Some Amish communities aren’t so cozy.Evil in My Town is the dark and tension-filled new installment to the Serenity’s Plain Secrets’ mystery/crime thriller series. After a tragic mass shooting in Blood Rock, Sheriff Serenity Adams is shocked to discover ties to the local Amish settlement, and her teenage niece, who barely survived the carnage. The investigation takes her from the terror of a … the terror of a massacre to an equally horrific crime relating to a missing woman in the community. Serenity must risk her own life to bring law, order, and safety to the town she loves. And this time, she is joined by a US Marshal, who might have his own agenda when it comes to helping Serenity on the case. As the story unfolds, long buried secrets will be revealed, and the climax will keep you flipping the pages until the riveting end.
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Another good, fast paced, quick read from this latest Sheriff Serenity Bachmann book. I continue to enjoy the series. This one had some events pulled from today’s headlines and from other great thrillers such as Hannibal.
I enjoy this series and like the interplay of diverse cultures.
My impression of the book was that it was a well-written thriller/murder mystery tale of a horrendous small-town school massacre torn right out of the front pages of America. The lead character, town sheriff Serenity Reni, is ripped between two very different cultures living under her jurisdiction, a tight-lipped Amish community, and the ” English” Americans.
The story is absorbing as the plot intertwines characters from both cultures and tries to make sense of the events and the reason a seemingly regular kid could kill, wound, and devastate so many lives.
Love this Author and her Serenity stories.
Enjoy the whole series. Will keep reading them as long as she keeps writing them.
I love this Amish series by Hopkins, they’re so interesting and educational. Plus being great police procedurals.
I love this author, so was anxious to read another of her books. This one was truly a page-turner! Once started, I could not put it down. The focus isn’t as much on Serenity as much as her friend. Totally unexpected ending, but another great book!
Mystery, intrigue, and several story lines is what makes this book so entertaining. While I like the protagonist, I found I
it not believable with regard to her attraction to the marshall, particularly at this juncture. I still enjoy the setting intermingling with the Amish community.
Great as always. Love this Author and this series
I enjoyed this book. The characters are well sketched and the plot has enough suspense to keep the reader’s attention. I look forward to reading more in this series.
I enjoyed the book, and it did keep me guessing as to who the bad guy was and if the sheriff would get married or call off the wedding.
This deals with a school shooting and is very realistic…that may be a trigger for some of you. The author dealt in a respectful, non gory, yet very scary and real way with a student shooting his peers and teachers. The shooting is seen through the eyes of a student and then throught the eyes of the responders.
And then the aftermath of why it took place and secrets and drugs are exposed.
Serenity is the sheriff investigating the crime as her niece Taylor recovers from witnessing the deaths. Taylor and a young man, Hunter, try and hide in the school from the shooter.
Serenity is planning her wedding to Daniel, an Amish man who left his community. She has dealt with the bishop of this Amish community in other books.
You are given insight into the ways of their lives. Taylor is hiding something that might explain why Jackson attacked his classmates. It goes back to Taylor going with her best friend Lindsay and meeting Matthew, the Amish boyfriend and the death of a girl. It seems even the Amish have a problem with teens and drugs.
The bishop has a narrow (to non Amish) view of outsiders and even people that marry into the Amish community….the men still have power and the women are expected to follow along. One woman has been beaten and abused by her Amish husband. The son, Monroe, is now a loose cannon with guns and drugs.
The mystery involves Monroe’s mom being missing along with another woman and the dead girl had also wanted to leave town.
You see Taylor try and befriend Sarah, Amish, and deal with the differing lifestyle along with the real reason for the shooting.
Serenity is second guessing getting married as she may not want children and Daniel is shunned by his family and can’t attend the wedding. Solid plot, information about the Amish life, drugs, abuse in the countryside and the school shooting…all keep you turning the pages. The author didn’t overdue the shootings but calmly related it in a very deliberate way…which made it seem even more like you were there in the school.
4.5 stars
I love this ‘Serenity’ series and this one is the best yet. Terrifying reality surrounded by faith and love. Filled with characters you believe in and care about. Such interesting information about the Amish community and the surrounding ‘English’ town, and their efforts to get along while facing the ‘evils’ that attack both their communities.
Loved this whole series!
I have read a number of her books and find each one better than the last. Certainly not what you think of as a typical Amish community!
Love the characters. Great writing. A page turner for sure.
Yeah! Just got my next Serenity fix and it was as good as I have come to expect. This is a great series. The characters are very well drawn and the storyline is heart rending. Thanks!
I like this series
I live in the Amish community in PA. and found book interesting as it shows the reality of their life. They are no different from the “English” in their desires and trials. It’s hard to be Amish according to their suicide rate. It’s the highest of all the plain sect’si
Another good book featuring a diligent female sheriff as she uncovers problems with the town’s Amish neighbors.