Home by Dark

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY

PERRY, MARTA

HOME BY DARK

The past can catch up to you...

Rachel Weaver Mason is finally going home to Deer Run, the Amish community she left behind so many years ago. Recently widowed, she wants desperately to create a haven for herself and her young daughter. But the community, including Rachel's family, is anything but welcoming.

The only person happy to see her is her teenaged brother, Benjamin, and he's protecting a dark secret that endangers them all. Determined to keep Benjamin saffron a suspected killer, Rachel has no choice but to turn to the one man she wanted to get as far away from as possible. Colin McDonald was her late husband's friend, and the man who came between them.

He's never forgotten her and would do anything to keep her and her family safe. Rachel doesn't now if she can trust Colin, or her growing feelings for him. But as they hunt for the killer, the tension between them builds and soon both their lives, and their hearts, are on the line.

My Review:

published in 2012

I thought I was all caught up with Marta Perry's mystery books but then I stumbled upon this series (Watcher in the Dark) on audible and realized I'd only read the second one. Squeeeppp, you bet I bought book one in an nanosecond and started listening just as fast. :-)

Kinda contemporary romance / mystery mashup with a bit of a creepy vibe. I get all nostalgic when I read these HQN mystery series by Marta Perry because I immediately connect with the thrill of my Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney reading days. It has the same kind of pacing -- where the mystery develops slowly, gradually building to the 'Noooooooo" moment when my heart flies into my throat and I can barely catch my breath. 

And the romance is just as deliberate, building from an almost frenemies relationship (especially on Rachel's side) to wary friendship -- and I do mean wary. Rachel doesn't trust easily. And she and Colin have a history that's only hinted at for much of the book. "Bout drove me crazy trying to figure out what was up with them!

The Amish setting, and Rachel's fractured relationship with her family bring added depth and tension to the plot and I love the way the author brings healing and hope to the situation. So, while this isn't a Christian Fiction selection, it does provide an uplifting message of forgiveness and grace.

Goal Update: #2 Catch up with series I'm behind in, #8 Play author catchup. 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Home by Dark , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the Draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 16  2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck