Review - Inescapable

INESCAPABLE
Written by: NANCY MEHL
Published by: BETHANY HOUSE
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0927-7
Pages: 336
Pub Date: 2012

    In book one of the Road to Kingdom series, Lizzie Engle is a single mother living in Kansas City working at the Harbor House. Money is tight, but she is able to get by. When her boss becomes ill and takes a leave from work, the new boss, Reba, accuses her of stealing money, in which she did not take. To make things worse, there has been a stranger following her and leaving her strange notes.

    Afraid that charges will be pressed against for the crime she did not commit, Lizzie and her five-year-old daughter Charity pack up their belongings and drive to the small (really small) Mennonite town of Kingdom, Kansas. Five years earlier Lizzie promised herself that she would not return home, as her elder father was very strict in the old school Mennonite ways.

To her surprise a few families of Kingdom have left the old ways, some even had telephones. Even though Lizzie’s mother is thrilled to have them home, Lizzie’s father will not have them there. Therefore, Lizzie finds other means of shelter, living with the widowed woman, Cora, and taking a job at her café. Lizzie reconnects with her childhood friend, Noah, and her life seems to be getting better, but the threatening notes return, and someone is still watching her.

I have read many books about the Amish and Mennonites as their simple ways of life interests me, but one would think the formula would get a bit stale, but Inescapable hooked me from the very beginning. I read a hundred pages one night, which was somewhat of a mistake, as I could not sleep and I kept thinking about Lizzie and her daughter. I got up early the next day, made a cup of coffee, and read the rest of the book. The main character, Lizzie, may be young, but she is mature for her age, putting her daughter’s needs before her own. Most books of this genre are mostly about romance, and yes, there is some here, but mystery and suspense headlines Inescapable. The book is set in Kansas, which is not too far from me as I live in Missouri. There is actually a Mennonite community in my county, but they have phones, electric, and drive trucks, unlike the community of Kingdom, Kansas, where the town is slowly changing to be more modern and the old fashioned elders are wanting to put a stop to the change. Nancy Mehl has done a remarkable job writing a page-turning Mennonite mystery, and I cannot wait for the sequel Unbreakable to come out next year. I recommend Inescapable to all readers.

*I would like to thank Litfuse and Bethany House for sending me a copy to review.

About the Author:

Nancy Mehl, the author of 12 books, received an ACFW Carol Award in 2009 for her novel For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.

Visit her website at www.nancymehl.com.