In Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, a community once united must suspect one of their own
Amish quilter Sarah Bitler’s dreams no longer feature a husband and family. Instead, she searches for success in the quilt shop within Blackburn House, a place once tarnished with deadly secrets. She refuses to let the past influence her future...until an ominous fire forces them to collide.
Firefighter Aaron King was the first to touch Sarah’s heart—and the first to break it. Now a widower and father of two small girls, his return to Sarah’s life brings her buried feelings to the surface. As a string of horrific incidents tears apart their community, an arsonist’s wrath threatens to destroy them all. With Aaron as the only suspect, Sarah must follow her instincts to find the truth. But to protect an innocent man, she might risk her heart to Aaron again...and risk her life to an unknown killer.
“Abundant details turn this Amish romantic thriller series launch into a work of art.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Where Secrets Sleep
“Crisp writing and distinctive characters make up Perry’s latest novel. Where Secrets Sleep is a truly entertaining read.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Perry’s story hooks you immediately. Her uncanny ability to seamlessly blend the mystery element with contemporary themes makes this one intriguing read.”
—RT Book Reviews on Home by Dark
“Perry skillfully continues her chilling, deceptively charming romantic suspense series with a dark, puzzling mystery that features a sweet romance and a nice sprinkling of Amish culture.”
—Library Journal on Vanish in Plain Sight
“Leah’s Choice, by Marta Perry, is a knowing and careful look into Amish culture and faith. A truly enjoyable reading experience.”
—Angela Hunt, New York Times bestselling author of Let Darkness Come
“Leah’s Choice is a story of grace and servitude as well as a story of difficult choices and heartbreaking realities. It touched my heart. I think the world of Amish fiction has found a new champion.”
—Lenora Worth, author of Code of Honor
When Secrets Strike
Marta Perry
I’m so glad you decided to read my latest Amish suspense series. I always intended to make Sarah, the Amish quilt shop owner, the protagonist of this story. But as I began the planning, I became aware again of the difficulties involved in having Amish characters in a suspense novel. The Amish believe that faith means following Jesus’s teachings, including the one about turning the other cheek. They will not return violence for violence, and of course suspense often does involve attacks, danger and threats. Obviously my Amish characters could not be police officers or use violence in any way against another person. As I wrote, though, I found that this seeming handicap brought an interesting facet to my characters, as they had to struggle against the temptation of anger and violence in the face of attack.
If you’ve read Where Secrets Sleep, I hope you enjoy revisiting familiar places, browsing in the quilt shop and catching up with what’s happening in the lives of people you met there.
Please let me know how you feel about my story. I’d be happy to send you a signed bookmark and my brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. You can email me at [email protected], visit me at facebook.com/martaperrybooks or at martaperry.com, or write to me at HQN Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.
Blessings,
This story is dedicated to my husband, who always believes in me, with much love.
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishment. There are only consequences.
—Amish proverb
Contents
Praise
Dear Reader
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EPILOGUE
BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. Sarah Bitler smiled, thinking of her mother’s familiar goodbye as Sarah had climbed into her buggy this morning. Mammi always said the same thing when any of her family left her sight. She’d really rather they stay safely on the farm, even Sarah, who was nearing thirty and had long since been accepted as a maidal, an old maid, by their Pennsylvania Amish community.
What was there to be careful of on this peaceful back road that wound between Amish and Englisch farms on its way to the town of Laurel Ridge? The route took a bit longer to reach her quilt shop than if Sarah had gone by the main road, but was worth it to keep her mother from worrying.
“Mamm is being a little silly, ain’t so, Molly?” She could talk to her buggy