What do you think?
Rate this book
Down to the Bone
A glimpse into the lives of the modern-day Amish carries this romantic suspense from the author of The Baby Farm.
After a freak accident kills Rachael Mast's husband, strange things start happening around her Amish farm. Chores are being mysteriously done, her late husband's presence seems to be everywhere and her twin sons claim that "daadi" isn't dead but living in the barn, a disturbing notion that seems to be substantiated by evidence that someone has been spying on her from the hayloft.
Refusing to be manipulated or terrified, Rachael sets out to learn who is behind the acts--and why. When bones are unearthed from a shallow grave beneath the barn's floor, Rachael must turn her back on Amish ways and depend on a new friend, antique-barn restorer Mitch Randall, for protection, even though he fits the profile of a stalker.
Harper's choice of setting and lifestyle for her heartwarming characters adds a fresh twist to an otherwise familiar mystery.
Search for
After a freak accident kills Rachael Mast's husband, strange things start happening around her Amish farm. Chores are being mysteriously done, her late husband's presence seems to be everywhere and her twin sons claim that "daadi" isn't dead but living in the barn, a disturbing notion that seems to be substantiated by evidence that someone has been spying on her from the hayloft.
Refusing to be manipulated or terrified, Rachael sets out to learn who is behind the acts--and why. When bones are unearthed from a shallow grave beneath the barn's floor, Rachael must turn her back on Amish ways and depend on a new friend, antique-barn restorer Mitch Randall, for protection, even though he fits the profile of a stalker.
Harper's choice of setting and lifestyle for her heartwarming characters adds a fresh twist to an otherwise familiar mystery.
Search for
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
8 people are currently reading
340 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 13, 2013
Karen Harper has always been one of my favorite writers in the romantic suspense genre. Down to the Bone is one of several of her books that feature the Amish community. The juxtaposition of Amish ways with modern ones and the interactions that take place are fascinating. Because of the Amish element, the romance is kept out of the bedroom and is played out instead with romantic tension and relationship development. I prefer my romances this way. The relationship that develops between Mitch and Rachel is electric while the suspense, mystery and danger keep the story tense and fast moving. I read this book from cover to cover in one evening. I highly recommend it for fans of romantic suspense. I was reminded of the movie Witness with Harrison Ford.
June 10, 2022
“Look what you made me do to save you”
After the traumatic death of her husband, Rachel is doing everything she can to keep her farm and her family going, even if doing it alone goes against her Amish traditions. But, when her dead husband’s things start to turn up in odd places and her children start to act strange, she starts to believe that maybe her Amish community doesn’t have her best interests at heart and maybe the death of her husband isn’t as accidental as it appeared.
Down to the Bone is a thriller combined with a romance novel and proof that if the writing is good and macabre I will enjoy anything else that’s mixed in too. I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked this, but it’s mostly due to the fact that the protagonist is a strong and independent woman who embraces her faith while also questioning it. She struggles with herself and her place within the Amish community without her husband. I actually learned quite a bit about the Amish while reading this, a lot of stuff I didn’t know and didn’t expect, so it’s clear the author did a lot of research and put thought into her characters. The novel itself was SO CAPTIVATING. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a wonderful mix of suspense and twists. Is there something supernatural happening? Or is something just messing around? I was constantly guessing right up until the end. I suspected this to be a lil silly, so I guess this is lesson for me as I ended up loving it.
After the traumatic death of her husband, Rachel is doing everything she can to keep her farm and her family going, even if doing it alone goes against her Amish traditions. But, when her dead husband’s things start to turn up in odd places and her children start to act strange, she starts to believe that maybe her Amish community doesn’t have her best interests at heart and maybe the death of her husband isn’t as accidental as it appeared.
Down to the Bone is a thriller combined with a romance novel and proof that if the writing is good and macabre I will enjoy anything else that’s mixed in too. I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked this, but it’s mostly due to the fact that the protagonist is a strong and independent woman who embraces her faith while also questioning it. She struggles with herself and her place within the Amish community without her husband. I actually learned quite a bit about the Amish while reading this, a lot of stuff I didn’t know and didn’t expect, so it’s clear the author did a lot of research and put thought into her characters. The novel itself was SO CAPTIVATING. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a wonderful mix of suspense and twists. Is there something supernatural happening? Or is something just messing around? I was constantly guessing right up until the end. I suspected this to be a lil silly, so I guess this is lesson for me as I ended up loving it.
October 14, 2007
Not well written, but an ok read that passed the time in a pleasant enough manner. It was pretty predictable, which was ok for the time. I got it thru a bookcrossing release. The first one I ever caught. I have to release it back into the wild now. Not something I would particularly recommend, but if you do see it on its journey, pick it up at least to bring it inside and out of the cold for a while.
October 19, 2008
Very good suspense novel from Karen Harper. This murder mystery involves the Amish in Ohio. I enjoy stories that have Amish characters.
June 12, 2010
So creepy! It kept me guessing over and over again! It was very interesting to read considering the main character was Amish. Made me learn things that could be usefuul someday, who knows?
