I always really enjoy Wanda Brunstetter's detailed writing. This book was no exception! She definitely weaves a great story every time, while adding in a bit of mystery and the over-arching theme of faith and love in a community. Truly great.

I’ll be honest, this was a hard book for me to read. It was very tragic from the beginning and the sorrow casts a shadow over the rest of the story. I understand that grief and loss are part of life, but I often use fiction to escape the grim realities of such. So for me this story fell flat and was hard for me to get through. I’ve enjoyed books by this author in the past and I will continue reading them in future but this series just isn’t for me.

I wanted to read this book before I read the first book in this series. The series seemed interesting but after reading and not much liking the first one due to it’s overly depressing storyline, I was hesitant for this one. I did start it, but I am tired of Sylvia’s incessant whining about her losses, and there are several characters that annoy me to no end. Finishing this book seems to much like a chore so I am going to cut my losses and move on to a more enjoyable read.

The Mockingbird’s Song

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

The saga of the King family, an Amish family that suffers the tragic loss of three males in the family in an accident, continues in The Mockingbird’s Song, the second book in Wanda Brunstetter’s trilogy called the Amish Greenhouse Mysteries. The women in the family are the focus as they try to work through their grief and decide when it is time to move on. Amish men are important to the story as well in their interactions with these women.

Most of the characters are likable and the book is a pleasant relief from more intense genres. Several characters are a puzzle. Maude is a homeless woman who goes a step too far in taking things that don’t belong to her. Monroe held a romantic interest as a teenager in Belinda, the recently widowed matriarch of the King family. Now he reappears in her life with renewed attentions, but she is unsure of his motivations. Virginia is a non-Amish character. She seems to have had a rough life, but she is currently self-centered and prejudiced. Could any of these characters be behind the vandalism, destruction, and threats the King family is enduring in what seems to be a plot to destroy their greenhouse business? The answers will be found in the third and final book in the series, released March 2021.


I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Christian, Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Amish Greenhouse Mysteries, but the author does a good job of reviewing the main points in the previous book.

Publication: August 1, 2020—Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press)

Memorable Lines:

Belinda felt the emptiness in her house, all the way to her bones.

Getting the first month’s rent and giving Dennis a key to the home she used to share with Toby made his death seem so final—like coming to the end of a novel. Only, Sylvia didn’t feel the satisfaction that came from reaching the end of a book. Her heart ached more than ever.

Thought all I needed was a happy life with the woman I love. I’m beginning to realize I can never find true happiness until I’ve learned to forgive.

This is the second book in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series, and I have already read and review the first book in the series. This book is mostly about Sylvia trying to get over her grief and anxiety about the tragic death of her husband, father, and brother in a traffic accident. There is a lot of bird watching in this book. Also, In this book Amy gets married. There is also more things happening to the Greenhouse. I wish the book looks more into what is going on to the Greenhouse because I feel that characters (well the Mother) is just pushing everything off. Again, I really hate to lady that lives across from the Greenhouse and them, but at the end of the book they figure out some of the things that is happening. I really love Wanda E. Brunstetter books, but I feel this series is driving me crazy not solving what is happening to the Greenhouse. It is kindof like in the Prayer Jar series no one looked into who made the prayer jars. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Mockingbird's Song
By: Wanda E. Brunstetter

Barbour Publishing, Inc

Shiloh Run Press

Christian/Mystery and Thrillers

Publish Date August 1, 2020

#TheMockingbirdsSong#NetGalley

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This is the second book in a trilogy called Amish Greenhouse Mystery. I received the e-arc from NetGalley for a honest review.

I gave this book 4 stars just like the first book.

This book continues with the family as they work through the death of three loves. The father, one son and a son-in-law are killed in an accident. This book is about the oldest daughter still dealing with death of her husband. She has had a hard time because she has two small children.

She knows she needs to move on and so the first thing she does is that she decides that she needs to rent her home out to help bring money into the family to help them out. She rents the home to a stranger who has just come to the area and he trains horses and needs the land.

The man likes to watch birds like herself and her brother. In fact that is how they met. The man has seen tragedy just like her family and knows what she is going through. They are able to become friends and enjoy time together bird watching.

Her mother isn't thrilled about this because they don't know anything about and why he moved into the area.

What happens between the two and does the mother come around. You will have to read the book.

So much goes on in the book it is hard to decide what to tell you and what to keep out. I will say you do need to read the first book so you can get the whole picture of this family and their struggles.

This is a different twist on the books she normally writes and I have enjoyed it.

One of the better Brunstetter's books I have read.
I enjoyed the little bit of mystery thrown into the mix of the storyline.
If you enjoy birds you will enjoy the birdwatching sections.
Well worth the read.

