Review – Her Fear

From the back cover: In New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest novel of suspense in her Amish of Hart County series, an EMT falls for a woman with ties to an Amish community where people are dying similar, suspicious deaths. Sadie Detweiler never imagined she’d move to Kentucky, yet here she is: a pregnant, unmarried Amish girl banished by unforgiving parents to live with kin she barely knows. The men are gruff and her cousins are secretive. Worst of all, elderly matriarch Verba becomes mysteriously ill shortly after Sadie moves in. When EMT Noah Freeman arrives, Sadie immediately notices he’s unlike any other Amish man she’s met. Noah is warm, confident, and has an easy way with practically everyone in the community, both Amish and English. Though Sadie is drawn to him, she has little hope he will reciprocate her feelings once he learns she’s with child. Noah can’t understand how a girl as sweet and lovely as Sadie ended up sleeping on a cot in Verba Stauffer’s kitchen. He also senses Sadie is terrified of something. Concerned, he checks up on her. Eventually they strike up a friendship and soon their attraction is undeniable. When Verba later dies at the hospital and her death is followed by two others, Noah’s boss wants him to dig around the Amish community for clues. He agrees—for Sadie’s sake—because only the truth will keep her safe and by his side. My thoughts: HER FEAR is the fifth book in Ms. Gray's Amish of Hart County series, but it easily stands alone. Noah is an Amish EMT and it was good to see a popular author write about this little known fact that yes, Amish do work as EMTs or firefighters or first responders. Sadie is pregnant and the father, in the way of a lot of single young men, claimed she was easy and had other lovers and she couldn't prove.... which of course is simply bogus because she could if she'd have a paternity test, but of course, she didn't and it didn't come up. Her parents are abusive and kicked her out when she said she was pregnant and they claimed she lied about who the father was (taking her ex-boyfriend's word over hers) Of course, that just means more trouble when Sadie is taken in by relatives with an undercover business and soon they find themselves under suspicion.... for ___________ (not saying so I don't give a spoiler.) This isn't the best Shelley Shepard Gray book I've read, but it is engaging. While I noticed the timing issues and theatre direction issues, I think most readers would not. Fans of Ms. Gray will likely love this story. This is being marketed as romantic suspense, but it is heavier on the sweet, innocent romance than it is on the suspense. There are dead bodies, but nothing gruesome so any screamish readers shouldn't be concerned. This is in Ms. Gray's understated, sweetly naive style that appeal to so many.