🔪 🚧 🚓 “Hidden Amish Target” (Amish Country Justice #16) (2023) 🚓 🚧 🔪 – Book Review
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Hidden Amish Target by Dana R. Lynn, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Hidden Amish Target
Series: Amish Country Justice #16
Author: Dana R. Lynn
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
She’s an accidental witness.
Now she’s running for her life…
Witnessing a murder puts a target on Molly Schultz’s back, and now she’s on the run from a gunman dead set on silencing her. She turns to family friend Zeke Bender for help, but when Molly’s identity and location are exposed, they’re left with a criminal among her Amish community. Can Zeke safeguard Molly long enough to catch the culprit—or will they fall prey to their merciless hunter?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:
more Amish Country Justice series titles
My Review
Thank you in advance to the author, Dana R. Lynn, for providing a complimentary review copy through her review group as well as JustRead Publicity Tours. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
It’s no secret I’ve enjoyed the romantic-suspense genre for over two (2) decades. And, I will say that the Amish part of that genre was a result of the Harrison Ford movie Witness (1984).
Getting to this book …
This is the fourth (4th) Love Inspired Suspense book I’ve read by the author (I read books #13, #14, and #15), and have the entire collection of her Amish Country Justice series on my TBR list (so, I’ve got about 12 books to read). Due to a “good” error, I opted for larger print which is definitely easier on the eyes to read. It does make SOME pages seem off when talking about the book and certain content.
As this is a series, I VERY HIGHLY recommend reading the other books in the series so that one knows what is going on. This particular book features the Bender siblings, one of which was introduced in book #14.
The books directly and “indirectly: connected to this one (based on the characters) are:
Amish Country Threats (#10) (introduces Nicole)
Amish Christmas Escape (#12) (introduces
Jack)
Amish Cradle Conspiracy (#13) (introduces Steve;
features Nicole & Jack)
Her Secret Amish Past (#14) (Joss and Steve;
introduces the Bender Family)
Crime Scene Witness (#15) (Introduces Lissa; Micah’s story)
Nicole and Jack do not return, nor are they mentioned. However, I mentioned them solely due to the connections, and readers might benefit from reading the previous books as some events in those books are mentioned in this one.
SPOILER ALERT –> readers who’ve NOT read at least the previous three books (#13, #14, #15), this will spoil some of those books with updates on the characters. This book plays off of the events in the previous book, which is where Zeke loses his wife.
Returning characters seen:
🚓 Chief Mike Spencer
🚓 Lt. Kathy Bartlett
– Amish Cradle Conspiracy (book #13; she was previously a
Sergeant, and later wounded in that book. She returned in book #14 along with a
promotion)
🚓 Sgt. Steve Beck
– Amish Cradle Conspiracy (book #13)
🚓 Deputy U.S Marshal
Micah Bender – Joss’ brother from Her Secret Amish Past
🚓 Deputy U.S Marshal
Parker Gates (Micah’s partner)
👒 Edith Bender (Micah’s
mother)
🐎 Zeke Bender (Micah’s
brother)
👩🏻 Joss Beck (Born Christina Bender, twin to Gideon, kidnapped as a child)
Returning characters MENTIONED:
👩🏻 Ginger (Shelby’s
babysitter)
👧🏻 Shelby
(Lissa’s adorable daughter)
👒 Iris (Zeke’s late wife)
🪚 Nathan Bender (Micah’s
father)
🪚 Gideon Bender (Micah’s
brother and Joss’ twin)
Lynn then introduces:
👒 Molly Schultz
👒 Abigail Schultz (16, Molly’s
sister, helping the family by working)
👒 Molly Schultz
👒 Rhoda Schultz (13)
👒 Elizabeth “Betty”
Schultz (9)
👒 Esther Schultz (Molly’s
mother, paralyzed in a DUI car vs. buggy accident)
👒 Caleb Schultz (Molly’s
brother, comatose from accident; father died)
Even though there are a LOT of characters, it is only the two MAIN ones that have POVs: Zeke and Molly. The inclusion of SO many characters doesn’t overwhelm the story either.
As I previously stated, this builds off the events of the previous book. Since Zeke was married in that book, and widowed here – there’s LITTLE doubt as to what happened to his wife. His story will be re-told slightly, but only as a message he conveys to Molly regarding people’s choices and personal responsibility.
The author introduces us to Molly who was injured in an accident that killed her father, paralyzed her mother, and left her only brother comatose. She is in the home of an Englisch family when she hears shouting and then gunshots.
She does what ANYONE should do – run. She ends up hiding in a van and reconnecting with someone she hasn’t seen in a while – Zeke.
Zeke gets her out without the driver seeing her. When the driver is gone, Molly tells Zeke what happened. She feels bad leaving the victims behind, but she would’ve been killed as well. Zeke contacts his brother Micah and brother-in-law Steve, and he also offers to help her. But, being a pacifist, there isn’t much he can do to keep her safe. He knows he doesn’t want her to be alone.
Molly is in a crisis of faith due to the accident; Zeke is leaning back on his faith, but doubts his ability to judge character because of Iris.
Molly tells the police what is going on, and heads home, with protection. It isn’t long until the bad guy(s) turn up though. She isn’t even safe with police protection and has to go on the run, eventually with Zeke’s help
Molly is finding she does love Zeke, and Zeke begins to love Molly.
It becomes clear that the killers will stop at nothing to get to Molly. But, the real questions are “WHO” and “WHY”.
This, just like the book before it, was another exciting, intense, fast-paced, explosive, action-packed “stay-up-past-your-bedtime” to finish it read. At one point (early AM of 7/28), I KNEW I had to go to sleep for the night, but stayed up a bit late to read it – almost asking someone to “send help”. I did get some sleep, and went right back to this. I ended up taking a nap later in the evening and finishing it just after midnight on 7/29. I was that drawn in, I didn’t want to stop reading it!
To add more excitement to already exciting story, Molly and Zeke get caught up in a tornado. Folks, the “it sounds like a freight train when it comes through” is NO exaggeration. None. If you’ve been through a small or big one – you know. Even after 43 years, my mom STILL remembers the sound of the small one we went through. All I have to do is ask her how it sounds … barely get that out, and hear the freight train reply.
Fans of the author and genre will no doubt want to read this book, and I’m FAIRLY certain, readers are going to want to read the next book in the series. I know I am.
The next book, Hunted at Christmas, is Isaiah’s story. I absolutely CANNOT wait for it. I think Micah, Gideon, and Zeke will be happy to have their wayward brother back after 12 years. Some of his background is revealed by Micah in Crime Scene Witness. And, even in this book Zeke mentions a bit of it. So, it won’t be a secret when that book is released.
Even though this is from the Love Inspired line, and
featuring Amish characters, the faith references are kept at a minimum. The
author keeps the faith tones from being overwhelming.
RATING:
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating
explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update:
https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)
About the Author
Dana R. Lynn is an award winning author of romantic suspense and Amish romance who believes in the power of God to touch people through stories. Although she grew up in Illinois, she met her husband at a wedding in Pennsylvania and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today, they live in rural Pennsylvania and are entering the world of empty nesters. She is a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing by day and writes stories of romance and danger at night. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray with the Steve Laube Agency. Dana is an avid reader, loves cats and thinks chocolate should be a food group.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will win a $10 dollar Amazon gift card & print copy of Hidden Amish Target!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 25, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 1, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print copy. Digital copy available instead for CAN. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
This should be a suspenseful book thar I will thoroughly enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I would love to read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an awesome read.
ReplyDelete