Customer Reviews

Dark Angel (Maplecreek Amish Trilogy #3)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In Maplecreek, Ohio, school teacher Leah Kurtz's life long friend, more a sister than a pal, Barbara Yoder is dying from leukemia after giving birth just one month ago. Her husband Sam is not coping well and in some ways blames his infant daughter Becca. Before dying, Barbara, with Sam's blessing, asks Leah to raise Becca as her own. Leah agrees loving the child as if she is the biological mother.

Research Doctor Mark Morelli investigates natal accelerated aging, one of several genetic problems plaguing the Amish. He has a mixed welcome as some Plain People want him to stop playing God; while others welcome him. Leah has become knowledgeable with genetic illness since Barbara became sick; she wants the outsider to succeed. Mark realizes she is his liaison with the community. Leah starts having doubts that the infant she cares for is Becca; increasingly believing a switch occurred. Finding dead flowers everywhere adds to her paranoia, but perhaps someone is trying to drive her and Mark out of town before they discover the dark secrets that someone wants kept hidden.

DARK ANGEL, Karen Harper's third "Dark" Amish tale (see DARK ROAD HOME and DARK HARVEST) is more a medical murder thriller than a romance though the love subplot between the lead couple enhances the prime mystery. The story line provides terrific juxtapositions between frightening crimes and nurturing caring individuals. Early on the tale slowly establishes the cast but once the eerie intrigue takes over, the pace goes to jet speed until the finish as the audience wonders who is the DARK ANGEL?

I DID enjoy this book, and I really loved the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery mixed with a little romance.

One thing that really annoyed me, however, was that this book kept referring to one of the characters from the first two books in this series as "Brett" (should be Brooke). If you've read the first two books, you probably caught this right away, too. I certainly didn't forget the characters names. How did the author???

The young Amish lady, Leah Kurtz's young life has seen too much sorrow; first her sister dies, then her fiance' jilts her following his rumspringa, finally, her best friend falls prey to a genetic disease common among their people, dying far too young. Yet, in Barbara's death lies a blessing. She and her husband choose to give their little girl, Becca, to Leah to raise as her own rather than the young widower trying to be a single father. Perhaps it is partly her duty to Becca that leads Becca to go to work for the English gene doctor, Mark Morelli. Soon, the is much more going on than mere work. Someone has turned the gentle Amish into a target, and it is somehow tied to Mark's work. After a child vanishes, Mark and Leah work together to find out what is going on, and that closeness begins to ignite a forbidden passion that will force Leah to chose between her people and her love. Then, her own Becca disappears, and nothing else matters but rescuing the daughter of her heart.

*** As always, a book centered around the Amish is fascinating. Of all Ms. Harper's Plain heroines, Leah is my favorite. The tension between the clashing worlds provides an apt background for a compelling story that ends on a heartwarming note. ***

This book is set in Amish country and features a young Amish woman and an outsider, Englisher research doctor. Amish children have been dying from a genetically related disease and even some adults have been sickly, carriers and even died. The doctor moved to the area to study the diseases, find the gene that causes them, and hopefully help with finding a cure.

Spooky things start happening. Threats to the doctor and his helpers, kidnappings, killings and mysterious disappearances.

The book contains much mystery and lesser amts of a love story, but it is powerful enough to make the reader feel the pull to finish the book and see what happens.

This is one of a three book series by this author.

i only like the amish love inspired book also would like to join a book club if i could only recievice amish books

a must read - i love all Karen harper books but this series is one of her best.

I love Karen Harper. She provides a great story and wonderful character interaction...she is also one of the few authors I can safely give to my mom to read. :) Although the amish stories have not been my favorite, I loved this one. It was fantastic and the storyline gets you from the first!!

This book was very hard to put down after awhile. The Amish location made it more interesting. Would recommend.

Kepted me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Was really hard to put down.

This book is the 3rd in the series of books set in Maplecreek, OH. You do not have to read the others before to follow this one but it is helpful and the others-Dark Harvest and Dark Road Home-are even better. I loved these books. The story is exciting, the characters loveable, and the Amish storyline is very interesting. If you like a mystery mixed in with a little romance-forbidden romance!-then this book is for you.