The Protector is Wanda Brunstetter's first book in her new Mifflin County Mystery series. There will be a total of three books.

After a night out with her boyfriend, Rosa Petersheim completely disappears. Believing that she didn't voluntarily leave their community, her brother, Norman, tries to help the police find his sister, But will Norman's fixation on finding his lost sister cause him to lose the love of his life, Salina Swarey?

This story resonated with me quite a bit, as I have a daughter who has forsaken the Christian faith and is living an ungodly lifestyle. She also no longer wants to be in communication with us, just as Rosa in the story did to her family. There is a lot of drama in this story that makes you wonder what will happen next.

I received an e-ARC of this book from #NetGalley and #BarbourPublishing. All opinions contained herein are strictly my own.

#TheProtector #NetGalley

The Protector is a story of family relationships and what can happen when they are disrupted. The
Petersheim family consists of the parents, Elsie and Mahlon and their children Rosa, Norman, Susan,
Tena, and Alvin. Rosa disappears from a gathering at age 20 and while police investigate there is no
closure for the family as no one knows where she went or what may have happened to her. Norman
becomes determined to find out what happened to the extent of jeopardizing his relationship with
Salina who everyone expects he will marry. Elsie is so distraught by the disappearance it eventually
affects her physical health. How can the family go on after their loss? Will their faith and trust in God be enough to pull them together? This is the first book in this series and is excellent. The characters are very realistic and emotions are displayed as one might expect. I look forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Wanda E. Brunstetter begins her new Mifflin County Mystery Series with an interesting mystery entitled The Protector.

Imagine being the oldest son in the family and feeling you are the protector for the family. Norman Petersheim feels that way when his sister Rosa goes missing after a date and disagreement with her boyfriend. He put so much into trying to find out what happened to Rosa, that he allows his obsession to overshadow his relationship with his girlfriend and his family.

Mrs. Brunstetter uses her knowledge of this community, that is a blended area of different Amish sects and mennonite, to tell a very realistic story with characters that make you believe you are part of their lives.

This story show how we must depend on God, family, and friends as we walk through our daily lives.

I have to emphasize that this is the beginning of a three part series, and you will not have all the answers to your questions when this book ends. I really think this is going to be one of Wanda‘s more interesting series.

Pub Date is Aug 01, 2024.

Thank you Barbour Publishing | Barbour Fiction for allowing me to read an advance copy of The Protector. I was not required to give a positive review of this 5-star book. All opinions are my own.

I'm a fan of Wanda Brunstetter's books, whether romance, mystery or cookbook. In THE PROTECTOR, Brunstetter starts a new mystery series when a young woman disappears from her Amish community. As her older brother questions his actions prior to her disappearance and works diligently to find her, the story unfolds around his interactions with the rest of his family and the young woman planning to share his life. It will be interesting to see where Brunstetter takes these characters in the next volume of the series.

In this sweet Amish romance we see how trials can challenge and break a relationship. Norman’s sister has gone missing. He puts finding her above his relationship. When juggling family responsibilities and romance sometimes things have to give.

This book was great. The only thing I wished had happened by the end is that we would have found out what happened to Rosa. I’ll just have to read the next one in the series! :)
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Protector
Mifflin County Mystery #1
Wanda Brumstetter
The queen of Amish fiction and non-fiction is back with a mystery.
The Protector is a mystery set in Amish County. Mifflin County, Pennsylvania is the second largest Amish Community in the USA. This story is told from Norman’s point of view.
Rosa Petershelm is missing, and her brother Norman feels responsible. Like most big brothers he is protective of his younger sibling. Norman tries to take on all of the burdens of his family.
This is the story of a family worried, terrified for their daughter and sister. There are times in our lives when we are terrified. We turn to God, but we beg and plead for the answer we want. We become angry with God, with the whole world. We pray but we don’t want the answer God gives us. Our anger can affect our health spiritually, physically and mentally.
Author Wanda Brumstetter is a talented writer. She puts in words the turmoil this family is facing. This is the first book of a trilogy and book one does not have an ending.

A sweet amish mystery that definitely makes you want more. This book is a trilogy and I can hardly wait to read the next one. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

The author is an expert on Amish fiction. She does a great job telling the story about what Amish life is like. This story caught my attention due to it being a mystery. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series to see how all of the loose ends are tied up. My most favorite characters by far were Salina and Alvin. They both seem to have great personalities.

Thanks so much for that netgalley and Barbour publishing for the ARC. The review will be posted on my blog not more than 30 days prior to publication. The opinions are my own.

Such a good read. I normally lean towards Amish romance, so choosing this was a risk, despite the author being a one click for me. As an Amish mystery, this was great.

Lots of emotion, lots of anguish and petitioning God for answers.

Be warned, this is a trilogy, so there is no resolution or ending with this book, you will need to wait until the rest in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

Wow! I have a great feeling about this new series that it's going to end up being my favorite!
I also had great expectations that this book would go the way it was expected to but surprise! It was even better than I thought I would be.
This author does a wonderful and realistic job of portraying this family's feelings about a missing family member and how hard it was on them.
The one I felt sorry for was Elise. My heart ached for her and I found myself praying for her and Mahlon.
Poor man! Ouch!
I really enjoyed this new story to the fullest. I didn't want it to end and now I'm eagerly awaiting the next one. I don't like cliffhangers lol.
The ending has left me curious though about Salina's event.
5 stars for a wonderful story. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this wonderful and heartfelt story that touched my heart deeply.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is book one of a new series, A Mifflin County Mystery, by the author, Wanda E. Brunstetter. There are great new characters, a new location, and lots of mystery!

When Rosa Petersheim disappears, her brother, Norman, who has always felt he was the protector of his siblings, becomes obsessed in trying to locate her. Her disappearance has affected her family in so many ways. Mentally, physically, and spiritually, this book takes us through the myriad of feelings a family and friends of someone who has disappears goes through.

The book definitely leaves us wanting more and looking forward to the future books in the series, You do not want to miss this series. I received an advance copy of this book from Barbour and Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Another amazing book by one of my favorite authors. I am going to go crazy waiting for the next one in this series. I loved all the characters and cannot wait to meet up with them again. I highly recommend!

I was so happy to find book one of a new series by one of my favorite Amish authors. The Protector by Wanda Brunstetter is wonderful. Its filled with mystery and secrets. It leaves plenty of the story for the next book in the series. Come read about missing Rosa and her families struggle to find her. Will she turn up? Maybe not, maybe there will be a cliffhanger at the end. You won't be sorry if you read this book to "find" out

The Protector is an Amish fiction story about a family that must deal with a mysterious disappearance that shakes their faith. It is the first book in a trilogy and will be published on August 1, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

In book one of A Mifflin County Mystery series, after a night out with her boyfriend, Rosa Petersheim has disappeared from the Big Valley without a trace. Norman Petersheim always considered himself his sister's protector, and he can't believe she would have left home of her own accord. Clearly, he must have failed her. He throws all he has into helping the authorities search for Rosa, while trying to support his parents and siblings--who are struggling both mentally and physically. Salina Swarey loves Norman and hopes they are headed toward marriage, but his obsession with Rosa's whereabouts is driving them apart. Can Norman find peace and contentment, even if he never learns where Rosa has gone?

SPOILER ALERT! Initially I thought that the story would be about finding Rosa. Up until the end I expected her to reappear to her family. That did not happen though. The story is mainly about the fallout. While Rosa's mother and brother were actively searching for her, problems of their own came up that they had to deal with. Mom stopped eating and cried often but she was later diagnosed with an illness where the symptoms were similar. Dad, a bishop, only cared about his reputation with the church and did not like being married to someone who no longer served his needs. Norman and his mother spent so much time searching for Rosa that they stopped living for themselves. Rosa's two sisters dealt with the disappearance differently but their personalities changed significantly. There was a one year passage of time between Rosa's disappearance and the story's end. I think this is a normal period of time where most families in real life who must deal with a missing relative put their lives on hold.

The whodunit and whodunit of Rosa's disappearance was prominent to the story and brought plenty of mystery. I was disappointed that she was never found but this was a realistic ending.

Wow what a great way to start a new series. A Mifflin County Mystery had me fully engaged with all the new characters and a new location. I found myself throughout the book trying to find out who was keeping what secret, and if and when they would be found out. Lots of
twists and turns of this story

Left me hanging, (in a great way) I can't wait for more.

The Protector A Mifflin County Mystery book one of the Mifflin County Mystery is a must read. Highly recommend.

What really happened to Rosa?
This is the question the entire story is wrapped around. But I loved that the main character is really Norman, who in true big brother fashion feels he failed her. Most Amish fiction is centered on a female character, but I loved seeing this story from a male point of view.
There is so much to learn from Rosa and her family. We can pray, begging God when we do not get the answers we want. We can worry ourselves sick and ruin our own lives over circumstances we cannot control. We can let anger and bitterness take root instead of letting God carry our burdens for us. And we can wish for things to be different, to the extent of missing the good that God has put right in front of us.
Every situation in this book felt absolutely real. My heart pounded, my stomach ached, and my eyes teared up as I followed this family’s heartache. I am glad this is the beginning of a trilogy as there is much more to the Petersheim family’s drama that needs to be told.
Congratulations to Wanda Brunstetter for writing a truly captivating novel. This book will haunt me until I finally get the rest of the story. For fans of Amish fiction and Christian mystery/suspense, this is a must read. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved reading the inspirational and awesome story. When Rosa disappears, it affects the whole family especially Norman who feels as her older brother, he was her protector and does everything he can to find out what happened. Norman's mother's sorrowfulness affects the whole family, Norman's siblings and Norman have to take on not only their responsibilities but also Rosa's. Because of Norman's obsession with finding Rosa, he has hardly any time left for his girlfriend. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting mystery story of how a family must go on after a member of a family's disappearance.

Loved the book! Was a great read! Had mystery in it and a little bit of Christian romance! Had suspense, it didn’t leave you hanging! Looking forward to the next book to come out!

I enjoyed reading this book very much.I had never read a Amish mystery before.This is about a Amish family dealing with the oldest daughter missing.The older bother spends a lot of time trying to find out what happened to her.The Mom was really upset and her health was affected by it.Its the first book in the series so was left hanging to what happened to the sister.It you like mysteries you should enjoy reading this.