Among the Innocent by Mary Alford is a gripping, fast-paced romantic suspense that pulls you in from the very first chapter and keeps you hooked until the end. The mix of Amish culture with a chilling murder mystery makes for an engaging and unique storyline.

The protagonist, Leah Miller, is a former Amish woman turned police officer, haunted by the brutal murders of her family years ago. When a new string of killings begins to mirror those from her past, Leah is forced to confront her trauma while hunting down a cunning serial killer. The suspense is well-crafted, with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing right up until the final reveal.

Alford does an excellent job of creating tension and atmosphere, blending the peaceful Amish setting with the darkness of the crimes. The balance between Leah’s emotional journey and the unfolding investigation adds depth to the story, and I appreciated how her past and present were intertwined in the plot. The romantic subplot between Leah and her colleague Dalton Cooper is understated but provides a nice touch of warmth amid the darker elements of the story.

One of the strongest aspects of Among the Innocent is the characterization of Leah. Her struggle with guilt and grief feels real, and her determination to face her fears makes her a compelling lead. The pacing is steady, with enough action and suspense to keep you invested throughout. My only critique would be that some of the secondary characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it didn’t detract too much from the overall experience.

All in all, Among the Innocent is a solid romantic suspense novel that combines emotional depth with a tense, well-plotted mystery. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy crime thrillers with strong female protagonists and a touch of romance.

The suspense in this story will knock your socks off. I recommend reading during the daylight hours ;)

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

To my surprise, I enjoyed the story though I made a point of not reading it right before bedtime. This is a murder mystery and it was a bit too gory for me. Detective Leah left the Amish community after the murder of her family. Although the case is considered closed, there are new murders in town around the 10th anniversary of her family’s deaths. And, the MO is strikingly familiar. New policy chief Dalton also has a vested interest in the closed, maybe-not, case.
The murderer keeps leaving tokens for Leah and tells her he as come back for her. Unfortunately he is canny and always ahead of a whole passel of police officers.

After her family was brutally murdered before her eyes ten years ago, Leah Miller left the Amish community. The man believed to have committed the crime is thought to be dead. So why, as the tenth anniversary of the murders approaches, are Amish girls being killed? And why is their killer apparently setting his sights on Leah? Leah, now in law enforcement, will have to work with new chief Dalton Cooper to unravel the clues and solve the crime before the killer gets up close and personal with Leah herself.
MAN, this is a heck of a read! It’s got suspense by the bucketful, as the killer continually taunts Leah and always seems to be one step ahead. The tension builds as the anniversary of her family’s murders draws nearer and as the victims are increasingly closer to Leah. Alford includes the killer’s point of view in the story, too, which helps keep the pressure on.

There’s an element of romance, too, as Leah and Dalton develop feelings for each other. It’s a little bit of an insta-romance, but not entirely, as Dalton has a connection to the case that he’s reluctant to reveal. His personal interest gives him at least a little pause before he lets himself act on his interest in Leah. I found his personal connection fascinating, and thought it added a nice touch to the story.

Marge, Leah’s adoptive mother, is battling dementia. I thought Alford did a masterful job of portraying the difficulties Leah faced trying to help an aging parent cope, as well as the pain Marge felt in her lucid moments, realizing her grip on her memories was slipping. I wanted to reach in and hug them both, because that’s a rough thing to deal with.

As you might expect with a book where many of the characters are part of a religious community, faith in God definitely plays a role. Leah drifted away from her faith after her family was killed, and she struggles to find her way back. Dalton relies fairly heavily on his faith and has a fellow believer who he can talk to and be encouraged by. I do love a story where the faith portrayed isn’t tacked on as an afterthought, but is an integral and important part of the characters’ lives.

And lest you think I thought this book was perfect, there was one teeny-weeny thing that stuck in my craw just a little. When Leah learned of Dalton’s personal interest in the case, she took it poorly. Understandably, she felt hurt that he hadn’t trusted her with that sooner. Yet, in just a couple of pages, they’re back on good terms, with very little said about the matter. This one thing felt super rushed to me and I would think that situation would play out differently in real life. In the grand scheme, though, that was but a minor blip on my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, this was a great read. Lots of twists and turns, insight into the killer’s thoughts without overly gory descriptions of crime scenes, characters who rely on their faith and each other, and just enough romance to keep it interesting. And I learned something! I had no idea there were Amish communities in Montana. I had to go look up St. Ignatius. Beautiful country up there. I’d love to visit.

Five stars to Mary Alford for a ripping good thrill ride of a book!

“Truth be told, she hated sleep. Too many bad things waited for her there.”

