Monday, October 7, 2013

A Plain Disappearance, by Amanda Flower



A Plain Disappearance, by Amanda Flower, is the third book in the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series. It is set in an Amish community, although its two main characters, Timothy Troyer and Chloe Humphrey have chosen not to live the Amish lifestyle. The story begins with Timothy taking Chloe out on their first real date, where they happen upon the body of a young Amish girl in the snow. They call the police, and an investigation begins, with much assistance from Chloe (despite the fact that she is not in any way employed in any type of law enforcement.)

The story was well-written and well paced, and the characters were likeable. I enjoyed reading about the Amish way of life, and it was obvious that the author was well-versed in this area. She really made the community come to life. There was an interesting dynamic between the Amish, and those in their families who'd decided to leave the way of life and become "Englischers", which added a certain richness to the story.

My only real complaint about the book - which isn't technically a complaint at all - is that being the 3rd book in the series, I did feel like I was missing a bit of back story. The story itself did stand on its own, but there were certain characters and events referenced from previous books that would have felt more relevant had I read those books. This is not a problem with the book, or the writing, of course... more a matter of preference.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you enjoy 1) any sort of book set in the Amish community, and 2) sort of sweet, light-hearted mysteries. You probably just want to start with book one.