I am not all goo-goo over the Amish like most readers. I see and deal with them daily and know they are nothing special. They drink, smoke, and cuss just like everyone else. I wanted to read this book only because of the mystery. The mystery was wonderful. The holier-than-thou image of the Amish has sickened me. Sorry but will not read any more in this series. I have seen and known to many Amish that have committed adultery, abused children, raped women to name a few of the crimes.

I was not disappointed by this story. I wanted to find out what happened to the characters in the book

TBR-Pile-Worthy!

I was so stoked to see a new release from Vannetta Chapman. What the Bishop Saw is such a captivating title! But would the novel measure up? Oh, yes! It’s a page-turner – go ahead and rest up before starting this one because many sleepless nights are ahead!

What the Bishop Saw follows Bishop Henry Lapp. After an injury in his childhood, he developed a unique condition. He can draw, to unbelievable precision, what his subconscious sees. It’s not anything he asked for, or really wants, but this gift may prove useful as his community faces off with a murderer and an arsonist. How many lives will be affected? Investigators must rely on what the bishop saw.

I was given What the Bishop Saw in exchange for my honest review. It was tremendous and thought-provoking. Vannetta Chapman did an amazing job of giving the characters depth and charm. Bishop Lapp is winsome and I found myself wishing I knew him in real life! A definite win for Chapman – add another to your TBR pile!

Fires, blazes, mysteries, lost buildings, lost lives, lost livelihoods, and the main question and major concern: Who is Doing It???? The small Amish community of San Luis Valley, Colorado, already struggles to maintain the farms and allow families to feel the move was a good one, and now fear may drive some of the families to leave. Bishop Henry Lapp is anxious to calm the fears of the families he loves. He is a good leader and the Amish under his leadership have great respect for him, but he is stumped and just wants the perpetrator caught and stopped. The local police are involved and the Amish often choose to handle matters without allowing the police to interfere, but this time they have little choice if they want the guilty party apprehended.
Vannetta Chapman is one of my all-time favorite authors and this book is no disappointment for me. I feel sure readers will be excited about her new Amish mystery. Even those who do not typically read this genre will likely find themselves unable to stop reading til they reach the very last page. Those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers will want to try to figure out who is causing havoc for Bishop Lapp and the Amish community. Henry has much support and eager helpers, including the widow Emma, a dear friend of many years who shares meals and smiles with him. He is a widower and they are close in age and neither has looked for a new spouse even though the Amish encourage remarriage when a spouse dies. Check out this exciting mystery and join the many readers who are joining me in recommending this book, the first in The Amish Bishop Mysteries Series.
Books are rated on a scale of 1-5 among reviewers with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent or I would rate this book a 10, but I am confined to give it an excellent rating of 5. Thank you, Vannetta Chapman, for giving me some delightful summer reading. The lake is fun, but this book made it even more so.
I received an ebook of this selection from netgalley and the publishers, Harvest House, and while I was encouraged to publish a review, it was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a complex mystery with some very important faith lessons. The phrase that keeps running through my head is "Every life is complete." This comes from Bishop Henry and refers back to Job 14:5, "A person's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." I found this very comforting. If you've ever lost someone "too soon" it's reassuring to know that their days were numbered from the start by a sovereign God.

The interesting part is that isn't the overriding theme of the book, it's just what stuck with me. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

If I were Amish I would want my bishop to be Henry Lapp. Henry is the main character in What the Bishop Saw, Vannetta Chapman's first book of her newest cozy mystery series The Amish Bishop Mysteries. To me, Vannetta Chapman + Cozy Mystery = Great Book! Always! I was so happy when I saw she was writing another set of books in this genre.

About What the Bishop Saw - With the rash of crimes occurring in his community, Henry knows he could possibly assist in the investigations. But he's not so sure he really wants to visit his past to help with the present. Faith, family, and friendships take center stage in Henry's life and community while clues point to a killer that seems to be among those he holds dear.

Henry's life is a great lesson and a good example of how all believers in God should live. He loves God and it shows through the way he loves people. There is a sweet little romance going on in the story, which makes it all the better after learning the characters backgrounds. In What the Bishop Saw Vannetta made Henry so very unlike the typical bishop in a lot of Amish Fiction. Also, like her other cozy mystery series, she has Amish and English interacting with each other. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest of this series! I was provided a complimentary review copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I love Amish books they just appeal to me. This book was sad and it mixes the authors talent of writing Amish books with her talent of mysteries. The characters are so good you become close with them. You want to attend their weddings, funerals, help when needed. I love this book but if i say anything Ill give it way

Amish-themed novels have gained in popularity over the years. Whether it is the desire to see how people live differently than we do or a longing for simplicity in life, I can not say.

