Predictable. ( )

This is the fourth book in the "Amish Mystery" series. I have read one previous one, but you can read these books as standalone. There is enough history about the main character to follow her story.

Rachel Mast, is a character that lives between two worlds. Born and raised Amish, she left home at seventeen to go to university and then went to live in the big city and work for Corporate America. When that did not pan out, she returned home, but not to the Amish home, she lives as an Englisher and runs a Bed & Breakfast as well as a gift shop in the nearby town of Stone Mill. She has recently returned to the family home to help take care of her mother who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, as well as the rest of the family. The interactions between Rachel and Esther Mast are quite funny, as her mother tries not to recognize her as part of the family. When her cousin, Elsie, does not return home from a "singing" on a Friday night, Elsie's sister comes to Rachel for help looking for her (Rachel has a jeep). When they do not find her, the consensus is that she and her beau, Dathan, have left the community to get married and live as "English". When Elsie's body is found a couple of days later, and Dathan's during Elsie's funeral, Rachel sets out to find out what happened. The detective in charge of the case quickly assumes it was murder, suicide and closes it. Rachel with the help of her cousin and her Detective boyfriend Evan, continue to investigate.

This story is filled with mystery, suspense, and romance. Rachel's character is strong, loyal, smart, stubborn, persistent and loving. She is so caring of the Amish world and its traditions that they let her in, even though she has left the "Plain World" to live as an Englisher. The mystery in this story is well plotted and will keep you guessing as to who is the guilty party. I changed my mind on who it was a few times and I love when I think I have it all figured out only to be thrown in a different direction by the author. I did figure it out a bit before the reveal, and that made the story even more interesting for me as the motive and the act was another twist in itself. Definitely an author I will follow, especially as I learn more about the Amish life. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

Talk about mystery, this book will keep you guessing right to the last page, and with a surprise to warm your heart at the end.
We are in Amish country and two of their own have gone missing, such speculation and very different views here, but fact remains that they are gone. We have a woman Rachel Mast who has, as the Amish say, gone English, and running the local B & B, but she is also a close to her cousin whom is one of the missing. You are going to chuckle about how her Mom treats her, talking to her through others, she can hear her, and that is often her retort, but this is how her Mom deals with her leaving the Amish faith.
What happened to the two that are missing, and how could a horse and wagon also be missing? The answers are here, but it is going to take awhile to get them, with some sad events in between.
I received this book through Net Galley and Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

Plain Missing by Emma Miller is the fourth book in An Amish Mystery series. Rachel Mast is staying at her parents’ house to help take care of her mother, Esther while she is undergoing chemotherapy for her breast cancer. It is difficult because Esther refuses to talk with Rachel directly or let Rachel sit at the dining table with the rest of the family. This has been going on for over seventeen years. Late Friday evening, Rachel is sitting on the back porch when she notices a light bobbing across the field towards the Mast home. It is her cousin, Mary Aaron seeking Rachel’s assistance. Elsie, Mary Aaron’s sister, failed to arrive home from the singing. Rachel and Mary Aaron drive around to see if they can find Elsie and the man who drove her home, Dathan. After twenty-four hours, Elsie or Dathan are still missing and so are the horse and wagon. Rachel contacts Trooper Lucy Mars for assistance since her fiancé (and detective) Evan Parks is out of town. The police cannot do much since both parties are over twenty-one. The police believe that the pair decided to elope and escape into the English world. Elsie’s family knows that she would never do that. Rachel is determined to find out what happened to Elsie and Dathan. People in the community are keeping secrets, and Rachel is going to ferret them out.

Plain Missing may be the fourth book in the series, but it can be read alone. The author provides the needed background information on Rachel and her family. The book is nicely written and, for the most part, easy to read. The pace was a little slow at times especially when Rachel was speculating. The author tried to make the mystery complicated, but it can easily be solved early in the story. There are several major clues in the book that assist readers in untangling the riddle. I give Plain Missing 3.5 out of 5 stars. We get to see what life is like in an Amish community for its members, outsiders, and young people who have yet to decide whether or not to join the Amish church. I can see the pros and cons for each choice. I cannot imagine, though, living without modern technology (it has to be different if you have never had it). I do wonder, though, if Amish are as naïve as they are made out to be in novels. Are the young people aware of the dangers in our society? While Plain Missing is a nice story, my attention was never fully captured by the writing. I just felt that something was lacking and that the book was too long. The ending was stretched out. I did appreciate the epilogue and the growth in Esther’s character. ( )