Synopses & Reviews
Against the peaceful night sky, a barn burns
Sarah Kauffman sought permission from her church elders to paint murals on a few of the Amish community's barns. Each was designed like an oldfashioned quilt square, representing a piece of the Amish traditions Sarah loved. The works of art were intended to draw more tourists to the Home Valley in the struggling economy. But instead, they invited a menace. One by one, each barn is set ablaze and destroyed
The arson fires spread fear through the community amongst Amish and Englischers alike. Now Sarah wonders if she's being punished for her pridefulness
or whether there's a more malevolent will at work.
As an outsider, arson investigator Nate MacKenzie struggles to investigate the crime scenes while adhering to Amish ways. With Sarah as his guide, he warms to the Plain People and their simple ways. As the fires rage, beliefs are challenged, a way of life is questioned and family secrets are exposed. In the aftermath of the destruction the people of the Home Valley must join together to raise their barns and their hopes for the future.
Review
Karen Harper's Down River has been nominated for the 2011 Mary Higgins Clark Award, presented by the Mystery Writers of America
Review
"A strong plot, a pair of well-written characters and a genuinely spooky atmosphere add up to yet another sterling effort from Harper. Fast-paced and absorbing, this one will keep readers turning pages far into the night."
-RT Book Reviews on Deep Down
Review
"The story is rich...and the tension steadily escalates to a pulse-pounding climax."
-Publishers Weekly on The Hiding Place
Review
"Strongly plotted and well written, featuring a host of interesting characters, Harper's latest is a winner."
-RT Book Reviews on Below the Surface
Review
"Harper keeps tension high as the insane villain cleverly evades efforts to capture him. And Harper really shines in the final act, providing readers with a satisfying and exciting denouement."
-Publishers Weekly on Inferno
Review
"Harper spins an engaging, nerve-racking yarn, alternating her emphasis between several equally interesting plot strands. More important, her red herrings do the job-there's just no guessing who the guilty party might be."
-RT Book Reviews on Hurricane
Review
"Well-researched and rich in detail...With its tantalizing buildup and well-developed characters, this offering is certain to earn Harper high marks."
-Publishers Weekly on Dark Angel, winner of the 2005 Mary Higgins Clark Award
Review
"...Harper, a master of suspense, keeps readers guessing about crime and love until the very end, while detailed descriptions of the Amish community and the Ohio countryside add to the enjoyment of this thrilling tale, the first in the Home Valley Amish Trilogy." - Booklist on FALL FROM PRIDE (starred review)
Review
"Harper's Home Valley trilogy continues with a strong installment that deals with one woman's struggle between wanting to make it in the outside world and staying with what she has always known. The author's likable, engaging characters and a strong plot lend additional strength to her ever-amazing descriptions of Amish life." - RT Book Reviews on RETURN TO GRACE
About the Author
Karen Harper is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of romantic suspense. A former Ohio State University English instructor, she now writes full time. Harper is the winner of The Mary Higgins Clark Award for her novel, DARK ANGEL. She also writes historical novels set in Tudor England. Please visit or write her at her website at <>