This title delivers on bringing you into an Amish community (as much as an outsider can.) A sprinkling of Pennsylvania Dutch is tossed into the conversation. Yet, you also see that some of the Amish embrace aspects of English life or yearn to do so.

Unlike some Amish novels I have read, this one is more of a mystery genre than romance. There is a bit of romance included, but it is almost secondary to the overall plot.

I really enjoyed the novel as a whole and am curious to see if this new series will exclusively feature Bishop Henry Lapp or take readers on a tour of different Amish communities in the United States.

Wow. I can't imagine the plotting that must've gone into this book. WHAT THE BISHOP SAW was engaging, about a bishop with a brain injury I'd never even heard of, that gifted him with an amazing gift--or curse--depending on how you look at it.

Did the bishop actually see anything to save the suspect Henry knows is innocent? If so, what... and will the police detectives be able to figure it out before there are any more fires?

I loved Henry. A dear, sweet older gentleman. There is a hint of a relationship developing, wonderfully developed secondary characters--not to mention a sweet beagle pup who turned into a better watchdog than Henry had ever imagined.

I love Vannetta Chapman's Amish mysteries -- can't get enough of them. She's a very talented author.

If you love Amish mysteries or either of the two by themself, you will want to read WHAT THE BISHOP SAW. It will keep you engaged until the last page is turned and the book is closed.

“What the Bishop Saw” begins in Goshen, Indiana. Henry Lapp is beaned in a baseball game and as a result has acquired savant syndrome. This allows him to display unusual skills in art. He is able to draw everything he sees, right down to the facial expressions. He and his parents almost consider this a curse.

Fifty-two years later finds Henry in San Luis Valley, Colorado as bishop of an Amish community. Someone is setting fires and in one of them a man died. The whole town is on edge, but it seems that the arsonist is targeting only Amish families, causing some of them to move away instead of trying to find the person responsible. Henry resists using his “gift” to help, but pressure from his friends cause him to draw exactly what he saw at the first fire. His uncanny ability to capture absolutely everything around him at a particular moment finds clues that would not be recognizable at all. This novel by Vanetta Chapman is entertaining. It is centered around a syndrome that is quite rare and the story surrounding it brings to light the problems that it sometimes causes. I like the book, it kept me interested.

What a great book! Just when I thought I had it figured out we would get a little more information that would debunk my suspicions. The author does a great job of casting doubt and suspicion. She says just enough and develops the characters in such a way to make the reader suspect them. Then she twists the story a little and you know your suspicions were incorrect and you're back at where you started; with no idea who is to blame for the arson! I love that it was mostly from the bishops point of view. I have never read an Amish book from that pov. It gave me a picture of what the heart of an Amish bishop might look like (in some communities as I know every Amish community is different). Great story with lots of twists and turns and even a little romance. It kept me on my toes til the end. Highly recommend this story.
I received a digital copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions .

I have read all of this author's Amish mysteries. This new book is book 1 in a new series and may be the best yet. I couldn't hit the button on my kindle to turn the pages fast enough. DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK. I was given a copy of this book by netgalley in return for an honest review. The options are my own.

Als je van een beetje spannende boeken houdt en over Amish gaan. Dan is dit je boek. Vannetta Chapman schrijft heel spannend. Niet de zoetsappige Amish of andere Roman boeken. Dit boek is absoluut een aanrader. Hij is goed te doen in het Engels, ook al is je Engels misschien niet zo goed.

What the Bishop Saw is the first book in the Amish Bishop Mysteries series written by bestselling author, Vannetta Chapman. Suspense is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when I hear Amish. Murder? Arson? Well, now, that just seems downright out-of-place. But, Vannetta sells this story and makes it believable. This woman’s ability to make me crave pie while reading about some poor person’s demise is a God-given talent. Unless I’m just a crazy person and I refuse to believe that. Weird? Yes. Crazy? I don’t think so.

