Plain Fear: Forgiven

The third entry in Ellis’s ungainly mix of vampires and the Amish (following Forbidden and Forsaken) is unlikely to engage any readers not already invested in the series. Samuel Fisher, young and not fully committed to his faith, struggles with guilt after shooting his brother, Jacob, who had transformed into the demon-possessed vampire Akiva. Jacob, caught in an afterlife with the angel Remiel, yearns to help his brother make the correct choices. Samuel is dispatched to Pennsylvania by his father to assist his injured third brother, Levi, who’s married to Jacob’s former love interest, Hannah. Levi and his family live near Hannah’s sister, Rachel, who has been shunned following her marriage to non-Amish ex-cop and vampire slayer Roc Girouard. Vampiric foes marshal against Samuel and his allies and endanger those he cares about, including his steadfast first love, Naomi. Details of daily life and sincere discussions of faith help elevate the muddy mythology and tepid plot. Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency. (Aug.)