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Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries #4
A Season of Secrets
As the frenzy of the Christmas shopping season descends on the Swiss Miss, Lydia Troyer, an Amish girl on rumspringa who helps Cheryl in the shop, receives a cryptic text message from an unknown phone number: I know what happened to Mark Troyer. Lydia is shaken and explains that Mark is her cousin, a teenage boy who vanished three years ago. Some people said the talented young craftsman simply ran off, having been quite taken with the Englisch lifestyle. But Lydia is convinced Mark would never have left home without telling her good-bye. She and other family members worry that something bad happened to him. Now it seems like someone knows the secret behind his disappearance. Cheryl, with the help of Naomi Miller and her other Amish friends, is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery in time to brighten the Troyer family's Christmas.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
6 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Adams
8 books13 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Elizabeth Adams lives in New York City with her husband. When she’s not writing, she spends her time playing with their rambunctious daughter, cleaning up after two devious cats, and trying to find time to read mysteries.
Elizabeth Adams lives in New York City with her husband. When she’s not writing, she spends her time playing with their rambunctious daughter, cleaning up after two devious cats, and trying to find time to read mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 5, 2019
The Amish girl that works for Cheryl gets a text saying she knew what happened to Mark Troyer. Mark was an Amish boy who disappeared 3 years ago. They don’t know if he left on his own or if he was forced to leave. Cheryl is afraid his father has something to do with it. She goes all over questioning people before figuring out the truth. =
October 19, 2017
It's the beginning of the Christmas season and Cheryl Cooper is getting her shop the Swiss Miss, in Sugar Creek Ohio, decorated for the holiday season. This is Cheryl's first Christmas since she took over running her Aunts shop. She looks forward to making her shop look festive for the holidays and the income her shop will bring in from the Christmas shoppers.
But the emphasis isn't on the holidays so much in A Season of Secrets as it is on what happened to a young man who disappeared from the community 3 years ago. Mark Troyer was going through his rumspringa when he disappeared without a trace. Some assumed he had run away from home , not wanting to take his kneeling vows and become Amish. A bloody shirt with Marks name sown onto the inside of it was found in the trash can behind the Honey Bee eatery . This has people wondering if someone had hurt Mark or perhaps even worse.
Lydia Troyer works for Cheryl at The Swiss Miss Shop. She and Mark are cousins and were good friends. Now 3 years later Lydia has trouble believing that he would just up and leave his family without saying goodbye to them. She honestly believes he may have been hurt or even killed. She wants to get answers and enlists Cheryl Cooper to help look into what happened to him.
A Season of Secrets is book 4 of the Sugar Creek Amish Mysteries. It can be read as a stand alone. It is put out by Guideposts Books and Inspirational Media. I have been to Sugar Creek before so therefore I'm attracted to this mystery series. The author has done her research and I was kept glued to the story from start to finish. I gave 5 stars as I literally was on pins and needles as I neared the conclusion of the story. So what happened to Mark Troyer? Be sure to read this book to find out.
But the emphasis isn't on the holidays so much in A Season of Secrets as it is on what happened to a young man who disappeared from the community 3 years ago. Mark Troyer was going through his rumspringa when he disappeared without a trace. Some assumed he had run away from home , not wanting to take his kneeling vows and become Amish. A bloody shirt with Marks name sown onto the inside of it was found in the trash can behind the Honey Bee eatery . This has people wondering if someone had hurt Mark or perhaps even worse.
Lydia Troyer works for Cheryl at The Swiss Miss Shop. She and Mark are cousins and were good friends. Now 3 years later Lydia has trouble believing that he would just up and leave his family without saying goodbye to them. She honestly believes he may have been hurt or even killed. She wants to get answers and enlists Cheryl Cooper to help look into what happened to him.
A Season of Secrets is book 4 of the Sugar Creek Amish Mysteries. It can be read as a stand alone. It is put out by Guideposts Books and Inspirational Media. I have been to Sugar Creek before so therefore I'm attracted to this mystery series. The author has done her research and I was kept glued to the story from start to finish. I gave 5 stars as I literally was on pins and needles as I neared the conclusion of the story. So what happened to Mark Troyer? Be sure to read this book to find out.
