Undercover Amish was a finalist in Maine Romance Writers Strut Your Stuff Competition 2015 where it received 26 out of 27 points! (These books can be read out of order or as stand-alone novels. The sequel is coming soon!) Detective Olivia Mast would rather run through gunfire than return to her former Amish community in Unity, Maine, where she killed her abusive husband in self-defense. Since the … self-defense. Since the community will not pursue justice or answer questions from the police, Olivia begrudgingly dons her old prayer kapp and covertly investigates a murder there while protecting the man she dated as a teen: Isaac Troyer, a potential target. The handsome and quirky cabinet maker falls in love with her once again, unaware that she carries a 9mm under her skirt. After another murder, some deadly pranks and a kidnapping, Olivia realizes she needs Isaac’s help most of all.
When Olivia tells Isaac she is a detective, will he be willing to break Amish rules to help her arrest the killer?
Olivia values one important rule over all others: never let emotions, especially love, get in the way of the job. But as the body count rises and she starts falling for Isaac again, she might just end up breaking her own rule.
Please visit http://www.ashleyemmaauthor.com to download 3 free eBooks from this author!
Email Ashley at [email protected].
Excerpt
A twig snapped in the woods somewhere in the distance, bringing Liv back to the present with a jolt. Olivia whipped around, clamping a hand on the leg holster that was beneath her skirt.
“I’m watching you, Olivia.” The scratchy, deep masculine voice rode on the breeze from somewhere in the trees that no longer seemed so far from her. Her blood froze, a sick feeling churning in her gut. “You still mourn the ones who died here, don’t you? You miss your family.”
She stood on the other side of her vehicle, using it as protection as she carefully drew her M&P Shield. Her throat closed up. She wanted to shout angry words, accusations and questions, but fear stole her voice.
How did he know about the fire?
“You never did find the arsonist. That must eat at you.”
Every day it did, but he didn’t have to know that. She clicked the gun’s safety off.
“Why did you come back here after all these years?” he asked.
She definitely couldn’t answer that question. She clutched the pistol tighter, searching the darkness for any sign of movement, but it was as if no one was there. As if she was imagining things.
“If you go, I won’t harm you. You should leave now while you still have the chance.”
“There’s no way I’m leaving,” she yelled.
“Get in your little beat up car and drive home. Or more accidents will happen.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than a few threats to scare me.” She stood up straighter and allowed her voice to carry over the field.
“You’ll see that I’m not bluffing, dear.”
Editorial Reviews
“Buy this book! It’s a five-star read in my opinion. Whether you have ever read Amish detective stories before or not, I know you’ll like this one and be totally engaged from start to finish. The characters are well-developed, unique, quirky and three-dimensional. I enjoyed the author giving her readers an inside view of the Amish community, especially during dangerous and unpredictable times. I eagerly await the sequel to this novel!”
-Wendy Pearson, moderator of The Write Practice
“Undercover Amish is the first Amish novel I’ve read, and I have to say it was a fascinating and insightful look into a different culture. Ashley Emma clearly did extensive research on the subject and portrayed this group in a compassionate, thoughtful manner. Couple her careful handling of this society with her compelling characters and heart-racing plot, and you’ve got a real winner!”
-Staci Troilo, author of Mind Control, Bleeding Heart and many other titles
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This story was well written. It had a lot of suspense and action. It kept you wondering – what was going to happen next and who would be the next victim.
A wonderful story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Twists and turns while learning more about the Amish. Fantastic book
I have been on an Amish kick lately but I’ve also been wanting some suspense, so I picked up Undercover Amish, and it is exactly what I was looking for. After reading the prequel, The Amish Schoolteacher’s Escape (which you can find my review for HERE) and being underwhelmed, I wasn’t sure if I should take a chance on the series, but I am so glad that I did. Undercover Amish picks up right where the prequel ends, but gives you the details behind Olivia Sullivan’s actions, which has been hinted at, but getting the full picture truly implicates and justifies Olivia’s actions.
Feeling the frustration that Olivia felt drew me in, as well as falling in love with Isaac Troyer’s character. One thing that truly set this story apart for me was the shattering of the illusion that the Amish are perfect. Yes, they set a high moral standard, but they are human nonetheless, and have flaws just like everyone else, and these flaws are perfectly pictured in Undercover Amish.
As far as suspense and intrigue, this story as it all in spades. A great plot, wonderful flow, and endearing characters made this book a winner. With such a “killer” start, I can’t wait to read the next book in the Covert Police Detective Unit series.
This book failed to completely draw me into the story. There were times when I enjoyed it but other times I found that it didn’t seem realistic,especially with the Amish characters. Also it didn’t flow smoothly in most places. The plot was good and it had a lot of potential but somehow for this reader it just fell short.
I downloaded this book from The Kendal Lending Library. A review wasn’t requested . All opinions shared here about Undercover Amish are my own .
A surprisingly good read, with lots of twists and turns set in a believable milieu.
Short version:
Fun story, poorly executed.
Details:
Editing/Proofing:
Spelling/grammar were well done but the book could use a professional editor. Must’ve had a strong proof reader or the author self-edits. Continuity is poor and much is repeated throughout. Could easily shave 10,000 words off or more, without actually losing anything.
Perhaps author cannot get past their own impulse to repeat certain points over and over again, but it feels more like they have no faith in their reader. I’m not interested in reading / buying books from an author who seemingly goes into it thinking I’m stupid.
Formatting:
This was fine, book looks pretty good overall. Nothing special but easy enough on the eyes.
Overall:
Like I said above, too much was repeated. I found myself skimming through much of it, as I just don’t need to read the same thing over and over again. That isn’t exciting.
It also took a while to get going. It literally took me about 4 months to get through the first 40% or so. Suuuuuper dull, and backstory just repeated itself a few times. I’d read a little bit and have to find something else to do or read, out of severe boredom. Once it finally got going though, I found the story was fun and I did want to pick it back up. I liked Isaac and Olivia as characters and I liked their romance as well – starcrossed and all, it was cute.
The back of the book is, of course, filled with the author’s other works. What rubbed me the wrong way was her advertisement, claiming she’ll teach others how to write when she clearly needs some help herself. I’d check out her non-fiction, it sounded interesting and she *can* write. Just needs some work in the fiction department. She needs to have more faith in her readers, actually care about continuity, and use a professional editor. If she did these things, I’d consider more from her in the fiction department, as well.
Overall….
2-3 stars. I’d say, “needs work.”