Elizabeth Lapp and her best friend left the Amish community years ago, each running away for a different reason. Eight years down the road, Elizabeth witnesses her best friend's murder, and runs - back to the only place she's ever really felt safe, her Amish home. Soon after arriving, she is accosted by the killer in her mother's barn. The only thing that saves her is having her mother's neighbor, Thomas King, show up for the evening chores. Realizing she' has brought the danger to her mother's doorstep, Lizzie decides it is better that she leave, but running away last time only hurt the ones she loved. Can she hurt her mother, and Thomas, that way again?

Thomas King loved Elizabeth Lapp from the time they were children, so when she left the community without a word, he was heartbroken. He waited for her to come back, until her mother told him she didn't plan to return. He married, had a son, and when his wife died giving birth to their daughter, he decided he couldn't take losing another woman and packed his heart away. Seeing Lizzie in danger brings out his protective instincts, and having her close by jump starts his heart. Can he convince her to stay and face her fear?

This book was a quick read with a plot that moved along at a swift pace. Readers of romantic suspense would enjoy this. I know I did!

I've been reading Amish works of fiction for many, many years now and my favorite ones combine a bit of romance with suspense. This one does a beautiful job of combining the two. A theme of past hurts and forgiveness tie the two together nicely.
I love to read about couples who have had previous relationships and then meet again, under new circumstances. Thomas and Elizabeth have a significant history of romance and love, but it ended badly when Elizabeth left her Amish faith and community to join the English world with her friend, Hannah. Hannah has brought Thomas and Elizabeth together again, but unfortunately it happens when Hannah is murdered. It makes complete sense to me that Elizabeth would seek the solace of home and family when tragedy strikes and her life it in danger too.
I am rating this book 4 **** stars and I highly recommend it to readers.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and Love Inspired Suspense in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

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It'll Be Over Before You Know It!

Diane Burke is a new-to-me author. I did a general search of “Amish” and The Amish Witness came up. With so many authors writing in the Amish fiction genre, would this work be able to hold its own compared to some of the other authors’ works? Indeed, Burke accomplishes it quite well!

The Amish Witness follows Elizabeth Lapp, who jumped the fence years ago. When she witnesses the murder of her dear friend, Hannah, she heads back to her Amish community for refuge…but she hasn’t run far enough.

Thomas King is a widowed Amish farmer with two small children. He is shocked to find a woman being attacked in a neighbor’s barn….only to see that the woman is none other than Elizabeth Lapp, the girl that left him for the Englisch world so many years ago. Seeing as there is a killer on the loose, Thomas pledges to protect Elizabeth – even if he can’t forgive her.

What happened at the murder scene? Why did someone decide that Hannah should be killed? Why did Elizabeth really leave her Amish community behind? Can Thomas ever truly forgive Elizabeth? Read and find out!

I was given The Amish Witness in exchange for my honest review. I was not disappointed. Burke does an exceptional job of capturing the reader with the first few pages. You then have no choice: You must read it until the end! Part of the storyline had me thinking – is this realistic? And yet, when a murder occurs is there really ever any sanity to it? Definitely pick this one up. You’ll fly through the pages in no time!

I tried really hard to like this book, but it was so counter intuitive as to how the Amish live. At least, in the many books that I've read about them, of them and fictionalized accounts of them. It seemed like just a light overview of who the Amish were and then throw in a mystery. I did fly through the book, just to get to the end, but it never really drew me in. To be honest, I was disappointed in that. Was truly looking forward to the plot line.

Elizabeth Lapp comes home to the Amish community that she left 7 years ago, to go and live English with her friend Hannah. But now her friend is dead and Elizabeth saw the man who killed her, and she is afraid that he will come for her too.

When Thomas King stops by Mary Lapp's farm to help her with the chores like he always does, he sees a man attacking a young woman, and to his surprise the woman is his former fiance, Elizabeth.

I like that Thomas was able to move on a make a life himself, with a wife and two children. His wife died in childbirth, and now he is a widower with two young children. And now he wants to help make Elizabeth's move back home as easy as possible, he is determined to help her stay safe.