The Mockingbird's Song is the second in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series written by Wanda Brunstetter. The King family is picking up the pieces after a tragic accident. (I would recommend reading Book 1, The Crow's Call, in the series first, but Book 2 makes a great standalone book.) A series of events is making the family consider selling the greenhouse, & deal with emotions they may or may not be ready to deal with. There is a lot of mystery & intrigue that keeps you guessing, with more insight into the characters, as well as the introduction of the new person. This book is very well written, with more insight into the characters as well as drama and suspense. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Wanda is a great author and I enjoy reading her books. This book is just as good as her other books.

A story that made me feel like part of the family! I didn't read the first book of the series but that didn't hinder my reading and understanding the second book. I felt like I was there right with the family and prayed along with them.
This is a second book in The Amish Green House Mystery Series. Dealing with the loss of three family members, finding new love, the mystery of who is vandalizing the family Green House and their relationships with God will keep you wanting more. I didn't want it to end and the mystery and relationships will continue on in the next book. The only character I disliked was Virginia but I'm sure the author has plans to reveal who she really is as a person and maybe she will even be introduced to the Amish way of life and start a relationship with God.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Book two in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series starts right where book one left off. The King family is still struggling to deal with the deaths of their loved ones. There were some mysteries left unsolved, so hopefully in the next novel we can see them unveiled.
I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Sylvia and her family are coming to the end of a year of mourning. A tragic accident has taken the life of her husband Father and older Brother. Sylvia has moved along with her young childr3en back into her Mothers home. She is hoping having the family greenhouse to work in will keep her mind off all she has lost. She also wishes to be a comfort to her siblings and her Mother.

Sylvia and her brother Henry meet a new man to their Amish community while birdwatching. A hobby she has taken up at her brothers invitation. He is here hoping to build a thriving horse training business. She offers to rent her previous home to Dennis, this way she will have someone on site to keep prowlers away and upkeep the property. She is not yet sure she can let go of her home she built with her husband.

As she and Henry spend more time bird watching with Dennis both he and Sylvia become more attracted. Unfortunately Sylvia's Mother wrapped in her own grief as well as worry about vandalism on the greenhouse she objects to their courting. Those feelings only increase each of the couples insecurities over the relationship.

This is not a stand novel it is the second in the Amish Greenhouse series. I wish I had read the first one the story line would have made sense earlier. It is a well constructed story with rounded characters. If you are a fan of Amish stories I would recommend you check out this series.

Another good book by Wanda E. Brunstetter! Belinda and Sylvia, who are Mother and daughter, are dealing with horrific loss. They lost both their husbands and one of Belinda's sons (Sylvia's brother), who had gone to get ice cream on Belinda's birthday and were hit by a car and all 3 died in the accident.
This story is about recovery from an awful loss. Belinda and Sylvia go through so much and so does the rest of the family. But the story is mainly about Belinda and Sylvia.
Monroe, who loved Belinda during the courting years, shows back up in the picture trying to wiggle his way back into Belinda's life and hopefully love.
Sylvia has a man show up in her life unexpectedly, Dennis who rents her house she shared with her husband and 2 children. Dennis has moved into the area and needs a place to rent with a lot of land for raising and training horses.
This story shows the ups and downs of what it's like to lose a loved one. It starts out sad, then you start getting some hope and by the end of the story your smiling. Wanda E. Brunstetter has a way of taking any story and bringing you through so many emotions while reading. There's not many authors who can successfully do that. She brings the characters from a horrific loss, showing what each are going through while in the beginning stages of grief and shows that the sun will rise again another day and things will get better. You don't get over the loss of a loved one but the hurt does start to pass and just becomes an ache, and eventually the person becomes a fond memory.
I also love the knowledge Wanda E. Brunstetter has of the Amish, through her own friends and it shows in each of her books. She's in my top 2 favorite authors to read who write about the Amish, and I love each of her books. I don't believe I've read one yet that I didnt like. At the beginning of this book it was a little dark and I thought I might not like it, but as more of the story unfolded and I met more of the characters I ended but finding out that starting in the darkness of the beginning of grief helped us to find the light at the end of the long grief tunnel.
I want to thank NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the advanced ARC. I am honored I was chosen to read this story in advance. I was not given any compensation, only asked to give my honest opinion of what I thought of the book. This review expresses my honest opinion.
One of my favorite parts of the book is at the end where Sylvia says a quick prayer after reading a Bible verse. I'm going to share it because it'll leave everyone with some hope!
" Sylvia thought of Psalm 30: 5, the Bible verse she’d read last night: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Thank You, Lord, for restoring my faith and filling my heart with joy again."

