An Unresolved Mystery Holds an Amish Community in Limbo

In book two of A Mifflin County Mystery series, Rosa Petersheim’s disappearance continues to cause suspicion and pain to swirl in the Big Valley.
 
Ada’s best friend, Rosa, disappeared a year ago and still has not been found. In their grief and confusion, Ada and Rosa’s boyfriend, Ephraim, have grown very close. But some in the community feel Ephraim is responsible for Rosa’s disappearance. Now Rosa’s younger sister is making accusations against Ephraim that can’t be true, and he pulls away from Ada, feeling betrayed. A fire set by an arsonist might finally be the thing to reveal secrets that have long been dividing this community of friends and family. But will it be too late for love between the peacemaker and the suspect?

My Review and Reflections

In book two, the focus shifts to Ada, Rosa’s best friend, and Rosa’s ex-boyfriend, Ephraim. Ada is sweet and nurturing to all those around her. Ephraim is living with his grandmother in Bird-in-Hand, and while he misses his community, he does not miss having to deal with people thinking he had something to do with Rosa’s disappearance.

Ada has always secretly had a crush on Ephraim, so when Ephraim’s family circumstances bring him back to Belleville, PA, it stirs up all those feelings. Ada doesn’t want to act on them because of her loyalty to Rosa. Plus, she’s convinced that Ephraim still loves Rosa. On the other hand, Ephraim feels a strong sense of duty toward his family and believes it’s his responsibility to care for his grandmother. Since she lives in another city, he sees no point in starting a new life in Belleville.

In this book, we continue to hear from Rosa’s brother, Norman, and her sister, Susan. Susan is a character I do not care for, but I feel like Brunstetter is going somewhere with this storyline. I’m holding out to see what happens throughout the entire series because of it.

This book is for anyone who enjoys series, loves a cliffhanger, and is willing to wait for the mystery to be solved. It’s also perfect for those who love sweet romances involving younger and older couples. I am committed to this series and am still anxiously waiting to find out what happened to Rosa.