Blackbird

Amish Mountain Secrets #2

by Mary Alford

Sara Hersberger thought she’d fled the nightmare of her father’s sins when she left her St. Ignatius, Montana Amish community. For ten years she’d lived in the shadow of the crimes he committed. Sought to free herself of his shadow. Now, with nowhere else to go, Sara is forced to return to her former home where the bad things her father did still haunt the families of the people he killed, including her neighbor, Hunter Troyer, who lost his wife to Amos Hersberger’s sinister games.

But Sara’s hopes at repairing her fractured relationship with the community disappear when another innocent victim is found dead near Sara’s home, the MO matching the murders from ten years earlier. The distinctive blackbird, the killer’s signature, left near the body.

The dead can’t come back to life, no matter how much Sara wants to blame her father for the mounting body count. So who is responsible for the latest string of murders, and why are they targeting Sara? With help from an unlikely ally, Hunter Troyer and Sara had better figure it out soon before the killer manages to silence Sara for good.

Genres: Amish

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2020

About the author

Mary Alford is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author who loves giving her readers the unexpected, combining unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots that result in stories the reader can’t put down. Her books have garnered several awards and nominations. Mary lives deep in the heart of Texas with her husband, two cats, and a dog. Discover more about Mary and her books at www.maryalford.net.

Reviews

[Carolyn Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackbird, the second book in the Amish Mountain Secrets series, is an exciting, entertaining read. This novella, set in the Montana Amish country community of St Ignatius, is wrapped in a darker atmosphere than I usually find in an Amish story. That just goes to show that evil can be found everywhere. The intriguing, suspenseful plot kept my attention from beginning to end and kept me guessing. The characters are well-crafted and engaging. I could feel their emotions as they come to grips with the atrocious goings on in their community. The second chance romance and subtle faith thread add depth and interest to the story. I totally enjoyed this book and highly recommend if for fans of Amish suspense.
I received a copy of this book from the author for subscribing to her newsletter but with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Melissa Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense from the first moment. The past has come back to haunt Sara Hersberger. Blackbirds are the reminder of death and unsolved mystery. Danger and sadness have come to town and lives of the community are forever changed. Will the true criminal be revealed? Great read. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.

[Elizabeth Fiscus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a little different from any other Amish story that I have read. It had a darker side that the Amish community had been shouldering for a decade. Amos Hersberger was a member of their community and was very abusive to his family and when several murders took place among those who he disliked, he was the prime suspect. On a side note, it is never easy to think of people among one faith or another being evil, but it happens, unfortunately. There are evil people in all walks of life, and often people around them are unfairly considered guilty by association even when that is a totally unfounded accusation.
That is what happened in this story. Sara, Amos’s daughter has been persecuted for the sins of her father for the past ten years and loses job after job due to his deeds. For lack of anywhere else to go, she returns home to the nightmare of a farm she grew up on because she knows she would have a roof over her head at least. Two weeks after she returns, murders begin again, marked with a dead blackbird at each scene. Could her father still be alive?
Hunter Troyer has the farm right next to Sara’s. His wife was a victim in the first murder spree, and he has raised his daughter on his own ever since. When Sara is being targeted by the murderer, will Hunter look past his bitterness and help her? Or will he continue to blame her for not speaking out against her father sooner so the murders would have never taken place?
This was definitely an interesting story full of suspense! I recommend it for anyone who loves clean suspense, especially Amish suspense. I received an ARC of this story from the author. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Deana Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome story this is. There is no time to breathe as the action is non stop and the intrigue keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sara was someone I would want to hug and tell her that she is not judged by the sins of her father. She has to overcome the horrible crimes he committed and return home where it all happened. I would be a little uncomfortable wondering if the community would accept me.

