The author is an expert on Amish fiction. She does a great job telling the story about what Amish life is like. This story caught my attention due to it being a mystery. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series to see how all of the loose ends are tied up. My most favorite characters by far were Salina and Alvin. They both seem to have great personalities.

Thanks so much for that netgalley and Barbour publishing for the ARC. The review will be posted on my blog not more than 30 days prior to publication. The opinions are my own.

Such a good read. I normally lean towards Amish romance, so choosing this was a risk, despite the author being a one click for me. As an Amish mystery, this was great.

Lots of emotion, lots of anguish and petitioning God for answers.

Be warned, this is a trilogy, so there is no resolution or ending with this book, you will need to wait until the rest in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

Wow! I have a great feeling about this new series that it's going to end up being my favorite!
I also had great expectations that this book would go the way it was expected to but surprise! It was even better than I thought I would be.
This author does a wonderful and realistic job of portraying this family's feelings about a missing family member and how hard it was on them.
The one I felt sorry for was Elise. My heart ached for her and I found myself praying for her and Mahlon.
Poor man! Ouch!
I really enjoyed this new story to the fullest. I didn't want it to end and now I'm eagerly awaiting the next one. I don't like cliffhangers lol.
The ending has left me curious though about Salina's event.
5 stars for a wonderful story. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this wonderful and heartfelt story that touched my heart deeply.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is book one of a new series, A Mifflin County Mystery, by the author, Wanda E. Brunstetter. There are great new characters, a new location, and lots of mystery!

When Rosa Petersheim disappears, her brother, Norman, who has always felt he was the protector of his siblings, becomes obsessed in trying to locate her. Her disappearance has affected her family in so many ways. Mentally, physically, and spiritually, this book takes us through the myriad of feelings a family and friends of someone who has disappears goes through.

The book definitely leaves us wanting more and looking forward to the future books in the series, You do not want to miss this series. I received an advance copy of this book from Barbour and Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Another amazing book by one of my favorite authors. I am going to go crazy waiting for the next one in this series. I loved all the characters and cannot wait to meet up with them again. I highly recommend!

I was so happy to find book one of a new series by one of my favorite Amish authors. The Protector by Wanda Brunstetter is wonderful. Its filled with mystery and secrets. It leaves plenty of the story for the next book in the series. Come read about missing Rosa and her families struggle to find her. Will she turn up? Maybe not, maybe there will be a cliffhanger at the end. You won't be sorry if you read this book to "find" out

The Protector is an Amish fiction story about a family that must deal with a mysterious disappearance that shakes their faith. It is the first book in a trilogy and will be published on August 1, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

In book one of A Mifflin County Mystery series, after a night out with her boyfriend, Rosa Petersheim has disappeared from the Big Valley without a trace. Norman Petersheim always considered himself his sister's protector, and he can't believe she would have left home of her own accord. Clearly, he must have failed her. He throws all he has into helping the authorities search for Rosa, while trying to support his parents and siblings--who are struggling both mentally and physically. Salina Swarey loves Norman and hopes they are headed toward marriage, but his obsession with Rosa's whereabouts is driving them apart. Can Norman find peace and contentment, even if he never learns where Rosa has gone?

SPOILER ALERT! Initially I thought that the story would be about finding Rosa. Up until the end I expected her to reappear to her family. That did not happen though. The story is mainly about the fallout. While Rosa's mother and brother were actively searching for her, problems of their own came up that they had to deal with. Mom stopped eating and cried often but she was later diagnosed with an illness where the symptoms were similar. Dad, a bishop, only cared about his reputation with the church and did not like being married to someone who no longer served his needs. Norman and his mother spent so much time searching for Rosa that they stopped living for themselves. Rosa's two sisters dealt with the disappearance differently but their personalities changed significantly. There was a one year passage of time between Rosa's disappearance and the story's end. I think this is a normal period of time where most families in real life who must deal with a missing relative put their lives on hold.

The whodunit and whodunit of Rosa's disappearance was prominent to the story and brought plenty of mystery. I was disappointed that she was never found but this was a realistic ending.

Wow what a great way to start a new series. A Mifflin County Mystery had me fully engaged with all the new characters and a new location. I found myself throughout the book trying to find out who was keeping what secret, and if and when they would be found out. Lots of
twists and turns of this story

Left me hanging, (in a great way) I can't wait for more.