I love the way that Elizabeth and Thomas get reacquainted, as they work together to get to the bottom of the strange things going on. Elizabeth wants to be honest with Thomas, but she is afraid to tell him about why she left their community in the first place, and keeps putting it off. Thomas is a godly man, full of faith and very protective of Elizabeth, I like how he is honest with her about his struggles too.

This is a great book filled with action and plenty of mystery and suspense.Great characters, dialog and interaction, I liked that this book also had lighter moments, where we get to see another side of Elizabeth and Thomas. A highly enjoyable read!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

A tangled tale of murder and mayhem in the Amish community mixed with a second chance with love and the powerful message of forgiveness and redemption.
The Amish community and their faith and the culture are compelling and interesting. The simple way of life and the absolute faith in God and His guidance are rather impressive and alluring. I enjoyed the author's way to tell the story in such fluent, flowing way that captured my mind completely, dismissing everything else around me.
Elizabeth Lapp makes an intriguing heroine with her sudden return to the community, the mysterious secrets she is holding, and the way she departed her family, friends, and the Amish way seven years ago. She is kind, sweet lady, with heart of gold. Yet she has a stubborn streak, she is independent, she has a wide worldview after her years in the English world, and she's a very private person making it hard to open up about her deepest fears and doubts in her heart.
Thomas has had his heart broken twice, the first time when Elisabeth left the community without explanation, and the second time when his young wife died giving birth to their daughter. He is a devoted father, a good son, kind and helpful neighbor. His faith in God is unwavering, his ability to see the bigger picture and to find forgiveness in his heart are admirable.
While protecting Elisabeth and her mother from the constant attacks, Thomas is tangling with the old feelings awakening towards Elisabeth. The suspense is intense and the assaults escalating, turning into dangerous and deadly. The secrets from the past have come to hunt the present and only complete honesty will bring forward the clues needed to catch the culprit.
The grace, compassion, and mercy the characters display is commendable. The support of the community, the help, loyalty, and protection they provide to each other is praiseworthy. From the broken hearts and hopes for the future, they find the ability to open up, share their inner fears and doubts and forgive, forget, and move on to a brighter future.
While the mystery and mayhem kept the mind entertained and the story intense, the growing love and dispensation towards each other, the spiritual growth of the characters, gave something to reflect on and appreciate.
Compelling and enthralling romantic suspense with strong elements of faith and forgiveness
~ Four Spoons

This is one of those books that once you turn the cover you will soon be reading the last page, yes it goes that fast.
Evil people don’t often think rationally, and it is proven here, so much of what happens makes no sense, and yet it seems so real. The author has woven a tale that covers both the Amish and English worlds, and boy do the converge into one another, and the consequences become deadly, and you will be asking yourself “Why?”
Some of the reason why some of the things happen will leave you scratching your head, and yet other seem so real and yes, you really can see that taking place. There are terrifying moments along with some subtle romance, and children that will warm your heart.
A book to pick up when you want to be quickly immersed in a story that will linger after the last page has been turned.
I received this book through Net Galley and Harlequin Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.

This book has a great opening scene – just as described in the blurb, but then it stalls a bit. The heroine is attacked when she returns to her Amish home; the hero rescues her.

And then? After nearly being murdered by an intruder who has already killed another woman? What does everyone do?

Well, they go about their morning chores for hours, like there isn’t a murderer on the property, before sitting down to a meal and a chat! No contacting the police. No trying to hunt down a murderer. No worrying he might still be around. No warning other people.

I was VERY confused!

My thought process when it came to The Amish Witness was: I want to read something historical, but I’m all out of review books. Amish people act like it’s three or four hundred years earlier – close enough! I’m heading overseas and don’t have time for a long book; this one is short.

So I went with it.

The writing is solid, but the characters make no sense. You don’t react to a murder by just getting on with your day. And – surely – even Amish people see how crazy it is to simply say: “God will look after us. If we die, it’s because He willed it.”

In the end I needed the characters to act like actual human beings with human thought processes, and I felt that instead they were acting in ways that made them fall into place with the plot the author had already planned.

Good writing, but nonsensical behaviour from everyone.

Very enjoyable story. Loved the twist of mystery. This is a very quick read that left me wanting more. I hope to see the story continued in another book.