Sylvia's husband, her older brother and her father were all killed in an accident when a car hit their buggy almost a year earlier. Sylvia and her two children have moved back into her mother's house and shares it with her grieving mother, sister and younger brother. The family business, a greenhouse, has been struggling since her father died. Someone is trying to sabotage the business and things keep happening. Meanwhile, Sylvia has developed an interest in her younger's brothers favorite hobby -- bird watching. As they prepare for her sister's wedding, a lot of situations arise that require them to move past their grief and deal with family and neighborhood issues. This was a good read. It kind of left me hanging so I'm guessing theres another book in the series on the way, but I am disappointed that I didn't get a few more answers in this book. Patience is not one of my higher virtues.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The Mockingbird's Song bk #2 in the Amish greenhouse Mystery by Wanda Brunstetter

A year has passed since that fateful day when Sylvia's family lost a father, son, and son-in-law in a horrible accident. Sylvia's children are growing, unaware of their family's grieving. Belinda, Amy, and Henry continue to work in the greenhouse. Life goes on as do the strange occurrences around the farm. Who is responsible, the nosey neighbor, the teenager, or maybe the odd lady who roams the neighborhood?
As Amy and Jared plan for their wedding, Sylvia and her brother Henry, take up a new hobby and find a stranger along the way.
What is in store for this family, love, understanding, compassion, fear? Will the mystery ever be solved?
This e-book was provided by NetGalley but the review is mine.

I have read many books by this author, and enjoy the Amish characters and the settings. The greenhouse setting of this book makes it interesting, as well as the bird-watching angle. I am hoping to read Book 3 in the series, in which I hope loose ends are tied up and all is resolved.

This is the second book in the “Amish Greenhouse Mystery” series by Wanda Brunstetter. The main character in this book is Sylvia, a widow attempting to recover from her husband’s tragic death. Sylvia’s story is compelling reading as she moves from being almost completely overcome by deep grief to realizing that God continued to have a purpose for her life. Her journey to hope and love was inspiring and has a good message of God’s care for all of us.

There’s still an on-going mystery as to who is trying to sabotage their greenhouse business, as the family struggles to determine who would want to cause them harm. This book leaves several storylines unfinished, and I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this family’s story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

The King family are still reeling from the death of their loved ones. Belinda King and her four children are still dealing with the death of their father, brother and brother-in-law. Sylvia is now raising two young children on her own. She has moved in with her mother and younger siblings. They are suffering together and keeping the family business afloat. It has been a year and Sylvia has joined her younger brother in bird watching. She finds some peace in her newly acquired hobby and has also found a friend in Dennis Weaver. Dennis is new in the community and is looking for a place to rent. Sylvia uncharacteristically offers her home to Dennis to rent. This offer leads to hope and turmoil for Sylvia's family.

An Amish romance mixed with a touch of mystery. Vandalism on the King's property keeps happening leading the family to anxiety of who is wanting them to fail. Picking up the pieces of a senseless death weighs heavy on the family as they continue life and the planning of a wedding. Sylvia's time of mourning is coming to an end and how life continues. How each family member processes grief in their own time. What gives hope in hopeless circumstances is faith and family. Family that learns grace together will grow stronger together.

A special thank you to Barbour Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

The Mockingbird’s Song by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the 2nd Amish Greenhouse Mystery. It can be read on its own for those who have not read The Crow’s Call. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. Sylvia Beiler misses her husband. She is depressed and angry at God. She worries about her children and does not like to be separated from them for any length of time. Henry is also angry and rebellious. When he is not busy with chores, Henry likes to read magazines and books on birds. Amy Beiler is planning her wedding to Jared next fall. She cannot wait to become a wife. Belinda Beiler misses her husband whom she loved dearly. Instead of dealing with her feelings, she keeps herself busy with work, her grandchildren, and worrying about her family. The Mockingbird’s Song is a story about dealing with overwhelming grief, the various threats to the family and their livelihood, birdwatching, hope, and love. Sylvia and Henry have lost faith in God. They do not understand why He did not save their family members. The mystery is not the focus of the book. It is something that is happening, but it is not investigated. The threats are escalating making the situation dangerous. Virginia Martin and her husband, Earl live across from the King family. Virginia dislikes living in the country and especially from the noisy and smelly greenhouse (her words). She spends most of her day watching her neighbors (reminds me of my Grandma Anderson). Loneliness and the actions of the woman’s first husband have shaped Virginia. I am curious to see how Virginia’s story will turn out. The Mockingbird’s Song is an inspiring story of faith, family, friendship, healing, and love. I am curious to find out what happens next with the King family and their greenhouse.