Among the Innocent by Mary Alford is a story that starts right into the action and keeps moving all the way through to the end. As it is a book focused on murders in a quiet Amish community, this can be rather intense and disturbing.  This is not the sort of book one reads for comfort and warm snuggly feelings. There is more to the story or course, but this is the main plot point.

The two main characters Leah and Dalton are police officers who are racing to try and figure out who the murderer is and stop him before he causes more deaths.  Everywhere they turn there are more clues and seemingly even more secrets to uncover.  There are some scary scenes that make the situation feel even more urgent.  The author has done a great job creating the suspense.

The area that leaves a little bit of a blank spot is the romance.  Leah and Dalton are both dealing with emotional issues from the past. They meet and within only a couple of days they become kissing friends.  Okay, sorry to spoil it for all you romantics out there, but it just was not believable.  They did not know each other previously and then all of a sudden they are ready for kissing?  Readers looking for a well-developed relationship might have to seek elsewhere.

Review of an Advanced Reading Copy provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore:  Many times a character recalls a gruesome scene in which her family was killed by having their throats slit, blood is mentioned; several people are killed by having their throats slit and blood is everywhere; a decomposing body is found; characters are shot at and knifed, blood is mentioned in many scenes.

Sex/Nudity:  Non-married characters kiss and embrace; a character indicates she was raped.

Mature Subjects:  

Murder, psychiatric issues, dementia

Drug/Alcohol Use: 

Character is looking for weed, it is indicated that he is high.