Nearing the Christmas holiday in Home Valley, Ohio, Lydia Brand aids her neighbor, Josh Yoder with his menagerie of animals, used in the traditional re-enactment scene of the birth of our Christ. Both are of the Home Valley Amish community and feel a romantic closeness even though Lydia is supposedly being courted by Gideon Reich who works in her father's Amish furniture store. Lydia loves the camels, much to her mother's disappointment. Lydia also works during the week as receptionist in the furniture store; her parents are trying to keep her close to home.

During a snow storm Lydia stumbles upon Victoria Keller's dead body; a sister of their neighbor, Senator Elizabeth "Bess" Stark, her son Connor and his family. Clutched in her hand is a note "to the girl brand baby...Your mother is alive". Knowing she is adopted, this begins Lydia's search for the truth of her true parentage and death of the couple she believes were her real parents. Aided by a female "Englisch" friend of Josh's who is a journalist, one death is compounded by another. As mysterious incidents begin to happen at her home as well as at Josh's, Lydia's life is in jeopardy as her inquires all get far too close to the truth.

The story line in UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT is so interesting I could barely put it down from as I was anxiously needing to see what happened next. Karen Harper has an amazing ability to weave a story full of suspense and keeping the reader on edge until the end, guessing at what is actuality. The reader is guaranteed a thrilling ride from page one through to the very last page.

UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT is complete, including an innocent romance between two terrific characters, unable to deny their love. It is an extremely insightful look and lesson into the ways of the Amish and their customs. I thoroughly loved this story and know everyone reading it will as well.

Book Summary

A cold night's silent majesty hides a BITTER secret…

Though she is deeply loved by her parents, the fact that Lydia Brand is adopted has always made her different from her close-knit Amish community. But as Christmas approaches and she begins to search for answers about her biological parents, more questions surface.

Soon it seems that the deaths of two women in her small town may not be coincidences, after all. And her pursuit of the truth has left her only with hints of a dark secret—and threats from an unseen adversary.

While she does her best to stave off advances from her parents' preferred suitor, Lydia discovers that her heart truly belongs to the man who's been there all along: her friend Josh Yoder. It's only with his help that Lydia can ensure that the stillness of a winter's night means peace…and not danger.