The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard was a compelling mystery.
The characters in this book are great, they are incredibly believable.
This book is a real page turner and not easy to put down. I was lifted up and carried off into the story and trying to solve the mystery.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
It’s not every day that one of your favorite Amish fiction writers makes the transition to an Amish thriller writer but Amy Lillard did it seamlessly. I love Amy’s “Well’s Landing Series” and the “Paradise Valley” series. This is the opposite of those books, dealing with sensitive topics.
It starts off with Rachel finding her brother Albie hanging in the barn. She knows he would never hurt himself so she turns for help to Nate, her ex boyfriend, who happens to be shunned. I kept thinking it was going down one path and then it totally went in a new direction. The story ends in such a way that I think there’s another book coming out. Don’t make us wait too long to find out what happened to Rachel’s missing husband and sister in law!
Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheSecretsWeKeep #AnyLillard #CrookedLaneBooks #AmishFiction #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInAmishCountry #AmishThriller

Amy Lillard’s The Secrets We Keep is a moody, emotionally resonant mystery that blends the slow burn of small-town secrets with the rich cultural backdrop of the Amish community. It’s a book that deftly combines suspense, heartbreak, and unresolved love, creating a story that lingers long after the final page.

At the heart of the novel is Detective Nate Fisher—a man with more baggage than a Greyhound terminal. Recently reinstated after a shooting that left his career and conscience in shambles, Nate returns to his estranged family in Cedar Creek, Mississippi, after the death of his father. It’s meant to be a short, reluctant visit, but when his former flame Rachel Hostetler begs for help investigating her brother’s suspicious death, Nate is pulled into a mystery that’s far more tangled—and personal—than he expects.

The story unfolds in dual points of view, giving readers intimate access to both Nate and Rachel’s thoughts. Lillard handles this well, offering contrasting emotional textures: Nate is hardened, haunted, and duty-bound, while Rachel is determined, grieving, and still tethered to a world Nate tried to leave behind. Their shared history adds a poignant, simmering tension that never quite eclipses the central mystery but enhances it meaningfully.

What makes The Secrets We Keep stand out in the crowded field of rural mysteries is its grounded portrayal of the Amish way of life—not overly romanticized, but treated with respect and nuance. Lillard uses the community’s rigidity and reticence as both setting and obstacle, making Nate’s investigation not just about solving a crime, but about navigating the cultural codes he once knew and now struggles to respect.

The mystery itself is well-paced, layered with red herrings and buried secrets. As Nate digs deeper into Albie’s death, what begins as a potential suicide evolves into a web of motives, lies, and unresolved trauma—both within Rachel’s family and Nate’s own fractured past.

If there’s a shortcoming, it’s that the story occasionally leans heavily on well-worn tropes: the tortured detective, the hometown he tried to escape, the love that never quite died. But Lillard brings enough emotional depth and atmospheric detail to keep these familiar elements fresh and engaging.

Perfect for fans of:
• Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series
• Romantic suspense with real emotional stakes
• Mysteries rooted in family, faith, and forgiveness

Final thoughts:
The Secrets We Keep is a quietly powerful story about the things that haunt us—regret, grief, and the truths we’d rather leave buried. With sharp emotional insight and a gripping central mystery, Amy Lillard delivers a satisfying blend of crime and character that’s as much about healing as it is about justice.

I am not a fan of Amish fiction. I had hoped this novel would bridge the gap, with an outside detective investigating a possible murder within the Amish community he left years ago. It is a slow moving novel with sporadic action. There is interesting information on the clash of the cultures. The novel is more about relationships and emotions than the murder investigation. I got to the point where if I read yet another time Nate saying he was going to leave the next day, I would want to scream. The murderer was no surprise. There were not many suspects to cloud my suspicions. And the ending did not feel right. It sets readers up for a sequel but I will not be watching for it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Nate left the Amish as a baptized church member so was subsequently shunned by his community including his family.
When his father dies he comes back to “pay his respects” and is sucked into an investigation of a mysterious possible suicide.
His former girlfriend asks him to help her prove her brother did not kill himself.
This story drew me in right away. So much baggage is carried around by Nate and Rachel. As more and more clues are gathered it just gets more and more complicated. I felt deeply for both Nate and Rachel and suffered right along with them. What will be discovered and will it make a difference? Amy Lillard is a master at writing about the Amish and does her research throughly. I can’t wait for the next book!
I received this complimentary ebook from the author but was not required to write a review.