February 26, 2022
I think this is my first Karen Harper, and it came to me in a bag of books from my mother-in-law, most of which I've enjoyed. But this was definitely frustrating, and I was happy when it was done (and it took me a while to finish--other books kept getting in the way). Here's the thing--if you have an adorable, feisty widowed Amish lady (who...aren't usually feisty, so that's your first red flag about how this book is going to go) and her two adorable Amish sons as the protagonists of this story, and you actually want to root for her to stay with her community, you have to actually GIVE HER AMISH PEOPLE IN HER LIFE TO CARE ABOUT. So the author tipped her hand at the role of the Amish in this book. Otherwise it's just a standard romance/murder-y novel with someone who happens to be Amish. Rachel was effectively isolated this entire story from everyone in her community save one young friend (who we barely get to know). I was looking for there to be real conflict about her feelings for Mitch, but let's be honest...there's no real conflict, because why would she want to stay Amish based on what the reader is reading? All of the Amish in her life seem awful and unsupportive, except maybe one young woman (and one is OVERTLY awful and potentially murderous, so that...didn't help). No one is in her life, none of the Amish wives are even characters. She's completely alone. And while I appreciated some of the little details included about Amish life, there were no Amish characters to care about besides Rachel and the boys (and everyone else basically treats her kind of shittily after her husband dies), so the reader is not rooting for that community in any way, which seems like an unfair fight.
And the killer was just VERY aggravating--in the end, they were totally nuts (like...no one else saw this in the 10 years they were hiding the murder?), and I don't believe they'd just go on an all-out killing spree at the finale because...bones weren't well hidden? And people might discover them? Lame. Just, frustrating, one-dimensional characters (poor Gabe basically got stuck being a babysitter) (although I liked Mitch well enough, but he was saddled with awful dialogue) behaving in unbelievable ways. And Rachel vascillated between plucky modern heroine and then someone didn't understand American idioms. I liked Rachel and I liked her boys--they just deserved a better story.
And the killer was just VERY aggravating--in the end, they were totally nuts (like...no one else saw this in the 10 years they were hiding the murder?), and I don't believe they'd just go on an all-out killing spree at the finale because...bones weren't well hidden? And people might discover them? Lame. Just, frustrating, one-dimensional characters (poor Gabe basically got stuck being a babysitter) (although I liked Mitch well enough, but he was saddled with awful dialogue) behaving in unbelievable ways. And Rachel vascillated between plucky modern heroine and then someone didn't understand American idioms. I liked Rachel and I liked her boys--they just deserved a better story.
January 24, 2025
After a freak accident kills Rachael Mast's husband, strange things start happening around her Amish farm. Chores are being mysteriously done, her late husband's presence seems to be everywhere and her twin sons claim that "daadi" isn't dead but living in the barn, a disturbing notion that seems to be substantiated by evidence that someone has been spying on her from the hayloft. Refusing to be manipulated or terrified, Rachael sets out to learn who is behind the acts--and why. When bones are unearthed from a shallow grave beneath the barn's floor, Rachael must turn her back on Amish ways and depend on a new friend, antique-barn restorer Mitch Randall, for protection, even though he fits the profile of a stalker. Harper's choice of setting and lifestyle for her heartwarming characters adds a fresh twist to an otherwise familiar mystery.
My Thoughts:
On a negative this book was a bit bland. I have read a lot of romantic suspense and this book is not one of the best. The problem for me was the hero and love interest Mtich Randall. He wasn’t just sexy enough and I didn’t get any vibes from his character. For me I to enjoy a this type of book I have to fall for the hero myself.
On a positive this book gave me an insight to the lives of the Amish with their ways and traditions which I knew very little about.
I do have a book on my TBR by Karen Harper about Mary Boleyn which I shall look forward to reading but not sure if I would read another RS by her.
My Thoughts:
On a negative this book was a bit bland. I have read a lot of romantic suspense and this book is not one of the best. The problem for me was the hero and love interest Mtich Randall. He wasn’t just sexy enough and I didn’t get any vibes from his character. For me I to enjoy a this type of book I have to fall for the hero myself.
On a positive this book gave me an insight to the lives of the Amish with their ways and traditions which I knew very little about.
I do have a book on my TBR by Karen Harper about Mary Boleyn which I shall look forward to reading but not sure if I would read another RS by her.
June 27, 2017
This is the best book I've read by Karen Harper. It's also the best book I've read so far this year. I enjoyed the combination of Amish and modern cultures as well as the very interesting characters. There were so many people to suspect of committing the crime and doing other things that it kept me interested until the very last page.
September 22, 2025
Solid murder mystery, although predictable at times. The romance was okay, but too much emphasis on the forbidden aspect of the relationship. I understand that it would be considered unusual for worldly people and taboo for the Amish, but the author did not need to keep stating it over and over again.
June 20, 2020
Amish, barn, murders, good read
May 4, 2021
I found this book very slow. Much preferred the Maple Creek series (written 4 years later) by the same author.
September 16, 2023
Great book. Keeps you guessing right to the end.
January 19, 2026
I really enjoyed this book!
