May 26, 2014

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER by Karen Ann Hopkins Blog Tour {Review/Giveaway}



Title: LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER

Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Source: eARC from author for review

goodreads...
Lamb to the Slaughter is a story about the intertwining lives of three unlikely people in an Indiana Amish Community and the devastating results when a rebellious teenage girl is found shot to death in a corn field during the harvest. Serenity Adams is the newly elected young sheriff in the country town of Blood Rock and besides dealing with the threatening behavior of her predecessor, she now has a dead Amish girl on her plate. At first glance, the case seems obvious. The poor girl was probably accidently shot during hunting season, but when the elders of the Amish community and even the girl’s parents react with uncaring subdued behavior, Serenity becomes suspicious. As she delves deeper into the secretive community that she grew up beside, she discovers a gruesome crime from the past that may very well be related to the Amish girl’s shooting. Serenity enlists the help of the handsome bad-boy building contractor, Daniel Bachman, who left the Amish when he was nineteen and has his own dark reasons to help the spunky sheriff solve the crime that the family and friends who shunned him are trying desperately to cover up. Serenity’s persistence leads her to a stunning discovery that not only threatens to destroy her blossoming romance with Daniel, but may even take her life in the end.

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER was a really good book that had me eagerly reading to seek out the killer of the young Amish girl. I pretty much had the murderer pegged a couple chapters in but it was still interesting to see all the information the Sheriff and Daniel dug up in the meantime. I always enjoy playing detective with a good murder mystery.

Now I will honestly say I did not like the Sheriff. How Serenity has been elected Sheriff is beyond me. There were times I wondered about her. At the end of the story she asks one of her deputies to "make the call" at a trivial time in the investigation. Um, honey you are the Sheriff…you make the calls.

Daniel on the other hand I did like. He once belonged to the Amish community until he left it when he was 19 years old. He has a history with them but a future with the English people. He seemed to have it together more than the Sheriff when it came to the romance between the two. What little there was. I was hoping for more, but in the end, the mystery part was what pulled me in. And I was ok with that. Romance could be shelved for at least one book. I had a mystery to solve.

I really enjoyed Naomi’s POV that happened every other chapter. We got to go back before the murder and see what evolved between her and certain characters and what led up to the night she was taken from this world. Slowly but surely secrets are revealed and we find out what exactly happened to her. But I can truly say I liked her and her scenes. Even though we know what her outcome is, you still hold out the slightest bit of hope for her and that she gets away with the one she loves. Sadly it never happens.

Amish stories have always interested me. I want to say it would be easy to fall into that lifestyle and give up the frivolous things of this world. But after reading this one, I just don't think it would be quite that easy. They are a very secretive people and watch out for their own. It really would be a lot harder than it looks.

An intriguing tale full of mystery and suspense....LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER had me thinking and rethinking the entire time. 4 Suspenseful Stars!






A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.


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7 comments:

  1. Christina R.26 May, 2014

    Too bad you didn't like Serenity!! She sounds like an interesting sheriff with an interesting background!!

    LOVE what everyone is saying about David :)

    Lovely review :)

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  2. I really liked her Temptation series, so this one has me excited, too! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

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  3. Thanks for the review, sounds like something I would like to read! :)

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  4. Sounds different

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  5. Great review! Thanks for sharing

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  6. This novel sounds so intriguing! I can't wait to read it!

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  7. This sounds like a great read! :) Thanks for sharing & Happy Reading! :)

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