Shadows Of Lancaster County
By Mindy Starns Clark
Harvest House, $13.99
ISBN: 978-0-73692447-4

It's been seven years since Anna Bailey left Pennsylvania for California, where she now works as a skip tracer while rooming with the eccentric but caring coworker Kiki. Her new life is shattered by a panicked phone call from her sister-in-law Lydia with the news that Anna's brother has disappeared and information about Anna has been stolen. Eleven years ago, a 17 year-old Annalise Jensen and four friends suffered through a fun night gone tragically wrong, with casual drinking resulting in a barn burning down and an Amish family destroyed. After a horrific trial that played out in the media, community service, and probation, Anna fled her home, changed her name, and created a whole new identity. When her roommate is brutally attacked and the intruder demands rubies from Anna, she knows that she must return home to her old life if she wants answers to the source of the threats and why her brother disappeared.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this novel is how Clark introduces the reader to the largely Amish community of Lancaster. Rumspringa, the close ties of the Friends, and all of their culture prove to be as informative and fascinating as the mystery, which incorporates a historical treasure with DNA experimentation. Anna is a delightful character who refuses to passively accept her fate or leave it to the authorities who betrayed her. This is an enjoyable read that manages to blend romance, history, and religion into one cohesive mystery.

Review by CINDY CHOW

©2009 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.