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Maplecreek #2
Dark Harvest
Dark Harvest by Karen Harper released on May 25, 2004 is available now for purchase.
388 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
776 people want to read
About the author
Karen Harper
105 books1,499 followersA New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 12, 2008
Who says an Amish dude can't be sexy?
February 1, 2023
Easy read and predictable ending. Enjoyed my time with the Amish though. The story is about the hate crimes that are perpetrated on the Amish which is a frequent plot in the Amish crime series, regardless of author.
March 19, 2023
Loved it!
Found this book at an antique store and instantly picked it up. A little town that has hate crimes against the Amish . This book I couldn't put down. . a little romance , twists n turns , relationships that were formed .
Well done.
Found this book at an antique store and instantly picked it up. A little town that has hate crimes against the Amish . This book I couldn't put down. . a little romance , twists n turns , relationships that were formed .
Well done.
December 13, 2018
Dark Harvest by Karen Harper, contained an engaging storyline that made a reader want to continue on reading. Set in an Amish village, a mystery of cruel jokes and tricks turns into terror and thirst for blood. That is why Katherine Lindsey gets called into action to handle this absurd case in a peaceful area. The plot of the story never leaves a reader confused, but rather always leaves them in suspense. Karen Harper did an amazing job of using important sensory details in her book in order to give us the feel of the environment, which was crucial to the story. Despite the dark elements within the book, there was still room for great lessons to be taught about patience, acceptance, and forgiveness, which I appreciated to learn more about.
January 29, 2018
Read this one as a follow up to Maplecreek #1, "Dark Road Home." Sadly, this book is a bit worse than that one, and I gave that one a one star. So is this one a half star? Once again, the skills of her ME protagonist are thin, too much detecting going on (posing as a writer, etc) and the personal backstory totally inconsistent. She sure dropped her Chicago life like a lead balloon! I think I'll pass on any future books from this author.
February 5, 2020
This is the first of her Amish books I have read. Got it by accident. At first I didn't think I would finish it because it had a lot of German and poor English in it and honestly I prefer more steamy stories.... But in the end I couldn't put it down because I wanted to find out how it ended. And I think I may have even learned a little German! 👌
January 25, 2015
It was really absurd. An ex female cop falls in love with an Amish guy? It wasn't a bad book, but I wasn't aware it was going to be a romance, I just picked it up and started reading. I'm not a fan of fluffy romance but I did finish it, over used adjectives and all.
February 11, 2018
I would have loved to give it more than 3 stars but the middle dragged on and the characters names were different in some places. I feel there was a lot going on that didn't need to be. And the ending was missing something.
February 1, 2017
Not bad, but a bit boring in parts.
April 4, 2018
There were plenty of things going on but a lot of them were just stupid. I liked Luke's family. Kat is a mess but that's OK. What I really have an issue with is how implausible the situations were.
August 2, 2022
It was an interesting reading about the Amish way of life. Not a big reader of romance, but the story line kept the suspense moving. Did enjoy the book.
February 10, 2011
After rehabilitating from a gunshot wound, policewoman Kat is keen to find a job away from the city, where crime will hopefully be at a minimum. Maplecreek, Ohio appears to be the perfect setting - after all, aren't the Amish pacifists? But soon she finds herself being talked into dressing Amish and posing as widower Luke's betrothed in order to gain evidence on hate crimes against the Plain people. Kat - now called Katie - quickly finds herself falling for Luke's adorable children, all the more convinced that she must stop the perpetrators. But as she finds herself drawing closer to the Sarah and Eli - and their father - the crimes increase, and Kat knows that she has to race to unravel the mystery before a member of her new family is the next victim...
This would be the perfect read for those who are interested in Amish fiction, but prefer books that aren't entirely focused on romance. So if you enjoyed Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth or any of Marta Perry's romantic suspenses, this may be be the book for you. Although I'm a true romantic at heart, I devoured the Famous Five mysteries and any Nancy Drew book that I could get my hands on as a child, so naturally romantic suspense has an appeal to me. I wasn't sure what I'd make of Dark Harvest as it sounded rather sinister (my fiancé asked me if it was an "Amish horror book"!) but I ended up falling in love with the community of Maplecreek, Ohio.
If you're worried that this is merely a mystery planted in an Amish settlement to make it more original, fret no more. Not only has Karen Harper clearly done her research, but she also grew up in Ohio, close to Holmes Country. I may not be an expert on the Amish, but the detail Karen gives about the dress, food and farming in Maplecreek definitely has an authentic feel to it. Seeing the area through the eyes of outsider, Kat, certainly has a different impression than the descriptions in Amish novels featuring those who have grown up in the faith. Kat's reaction to the tall corn fields made the farm feel incredibly claustrophobic and emphasised how cut-off from the world the Amish truly are - and how vulnerable they are to outside attacks.
I had absolutely no idea who was behind the hate crimes, and although I was able to write one character off as being a red herring, the other four suspects had me mystified. Despite my many years of reading Nancy Drew novels, even I was surprised with the ending. I always love a book where I can't figure out the mystery before the main character, so I'm definitely impressed with Karen's ability to baffle the reader. At times, it almost felt as if Kat couldn't trust anyone, and I really felt her plight. Although she was an endearing character right from the start, I found that I loved her even more by the end of the novel and was really hoping that she'd find her happy ending. I think my only real problem with Kat is that she was continually getting herself into trouble by running off to investigate something without asking for help or telling anyone what she was doing. She was a bit too stubborn and often ended up unintentionally being a damsel in distress!
The romance between Kat and Luke obviously isn't the main focus of the book, and I'd have to say that it only takes up 10-20% of it. If you're not a fan of romance, you could always skim the particularly soppy sections, of which there are very few. I enjoyed watching Kat and Luke's relationship develop, and witnessing how they cared for each other. While there are a few passionate kisses here and there, the majority of their relationship is based on trust and wanting to look out for the other person. Luke feels a responsibility for Kat because she's living on his property, and this eventually becomes something more. And Kat finds herself discovering how much she wants a husband and family, realising how many admirable qualities Luke has. I was pleased that Karen hadn't gone down the route of creating the stereotypical Amish male - the kind that seems moody and brooding, doesn't show any interest in the female protagonist, and she ultimately has to break down the walls of communication to make him notice her. Luke was friendly and caring from the start of this novel, and eventually this turns into a romantic attraction, despite the differences in cultures. Basically, Karen shows that the Amish have human emotions too, and even they become attracted to people that they may think are "wrong for them".
Despite my slight annoyance with Kat, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As much as I adore love stories, a good romantic suspense can be incredibly satisfying. This book had my adrenaline pumping and was impossible to put down. If you're a fan of mysteries, thrillers or just the Amish, I'd definitely recommend checking out Karen Harper's novels. While this is technically the second book in a series, they can be read in any order. The Maplecreek Amish series is currently being reissued by Mira, and Karen has a new novel, Fall from Pride, due for publication in July 2011. 9/10
This would be the perfect read for those who are interested in Amish fiction, but prefer books that aren't entirely focused on romance. So if you enjoyed Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth or any of Marta Perry's romantic suspenses, this may be be the book for you. Although I'm a true romantic at heart, I devoured the Famous Five mysteries and any Nancy Drew book that I could get my hands on as a child, so naturally romantic suspense has an appeal to me. I wasn't sure what I'd make of Dark Harvest as it sounded rather sinister (my fiancé asked me if it was an "Amish horror book"!) but I ended up falling in love with the community of Maplecreek, Ohio.
If you're worried that this is merely a mystery planted in an Amish settlement to make it more original, fret no more. Not only has Karen Harper clearly done her research, but she also grew up in Ohio, close to Holmes Country. I may not be an expert on the Amish, but the detail Karen gives about the dress, food and farming in Maplecreek definitely has an authentic feel to it. Seeing the area through the eyes of outsider, Kat, certainly has a different impression than the descriptions in Amish novels featuring those who have grown up in the faith. Kat's reaction to the tall corn fields made the farm feel incredibly claustrophobic and emphasised how cut-off from the world the Amish truly are - and how vulnerable they are to outside attacks.
I had absolutely no idea who was behind the hate crimes, and although I was able to write one character off as being a red herring, the other four suspects had me mystified. Despite my many years of reading Nancy Drew novels, even I was surprised with the ending. I always love a book where I can't figure out the mystery before the main character, so I'm definitely impressed with Karen's ability to baffle the reader. At times, it almost felt as if Kat couldn't trust anyone, and I really felt her plight. Although she was an endearing character right from the start, I found that I loved her even more by the end of the novel and was really hoping that she'd find her happy ending. I think my only real problem with Kat is that she was continually getting herself into trouble by running off to investigate something without asking for help or telling anyone what she was doing. She was a bit too stubborn and often ended up unintentionally being a damsel in distress!
