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Karen Ann Hopkins
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Lamb to the Slaughter (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Karen Ann Hopkins (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 9,959 ratings
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"A well-crafted tale of murder begotten by the collision of two incompatible worlds." -Kirkus Reviews

SOME AMISH COMMUNITIES AREN'T SO COZY

5,000+ rave ratings for Lamb to the Slaughter, the first book in unputdownable Serenity's Plain Secrets, is the riveting 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 rural 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. He 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.

WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER AND KAREN ANN HOPKINS
“I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this one…I cannot wait for book two!” –Lose Time Reading

“This book HAD IT ALL!! Murder, mystery, forbidden romance and left you needing to read the next book in the series ASAP!! Loved this book! I give it 4.5 stars!” –Curling Up With a Good Book

“From the prologue to the last chapters, Lamb to the Slaughter had me INSTANTLY HOOKED.” –Love-Life-Read

“The characters are COMPLEX and DIMENSIONAL, whether they have a large or smaller part to play in this story, and it really added such a richness that I enjoyed.” –Heather, Bewitched Bookworms Reviews

“Karen Ann Hopkins has delivered with Lamb to the Slaughter, and I am hoping for a lot more Serenity Adams mysteries in the future.” –Unabridged Bookshelf

“The mystery remains a mystery until the very end…and I highly enjoyed getting to know Serenity, Daniel and the secretive Amish community.” –The Book Swarm

“Lamb to the Slaughter is a MUST READ for fans of mystery novels. Karen Ann Hopkins made me a fan with her YA Temptation series, and she's made me an even bigger fan with this murder mystery.”–Actin Up With Books

“An INTRIGUING TALE full of mystery and suspense…LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER had me thinking and rethinking the entire time.” –I Read Indie!

“Simply put, Karen Ann Hopkins takes her readers to a new level of Amish fiction and suspense…My 5 tree reviews are never given without a lot of thought. No questions asked, 5 it is.” –Deitre Helvey Owens, Once Upon a Twilight

“Lamb to the Slaughter is a STUNNINGLY SUSPENSEFUL read that will have you flipping pages long after bedtime!” –Bittersweet Enchantment

THE FORTUNA COIN, Karen Ann Hopkins' highly acclaimed psychological thriller, is now available.
FREE FROM SIN and DARK HOLLOW ROAD, the unforgettable first and second books in Karen Ann Hopkins' Possum Gap series, which has future ties to Serenity's Plain Secrets, with Sheriff Serenity Adams and Sheriff Sadie Mills working together, are now available.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 17
    Serenity's Plain Secrets
  2. Print length
    315 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    March 14, 2014
  6. Reading age
    14 - 18 years
  7. File size
    2667 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An INTRIGUING TALE full of mystery and suspense!" -I Read Indie

"Simply put, Karen Ann Hopkins takes her readers to a new level of Amish fiction and suspense." -Deitre Owens, Once Upon A Twilight

"Lamb to the Slaughter is a STUNNINGLY SUSPENSFUL read that will have you flipping pages longs after bedtime!" -Bittersweet Enchantment

"This book HAD IT ALL! Murder, mystery, forbidden romance and left you needing to read the next book in the series ASAP!!" -Curling Up With A Good Book

"The characters are COMPLEX and DIMENSIONAL, whether they have a large or smaller part to play in this story, and it really added such a richness that I enjoyed." -Heather, Bewitched Bookworms Reviews

"Karen Ann Hopkins delivered with Lamb to the Slaughter and I am hoping for a lot more Serenity Adams mysteries in the future." -Unabridged Bookshelf

About the Author

Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of animals. Karen rescues and fosters a variety of pets and livestock, but she also finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, lead a 4H club, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, TEMPTATION, by the Amish community she lives in. The experiential knowlede she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in upstate New York. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventurally, Karen found her place as a riding instructor. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Karen Is currently working on her Amish mystery series, SERENITY'S PLAIN SECRETS, along with several new projects.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J0LY146
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Karen Ann Hopkins (March 14, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 14, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2667 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 315 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 9,959 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Karen Ann Hopkins

Karen Ann Hopkins

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Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, sheep, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and cats. Karen rescues and fosters a variety of pets and farm animals, but she also finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lives in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse bug at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, she was rewarded with her first horse at the age of eleven. The feisty horse's name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen's steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, Karen found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Karen is currently working on her two interconnecting mystery/crime fiction series, Serenity's Plain Secrets and Possum Gap, along with several new projects.

