What do you think?
Rate this book
PLAIN OFFENSE
Something is wrong—fatally wrong—in Lancaster County’s idyllic Amish community. A mysterious illness is claiming lives, and a young woman is missing.
The faithful church members accept the tragedies as Gott’s Wille—God’s Will. Ex-Amish Sadie Beiler does not. She’s lost an aunt and two cousins to the unexplained sickness and the missing woman is a childhood friend. She is determined to get answers.
As Sadie uncovers the horrifying circumstances surrounding her friend’s disappearance, more Amish—including her mother—get sick. Stretched in every direction, Sadie is pushed to her limits, and time is running out. As she races to find the answers, the danger increases, and the next hand-dug grave may be her own.
The faithful church members accept the tragedies as Gott’s Wille—God’s Will. Ex-Amish Sadie Beiler does not. She’s lost an aunt and two cousins to the unexplained sickness and the missing woman is a childhood friend. She is determined to get answers.
As Sadie uncovers the horrifying circumstances surrounding her friend’s disappearance, more Amish—including her mother—get sick. Stretched in every direction, Sadie is pushed to her limits, and time is running out. As she races to find the answers, the danger increases, and the next hand-dug grave may be her own.
- GenresThriller
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 16, 2025
Choosing the English way of life after being raised in an Amish community isn’t a decision made lightly, and Sadie Beiler should certainly know. Even after fifteen years, she encounters disdain if not outright contempt when visiting friends and family—at least those who are still willing to talk to her—but what’s a woman to do? Family members are dropping like flies from a mysterious illness that has already claimed the lives of an aunt and two cousins. Elders chalk it up to Gott’s Wille—God’s Will—but Sadie isn’t quite so sure. She’s already been to more than her fair share of funerals in the past few months, and now her own mother is exhibiting symptoms, which include rapid weight loss, lethargy, and funny little black lines developing underneath her fingernails. Sadie wants answers and realizes the only way to get them is to investigate the matter herself.
What follows is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be ex-Amish, specifically for a woman, whose opinion is often ignored or overridden by their husbands or the church elders. As Sadie starts collecting facts, it seems increasingly likely that someone might be introducing some sort of toxin to the district’s food supply, but who would do such a thing and why? Things go from bad to worse when the sister of an old friend goes missing, and she begs for Sadie’s assistance in locating her, but Sadie fears it may already be too late.
Qnert has the uncanny ability to consistently drop her readers right into the middle of her stories with vivid imagery, compelling three-dimensional characters, and dialogue that rings true. Sadie Beiler isn’t some trained detective who knows what she’s doing when she launches into her investigation, but armed with intelligence and determination, she starts rocking a boat that’s far bigger than she ever anticipated. As the tension steadily heightens, the list of potential suspects grows, eventually hitting dangerously close to home.
This is a sharp left turn from the Eastern Shore depicted in Qnert’s earlier Rock Narrows series, immersing us in a way of life most of us are only familiar with from the movie, Witness, yet it’s no less gripping. It was increasingly difficult to put the book down as the pieces to the puzzle began falling into place. It’s a different feel from her earlier works, yet its common thread is readily apparent in its strong female protagonist who isn’t afraid to use her formidable wits to challenge an establishment formulated to diminish her and other women based solely on gender. It’s the sort of underestimation that can derail even the best laid plans of a psychopath—if Sadie doesn’t get herself killed in the process.
I’m past reading the blurbs for Qnert’s books. There’s simply no need. If her name is on the spine, it’s getting a fast pass to the top of my TBR; it’s a guaranteed thrill ride from the first page to its last.
More, please.
What follows is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be ex-Amish, specifically for a woman, whose opinion is often ignored or overridden by their husbands or the church elders. As Sadie starts collecting facts, it seems increasingly likely that someone might be introducing some sort of toxin to the district’s food supply, but who would do such a thing and why? Things go from bad to worse when the sister of an old friend goes missing, and she begs for Sadie’s assistance in locating her, but Sadie fears it may already be too late.
Qnert has the uncanny ability to consistently drop her readers right into the middle of her stories with vivid imagery, compelling three-dimensional characters, and dialogue that rings true. Sadie Beiler isn’t some trained detective who knows what she’s doing when she launches into her investigation, but armed with intelligence and determination, she starts rocking a boat that’s far bigger than she ever anticipated. As the tension steadily heightens, the list of potential suspects grows, eventually hitting dangerously close to home.
This is a sharp left turn from the Eastern Shore depicted in Qnert’s earlier Rock Narrows series, immersing us in a way of life most of us are only familiar with from the movie, Witness, yet it’s no less gripping. It was increasingly difficult to put the book down as the pieces to the puzzle began falling into place. It’s a different feel from her earlier works, yet its common thread is readily apparent in its strong female protagonist who isn’t afraid to use her formidable wits to challenge an establishment formulated to diminish her and other women based solely on gender. It’s the sort of underestimation that can derail even the best laid plans of a psychopath—if Sadie doesn’t get herself killed in the process.
I’m past reading the blurbs for Qnert’s books. There’s simply no need. If her name is on the spine, it’s getting a fast pass to the top of my TBR; it’s a guaranteed thrill ride from the first page to its last.
More, please.
June 28, 2026
This was a page-turner! Fast-paced, with all kinds of bad guys and sympathetic situations and characters, it hurtles through a short-time span as Sadie investigates several situations, one lethal. (I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up a detective!) The cultural aspects of Amish culture and the challenges faced by former Amish were a plus.
Recommended for a quick, satisfying read, solidly-written and enjoyable!
Recommended for a quick, satisfying read, solidly-written and enjoyable!
June 16, 2026
Good Writing
This was an entertaining read. If you like stories about the Amish way of life, you will enjoy this book. It helps you to understand how hard it is to start a life outside the Amish community.
This was an entertaining read. If you like stories about the Amish way of life, you will enjoy this book. It helps you to understand how hard it is to start a life outside the Amish community.
June 23, 2026
Enjoyable immersive Amish tale
A good easy read that draws the reader into the daily life of the Amish illustrating some of the daily challenges they face and interaction with outside people and agencies. Thoroughly enjoyed.
A good easy read that draws the reader into the daily life of the Amish illustrating some of the daily challenges they face and interaction with outside people and agencies. Thoroughly enjoyed.
June 14, 2026
A real eye opening story of how the Amish protect themselves!
June 14, 2026
Shocking!
This book is intense! It is well written, the only problem I had with it was that I couldn't put it down!!
This book is intense! It is well written, the only problem I had with it was that I couldn't put it down!!
June 18, 2026
Well written
I like to see if I can figure out "who did it" this one kept me guessing almost to the end.
I like to see if I can figure out "who did it" this one kept me guessing almost to the end.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews