Amish Outsider (River Haven #1)

Perry (Shattered Silence) opens an Amish romantic suspense series with a master class in balancing characterization and suspense. After Michael Forster’s estranged wife is murdered, and he becomes a suspect in that murder, he returns to his Pennsylvania hometown with his withdrawn eight-year-old daughter, Allie. She starts attending the local Amish school under the instruction of teacher Cathy Brandt, but Michael finds it difficult to settle into his old life with suspicion hanging over his head. Soon the investigation intrudes on all of their daily lives when a private investigator appears and a mysterious stalker follows Cathy and Allie home from school. As tensions rise, Michael and Cathy grow closer through their shared goal of protecting Allie (though they sometimes go overboard, hiding facts and feelings from her even when she clearly needs someone to talk to) and their community. Perry effortlessly blends the Amish and non-Amish aspects of the small Pennsylvania town, showcasing the acceptance and rejection on both sides. The secondary characters, particularly the police chief and Michael’s brother-in-law, enhance the overall theme of fellowship, and the final revelation of the culprit is inevitable without being predictable. Emphasis on personal growth as well as romance make River Haven a place readers will gladly return to. (June)