It’s not just the suspense in this book that does it for me. I really like the inclusion of the Bishop’s unusual gift. I really hope that Henry Lapp is at the center of more mysteries in the future as the series title seems to suggest this. I really liked Henry and I thought that his ability would be considered unique even by “worldly” standards. By Amish standards, I’m sure it was hard for him to even share this gift for fear that the community would consider it to be a curse or of the devil. Still, he chose to do what he felt was right. Even at risk to himself and that makes him a likable guy.

Suspense and Henry’s gift aside, the ending is what did it for me in this book. I don’t know what I expected and I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone. But, Henry’s character to me became more evident within the last few pages of the book and I went from liking him to respecting him. Can one respect a book character? Perhaps so, if his lesson is one that is important enough to hear. I feel that we could all learn a lot from Henry.

This series promises a fresh, new, take on the Amish genre and I’m looking forward to reading future installments.

Fires and a murder plague the Amish community in Colorado and Henry is the bishop with an unusual gift of recall through drawing. It wasn’t all that difficult to figure out the arsonist, but the process getting there was enjoyable. Chapman has wonderful, quite believable characters. Never thought I would enjoy a novel about an Amish bishop in his sixties, but I certainly did. There is just a touch of sweet romance which added to the storyline.

Thanks to Net Galley for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Honestly, I'm not even sure where to begin. It's no mystery that you can win my heart by giving me a mystery. Given a choice I'll always go mystery, it's just my niche. However I have other preferred (please, you know I'll read 'anything' except technical manuals people) genres and when you mix any other genre with a mystery it's going to be right up my alley. Add to that an author that creates characters and setting that embraces you like a best friend and it can't go wrong! Henry Lapp suffered an accident as a child that resulted in a savant gift. That gift, later in life, brought him into the English world in a way most English never get involved with. After this encounter Lapp and many of his friends chose to relocate from their home to join a fledgling community in Colorado.

There was so much to this story to like and I'm going to tell you about some of it, some you'll have to discover for yourself. I'm gonna touch on a couple of things I struggled with though. I have to admit though, I'm not certain it's a problem with the book so much as a problem with my reading schedule. There are quite a few characters, I mean an entire community plus a couple of law enforcement and a few English as well. Now follow along because I'm totally going off the beaten path here and share stuff that is completely irrelevant to the book but completely relevant to my reading experience. I'm exhausted. Sleep deficit exhausted. Tired when I wake up and tired when I go to bed exhausted. But reading. Reading is how I relax, how I unwind and something that has been a part of my life as since before I have memories. But exhaustion and reading are not the best of friends. And reading with lots of characters when you are a person who only remembers their own name because they've had it so long when you are only able to read a few chapters at a time makes it hard to keep everyone straight and their relationships. I mean good gravy, there was a character who was sorta important halfway through the book that I don't even remember having been there. I felt lost..a lot.

Now to the good stuff about the book, not me. Bishop Lapp makes this book and I hope that future books are involved with him as well. His faith in God, his patience for truth, and his willingness to use his gift (that has caused him problems in the past) to right a wrong are just part of what I love about him. The mystery is intertwined to the story from the beginning and despite it being too obvious who actually did it the back and forth of the characters and the way it all played out do not stand as a deterrent for me. Outside of the central story line and the level that Henry brings to the book I think the ending sealed the deal for me that I love this book.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

I have always been a fan of Vannette Chapman. Her books have a way of drawing a reader in to the story like no other. Her love of the Amish Communities and way of life shine through in her books.

In What the Bishop Saw we are introduced to Bishop Henry Lapp. He is in charge of an Amish Community in Colorado. Too often Amish Bishops are shown to be very strict and often harsh with their punishments and handling of their people. However, Henry is seen as truly caring and loving his community. He seeks God's will in all that he does.

When an Amish bachelor is killed in what was thought to be an accidental fire, Henry must decide to "use" his gift to help solve the mystery or risk losing his members who become scared. Will Henry be able to find the arsonist and killer or will his community be at risk? Emma, his neighbor, encourages him to follow God's Will. Has ;his friendship with Emma grown to more?

If you are looking for a book to not be able to put down, this is it. I received a copy through Netgalley. This review is written purely from my joy of reading.

What the Bishop Saw had both mystery and suspense with a sweet touch of romance mixed in. This was the first novel that I have read by Chapman and I was not disappointed. She does a great job writing about everyday life in the San Luis Valley, Colorado community while intertwining the mystery and suspense of the tragedy that occurs.

