What I think you should know:
Shielding the Amish Witness by Mary Alford is an Amish Romantic Suspense. It is set in the same Amish community as some of her previous books.. If you don't want spoilers you will need to read Covert Amish Christmas prior to reading this book.

What you might need to know:
Faith’s husband was a cop who she thought was “killed in the line of duty”.
Eli lost his wife Miriam in a tragic fire prior to the start of this book.

What I think about this book:
If you have ever read one of Alford’s Romantic Suspense you know what a treat you are in for, if you have not the hang on for an adrenaline packed adventure. Alford takes you on a wild ride as Faith tries to escape her husband’s killer by returning to her childhood home. This story was full of suspense but low on the romantic side as Faith rediscovers her friendship with Eli, who she adored as a child, as he tries to protect her from danger. I loved this book and hope that the author will continue the series with Mitch so that we can know his story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

“Faith appeared to be one more bad thing away from falling apart.” Oh, the tension here!!
Why you might enjoy Shielding the Amish Witness by Mary Alford.
First, the action is immediate. Faith Cooper St. Claire has just discovered her deceased husband’s note implicating both himself and his brother as crooked cops working for a ruthless drug dealer. When Faith shows her sister-in-law, Cheryl, this evidence, Cheryl is ruthlessly killed by a said brother-in-law, Vince, and Faith must flee for her life.
Secondly, Faith, Eli, and Sarah, the main protagonists, are not unbelievably intelligent people with whiz computer hacking skills. With extraordinary circumstances to be overcome,
they are normal people set against what should be a very peaceful Amish background. That juxtaposition helps lessen a little of the intensity of the high-octane suspense. If you are looking for true romantic suspense one or two notches below bordering on terror, this fits the bill nicely.
I love secondary characters who are the kind I would love to have in my life. Grossmammi Sarah is one of these, with “Never a negative word. Not even for the man who had torn apart their family.” She also fully embraces Faith’s return, loving her and waiting patiently for Faith to be ready to talk without pushing for answers. And so much peace, wisdom, and faith in Gott that can only come with years of practice, exercising our trust muscle.
Eli, I love because he is also broken and flawed, but he is faithful to his dear friend Sarah. Will that extend to Sarah’s beloved granddaughter, Faith?
Highly recommended!
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher via Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. ( )

always enjoy reading Amish fiction, especially when someone returns to their Amish roots. This Amish suspense novel lived up to my expectations. From the moment I began reading, I could not put the book down until I finished reading it.

The two principal characters, Faith Cooper and Eli Shelter, have things in their past they are running from separately. But when their paths cross, Eli strives to keep Faith safe. Childhood friends, separated by time and circumstances, try to stay alive together. Faith’s grandmother, along with Eli’s family, attempts to keep them safe. The character and storyline jump to life in the words in this book. So check it out for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but it in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Faith Cooper just witnessed her best friend being killed by the same man who killed her husband a year ago. Now, Faith is on the run, back to the Amish community that was once her home, and the person helping her is her childhood friend Eli Shetler. How will this Amish man, who shies away from violence, hope to protect Faith from a crazed and evil criminal who is intent on silencing her forever!

Shielding the Amish Witness is a fast-paced suspense story that begins with a terrifying car chase, and the danger and action never let up. Author Mary Alford excels in writing nail-biting scenes that take you to the edge, and leave you wondering how much more the "good guys" can endure. Faith, Eli, and Victor possess the best and worst qualities in human nature, but Alford never fails to include a chance for forgiveness and redemption for the characters in her stories. Both Faith and Eli have deep hurts from their pasts. Is it possible for them to find love and peace in West Kootenai, Montana?

If you're looking for exciting romantic suspense that keeps you turning the pages, you will want to read Shielding the Amish Witness. I enjoyed catching up with Aaron and Victoria Shetler, from a previous book, and I look forward to learning more about the Shetler family!

I received a copy of this book from the author via Celebrate Lit. These are my own thoughts. ( )

“The foundation holding her world together crumbled and she realized everything had been a lie. There was nothing perfect about her life.”

A word to the wise: do not read this book if you are looking for a laidback, cozy-style mystery! With the exception of the epilogue, from page one until the end this is an adrenaline-fueled race that will have you looking over your shoulder for any villains. Though perhaps not especially unique for being set within an Amish community, Mary Alford does make “Shielding the Amish Witness” stand out for the interesting comingling of characters. Faith Cooper, fleeing her brother-in-law after discovering evidence linking him to her husband’s murder, turns to her grandmother and the Amish community to which she belonged years ago. Her childhood friend, Eli Shetler, has also returned after tragedy, and he makes it his mission to protect Faith. There is so much at stake, including hurting hearts, and an outcome that only God can determine.

As I read “Shielding the Amish Witness,” I kept thinking about how cinematic it is. It is very easy to picture this book as a Lifetime movie or as an episode of a true crime show, although the story itself is fictional. In some ways it reminds me of a clean horror movie, with the evildoer an indestructible force who always manages to get right back up and keep coming after the victim. I have to admit that while the cinematic aspect is one of this novel’s greatest strengths because readers can visualize the scenes, for me it is also a deterrent to some extent. I think it’s important to note, however, that I do not have any personal experience with the situations in the story, or with law enforcement, so I am not certain which situations may be commonplace. In my opinion, the scenarios feel a tad too dramatized and too repetitive, which stretched the credulity for me. I felt frustrated with how the characters seem to be stuck in a recurrent cycle, but at the same time I believe there is a lesson here. So many times we, myself included, do the same thing when it comes to sin and our relationship with God. We know what things we should avoid, and yet we still tend to fall into the same traps over and over on this journey through life, and until we confront whatever causes us to stumble and deal with it, there won’t be change. Thankfully, Jesus is with us every step of the way, and we can, as one of the characters in the story advises, “Live your life in the now and in the future. Don’t look back.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. ( )