Harmless as Doves: An Amish-Country Mystery

A violent crime disrupts a peace-loving Amish community as well as the "English" (non-Amish) population of Ohio's Holmes County in Gaus's well-constructed seventh Amish-Country mystery (after 2008's Separate from the World). When a member of Bishop Leon D. Shetler's church, Crist Burkholder, who wishes to marry beautiful 17-year-old Vesta Miller, confesses to killing rival Glenn Spiegle, who's twice Vesta's age and favored by her authoritarian father, sorting out the twisted truths takes not only the wisdom and counsel of Shetler but also the investigative skills of Sheriff Bruce Robertson. The seeds of the killing lead Sgt. Ricky Niell and Professor Michael Branden to Pinecraft, Fla., an Amish winter vacation spot. Multidimensional characters on both sides of the cultural divide give depth to the narrative. While Gaus provides a serviceable plot, it's the complex interactions of these two very different cultures that make this such an enjoyable and enlightening read. (July)