Good storyline with an Amish mystery, but took me a bit to really get into it. However, once I did it was a pretty intense read. I would consider it an intensive crime drama with a romantic mystery. A serial killer that keeps coming made for a creepy feel to this read.

“Up close, the blood-red handprint acted as an omen of what they’d find inside.”

This is not a lighthearted read that is for sure, but it was an interesting storyline. I’m looking forward to more from this author because I’ve enjoyed her prior works. She always has a thread of finding hope to her stories even in the midst of trials.

“Maybe it was time to start living again.”

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher. All opinions are my own and have been given honestly.

Among the Innocent by Mary Alford is a mesmerizing story. A notorious serial killer is back in the Amish community and is looking to get the victim left alive, now a law enforcement official. This book’s suspense is unrivaled and the characters are written with such authenticity. I could not recommend this book more. Readers of suspense will thoroughly enjoy this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I have read other love inspired suspense amish books by this author and I was aware of the book description and content this book was about. However, I wasn’t prepared for reading chapters on the serial killer point of view which was really disturbing and more graphic that I thought a Christian fiction book would be. (This book is classified as a Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance Book on amazon) I definitely think this book should come with a warning due to the nature and killer POV being included. This book upset me for days after I finished it.

With that being said; I did read the book cover to cover because of the steady suspense and engaging main characters. I had to know how it was going to end! I always underestimate how evil someone can be, especially if mental illness is involved. It made me sad that innocent Amish women were targeted in this book, hence the title.

Leah and Dalton, the main characters, are trying to find the serial killer lose in the Amish community who had ties to Leah 10 year earlier and who they thought had died. I figured out the end beforehand, but it wasn’t predictable and had a couple twists and surprises.

Not something I would read again, but if you aren’t a sensitive reader like me, you would probably enjoy this Amish suspense book! I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

This one ended up being a DNF. I wanted to love it because was something different. With an Amish woman turned cop. But she was the main character and I couldn't stand her. When a reader can't stand a main character it makes enjoyment of the book hard at least for me.

I really enjoyed this one. My interest was immediately caught with the first page and I didn't stop reading till I was done. This had an interesting point of view since the main character was previously Amish and from the same community. I would totally recommend this to others.

I've long enjoyed her books but Mary Alford's outdone herself with this book. The first page of Among the Innocent reeled me in and I didn't want to stop reading about the search for a truly evil villain! After a ten-year absence "John" has returned to the small Amish community in Montana where he first killed, and his new reign of terror puts the peace-loving people in acute danger. This worst kind of villain hides behind his devastating charm to lure young, innocent, impressionable Amish teenage girls to their deaths, and there seems to be no stopping him!

In this book, Alford proves her ability to completely stir emotions with her words. I could feel the fear, uncertainty, and disbelief, along with the frantic need to find this madman before he killed again. Yes, this story is intense, but there are also moments of joy in seeing the friendship that develops between Leah Miller and Dalton Cooper and watching their individual journeys to finding true faith.

Among the Innocent is a danger-filled, pulse-altering book that kept me wondering who, how, and why? I recommend it to all who enjoy Christian romantic suspense.

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

The suspense in this book is unbelievable. The story kept me on the edge of my seat from almost beginning to end. The build up seemed innocent enough and then the story grabbed on and didn't let go.

Leah and Dalton were compelling characters with the history. So was the nameless villain. He taunted and kept my heart going through the whole story. I felt for the people of this town and the Amish community that was represented. I experienced many feelings due to the way the author presented this story.

I would come back to this author and this world again. This was suspense and mystery at it's best with a faith journey for the main characters that felt natural and compelling.

I received an early copy through the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I loved this book! Amish, suspense . . kept me reading! I would very much compare it to the Kate Burkholder series of Linda Castillo!

This duo of crime fighters steps onto the stage with a dramatic and engrossing mystery. When Amish girls start disappearing, and then are later found murdered, it suddenly brings back stark memories of the horrible murders of Leah’s family when she was very young. She was the only one to survive the massacre, and she was so traumatized that she made a false identification when the police questioned her. She didn’t mean to, she just felt so much pressure to answer questions.

That investigation of the earlier crimes was done by the police chief, Ellis, who eventually became her foster father, and because he was so sure that the young man she had named was the killer, Leah spent the next years tamping down the niggling little doubts.

But now those doubts can’t be pushed aside any more.

