Murder in Plain Sight

Perry's (Mistletoe Prayers) Amish romantic suspense series starter goes from a promising beginning to a disappointingly lackluster denouement. Fast-track lawyer Jessica Langdon goes to Pennsylvania Dutch country to defend an Amish teenager accused of murdering a young local "English" (not Amish) woman. Hot-tempered Trey Morgan, a local businessman who well understands the Amish and thinks the boy guilty, is Jessica's nemesis, ally, and personal puzzle all at once. As she attempts to save her client, Jessica learns about Amish ways and faces sabotage and danger from an unknown source. The attraction between Trey and Jessica is slow to start and builds to a sweet, chaste passion, fueled by Trey's overbearing attempts to be Jessica's protector. Loose ends, dropped tangents, a hurried wrapup, and the last-minute introduction of an unlikely motivation for the killer mar the otherwise engaging and well-paced mystery. (Dec.)