After a justifiable shooting, Detective Nate Fisher is still dealing with his feelings about taking another man’s life. His past life as a member of the Amish Community, makes this even more difficult to deal with. Taking time off, he is contacted by Rachel, the woman he had hoped to marry prior to leaving the Community. Her brother, Albie, has been found dead and they have ruled it a suicide. She knows that he wouldn’t have committed suicide and asks for his help. Returning to his home town will open up even more issues for him to deal with as he is banned from contacting anyone, including Rachel. She could be in trouble for even speaking to him. As he questions what happened to her brother, he will face issues with the town, his own family and the local police. When Officer Shane Johnson returns to town, Nate remembers him as a friend from his past and he offers to assist with Rachel’s request to find justice for her brother. Slowly, as they expose the many secrets being kept by Rachel’s family and the town, will they ever find out what really happened to Albie and why? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

The Secrets We Keep has a lot going for it.

When he learns of his father’s death, a son, a policeman in Tulsa, returns to the small town and the Amish community in Mississippi where he grew up. There he once again must deal with the animosity of the family—mother, brothers, and sisters who rejected him when he decided to leave. But he also is drawn back into a romantic relationship with the Amish woman he once loved. What draws him back is a plea from her to help uncover the truth about the mysterious death of her younger brother. Was it a suicide as it appeared? Or, as she believes, was there more to it? Could her brother have been murdered? Could it have been a murder committed by the gang of rich kids—from the non-Amish--or “Englisch”--population in the town--who had been bullying and otherwise tormenting her brother?

The location. The clash of cultures. The clash of rich “Englisch” who hold power in the community vs “plain” Amish who want to keep to themselves. The return of the prodigal son, who struggles with his desire to be accepted by his family, as well as his desire to rekindle the passionate love affair with the woman who seems only to be asking for his help now. Her struggles to balance the need for his help with her renewed desire for him, while also, as a single mother, seeing to the needs of her young children and the demands of her elderly father. All of this, plus the mystery that is at the center of the story, kept me turning the pages and spurred my interest in the many subsidiary characters who populate the intriguing world of this book.

As I said at the start, The Secrets We Keep has a lot going for it.

I loved this fantastic Amish mystery. I loved Nate and Rachel. I enjoyed learning the tragic secrets that were in this community. I did not want to put the book down. I laughed and cried. I received a copy of the book and I gave an honest opinion of my own free will.

Unfortunately something seems to happened with downloading this title. It was lost between my foolproof method and the reality. Sigh! 😞

Fans of Linda Castillo and Kate Burkholder will enjoy The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard. Nate Fisher is formerly from the Amish community. He feels duty bound to solve the crime with little help. Looking forward to the next Nate Fisher book.

THE SECRETS WE KEEP is an Amish mystery by Amy Liillard set in Mississippi. There’s also unrequited love that has simmered for twelve years but is still off limits for many reasons.

This is Rachel and Nate’s story. He left twelve years before and is shunned by his community and his family. She’s the love he left behind who has gotten married and now has two daughters. But her husband has left a few years before and that seems to be another mystery to be solved. When Nate returns for his father’s funeral even though he can’t attend, he learns that Rachel’s brother died by suicide and since Rachel believes he was murdered she asks for his help. They seem to take a lot of chances given that he’s now an Englischer and Rachel never likes what she hears.

While there are many stories being told there isn’t a lot of depth. Nate is conflicted throughout with whether to help Rachel get closure but seems to be doing more than the local police. And he always seems to be there another day. There is closure with the solving of the crime but it’s only Nate who realizes the truth. The ending took me by surprise and since there’s a cliffhanger it seems this is the start of a series. There were some loose ends that I hope will be tied up when we return to this small community.

The comp to Linda Castillo is what drew me to this one, and it's an accurate and welcome comparison for me. I found that this one did an interesting job looking at Nate's emotional and mental journey returning to his home community after leaving the Amish sect he grew up in, and being drawn back into the world thanks to "the one that got away". Solid, heavy mystery.

The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard is a slow-burn Amish mystery.

Nate Fisher left the Amish community for the best of reasons yet he cannot forget the woman he left behind, Rachel Hostetler. After learning of his father’s death, he goes to visit the grave even though he has been shunned. When Rachel approaches him to help her find out the truth about her brother Albie’s death, Nate cannot say no.

Nate is uncertain about his future in his chosen career but he believes there might be more to Albie’s death. He is frustrated by the local sheriff’s indifference to opening an investigation. Nate is surprised to learn his Englisch friend Shane Johnson is an investigator in the sheriff’s office. Unable to know if he can trust Shane to look into what happened to Albie, Nate continues searching for answers.