The reader knows who the murderer is, or at least we think we do, and the suspense comes in the question of whether Leah and Dalton will catch him before he kills again. It’s a tension-filled chase as one false lead after another goes nowhere, while another girl is attacked. The desperation and frustration that Leah and Dalton feel is palatable and makes the drama even more intense. There are a number of surprises in the story. A big one toward the end of the book that ties some loose ends together nicely, but I won’t spoil that surprise for other readers. 🙂

As I read, there were a couple of things that bothered me in the plotting. One was the friendship that Leah had with the young boy that she accused of killing her family. It wasn’t clear how close they were, so I had to wonder why she didn’t know previously that Dalton was the boy’s brother. That was just a little thing that niggled at me every time the boy’s name popped up and it was referenced that they were friends.

Other readers probably won’t even notice those little issues. Sometimes I have a hard time taking off my editor hat, but when I did for this story, I was caught up in the drama of the chase, enjoying the surprises along the way and the people in the story. It was nice to meet Amish families and get a closer look at their lives. And the romance between Leah and Dalton was perfect. The way the relationship grew and developed was presented in a way that was believable, with all of the reasons that they were trying to pull back from each other ringing true. It’s obvious that this partnership will continue on the professional and personal level, and that’s good for readers who like an engaging romantic suspense.

BOOK REVIEW - AMONG THE INNOCENT - MARY ALFORD - 5/5 STARS

It's funny how often I overlook books simply because they contain an element that doesn't appeal to me. Among the Innocent centres around an Amish community and as I don't read Amish fiction, I passed over this book when I first saw it. It wasn't until the author reached out that I took a second look at it and realized how interesting it sounded. I'm on a Criminal Minds binge at the moment and so this was exactly what I felt like reading. Among the Innocent is cannot-put-down good! The story was so thrilling, I'm mean what's more suspenseful than a serial killer obsessively stalking the MC! The setting had just enough Amish-ness (is that a word?) to make it interesting but not enough to turn off non-Amish readers like myself. The MCs were both amazingly strong people and I liked the realistic responses to the amount of stress and pressure they were under. As this is a crime thriller, it didn't have enough romance in it to be classed as one but the little it did have was sweet. I loved the contrast between the high energy action and the quiet moments of a blossoming romance.

Ten years ago, Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered. The suspected murderer committed suicide. But when another Amish woman is murdered in the same way, Leah and the new police chief, Dalton Cooper seek to find the true killer. Is it possible that an innocent man was framed and subsequently took his life?

Readers who enjoy Christian Romantic Suspense will love this book. It has it all. Murder and mystery, especially among the Amish, an overload of suspense and tension.

Disclosure: I received a free copy with no expectation of a positive or negative review from the publisher. The opinions are my own.

As a fan of novels that include the Amish, I liked this book a lot. The story was gripping and the characters were likeable. It kept me guessing until the end. Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series is very similar, but this book held its own.

This highly suspenseful novel is set in an Amish community in Montana. The main character Leah, who is now a police officer, witnessed the brutal murder of her entire family ten years earlier. When similar style killings happen again Leah is thrust into the investigation into a serial killer.

The characters Dalton and Leah, who are at the center of the romantic storyline do not seem to connect, making the romance fall flat. This may be because it is difficult to develop a clean romance that meets the standards needed for a novel to be a Christian novel.

The writing is straightforward and easy to read. There are many plot twists and long kept secrets are revealed leading the reader to a surprising ending.

Although this book doesn't have the 'love inspired suspense/inspirational romance' sash across the front of the book.......it sort of reads like one? In the book there are some suspenseful situations (some, I thought, questionable/unrealistic?), a romance, & a Christian aspect. There are no sex scenes or bad language. Although there is some violence & evil in the story, it was overall a pretty tame, fast read.
I received a complimentary e-ARC of this book from publisher Revell via NetGalley, in return for reading it & offering my own fair/honest review. These are my own opinions.

Among the Innocent was an action packed and suspenseful story! This was a page turner for me! The characters are both flawed and realistic. Seeing them come together and overcoming their pasts to figure out the truth was great! The romance isn't really strong but there's enough there to understand their feelings for one another! There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat and glued to the pages! This was a fantastic read! I will definitely be reading more books by Mary Alford! Thank you Partners in Crime Tours and Mary Alford for sharing this fantastic book with me!

This book grabbed my attention at the beginning and never let go. Leah Millers entire Amish family was killed in front of her and she was left for dead. Years later she returns as a policewoman. It seems the murders are starting all over again in the same way as her family's. But how can that be when the murderer was caught and is dead. The new police chief, Dalton Cooper, doesn't believe the correct person was arrested all those years ago. Dalton and Lisa both have to learn to forgive themselves for what they perceive as their fault for things that was done in the past.

This book will keep you guessing all the way to the end. There are surprises at every turn. I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery.

I was given this book by Revell Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.