The Protector A Mifflin County Mystery book one of the Mifflin County Mystery is a must read. Highly recommend.

What really happened to Rosa?
This is the question the entire story is wrapped around. But I loved that the main character is really Norman, who in true big brother fashion feels he failed her. Most Amish fiction is centered on a female character, but I loved seeing this story from a male point of view.
There is so much to learn from Rosa and her family. We can pray, begging God when we do not get the answers we want. We can worry ourselves sick and ruin our own lives over circumstances we cannot control. We can let anger and bitterness take root instead of letting God carry our burdens for us. And we can wish for things to be different, to the extent of missing the good that God has put right in front of us.
Every situation in this book felt absolutely real. My heart pounded, my stomach ached, and my eyes teared up as I followed this family’s heartache. I am glad this is the beginning of a trilogy as there is much more to the Petersheim family’s drama that needs to be told.
Congratulations to Wanda Brunstetter for writing a truly captivating novel. This book will haunt me until I finally get the rest of the story. For fans of Amish fiction and Christian mystery/suspense, this is a must read. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved reading the inspirational and awesome story. When Rosa disappears, it affects the whole family especially Norman who feels as her older brother, he was her protector and does everything he can to find out what happened. Norman's mother's sorrowfulness affects the whole family, Norman's siblings and Norman have to take on not only their responsibilities but also Rosa's. Because of Norman's obsession with finding Rosa, he has hardly any time left for his girlfriend. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting mystery story of how a family must go on after a member of a family's disappearance.

Loved the book! Was a great read! Had mystery in it and a little bit of Christian romance! Had suspense, it didn’t leave you hanging! Looking forward to the next book to come out!

I enjoyed reading this book very much.I had never read a Amish mystery before.This is about a Amish family dealing with the oldest daughter missing.The older bother spends a lot of time trying to find out what happened to her.The Mom was really upset and her health was affected by it.Its the first book in the series so was left hanging to what happened to the sister.It you like mysteries you should enjoy reading this.

The Protector is Book 1 in A Mifflin County Mystery series. The story begins with the disappearance of Rosa Petersheim, the oldest daughter of Mahlon and Elsie Petersheim, when she fails to return from a date with her boyfriend.

The story pivots from Rosa’s disappearance to how her family members are impacted by her disappearance. Rosa’s brother, Ephriam seems to be the only family member intent on finding out what happened to his sister. Ephriam’s girlfriend, Salina Swarey is not happy about all the time he devotes to trying to find his missing sister, which leads to eventual tension between the pair.

Ephraim quickly becomes the focal point of this first book, , as he carries the weight on his shoulders of trying to find his sister, as well as being self-appointed person responsible for the emotional and physical well being of the rest of the family.

Other family dynamics are in play here – Rosa’s sister, Susan sees herself as Rosa’s ‘replacement’ as #1 daughter, and most favored by their mother. Rosa’s disappearance is causing a strain for each member of the family - in terms of their mental health, or in the case of Rosa’s mother, her physical health, as well.

Eventually, the family adjusts Rosa being missing. While some of them accept that she may never return, Norman explores other avenues which might lead to clues about his sister’s whereabouts.As far as cliffhangers go, Ms. Brunstetter has set the stage for the beginning of Book 2 in the series. Readers will be anxious see how the mystery unfolds.

Good story about a family whose daughter has disappeared. The oldest son, Norman, takes on the responsibilities of finding her. Other issues affect the family, and Norman tries to shoulder all the burdens which then affect his relationships. Excellent story, but it ends abruptly, so I have to hope there is a sequel that brings together the many loose ends that remain.

Suppose it was your sister who disappeared one night and never came home, what would you do ? Norman's mother had looked everywhere for her after her date with Ephraim last night and she was nowhere to be found.

Norman had spoken to Ephraim and Ada Rosas friend many times, and neither of them had heard from her or knew where she was.

Rosas' mother, Elsie was so worried that she called the police every other day, and she was so worried she was losing weight and sleep and her actions were affecting her other children and her relationship with Mahlon her husband who was a bishop in the Amish church.

You will identify with this family and their situation their heartache is the same as yours.