A suspicious fire occurs at the home of Vernon Frey and unfortunately he did not survive. When the fire was determined to be arson, the community gets nervous. The Bishop, Henry Lapp, had visited Vernon the day before the fire. With no suspects, members of the community encourage Henry to use his "gift" to help solve the arson/murder. Henry is hesitate as he feels his “gift” is more of a curse. With help from his ministers and a special friend, Emma Fisher, Henry is able to see that the Lord gave his the “gift” and if it can help then he should utilize it. His drawings prove to provide crucial evidence. Henry works together with the police and the arson investigator to help determine the identity of the arsonist. The Bishop takes his job of caring for his community seriously. But as more fires occur, the community begins to be in fear and many ready themselves to leave. Henry works hard to keep his community working together to solve the crimes instead of running away.

Chapman did a great job in character development and the placement of “clues” to help the reader determine who the real arsonist was. I really liked to see that the blooming romance in the book was not just for young people like in so many romance novels. I would highy recommend this book for anyone.
I received this book from netgalley in return for providing my honest opinion.

If there was ever a book that made me think of Father Brown from the BBC show it is this book,and I love it more for this reason. I am finding that I am really enjoying male protagonists in mysteries more, and Vannetta certainly knows how to write a mystery!

Bishop Henry is a strong, but gentle character. I really love his tender nature and pursuit for the truth. I am hoping for a beautiful future for this humble man. I envision him to be a man of simple words, the wise community member that knows when to speak and when to be silent. This was certainly displayed through out this wonderful book, it was a bit saddening to think that our guilty character felt the way they did. It begs to question what does one do to achieve restitution? Henry isn’t alone in this adventure, he has a dear woman named Emma who is quick to think and one I am having high hopes for in a future book. Sam and Katie-Ann are the younger characters, boy did I like them and hope to see a story play out with them possibly.

Now, I said Bishop Henry made me recall Father Brown. It is true to a point. No the British aspect doesn’t play into this, however a British accent with an Amish character could be fun… But it was the quirky charm. I just felt like if a producer was to do an American version of the beloved BBC show, they would have to come to the same conclusion. Henry was fun, likeable and surprising in moments.

Christian Fiction is defined by faith. Faith plays a huge part in the Amish community and it is prevalent in this book, I really loved how it just fit with Henry, and the other characters. Another point that was brilliant and worked to the advantage of this book was the ages of the characters. Henry and Emma are our elders, they may be in their 60’s but they are sharp as knives with their minds and quick to their faith. Two very well developed characters. Sam and Katie-Ann learn to mature by working and surrounding themselves with these two. I really love how even though they are young they are steadfast in their faith and intentions. The mystery was devised and held such a great background that it was the perfect crime, until it is solved. I really loved this group of characters and look forward to their next adventure. Vannetta grasps Amish culture and shares it with her readers in the most unique ways.

There are three things that I love reading about: Amish, love, and mystery. This book had all three! I do not recall reading an Amish mystery/suspense story recently, and I loved how Vannetta included that in this book. It had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out exactly who it was that was wreaking havoc in this poor community! I would come to a point where I thought I knew the answer, and then I was thrown a curveball so I had to try again. No joke, I had probably blamed three or four different characters until I determined who the villain actually was!

I have forever been a fan of Vannetta’s books, and I think this one is in my top five book of hers for sure. It had a lot of different aspects to it that you don’t typically see in Amish fiction, such as the issue of dyslexia, an arsonist, and the interesting way that Henry could draw scenes so accurately, down the little detail. In the book his parents mentioned that it could be a blessing but also a curse, and I have to say I’d agree with that. I’m sure it weighs heavily on his mind as he is presenting them to people, especially the arson investigator.

Here was my favorite part of the whole book : The sweet friendship between Henry and Emma. Most relationships in Amish fiction are between younger people, so to see a pair of sixty year olds coming together, counting on each other, and strengthening their friendship was really a joy to read for me. I also loved Lexi, Henry’s beagle. I think perhaps she brought a little joy in his life that he didn’t realize he was missing.

Amish fiction fans will love this book. Be prepared for some suspenseful scenes too that may or may not have you biting your nails! But never fear, the message that Gods in control reigns throughout the book. I hope there are more of these mysteries in the future!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.