February 13, 2021
A Season of Secrets is a very intriguing mystery written by Elizabeth Adams. This is the 4th amazing book in the Sugarcreek Amish Mystery series. This story revolves around Lydia Troyer and her missing cousin Mark. Within this story is also the mystery hidden in a wooden puzzle box. Once again Cheryl Cooper, caretaker of Swiss Miss gift shop, is in the middle of solving this mystery. With Christmas just around the corner Cheryl is determined to give the Troyer family they deserve no matter the outcome. Naomi Miller, Cheryl's Amish friend, helps to guide Cheryl thru this investigation. Mark disappeared three years prior and with the discovery of his abandoned car, his bloody shirt, and a horse betting slip there is not much to go on. When Cheryl finally thinks she has it figured out the outcome is shockingly different than she thought. Who really has been sending the mysterious tweets will also shock the reader. This is an amazing mystery with a very surprising outcome.
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.
December 2, 2024
3.5 stars ✨
January 20, 2025
While I enjoy the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries series (obviously, as this is book 4), this was by far my least favorite so far.
It was captivating enough that I wanted to finish it and find out what happened to Mark, but there were a few problems I had.
1. Why was it Cheryl’s problem to figure this out? Lydia was the one that received the text and, yes, Cheryl said she would help, but my goodness, who worked more at the shop throughout this time frame - Cheryl or the girls? Not to mention how much gas she used driving around looking for clues.
2. How realistic is that? If no one spent this much time looking for Mark 3 years ago, how likely is it that some out-of-town woman who has never met him is going to go to great, desperate lengths to find him as though he is her own son?
3. Not really a spoiler, but had Cheryl spent zero time chasing down these texts and trying to find out what happened…it all would have likely come out anyway.
Now, let’s discuss the biggest problem I had - and doesn’t really have anything to do with the author or the story itself, but -
MY GOD CHERYL, STFU. You’ve been here for MONTHS. You have immersed yourself into the lives of the Amish people and you STILL don’t understand that their ways are so different that you might not know what you’re talking about? Quit sticking your nose in everything and getting offended when people don’t want to do things your way. Hopefully you were a bit humbled by the end of this.
Anyway, this one was a bit different as it was 98% Cheryl who did the digging and Levi was only in like 2 chapters. Looking forward to book 5!
It was captivating enough that I wanted to finish it and find out what happened to Mark, but there were a few problems I had.
1. Why was it Cheryl’s problem to figure this out? Lydia was the one that received the text and, yes, Cheryl said she would help, but my goodness, who worked more at the shop throughout this time frame - Cheryl or the girls? Not to mention how much gas she used driving around looking for clues.
2. How realistic is that? If no one spent this much time looking for Mark 3 years ago, how likely is it that some out-of-town woman who has never met him is going to go to great, desperate lengths to find him as though he is her own son?
3. Not really a spoiler, but had Cheryl spent zero time chasing down these texts and trying to find out what happened…it all would have likely come out anyway.
Now, let’s discuss the biggest problem I had - and doesn’t really have anything to do with the author or the story itself, but -
MY GOD CHERYL, STFU. You’ve been here for MONTHS. You have immersed yourself into the lives of the Amish people and you STILL don’t understand that their ways are so different that you might not know what you’re talking about? Quit sticking your nose in everything and getting offended when people don’t want to do things your way. Hopefully you were a bit humbled by the end of this.
Anyway, this one was a bit different as it was 98% Cheryl who did the digging and Levi was only in like 2 chapters. Looking forward to book 5!
December 6, 2017
Staying true to the series, this cozy was lighter in nature than most mystery series. It flirted with being a bit more gritty, but didn't lose sight of its identity, which I appreciated. The story took a couple of good twists which I only saw coming within paragraphs of being revealed, even though the foundation for the twists was quite clearly laid out in the natural progression of the book. I continue to enjoy the characters in the series and the honesty of their feelings and reactions -- far from perfect which keeps them wholly identifiable. I hesitated a couple of times when it came to awarding the stars, not because I didn't enjoy the story the book told, but mostly because there were a couple of inconsistencies that should have been caught by editing. I decided to let that go, but I'll admit it still annoys me a little. I won't penalize this sweet mystery for that though. I'll just hope Cheryl's next investigation is edited with a little more care.
