Unlike other books in this series, this one is a continuation of the former installment. One needs to read the earlier book to understand what is going on in this one. Professor Mike Brandon's sabbatical is nearly over, and it's been a few months since the action in Florida. Fannie Helmuth is still missing, and Sheriff Robertson questions his effectiveness as sheriff since he's unable to locate her. Howie Dent, the young man with whom she fled, is found tortured to death. Sheriff Robertson begins to suspect Fannie's friend who seemed to be a victim of the drugs in the suitcases scheme might actually be working with the cartel. The detectives learn the couple sent messages back home through the pages of the Budget via scribes in various communities and are able to track down Fannie. With the FBI involved, can Fannie remain safe from the cartel? Although Professor Brandon seemed a bit more involved in this investigation than in the previous book, I miss the precedence set by the older books in the series. It seems the departure from the established normal transpired when the books ceased to be published by Ohio University Press. While I still enjoy the series, I prefer the older books to the "noir" genre of the latest installments. ( )

Something is happening to Gaus' novels; and it's not necessarily good.
The detailed trivia has overcome the mystery in the last two books. The sheriff and his department are much more prominant than previously important characters.
I have read the entire series and find that they are becoming less and less enjoyable... ( )

Whiskers of the Lion is the first book I have read by PL Gaus. I enjoyed this mystery book and was drawn in by the characters and the way the story unfolded. Each chapter is part of a time-line of events leading up to the conclusion of this mystery story. The characters were interesting and real and it was refreshing to read a mystery taking place in Amish country. I enjoyed the book enough that I plan to find the first book in the series in order to get more information and background on the characters. I didn't, however, find it difficult to read this book without reading the first. My thanks to the Library Thing Early Reviewers program for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I probably would not have picked it up otherwise. ( )

I won this book on Librarything and did not realize that it was book 2 in the series. I started to read the book and felt that I was missing information. I must admit I only got through half of the book before I gave up. I may pick up the first book and read. Maybe I'll like the series when I start at the beginning. ( )

Whiskers of the Lion is a sequel to the previous book in this series, The Names of Our Tears, in which Amish woman Ruth Zook was murdered after unknowingly carrying drugs home from Florida in her suitcase. In this volume, Fannie Helmuth, a friend of Zook's, is trying to avoid members of the drug cartel so that she can hang onto her life. Her lifelong friend, Englisher Howie Dent, meets his end in a gruesome murder/torture scene in an empty Amish farmhouse. Sheriff Bruce Robertson, makes up his mind to do all that he can to protect Fannie and at the same time catch the criminals. It is not necessary to read the previous book in the series in order to enjoy this one. Gaus uses enough flashbacks that the reader can easily enough figure out what has gone on previously. As usual, the book is well-written and gives the reader the perspective of English people who deal with Amish ones on a daily basis. As opposed to "Christian" Amish books, these are what this reader would call "Hard-Boiled Amish". ( )