Rachel is dealing with a lot at home, but she is certain her brother would never take his own life. Going against her Dat’s wishes is not something she wants to do but cannot let go of her concerns. Rachel is also still drawn to Nate despite the reality there is still no future for them.

The Secrets We Keep is an intriguing mystery with plenty of drama and angst. Nate has a strong moral compass and he is at a career crossroads. Rachel is a bit pushy but her heart is in the right place. The investigation is stymied by Nate’s status with the Amish and their distrust of law enforcement. While Albie’s death is solved, Amy Lillard leaves readers hoping for another mystery starring Nate Fisher.

Thank you Netgalley & Crooked Lane Books for an eARC ♥️

Detective Nate Fisher doesn’t believe in ghosts—until he returns to Cedar Creek. The Amish community he abandoned years ago still moves with the same quiet rhythm, the same unspoken judgments, the same shadows that once suffocated him. But now, those shadows hold a body. And the woman he never stopped loving is standing in the barn doorway, begging him to see what no one else will: *This was no suicide.*
From the first page, this mystery grips like a fist around the throat—not just with its expertly woven whodunit, but with the raw, aching humanity of its characters.
Nate is a man caught between two worlds: the disciplined order of law enforcement and the simmering tension of a past he can’t escape.
.Rachel, fierce yet bound by tradition, is a revelation—a woman whose quiet strength forces Nate to confront everything he ran from. Their chemistry crackles with unfinished history, but the real magic lies in how they push each other toward the truth, even as it threatens to destroy them.
The Amish setting isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a character in itself—a place where faith and secrecy collide, where the peaceful façade hides fractures deep enough to bury a body. The investigation unfolds with relentless precision, each clue a landmine under the carefully tended soil of community loyalty.
But what lingers isn’t just the mystery’s resolution—it’s the haunting question of whether some wounds can ever truly close. Nate’s search for redemption and Rachel’s fight for justice weave together into something richer than a thriller, darker than a romance, and more profound than a tale of homecoming. It’s a story about the cost of truth, the weight of silence, and the scars that love leaves behind. 💔♥️
By the final page, you’ll be left breathless—and aching for more. 💔A masterpiece of tension and tenderness, this isn’t just a mystery; it’s an elegy for the lives we leave and the ghosts we can’t outrun.

The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard
A Mystery
Detective Nate Fisher must go back to the Amish community he left behind and confront his past to help the woman he once loved in this dual-POV mystery, perfect for fans of Linda Castillo.
Back to active duty after an administrative leave of absence for the use of deadly force, the last thing Detective Nathan Fisher wants to do is return to the conservative Amish community he left behind, but when his father passes, he has no choice. Hoping to clear his head and perhaps mend fences with his family, he returns to his small Mississippi hometown despite not being welcome. What was supposed to be a quick visit turns into a prolonged stay when his former love pleads for his help.
Rachel Hostetler’s world is turned upside down when she finds her brother’s body hanging in her family’s barn. Rachel is sure her brother Albie did not kill himself, but neither her father nor the police are willing to listen. When she spots Nate, her ex, now a detective in Oklahoma, back in Cedar Creek, she knows he is the answer to her problem and begs him to intercede.
As Nate and Rachel come to terms with their shared history, despite knowing nothing can come of the longing they have for each other, the pair must look into Albie’s death as suspects stack up. The truth is out there, but can they find it before Nate has to return to his real life and face the shooting that has him so desperately searching for peace?
This is Nathan Fisher, his brother Leroy, sister Mattie, mother, and father Karl's story.
This is Rachel Hostetler, two daughters Kate, Amelie, sister Miri, father, brother Albie's story.
Raised Amish, Nathan Fisher has been banished from the community. He joined church before leaving. His presence is not welcome. The news of his father passing, he returns to pay his respects. His former school sweetheart asks Nate to help reopen the investigation into the tragic death of her younger brother. The local Sherrif accepts the family’s reason for a quick burial and has determined no further action is warranted.
Rachel cares for her disabled sister and her kids.
Sure that her brother would never commit suicide, she has to fight to find answers. After seeing her ex back in town.
Rachel begs Nate for his help.
Was Albie’s death suicide or something more sinister?
I recommend this book.
The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard is a 5 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Amy Lillard.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.

Amish fiction readers will enjoy this book. Nate's father's death brings him back to his home that he had been shunned from years ago. Having left the Amish faith for a career to help pay for his sister's medical bills, things had not gone as planned. Rachel, who has just lost her brother due to suicide wants Nate to prove it wasn't suicide sets up this emotional driven story. Lots of secrets, drama and mystery in this Amish drama. But lots of questions left unanswered. Another book?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

J. Amy Lillard’s The Secrets We Keep wraps its mystery not in sensational twists, but in the slow hush of rural life—where silence carries weight, and trust is as fragile as spun glass.

Set in the sleepy hollows of Sugarcreek, Ohio, "The Secrets We Keep" isn’t your typical breakneck thriller. Instead, it draws its suspense from a slower burn—the kind of anxiety that simmers beneath smiles, in glances across potluck tables, and in the measured steps of people walking through old grief.

Lillard introduces us to a cast of characters as ordinary as they are unknowable. When a long-buried secret begins to surface, the story doesn’t explode—it uncoils. There’s grace in that approach. As a mystery, it’s more meditative than shocking, but that becomes its strength. Lillard is more interested in why the truth was buried than merely what it is.

The narrative voice, tinged with empathy, explores themes of loyalty, generational trauma, and the complicated choreography of keeping up appearances in a close-knit community. The town itself becomes a character which is nurturing and judgmental, a mirror for its residents’ deepest desires and regrets.

Lillard isn’t out to dazzle with clever sleights of hand. Her mystery is deeper, more emotional: How do the secrets we bury shape the lives we live? What happens when silence no longer protects but condemns?

The Secrets We Keep proves that truth doesn’t always shatter like a windowpane—it sometimes erodes like stone, slowly, and with consequence.

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

It had to be hard for Nate to completely change his way of life and leave the love of his life. Rachel was determined to find out what really happened to her brother. Shane was a help to Nate. In the end things turned out for some people and not so much for others. Would recommend.

The Secrets We Keep was hard to put down and flowed smoothly. Nate Fisher, a deputy sheriff, travels from Tulsa to his hometown of Cedar Creek, Mississippi after hearing of his father's death. Raised Amish, he is shunned since he left his faith and can't attend the funeral but he wants to visit his father's grave. Rachel, his Amish girlfriend from his youth has just lost her brother to an apparent suicide and wants Nate to help her prove he was murdered. This is a complicated story with different leads to follow and he is able to work with an old friend from the local sheriff's office but he is not supposed to speak to anyone Amish. I liked Nate and felt his pain and hurt at how his family treated him although that is their faith. Rachel seemed a little demanding and pushy, especially for an Amish woman. The mystery was good and when it was solved, heartbreaking. This is different from other Amish stories that I have read by th author and is a mainstream mystery. I do look forward to reading the next in the series.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

"The Secrets We Keep" is a dual-pov murder mystery centered around detective Nathan Fisher, who was brought up in the Amish community before he left and was subsequently banished, and Rachel Hostetler, Nathan's former lover. Rachel's entire world is turned upside down when she discovers the body of her little brother Albie hanging in their family's barn, but she is adamant that Albie did not kill himself, though no one else seems to believe her. When Nathan returns to the community he's shunned from upon his father's death, Rachel turns to him for help in finding out the truth about Albie's death. Despite being plagued by his own demons, Nathan agrees to help her, and the two set out to find out the truth of what happened to Albie.

I'll admit, I was quite interested and intrigued throughout the first few chapters, looking forward to see how the mystery unravels. But at a certain point I felt like the story was starting to drag unnecessarily, certain parts becoming overly repetitive and no revelations being made in terms of the mystery. There were no clues, no real investigation save for Nate's questioning of a few people, and the exhumation of Albie's body. I felt like there were many things that ended up not having anything to do with the mystery although they seemed to hint at it, and were left entirely unexplained in the end such as Rachel's husband having been missing for the past three years, her brother-in-law and his cousin supposedly "being upto something", the whole puppy incident with Jay Anderson, Rachel's bruises and injuries in the past and many more.

Then we have the romance, which is just Nate and Rachel constantly pining for each other, but nothing ever actually happens between them. And then when Nate finally does solve the mystery of Albie's death, he doesn't tells Rachel about who really killed Albie and she basically tells him to get lost and that was that. The ending felt rushed and extremely unsatisfactory- from the way Albie's case was resolved to Nate figuring out the killer out of absolutely nowhere, the way many things that were left unresolved and unexplained which thereby made the story feel disjointed, and Nate agreeing to return to the community to solve another murder when he kept saying he could and would never return far too many times to count over the length of the book.

I really thought I'd enjoy this book but disappointingly, it fell short on many ends.