Karen Ann Hopkins

[b: Lamb to the Slaughter|13382062|Lamb to the Slaughter|Roald Dahl|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355249995s/13382062.jpg|45400523] by [a: Karen Ann Hopkins|5386283|Karen Ann Hopkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1334864691p2/5386283.jpg] was a unexpected surprise. This was a free e-Kindle book that I got off of Amazon.com. I had several days off during the 2015-16 holidays. I looked for new authors and works I have never read before. There were several new authors I had not read before.

I work in a library, and we are a rural / Southern system. We have many requests for Amish Literature. Most of it is romantic and has rated "G" content; feel good stories. That is not my usual genre. Once I started reading, I realized [b: Lamb to the Slaughter|13382062|Lamb to the Slaughter|Roald Dahl|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355249995s/13382062.jpg|45400523] is a genre of Amish culture (fiction). It is not something I would have read it, but I enjoy suspense, mystery and crime novels.

Within the first few paragraphs I was in the ride, and would not extract myself from the vehicle of this novel. Twists, turns and surprises happened enough to keep me awake hours after bedtime. Just when I thought I knew "who-done-it," wham. Surprise!

Good writing means that I can escape from my small apartment, and travel the Universe. I spent New Years in Amish Country, and I learned a lot. I love [a: Karen Ann Hopkins|5386283|Karen Ann Hopkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1334864691p2/5386283.jpg] take on Amish politics. We see the take of those who are outside of the communities by choice, birth or force.

Karen Ann Hopkins has a new fan. I look forward to reading more of her work.… (altro)

Karen Ann Hopkins weaves a gripping murder mystery yarn with twists and turns galore. Every time you feel you've figured out the plot, Hopkins pulls the rug from under your feet over and over again. All the main characters have well-thought-out backstories and their own plot threads that make them seem like real people with real emotions, motives, and inner conflicts. The town of Possum Gap feels lived-in, with the members of the Dover clan bringing a colorful dynamic to the proceedings, especially the scenes involving Grandma Dover. Hopkins keeps her cards close to her chest as the complete mystery only gets revealed in the last few pages. I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Hollow Road and am looking forward to reading more of this series.… (altro)

Bloody Ties, an installment of Serenity’s Plain Secrets, is a thrilling and unpredictable adventure of corruption, organized crime, and murder that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

When dead mobsters start turning up in Blood Rock, Sheriff Serenity Adams joins forces with a new recruit, a US marshal, and her ex-partner to solve the cases, but can she trust any of them? Her old partner, Ryan Donavan, is not acting like himself, and Serenity fears he’s keeping secrets. For all of his politeness, there’s something about Officer Jerome Wilson that doesn’t ring true, and Marshall Bryant always has his own agenda. Throw in the Moretti mafia family, a Mexican drug cartel, and a hillbilly moonshine making clan, and Serenity has her hands full.

But just as answers come into view, the investigations expand into the Amish community. The sudden return of an ex-Amish man marks more trouble for the sheriff, and local teenagers are once again facing bad luck.

As Serenity grasps at a little normalcy in her personal life, sinister forces descend on her town—and in a race against time, she must unravel the truth before she loses everyone she holds dear.… (altro)

Rachel's Deception was a much anticipated story for me. I adored the rest of the series but was very sad when I thought I was having to say goodbye to Noah and Rose and the rest. Readers should be warned, however, that this particular installment takes a bit of a dark turn and is quite a bit different in some regards than the rest of this series.

How does a young girl cope with all of the loss and turmoil after a family tragedy? How do you move forward and continue on being a good Amish girl after everything God has allowed to happen?

These seem to be the questions that Rachel struggles with and has to face and move forward through in this installment. The answers to these questions will surprise even the most discerning reader. No matter what you expect, what you get in these pages will surprise everyone.

The 3 star rating is because while I thoroughly enjoyed this story, something just nagged at me. I could never put my finger on it but I just felt like there was something missing and that there was some important detail that the author didn't give us. I will continue to read if any more books come out in this series thouugh and hope to see these holes filled in.… (altro)