The Search by Shelley Shepard Gray
Series: The Secrets of Crittenden County #2
Published by HarperCollins on June 19, 2012
Genres: Fiction, General, Religious, Romance
Pages: 288
In the midst of a murder investigation in the heart of Amish country, one young policeman finds his heart led astray
The serenity of the quiet Amish community of Marion, Kentucky, is disrupted when the body of Perry Borntrager is discovered in an abandoned well. Now the small town faces the first death by mysterious circumstances in more than twenty years, and Detective Luke Reynolds is brought in to help investigate. But before he can solve the crime, he faces unexpected feelings for Frannie, the Amish owner of the local bed-and-breakfast. Though they butt heads at first, Luke finds himself drawn to Frannie’s bedside when she’s injured in a kitchen accident.
Soon it becomes clear that Frannie knew Perry better than she let on . . . they’d been secretly courting when he disappeared.
Has Luke fallen for the very woman responsible for the crime?
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: mild violence (though no detailed description)
Suggested Age: 15+
This is a quick, enjoyable read but I have a slight problem that I don’t quite know what to do about. The Search is eerily similar to His Risk which released in March 2018. Why is that a problem? Well, this book came out first so I can’t really say that she recycled the plot with this book. See the problem here? The stories are very similar but I enjoyed The Search more.
I like the characters really well in this series. I just connect with them more. Some of the romance seemed rushed and bordering on insta-love. But, I couldn’t help but root for them all the same.
My only real complaint is that I was conflicted on Frannie’s character. She seemed so much older than she actually is (I think.) I am a little confused about her age. I know that doesn’t seem like a huge deal but it just felt like I wasn’t fully connecting the dots.
Overall though, I like this series. I’m invested in the characters and want to know how the story concludes. And, I love that I’m two stories in on a murder mystery and I really have no idea who did it!
About Shelley Shepard Gray
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
I own the 3rd and 4th books in this series. I have to track the first two down. Nice review!
:-) Enjoy!