The Amish Witness Protection series kicks off with a bang. US Marshal Jonathan Mast is in charge of the safety of Celeste Alexander, a programmer aged 26 who tracked down a cyber thief. Poindexter had stolen from the bank accounts of thousands of ordinary Americans and Celeste got him arrested. But the man wiped his computer disks before the FBI seized them, so Celeste is trying to trace the money. Her identity was posted online and her apartment exploded. Now she needs a safe house, months before she gives evidence in a trial. Jonathan needs to keep her alive.

Celeste lives in Philadelphia and while she loves handmade goods, she buys them online (and keeps a virtual farm). Her life is about to turn on its head. With trolls from the dark web now chasing her for pay, even capturing images by drone cam, she has to get out of sight and off the grid. She's no shrinking violet; I love the way she grabs a gun from a woman and kicks her with both feet. She also knows what can be traced and hacked, like cell phones. Jonathan may be expert at protection but like many cops, he's not completely au fait with electronic surveillance and hacking. He's thinking she's paranoid, but before long she's proven right in the most unpleasant way.

I enjoyed the scene at Hope's Creek where Jonathan meets the family, who then become involved in the drama. This story is a real clash of two worlds and their contrasting cultures. As AMISH HIDEOUT is an inspirational romance, the main characters occasionally discuss their values and ask what God wants of them. The characters may not attend church, but they do consider that God is directing their lives, and maybe it was meant for Jonathan to come home to his family. But he never intended to place them all in danger.

This wintry story begins a linked series and I'm delighted that two more will soon be available, AMISH SAFE HOUSE by Debby Giusti and AMISH HAVEN by Dana R Lynn. If you read just one romantic suspense book this spring, Maggie K. Black has given us heart-stopping action and realistic romance in AMISH HIDEOUT. I highly recommend the read.

Book Summary