July 22, 2023
I was surprised with this read, I didn't think I would make it through in pretty much one sitting. This book has an amazing well thought through story line. I was guessing right up to the reveal, and still was shocked. Only reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me is that I don't think I would read this book a second time.
April 10, 2009
Phew!!! What a great and involved read this was..woo..hooo! lol
"Deep in the heart of a small Amish community lies a secret someone thought was buried forever. But one woman may have just unknowingly uncovered it...
Rachel Mast is doing all she can to keep her life together one year after the tragic death of her husband. Against all Amish traditions, she is running her small farm and raising her twin boys on her own. And for the first time in a long time, Rachel is happy.
Then things start happening...Her dead husband's belongings turn up in unexpected places, her sons are acting strangely and Rachel feels as if she's being watched. She knows someone is trying to scare her, but who and why? Is it Eben Yoder, her Amish neighbour, who's determined to make her his wife? Or someone else in the community who wants her to conform to their ways? Or is it Mitch Randall, the stranger who has taken an unusual interest in her barn...and in the young widow herself, making Rachel feel things she's never felt before?
As Rachel begins to dig up the past for answers, someone is equally determined to keep it buried. Someone who won't stop at murder to keep the truth hidden."
"Deep in the heart of a small Amish community lies a secret someone thought was buried forever. But one woman may have just unknowingly uncovered it...
Rachel Mast is doing all she can to keep her life together one year after the tragic death of her husband. Against all Amish traditions, she is running her small farm and raising her twin boys on her own. And for the first time in a long time, Rachel is happy.
Then things start happening...Her dead husband's belongings turn up in unexpected places, her sons are acting strangely and Rachel feels as if she's being watched. She knows someone is trying to scare her, but who and why? Is it Eben Yoder, her Amish neighbour, who's determined to make her his wife? Or someone else in the community who wants her to conform to their ways? Or is it Mitch Randall, the stranger who has taken an unusual interest in her barn...and in the young widow herself, making Rachel feel things she's never felt before?
As Rachel begins to dig up the past for answers, someone is equally determined to keep it buried. Someone who won't stop at murder to keep the truth hidden."
November 5, 2015
Mystery and romance. Wonderful story of conflict concerning an Amish widow and the mysterious happenings at her farm a year after her husband dies. There is a great deal of historical interest in the old barn on her farm. Enter a love interest, but he isn’t Amish. She wants to keep the farm going for her twin sons, but Amish tradition means the males in the community do the farm work and her doing it is not acceptable. So, she should remarry. Lots of community interest there. Not much of it wanted. But who is appearing in the dark shadows around the barn and fields? Great story. Until the ending. When the mystery was solved I didn’t think it was possible. So I had to go back and look again at the story. Weeks later, I still don’t think it adds up. The guilty person had too many other irons in the fire to spend so many hours and occasions “haunting” her farm and not be missed. Liked all the characters, setting and plot, until the very end! 8 out of 10. Want to read another of Karen Harper’s books to see how she wraps up another plot.
October 27, 2010
This was another good one by KH. It was a very good creepy suspense book. The romance part was extremely lackluster. It seemed that the Amish woman and the English man didn't really spend anytime falling in love but the mystery part was so well done that I forgave that. The only thing I don't forgive is that the author had the Amish woman owning golden Percherons to work her farm. Percherons are black or shades of grey. Belgians are light chestnut. They can be any shade of red from light gold to dark red and they have light manes and tails. Such a simple detail to check and so annoying to horse people.
January 19, 2014
As a big fan of Harper's Amish mystery/romance stories, I was excited to finally find a copy of Down to the Bone. It did not disappoint. This one is set in Clearview, rather than Maple Creek, where a number of the other books are set, but the communities are related. The mystery is intense and downright spooky in some sections, and the way it all ties together in the end is a bit stunning. Another fast-paced and good read.
August 22, 2012
Reading this book for my book club...i'm starting to like these 'amish' mysteries, just something new i guess. But right now i am just hoping its NOT Mitch. but as for the book, i am only half way thru. It was alittle slow going at first, but by the 4th chapter or so, it starts to get interesting. but its good. i will try another karen Harper book.
June 1, 2011
I enjoyed this look into the Amish society. There were plenty of suspects and I would pick the guilty party only to change my mind again and again. I love that I was completely surprised by the ending. I also really liked the heroine.
July 28, 2007
Mysterys that are in the mideastern area that will keep you up at night.
March 6, 2008
Murder mystery set within an Amish community in Ohio; never guessed the ending!
February 12, 2010
It was a very good book. I couldn't put it down, a very surprising ending.
Read
March 15, 2010i learned a little about Amish traditions, and how difficult it can be to raise twins on your own...i should have read this before i had my own twins!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2010
Really a fast read. Author keeps you guessing throughout. Has a bit of romance that teases the reader. I am going to look for another of Karen Harper's books to see if they are as good.
June 20, 2011
a good suspense novel by karen Harper. It is a little creepy at times. I do look forward to more novels by karen
Want to read
October 7, 2013I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12140991
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12140991
December 6, 2014
Excellent book. Suspensful.
April 9, 2015
Amish way of life vs the American way
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews