THE PEACEMAKER BY WABDA BRUNSTETTER

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 

Welcome back to another exciting book in this series. A young woman has been missing for a year and the community stills wonders what happened to her. I think not knowing would be so devastating and could keep people from moving forward. Ada misses her best friend so much. She longs for the times they spent together and feels empty inside . Grief has overwhelmed Ada as she tries to think of her future. She thinks of Rosa a lot and it feels  like she doesn’t feel like she should find happiness because perhaps she feels like it would mean she has given up hope of ever seeing her friend again. 

Ephraim moved away from his family  to help take care of his grandmother. He misses Rosa but knows that some people think he is a suspect in her disappearance. That would be such a big burden to overcome. When he comes home for a visit a friendship starts to develop between him and Ada. I did like Ephraim’s relationship with his grandmother. He was patient, helpful and protective of her. I appreciate how the author illustrates how grandparents are important to a family. 

With a look inside the Amish community you see people who help each other, love unconditionally and work had. I love how they live simple  lives and grow much of their own vegetables, fruits and herbs. Working long hours they appreciate what God has given them. Their commitment to faith is encouraging and also share meals together after services. 

It was interesting to read about Ben and Susan. Neither of them have joined the church yet. As they share pizza together they talk about the challenges they face. Ben doesn’t like all the rules that he would have to abide by if he joined. Susan mentions that her dad is the bishop for  their church district and believes that most of the rules come from the Bible. I wonder why Ben is so against joining the church? It bothered me that he was trying to influence Susan not to join. 

I loved how Ada was always trying to help others and relied on God to give her words of encouragement. The story is emotional and filled with faith as we follow characters who share  their struggles. Will Ada and Ephraim be able to find a way to grow their relationship? Can Susan trust Ben? Who will solve the mystery of Rosa? 

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. The review is my own opinion.