An insular Amish town . . . A secret that won’t stay buried . . .Minneapolis’s star investigative reporter Riley Spartz is constantly in search of her next TV sweeps piece. When she hears that a young boy is trapped at the bottom of a sinkhole, she smells ratings. Little does she know just how big the story will be—not only does it involve a tragic murder, but the local Amish community as well. Once Riley is on the case, though, she sees that solving it will be anything but easy.
When Riley finds a clue the cops have missed, she uncovers a dark web of fraud and deception in the community—driven by motives as old as the Bible: sex and money. Riley will stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice, and she is determined to do so before anyone—including herself—becomes the next target.
When Riley finds a clue the cops have missed, she uncovers a dark web of fraud and deception in the community—driven by motives as old as the Bible: sex and money. Riley will stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice, and she is determined to do so before anyone—including herself—becomes the next target.
Goodreads Summary
Reporter Riley Spartz finds a note-worthy story out in Harmony ,Minnesota that includes a boy stuck in a well. Once on the scene, the boy has already been rescued, but another stunning outbreak happens: an Amish girl – about 18 years of age – was found dead while supposedly getting the boy out of the well. This news captures Riley’s attention and the readers are taken on a mystery thriller that everyone will love to get their hands on.
First off, I’ve never read books that have Amish-based plots; this was a new experience for me. I’m very glad I was given a copy because it’s a total page turner that had me glued to every word! Riley is a woman with courage, determination, problem solving skills, and is quick on her feet. The reader is taken on a journey with this lovely woman and once the reader gets to know Riley he/she will want someone like her as a friend. Kramer knows how to write a mystery and Riley is an example of a female lead that authors should be inspired to write. Shunning Sarah is the first book I’ve read in the series and a reader doesn’t need to read the others to understand this one. All of the characters really connected with me and their relationships with each other were nicely written.
I was glued to every page. There were many twists and turns and every guess I made about the ending was thwarted. The plotline was written in a good pace. Nothing was too fast or slow, everything moved the way it should have. I met this author at a Barnes & Noble event and I’m very glad I did! She’s an amazing author and I’ll read her other books in a snap. Actually, I requested most of them in the library after finishing Shunning Sarah so I can dive more into her work. You won’t be disappointed in this thriller/mystery. The plotline is superb, the characters are interesting and relatable, the mystery didn’t disappoint, and it was overall a book I would recommend 100%.
5/5 Stars
*Reviewed by Rachel*
This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
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Sounds like a great mystery! Thanks for sharing. If you're interested in other Amish-based books, I'd recommend Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. I really enjoyed that one.