This book has so many great qualities that I almost don’t know where to start! It’s got a fast-paced storyline, a good romantic element, and a mystery that will have you guessing the “who-done-it” all the way through. Not only that, but it’s a hard book to put down. I was reading it every spare minute that I could!

Lately, I’ve been on the Amish fiction bandwagon, so I really liked the fact that this book was set in Amish country. This was my first experience with an Amish story that was combined with a mystery, with the mystery being the main focus of the story instead of the Amish. With that said, the author does include the important things one needs to know to understand the Amish culture. So, if you’ve never read Amish fiction before, you’d definitely get a good knowledge of what you need to know to understand their lifestyle.

Probably the most interesting thing that I liked about this book was that the DNA testing and research that goes on in Amish communities is factual. I had no idea that there were several genetic disorders that they have to deal with, but it’s understandable since they’re all so tight-knit and marry within their community. The author did an incredible amount of research that shows when the DNA lingo starts to get really technical, but she writes it in a way that makes sense.

Mindy Starns Clark is definitely an author I’ll be on the lookout for in the future. Make no mistake—you’ll not be sorry if you read Shadows of Lancaster County. It is not a book you want to miss out on!

I could not put this book down until I reached the end. Great plot, great characters, great pacing.

My Review at Epinions.