stories in this book, Fall From Grace by Marta Perry, Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke and Return to Willow Trace by Kit Wilkinson. Each one is a mystery and each one held my interest so I read this very quickly I really did enjoy them. A couple of the authors were new to me and I will look for more books written by them. If you like Amish and/or mystery I think you will enjoy the stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Carolyn E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.

Update 6/01/14:

I have just finished re-reading this book, and I really enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed Diane Burke's story, "Dangerous Homecoming", included in Danger in Amish Country: Fall from Grace\Dangerous Homecoming\Return to Willow Trace. I hope to read more of her books in the future.

[Krys · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Danger in Amish Country is a wonderful collection of three short stories by three talented authors. Within each story, you found that the characters were well developed, and the plot (while different in each), kept you glued to the pages until the very end. I loved the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, danger and romance, add in the setting of Amish country and it was absolutely perfect!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of Danger in Amish Country in return for my honest review. This does not in any way reflect upon my review. All thoughts/opinions of this novel are 100% my own.

[Breath of Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start? Have I told you about my "LOVE" of Amish Books? Some might say I am actually obsessed with them. I know that my reviews might not show this but believe me I am. I have always loved them.

This book was, as for most of Love Inspired books a fast read. I enjoy taking one ot two with me on appointments or taking a trip for that very reason. Danger In Amish Country was one of those such books as it has three different;

To read more of my review: http://breathoflifebookreviews.blogsp...

[Dawn Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters and storylines in these three novellas are developed and believable. I think if they had been books not novellas, it would not have been so easy to solve the mystery pages before the characters did. They were great quick reads. I recommend other books by these authors with Amish storylines especially Marta Perry's "In Plain Sight" series and Pleasant Valley series, Kit Wilkinson's Lancaster County Target, and Diane Burke's Hidden in Plain View. I haven't read many of Diane's books but thoroughly enjoy Marta and Kit's books whether about the Amish or others.

[April Suter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short novellas. Fall From Grace: Teacher Sara and the new dad to the district, Caleb King, find a body on the rocks near the school. Dangerous Homecoming: Katie is trying to keep her husband's farm running by herself and someone keeps damaging the farm, maybe it is to try to get the farm for himself. Return to Willow Trace: Joseph comes home to find his old girlfriend still single and an old friend hurt.

217 pages

[Bonnie Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read of this book Danger in Amish Country by Authors Marta Perry, Diana Burke and Kit Wilkinson who done the Amish Community and People a world of good by tell these stories. Of what it takes to be a Amish person and the faith in God that has this community's thriving in ( our world ), I think the whole world should take a very strong lesson from them maybe this world would be better.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much to say other than it seemed like I was missing some things - such as in Fall from Grace the characters mentioned an Amish school shooting and never explained it (and it doesn't seem to be part of a series). It was weird and there's a reason I don't read these Inspired suspense books (I knew better than to pick it up) Oh well, the stories were interesting, but I wouldn't go back to them.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three short stories in one. All three authors show great talent at telling a story in 1/3 the words they usually get. These are great for when you need a quick read. The stories aren't tide together except for by theme so they are great.

[Harlequin Books]

"These three Amish novellas demonstrate that evil and temptation are prevalent everywhere. Jealousy, greed and abuse combine to provide stories that keep the reader involved throughout." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars

[Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

an ok read - just a little bit Vanilla for my taste.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute short stories. Some seem a little far-fetched in the Amish department, but it was worth reading.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Amish mysteries.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't think to pair Amish with suspense necessarily but it worked somewhat. A different sort of set of stories.