What I liked the most about this story was how different it is from the typical Amish story. The author delivers a story that shows evil can happen anywhere. We always think of the Amish as peaceful and tranquil. Lurking in the darkness, the author explores another side that we don’t see among the Amish. The story involves several characters whose lives intersect each other. I was very intrigued by the relationship between Sara and Hunter. I loved reading how Hunter needed to work on his bitterness towards Sara. When Sara’s own life is in danger will Hunter step up and protect her? Whay have the killings started again? With just the right twists in the story, the author achieves a book filled with forgiveness, acceptance and a mystery that is movie worthy.

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

[C Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackbird (Amish Mountain Secrets Book 2) By Mary Alford is an Intriguing, Suspenseful book that keeps you interested from the beginning until the end.

Mary Alford tell us a wonderful story with just enough suspense to keep you really interested. It is what I would call a true page turner. Although I do not usually enjoy suspense books Mary Does a fantastic job.

This is the story of Amos Hersberger, his daughter, Ivy and a neighbor, friend from the past, Sara Hersberger, who is plagued by the wrongdoings of her father from years before.

Alford weaves this tell with a little surprise romance thrown in for good measure.

If you want to read something that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, give this 5-star book a try. You won’t be disappointed.

I was given a free download of the book by the author but was not required to give a positive review.

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackbird is an intriguing mystery written by Mary Alford. This is a short story but every bit as suspenseful as her longer stories. The characters are perfect for this story. The mystery surrounding all the killings take several twist and turns and when all is revealed it is shocking as to the killers identity. This story is set in Amish country and all those who were killed are Amish. Even the killer was Amish. This is a quick read.

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 exciting mystery that I can highly recommend to others.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackbird ( Amish Mountain Secrets Book 2 )
By: Mary Alford
Blackbird is book two in the series Amish Mountain Secrets. This story is different from other Amish Stories. A young Amish woman comes back to her home after ten years knowing she will not be welcome. Her father was a murderer , why would she be welcome back? I was hooked at the start and did not want to put it down. Murder, suspense , secrets, and mystery keeps you turning the pages. The author keeps you guessing till the end.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Mary Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackbird
Mary Alford

Sara returns to her family home even though she knows she probably won’t be welcomed. Then things seem to turn from bad to worse
I was really convinced that her dad had come back. Loved how you kept us not being sure who dun’ it.  You could feel the pain of Sara and Hunter.
The pages just flew by as you couldn’t put it down because it wouldn’t let you go until the very end. Definitely a very late night read.
Looking forward to more about this community.

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story. I love the ideas of the Amish and the intrigue. Who killed these women and men? Was this the same killer who left dead blackbirds from 10 years before or was it a copycat murderer. I loved the characters. This community had a lot of secrets that needed to be revealed. I hope there are more books in this series. This is a quick and easy read. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[Deanna Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the suspense! Finding a Blackbird brought up some awful events from the past everyone wished would have stayed there. What a twist of events that you would not expect in the usually peaceful Amish community. I had to read it in one setting, it pulls you in and I just had to know the truth! Great ending!
I was gifted a copy, no review was required. My review was voluntary.

[Margaret Fraleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of Sara. Her father was a very angry man and took it out on his family.

Ten years earlier there were a series of murders and after Sara's father was shot by police,
the community came to the conclusion that Sara's father was responsible.

Sara returned to the family home and the murders started again.

Good characters and story line. Keeps you wanting to keep reading.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a revitting suspense stories to the end, can sara overcome the past when she moves back to the community a body is found near her home, can her neighbor help her and does he want to. I was given a copy of the book but this is an honest review.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing. Quite spooky...who is doing this to the Amish community? Hard to put down. Why is this happening? Highly recommend. I received an advance reader copy from the author. Opinions are my own.

[Patience Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good suspense story. It was a quick read but very interesting. I liked all the characters. I highly recommend this author.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of twist and turns throughout. This is what made it such a great page turner! I enjoyed reading this story!!

[Beverly Duell-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

[Pianosue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read! Lots of excitement, intrigue and suspense with a little romance thrown in. A fast paced read. Check it out!