Another wonderful book by Wanda Brunstetter. I read this book in 2 days that's how good was. Read it for yourself and enjoy. ( )

First, I have not read any books by Wanda Brunstetter in several years, so I was left in the dark about some of the characters in this first mystery book in a series. That was disappointing, especially since so many of the characters have apparently appeared in other books. While I enjoyed the story, I was also very disappointed that the story continues in another book, so I was left hanging. I've read many books in series, and I've not encountered this particular issue before, the one exception being The Lord of the Rings trilogy (only published as a trilogy due to the size of the work as a whole). I'm surprised that others who reviewed this book did not comment on this. Perhaps if I was an avid reader of the author's books, I would not have been caught off guard. I do not think I will be seeking out the next book. ( )

The book has an interesting plot but the pace was slow. There are only so many pages a reader can stand of characters having angry thoughts. If there had been a few more twists and turns in the plot the book would have been more interesting. Also, providing the reader with a resolution of the vandalism of the greenhouse would have been nice since it was mentioned in the book's blurb. ( )

I'm not sure if I've ever read a mystery where it wasn't solved by the end. Other than that, the book wasn't too bad. I liked the characters, though I think their speech was a bit formal some times for speaking among family members. I felt bad for them all with the triple deaths, but it made for an interesting story. ( )

“The Crow’s Call” represents the first in a new series about Amish culture. Amy and her mom Belinda are left to manage the family greenhouse business when death claims several male members of the family. Younger brother Henry and sister Sylvie help as they are able, but often these two are not able to cope with the work and with meeting people. Amy is willing to give up her own happiness to help her mom, and Belinda must also deal with the unwelcome attentions of a past love. The plotline shows how each character deals with grief and loss in his or her own way.

Readers of the “Jars” Amish series will enjoy the reappearance in this novel of Michelle and Ezekiel and their children. Other familiar characters also play a part in this story. While the novel begins on a tragic note, the characters try to move on and establish a new rhythm to their lives. Readers are given insights into the thoughts and feelings of each major character in the household. The cliffhanger ending will encourage readers to continue with the next novel in the series. (Personally, I dislike this kind of ending that forces readers to read the next book in the series so as to resolve issues that are left hanging. But I will most likely read it anyway.) This is probably not a good read for a stand-alone novel.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )