Suspendered Sentence is the fourth book in the Amish Mysteries by Laura Bradford. Claire Weatherly, owner of Heavenly Treasures, lives amongst the Amish and English in the town of Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She loves the quiet life in Heavenly, but it certainly isn't dull and boring. During the raising of a new barn, human bones are discovered and they are believed to belong to a Amish teenager, who ran away many years ago. With police officer, Jakob, and Claire on the trail, they try to piece together this cold case, and figure out who the killer is.
I live in a town, where there are no Amish about, but that doesn't stop my curiosity about them and the lifestyle they lead. In some ways they have a simple, beautiful life, where they help each other when help is needed. Of course when it comes to crimes they are reticent about having police involvement, and this makes Jakob's job more difficult.
The lastest installment in the Amish Mysteries is certainly a page-turning, unputdownable read. Laura Bradford beautifully describes the ups and downs of Amish life, in a almost lyrical style, and as her words drew me in, I found myself stepping alongside Claire, her Aunt, Diane, and police officer, Jakob, trying to solve the murder with them.
The events that lead to this murder surround the rumspringa. For those that aren't family the rumspringa is a rite of passage available to Amish youth around the age of 16 when they are allowed to see the world outside the closed Amish community. It ends when the youths return to the community to be baptized into the Amish church or decide to remain outside it. It's a interesting time in the life of the young Amish and I like how this rite of passage was weaved through the mystery, letting readers learn more about this.
As with the other books in this series, Laura Bradford doesn't disappoint with Suspendered Sentence. As befitting someone living in a Amish town, she is moving the relationship between Claire and Jakob at a perfect pace, and I enjoyed several toe-curling moments between them, and I look forward to seeing where the path leads for both of these characters.
I had a wonderful time visiting the fine folks of Heavenly, and I absolutely cannot wait to tag along for another adventure, when the next book is released.
If you are looking for a first class mystery, pick up the Amish Mysteries today. They are written so that you can pick up any book in the series, and just read, or to really do this series justice, pick up Hearse and Buggy, and enjoy four of the best mysteries on the market today.
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