To learn more about Karen and her books, please visit her website.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
9,959 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Douglas Terry
5.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery with a different twist
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is about the solving of murder in an Amish community. It's a good book. I really enjoyed it. It kept my interest all the way through it. It's a good mystery with a different twist. There is romance but not vivid descriptions of steamy sex. There is no unnecessary violence and what is there is not graphic. There is some profanity but not a lot and it's used realistically. It's not particularly complementary to the Amish and I don't know how close to reality some of the interaction between the Amish and the sheriff would be. I've had very little personal interaction with the Amish, almost none really but I have read several non-fiction books on them. I find them fascinating though I disagree with virtually all of their beliefs. Anyway it gives the story a different twist from a lot of the mysteries out there. I liked the characters. I thought they were well developed and everything plausible. Writing and editing were good. The only real typo I recall was balling for bawling. And to nit pick at one point the sheriff takes a 9 mm from the hand of a protagonist and then later refers to it as a revolver. Very unlikely to have a 9 mm revolver. It would have to be a single action or use half moon clips but again I'm nit picking. It's not at all relevant to the story, most readers won't know the difference and certainly won't care. It's a good read. X-Ray is not active. Though this is the first book in a series of 3, it is a stand alone story. You don't have to go to the next book to find out what happens though there is a short lead in to the next book about an entirely different investigation. The organization is sort of interesting. Chapters are usually around one of the different characters in the story and presented in the first person. Anyway it worked for me.
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Patti Mac
4.0 out of 5 stars Secrets, lies, murder
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023
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This story is about a young Amish girl who is found shot to death in a corn field. The story unfolds, told from several viewpoints. Believable characters support the plot making the story seem plausible. This is well written and edited so it's easy to keep your attention on the story. Very interesting, I recommend it.
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Ann Engel
5.0 out of 5 stars A bit slow at the beginning but it quickly heats up as the story progresses
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023
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A young Amish girl is found dead in a cornfield, a victim of a hunting accident. Serenity Adams is the new sheriff, bucking the old boy network and the reserved Amish residents in her investigation. The story is told from several points of view, rotating throughout and filling in the past with the present. Serenity is aided by Daniel, a man who left the Amish nearly 20 years ago but still has family and contacts in the area. As the true facts come to light it's quite a shock to both sides as the killer is revealed and why it happened. It's not gritty hard core but it's definitely not a soft, cozy mystery. The story flows well and continuity is maintained, it is interesting in that I hard a hard time stopping to do other things. Very well done, and will be starting the next book right away.
One person found this helpful
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Blue Returns
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Crime Novels - with a difference!!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2022
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I reserve my 5* reviews for books that I've enjoyed so much that I'd happily go back to the 1st page and start them over again. This didn't book quite hit that mark.

First off - first half of the book has a number of mistakes and layout issues. There is an instance where Keller is "threading a chair through eyelets" (should be CHAIN) and several places where there needs to be a couple of lines of space, because the scene has changed. Made it a bit confusing when you read straight on to a new perspective and characters.

The topic was a black one (child abductions and references to sexual abuse) but, not having kids, I think I was detached enough from it emotionally to take the book as just being a decent detective novel.

Main bugbear was the final 30 or 40 pages of the book. A situation that was supposed to be tense was spoiled by the old TMI. Note to author - when you are trying to build tension - go easy on how many words you pack in to describe what is going on. I ended up skim reading pages to get to the exciting stuff.

Otherwise - a pretty good book and will read more by the author.
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D. Zendel
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2016
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One month on the job, Serenity Adams, the new sheriff in Blood Rock, is faced with what she thinks is the possible murder of an Amish girl. Everyone else is telling her to let it go, let the Amish take care of their own, but she just can’t do it. She feels she owes a duty and a debt to the dead girl to find out the truth.

Serenity grew up in Blood Rock and couldn’t get out fast enough. Life in the big city took a tragic turn for her, and she came home to heal in the slower pace of Blood Rock. She never really thought about the Amish community growing up, but now she’s learning things she never thought she would, things she doesn’t really want to know. Because the Amish are reluctant to deal with outsiders, Serenity ends up working with Daniel Bachman, her former roofer/ and former Amish man.

The book is told in alternating points of view, which was initially a little jarring, but at least each chapter is headed with a character name, so you know who’s doing what to whom. And it turned out to be a good way to advance the story. I did find the repeated references to “the little sheriff” annoying, but fortunately that stopped about half-way through.

OK, so the thought a law enforcement officer would so easily welcome an outsider he or she knew next to nothing about into an investigation is hard to believe. Even with that, I was caught up in the plot, in the relationship between Daniel and Serenity, between Serenity and her team, between Serenity and the Amish. I initially read Book 2 in this four-book series first, but liked it enough at the end that I bought this Book 1. At the end of this book, I immediately purchase Book 3 because I want to know what happens next. I’m a little sad that it’s only a four-book series – if I make an emotional commitment to a character, I’d like him or her to be around for a while. Even with that, I’m pretty sure I’ll be buying Book 4 as soon as I finish Book 3.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Linda S
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2023
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I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book and I give you a 5🌟 rating. Kudos to author. Will read next book 2.
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Amazon customer Barbw
5.0 out of 5 stars Love and hate.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading this book because it was showing how a religious set can interfere with the law and enforcement officials.
Serenity is an independent lady with strong believes in upholding the law. She stands up for the rights of the victim and rules her department with an iron glove.
The body of an Amish teenager is found and Serenity wants to discover the true , was it an accident or murder? The Amish has different ideas ,aided by the old sheriff who threatened Serenity when she refused to close the case.
Daniel, a contractor, who is attracted to Serenity, is enlisted to help her with the Amish culture, which he left when he was a teenager.
Sparks fly between Daniel and Serenity while trying to solve the case.
Who will win the battle , Serenity or the bishop of the Amish community? Read the book to find out. An interesting book with an surprising outcome.
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sanjana
5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing story of a bad-ass Sherif and an Amish community
Reviewed in India on July 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
I give this book 5 stars because I was gripped to the book the whole time. I wanted to read this book continuously in one go but couldn't because of my work schedule. During breaks I read the book and haven't opened any other app in my book.
I liked how the book is written from 3 perspectives. Initially I had a problem switching with each chapter but later on I really enjoyed it. The use of words, idioms and writing style is all good.
I would recommend this to mystery lovers and people who are starting to read mystery books. It's got the rightcombination of everything you need in the book and you should definitely meet Serenity.
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Barbara Tapscott
5.0 out of 5 stars It's hard being young . . .
Reviewed in Australia on April 17, 2017
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It's even harder being in love let alone doubly so! Then there's the Amish / English aspect to be taken into account. Sheriff Serenity has problems when all these variables meet in a sudden death. Being a female in a patriarchal situation doesn't help one iota! Her approach is interesting!
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Hoener, Birgit
4.0 out of 5 stars Different and interesting narration style
Reviewed in Germany on March 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
Newly appointed sheriff has to solve a mysterious death within the local Amish community, fight against the previous sheriff who seems to be a very shady character, and deal with her attraction to the local ex-Amish carpenter.
This book was different in a lot of ways, firstly, not your usual detective/mystery story as the victim is a young Amish girl dying under mysterious circumstances. Secondly, the narration style: The events were narrated in first person singular, from three different characters, and jumping backwards and forwards in time. Now, personally, I do not like stories told from a personal perspective, so having three different persons doing the narrating took me some getting used to. I am still not sure if I liked it or not, but at least it was very different and interesting to see the story unfold.
I am also not sure whether the budding romance between two of the main characters was absolutely necessary to the story, I think it distracted a bit from the main theme.
Overall, though, an interesting and nice read; I am contemplating to get the next one in this series.
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