The romance between Kat and Luke obviously isn't the main focus of the book, and I'd have to say that it only takes up 10-20% of it. If you're not a fan of romance, you could always skim the particularly soppy sections, of which there are very few. I enjoyed watching Kat and Luke's relationship develop, and witnessing how they cared for each other. While there are a few passionate kisses here and there, the majority of their relationship is based on trust and wanting to look out for the other person. Luke feels a responsibility for Kat because she's living on his property, and this eventually becomes something more. And Kat finds herself discovering how much she wants a husband and family, realising how many admirable qualities Luke has. I was pleased that Karen hadn't gone down the route of creating the stereotypical Amish male - the kind that seems moody and brooding, doesn't show any interest in the female protagonist, and she ultimately has to break down the walls of communication to make him notice her. Luke was friendly and caring from the start of this novel, and eventually this turns into a romantic attraction, despite the differences in cultures. Basically, Karen shows that the Amish have human emotions too, and even they become attracted to people that they may think are "wrong for them".
Despite my slight annoyance with Kat, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As much as I adore love stories, a good romantic suspense can be incredibly satisfying. This book had my adrenaline pumping and was impossible to put down. If you're a fan of mysteries, thrillers or just the Amish, I'd definitely recommend checking out Karen Harper's novels. While this is technically the second book in a series, they can be read in any order. The Maplecreek Amish series is currently being reissued by Mira, and Karen has a new novel, Fall from Pride, due for publication in July 2011. 9/10
May 12, 2017
Interesting but unfortunately sometimes a little slow. A lot of very deep character development and a setting and environment that was very intriguing. Set in an Amish community that was being threatened by a few questionable deaths. As I have watched a few of the Amish shows on TV, I understood a little more than the casual reader who may just pick up the book with no knowledge. Enjoyed the conflict and the continuous mystery.
March 19, 2017
This is the first book I've read by Karen Harper and I found it very interesting. I have never read anything on the Amish before and the author's use of the people and setting made the story a very intriguing one. More than just a crime thriller, Dark Harvest is truly unique, much like the Amish. Kudos to Harper! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 28, 2019
I could not put this book down!! It is based on an Amish community that are having hate crimes against them and an under cover female cop goes in as a Amish fiance to solve the problems. Karen Harper keeps the reader interested in this clean romance mystery!! It is quite a page turned and the unexpected happens throughout the book!!
August 28, 2017
I accidentally read book #2 in the Maplecreek series first, but I don't think it will matter. I found the story interesting, and I love reading about the Amish. I thought the story was a little too drawn out and slow, but it was a good read with a fairly good ending.
May 14, 2019
I enjoyed the charter development in this story and the respect that was shown to two different ways of life. Not 5 stars for me though as I did have some unanswered questions at the end...maybe they'll be answered in the next book?
August 6, 2019
I love love this story and I can't wait to get the other 2 to books that goes with it, the story line keeps you guessing on who done it, the characters are interesting and the interlock all the way though the story. I like the Amish twist to this story.
July 5, 2023
I couldn’t believe an officer would go undercover in Amish town.But sad that two Amish got murder bye an ex-Amish child could hold so much hatred towards them.At least she’s and her two out of town partners got caught,charged for what they did.Also a happy romantic ending too
March 29, 2019
Really good!
May 15, 2020
The series improves for me, I'm enjoying the characters
October 9, 2020
interesting.
January 18, 2021
Although Harper's book is awesome, some of her thoughts on amish ways miss the mark. I wish she would have researched her subject more.
March 16, 2021
I am really enjoying this series set in an Amish area!
August 11, 2021
This kept my interest. A linear mystery, romance that kept moving along. Ending was fast paced!
Read
January 9, 2023dnf just didn't hold my interest.
July 10, 2024
Kat gets injured in the line of duty and can no longer work on the streets. She ends up entering an Amish community to help find someone out to harm the community. Good book
February 11, 2025
It was ok. Not as good as the first one and she messed up some names in it. She called Winslow Winston at one point and the Sheriff the wrong name as well. Poor editing, I guess.
May 25, 2025
very good book
February 25, 2022
I enjoyed this book the most out of this series. There was a lot of action. The ending was perfect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews