A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower

Another murder in Appleseed Creek has been discovered. This time the body of a young Amish girl is found by Chloe and Timothy. Knowing that the Amish will not speak openly to her the Police Chief asks Chloe to once again help her in investigating the murder.

When they learn that the Amish girl had suffered previous injuries from what appears to be abuse, Chloe knows she must tread lightly with the Amish families in order to get answers to the girls' death.

It looks suspicious when Billy, one of Timothy's friends, disappears. Several other people are on the list of suspects including Curt and Brock, Chloe's old nemeses that continue to taunt and stalk her.

Not all of Chloe's energy is put into finding a murderer. As Christmas approaches she finds herself in the midst of helping Becky prepare for a Christmas party that seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Chloe also must decide what her feelings are for Timothy and deal with the fall-out of Becky deciding not to return to the Amish way of life. Along with all of that Chloe also must face her relationship with her father and step-mother.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed returning to Appleseed Creek! Continuing on with Chloe and Timothy's lives was like visiting with old friends. As their relationship develops we learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. Even though the Amish are hesitant to let the Englishers into their lives Timothy's family has opened up their home to Chloe. The Police Chief cracks me up by calling Chloe the "Amish Whisperer" which she then proceeds to use to her advantage by having Chloe question the less forthcoming of the Amish. Like Chloe I found myself distrustful of both Curt and Brock's behavior. They seem to be up to their old tricks again, but one of them appears to want to turn over a new leaf. Chloe's struggle with forgiveness is apparent throughout the story and dates back to when her mother died and her father re-married. I'm looking forward to the next installment of The Appleseed Creek novels to find out if Chloe and her father can forge ahead with a relationship. I'm also looking forward to seeing who dies next in Appleseed Creek! How many murders can one Amish settlement handle? A PLAIN DISAPPEARANCE was a solid mystery with many suspects that kept me guessing about "who done it" throughout the entire story. I will be looking forward to coming back to Appleseed Creek in the future!

My review copy was from the publisher B&H Books through NetGalley. Publication date is set for September 1, 2013. This review is my honest opinion.

Check out my review of A PLAIN SCANDAL book 2 in the Appleseed Creek series. Also check out my interview with author Amanda Flower HERE.