March 22, 2024
This was cute Amish Novel recommended by a friend. It involves a bit of a mystery which I like with interesting characters. You know it’s a good mystery when halfway through the book I have to go to end to see what happens 🤷♀️. Yep that’s how I roll.
Overall I found the pace slow and redundant. I have friends that love these novels. Just don’t think this is my genre.
Update: I have friends that say they no longer read because they can concentrate and/or remember the details. This would a great book for that person. The details are repeated regularly. This morning it has occurred to me this would become a 4 or 5* book for that person.
Overall I found the pace slow and redundant. I have friends that love these novels. Just don’t think this is my genre.
Update: I have friends that say they no longer read because they can concentrate and/or remember the details. This would a great book for that person. The details are repeated regularly. This morning it has occurred to me this would become a 4 or 5* book for that person.
August 29, 2023
Another charming entry in the Sugercreek Amish Mysteries series. It is refreshing that this is not just another body of the week series, instead choosing to focus on a missing person (in this case). Still very cozy, and goes down like a soothing cup of tea. A good book to go to if the other times on your read list are getting to you.
The mystery is fair, and well done. I did not see where it was leading until the end when all is revealed, which is always fun.
The mystery is fair, and well done. I did not see where it was leading until the end when all is revealed, which is always fun.
April 24, 2018
4th book in series. Its about the Troyer family. Lydia one of the teenager on rumspringa gets a mysterious text saying that they know where her cousin Mark is. He disappeared 3 years ago during his rumspringa. Lydia asks Cheryl to help find out who sent this text and find Mark. It leads you through all these twists and turns of the events in the days prior to his disappearance.
April 29, 2019
The fiction books in the Amish world I had seen previously were always romance novels with forbidden love between the Amish and the Englisch. So I was delighted to find the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries! It was so interesting to find out more about these religious people in a modern day context. Bonus is that it was refreshingly clean. I will definitely been looking for more.
March 3, 2020
Can't express enough how wonderful this book series has been! This fourth in the series had even more "who-done-it" detective suspense than the others. Still, I enjoy the chemistry between characters Cheryl and Levi! I'm craving more... and there appears to be more in the series! Hoping my local library has them! Highly recommend!
July 8, 2018
This is the 2ND ONEOF THE SUGARCREEK MYSTERIES I HAVE READ AND ENJOYED BOTH SO MUCH. LOVE THE SIMPLE LIFE OF THE AMISH AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GREAT FICTION AND EVEN LOVE STORIES WITH NO GRAPHIC SCENES AND NOT ANY CURSING IN THEM EITHER, GOOD CLEAN READS.
February 22, 2024
I liked the Puzzle Box that holds a clue to where Mark Troyer went three years ago. Can Cheryl help his cousin,Lydia Troyer her part-time clerk, get to the meaning of the Text Lydia received "I know what happened to Mark Troyer"
August 17, 2025
This one didn’t hold as much interest for me tracking down a missing Amish teen who left of his own accord. I enjoy the characters and it’s a clean read with family a priority. This storyline just didn’t do it for me. But I’ll keep reading the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2017
A good mystery
July 8, 2018
This was interesting and exciting.
August 23, 2018
Another hit in this awesome series
December 5, 2018
Ok. Wanted to read Christmas books so just grabbed 7-8 from library. This series just OK, but will read some more. There’s like 30 in the series, I think.
March 17, 2019
Great read
November 6, 2019
If you are looking for a feel good cozy mystery this series is what you need! They all so far have been such easy fun reads. I am really enjoying this series!
July 28, 2020
Quick easy afternoon read.
October 1, 2020
fantastic book
October 24, 2020
Entered as today as unknown when read.
December 2, 2020
3.5/5.0 - This is the first Sugarcreek Amish Mystery that I've read, although it is #4 in the series. Light and enjoyable, will probably read more.
Book 199 of 2020
Book 199 of 2020
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February 9, 2021 A great weekend read! Always love the life lessons woven into the Amish Mysteries. An easy and enjoyable read. This series never disappoints and is always uplifting.
July 28, 2021
Loving this series!
March 31, 2023
What a great cozy mystery!
June 23, 2023
Comfy, cheesy, love. Physical - 2023
July 18, 2023
This is my least favorite of the books so far. It just didn't grab me like the others. I didn't find the plot development needed for this story line.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews